Waltz in A-flat, Op. 39 No. 15
Brahms's Waltz in A-flat major, Op. 39 No. 15, the best known of his sixteen Waltzes (1865), is a gentle piece in 3/4, Octotune grade 6 of 8: a tune in thirds and sixths over a lilting waltz bass, in four flats.
At a glance
| Composer | Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Intermediate: grade 6 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: 4 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭) |
| Time | 3/4 |
| Tempo | 116 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 44 measures, about 1:08 |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | C4 to A♭6 |
| Left hand | A♭1 to G♭4 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Waltz in A-flat, Op. 39 No. 15 | 6 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
Johannes Brahms wrote his sixteen Waltzes, Op. 39, in 1865 for piano four hands, and dedicated them to the critic Eduard Hanslick; he later arranged them for solo piano. No. 15, in A-flat major, is the most famous of them. It is gentle, not showy, in 3/4.
How it is built. The right hand plays the tune in two-note chords, mostly thirds and sixths, the tune on top, with a lilting long-short rhythm. The left hand plays a waltz bass: a low note on the first beat, then the notes of the chord above it. The key signature has four flats: B, E, A and D flat.
The tricky parts
- Two notes at once. Both notes of each pair together, the top one a little louder.
- Four flats. Play the A-flat major scale first, and say the flats as you meet them.
- The waltz bass. The low note on beat 1 is a leap below the chord. Look ahead.
- Gentleness. Keep it soft and flowing; a waltz to sway to, not to stamp.
Practice plan
- The tune alone with the Melody level, to hear its shape.
- Each hand alone at the Full level in Wait for me.
- Both hands at 50% speed with the loop, then Play along, raising the speed while it stays gentle.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 11, which teaches B flat and chords. The other flats go beyond it.
Questions
Is Brahms's Waltz in A-flat hard?
It is an intermediate piece, Octotune grade 6 of 8. It is not fast, but the right hand plays in two-note chords, the left hand leaps in a waltz pattern, and the key has four flats.
Was Brahms's Op. 39 written for piano duet?
Yes. Brahms wrote his sixteen Waltzes, Op. 39, for piano four hands in 1865, and later arranged them for solo piano.
Credits and license
- Music: Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
- Typeset by Brian D. Rude for the Mutopia Project
- License: Public Domain
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece