Description
Here the chromatic scale belongs to the left hand, rising semitone by semitone in sixteenth notes from a low F2. The piece is in F major and 4/4, and the left hand has far more notes than the right. The right hand starts with half- and quarter-note chords, and partway through adds sixteenth-note scales running downwards. It lasts about 18 seconds, with 143 notes, at a quicker tempo than No. 7.
No. 7 gave the same scale to the right hand. Swapping roles between neighbouring numbers so that both hands are trained on one task is typical of how Op. 821 lays out its 160 eight-bar pieces.
It is rated beginner, but evening out a left-hand chromatic scale at a brisk tempo is no small task. Fingering tends to feel less natural in the left hand, so practise it alone at a slower playback speed first and decide where the thumb passes under. Follow the left hand with the hand colours, and play No. 7 and No. 8 one after the other to find out which hand is the stronger. The range runs from F2 to C6, which fits a 61-key keyboard.
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.
Browse all songs in 160 Eight-Measure Exercises Op.821 →Sheet Music
Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
About the Composer
Carl Czerny (1791-1857)
Carl Czerny was a Viennese pianist and composer who studied under Beethoven and later taught Franz Liszt. He is best known for his enormous output of piano etudes, which remain widely used in piano pedagogy around the world today. This site includes selections from the 160 Eight-Measure Exercises, Op. 821, and the 50 Progressive Studies in All Keys, Op. 840.
View all works by Czerny →