The Happy Farmer, Returning from Work
The Happy Farmer, Returning from Work, No. 10 of Schumann's Album for the Young, Op. 68 (1848), is a Beginner piece (Octotune grade 4 of 8) in F major. Its cheerful tune starts in the left hand, under off-beat chords in the right.
At a glance
| Composer | Robert Schumann (1810–1856) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Beginner: grade 4 of 8 |
| Key | F major (1 flat (B♭)) |
| Time | 4/4 |
| Tempo | 100 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 20 bars, about 48 seconds |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | A3 to F5 |
| Left hand | B♭2 to F4 |
| 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 Happy Farmer (Album for the Young), Op. 68 No. 10 | 4 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
Fröhlicher Landmann, von der Arbeit zurückkehrend, "The Happy Farmer, Returning from Work", is No. 10 of Robert Schumann's Album for the Young, Op. 68, written in 1848 for his daughters. It is in F major (every B is B flat) and bounces along in 4/4 after a short pick-up.
The special thing about it: the tune is in the left hand. For the first part, the left hand sings the melody, with a jaunty dotted rhythm, while the right hand plays short chords off the beat, between the melody notes. Later the right hand joins in with the tune too. Beginners usually expect the melody on top; here the left hand has to lead, strongly, and the chords must stay lighter.
The tricky parts
- Balance. Left hand loud and singing; right-hand chords short and quieter.
- Off-beat chords. The right hand plays between the left hand's notes. Count "1 and 2 and" and place the chords on the "and"s.
- The dotted rhythm in the tune: long-short, crisp.
How to use Octotune's levels here. The Melody level follows the right hand's top line, which at the start is the off-beat chords, not the tune. To learn the tune itself, open the full version and choose Left hand: the app plays the right hand's chords for you.
Practice plan
- Left hand alone until the tune sings.
- Right hand's chords alone, short and light, counting the off-beats.
- Together slowly; then Play along at a moderate speed.
In the path: Unit 10 (keys of G and F) plays it at its Melody level, as a first taste; after Unit 10 it is well within reach in full.
Questions
Is The Happy Farmer hard?
It is a Beginner piece (Octotune grade 4 of 8). Its special challenge is that the tune starts in the left hand, which must sing out under the right hand's quieter off-beat chords.
What key is The Happy Farmer in?
F major, with one flat (B flat), in 4/4. It starts with a short pick-up.
Credits and licence
- Music: Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
- Typeset by Philippe Hézaine for the Mutopia Project
- Licence: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece