The Blue Danube (main theme)
This arrangement of the main theme of Johann Strauss II's The Blue Danube (1867) is a Beginner piece (Octotune grade 4 of 8) in C major and 3/4: the famous tune in the right hand over a waltz accompaniment in the left.
At a glance
| Composer | Johann Strauss II (1825–1899) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Beginner: grade 4 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: no sharps or flats |
| Time | 3/4 |
| Tempo | 150 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 33 measures, about 39 seconds |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | B3 to C6 |
| Left hand | B2 to D4 |
| On the path | Unit 10, Keys of G and F |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| The Blue Danube (main theme), Op. 314 | 4 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
An der schönen blauen Donau, "By the Beautiful Blue Danube", Op. 314 (1867), is Johann Strauss II's most famous waltz. This short arrangement takes its main theme and sets it in C major, in 3/4, for both hands.
The tune begins on a pick-up and climbs a C major chord (C, C E G, G), then answers itself with the same shape on other chords. Long notes are held across the bar line: count "1 2 3" through them.
The left hand is the waltz. On beat 1 a bass note; on beats 2 and 3, a chord a little higher. "Oom, pah, pah." It must be light, with the weight on 1. The hand moves from the bass note to the chord and back every measure, so learn the shapes until you can find them without looking.
The tricky parts
- Coordinating the hands, since the tune's long notes sit over the moving left hand.
- A light "pah, pah". The chords on 2 and 3 are quieter than the bass on 1.
- Holding the tune's long notes full length while the left hand keeps going.
Practice plan
- Left hand alone, saying "oom, pah, pah", until it is steady and light.
- Right hand alone, counting the long notes.
- Together, slowly, in Wait for me; then Play along at a gentle speed.
In the path: Unit 10 plays this arrangement with both hands, as written: a real waltz to finish the keys unit.
Questions
Is The Blue Danube easy on piano?
This arrangement of the main theme is a Beginner piece (Octotune grade 4 of 8). The right hand plays the famous tune; the left hand plays the waltz's oom-pah-pah, a bass note then two chords in every measure.
Credits and license
- Music: Johann Strauss II (1825–1899)
- Typeset by Nikos Kouremenos for the Mutopia Project
- License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece