In May

Description

Franz Behr (1837–1898) was a German composer who left a large number of approachable piano pieces for playing at home and in teaching. "In May" is one of those pieces for beginners, and as its title suggests, it carries the brightness of spring.

It is in C major and 3/4. It is written with a simple, memorable melody over a clear accompaniment of basic chords. Its range sits between B3 and G5, less than two octaves, so both hands can play without moving far from around middle C; the whole piece can be played even on a small keyboard.

Rated beginner, it lasts about 1 minute 39 seconds with 166 notes in this data. Since it can be played with the hands barely changing position, it suits the first stage of getting used to dividing melody and accompaniment between the hands. The tasks are to feel the first beat of triple time lightly and to connect the melody smoothly. Check the roles of right and left hand with the hand colours, practise each hand separately with slower playback, then put them together, and it will come without strain. At about a minute and a half, it is also a manageable length for gaining experience in playing a piece straight through to the end.

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