The Wild Horseman
The Wild Horseman, No. 8 of Schumann's Album for the Young, Op. 68, is a short, galloping piece in A minor and 6/8. Octotune grades it 5 of 8 for its speed: quick staccato broken chords, with the tune passing from the right hand to the left.
At a glance
| Composer | Robert Schumann (1810–1856) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Intermediate: grade 5 of 8 |
| Key | A minor (no sharps or flats) |
| Time | 6/8 |
| Tempo | 152 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 32 bars, about 38 seconds |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | C4 to F5 |
| Left hand | C3 to F4 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| The Wild Horseman (Album for the Young), Op. 68 No. 8 | 5 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
Wilder Reiter, "The Wild Horseman", is No. 8 of Schumann's Album for the Young, Op. 68 (1848). A child rides a hobby-horse at full gallop: quick, loud and bumpy, in A minor and 6/8, and over in well under a minute.
How it is built. The tune is a galloping broken chord (E A E A C A) in the right hand, over short left-hand chords. In the middle section the roles swap: the left hand takes the tune, and the right hand plays the chords. Then the opening returns.
The tricky parts
- Staccato at speed. Short, even notes. Bounce from the wrist rather than hitting with the fingers.
- The left-hand tune in the middle must be as clear and lively as the right hand's.
- 6/8. Two big beats in a bar, each split into three: "ONE two three FOUR five six". Keep the gallop steady.
- Accents on the strong beats give it its kick.
Practice plan
- Each hand alone, slowly, staccato.
- Hands together at 50% speed. Raise it a little at a time with the Speed control.
- Practise the middle section on its own, left hand leading.
Octotune grades it 5 of 8 largely for speed. At half speed it is a comfortable piece for a player who has finished the path.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 8, which covers every note in it. The G sharps of A minor and the 6/8 time go a little beyond the path, so count it aloud first.
Questions
Is The Wild Horseman hard?
It is an early-intermediate piece: Octotune grades it 5 of 8, mostly for its speed. The notes are simple broken chords; the skill is a quick, even, crisp staccato in both hands.
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