Träumerei (Scenes from Childhood, No. 7)
Träumerei (Dreaming), No. 7 of Schumann's Scenes from Childhood, Op. 15 (1838), is a slow piece in F major and 4/4. Octotune grades it 4 of 8 (Beginner), but its held inner voices and wide chords make it a musical challenge well beyond its notes.
At a glance
| Composer | Robert Schumann (1810–1856) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Beginner: grade 4 of 8 |
| Key | F major (1 flat (B♭)) |
| Time | 4/4 |
| Tempo | 60 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 25 bars, about 1:51 |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | F3 to B♭5 |
| Left hand | B♭1 to A4 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Träumerei (Scenes from Childhood), Op. 15 No. 7 | 4 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
Träumerei ("Dreaming") is the seventh of Schumann's Kinderszenen, Scenes from Childhood, Op. 15 (1838): pieces about childhood, written for grown-ups to play. It is in F major, one flat, and begins with a single note, a pick-up on C, that rises into a long arching melody. The same arch returns again and again, each time leading somewhere new.
Why it is harder than it looks. Octotune grades it 4 of 8, because it is slow and the notes are few. The difficulty is in how they fit together:
- Several voices in each hand. The melody is on top, but inner voices move underneath it, often in the same hand. One finger holds a note while others move on.
- Held notes. Notes are tied across beats and bars. Letting go early breaks the line.
- Wide left-hand chords. The bass reaches a low B flat, far below the bass staff, and some chords stretch wider than a small hand can hold; roll them gently or let the pedal help.
- Pauses and slowing. The music breathes: it slows at the ends of phrases and stops on pauses.
Practice plan
- The melody alone, using Octotune's Melody level, until it sings.
- The melody with its bass (the Melody and bass level): the shape of the harmony.
- The full texture, four bars at a time, very slowly, holding every note its full length.
- Pedal once the fingers can hold the notes on their own.
Before you start: Octotune's path up to Unit 10, which teaches F major and B flat. The piece also passes through other keys, with their accidentals written in.
Questions
Is Träumerei hard to play?
It is slow, and Octotune grades it 4 of 8, but it is harder than it looks: each hand plays more than one voice, notes must be held while others move, and the left hand spans wide chords.
What does Träumerei mean?
Dreaming, or reverie. It is No. 7 of Schumann's Scenes from Childhood (Kinderszenen), Op. 15, from 1838.
Credits and licence
- Music: Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
- Typeset by Ying-Chun Liu for the Mutopia Project
- Licence: Public Domain
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece