160 Eight-Measure Exercises No.16

Description

Within G major and 2/4, the task is fast repetition of a single note in the right hand. The right hand repeats a figure that strikes the same note as three sixteenths and an eighth, D-D-D-D, G-G-G-G, changing the note each time, and at the close comes down through a broken chord. The left hand briefly marks chord tones in sixteenth and eighth notes, with rests here and there that keep the accompaniment light. It lasts about 17 seconds, with 149 notes.

It is the second in the G major group of Op. 821, and its task is quite unlike that of No. 15 with its fine scales and ornaments. The collection's rule of one technique per eight bars here takes the form of repeated notes.

At beginner level the key is fingering: repeated notes are less likely to blur at speed if you change fingers, for example 3-2-1, rather than striking with the same finger every time. A note goes missing if you strike again before the key has risen, so slow the playback and check that every note actually sounds. The lightness that the left-hand rests give is part of the charm. The range runs from C3 to D7, so a 61-key keyboard lacks the top note as written, though an octave shift fits every note.

A set of 160 short studies by Czerny, each condensed into just eight measures so a single technical point can be worked on quickly. Their brevity makes them well suited to beginners building basic piano technique efficiently.