No.3 La Pastorale
Description
The pastorale is an old style evoking shepherds' music, marked out by a swaying 6/8 metre and the plain sonority of a sustained bass. In this third study of Op. 100, Burgmüller takes a type Bach and Beethoven both used and shrinks it to a beginner's scale.
Set in G major at a calmer tempo than the two studies before it, the piece often doubles its right-hand melody into thirds and sixths, giving a soft, thickened sound, while the left repeats its figure evenly to hold the unhurried country pace.
Singing a melody made of double notes is the task. Sounding two notes together makes it hard to bring only the upper voice forward; instead of pressing both fingers equally, the trick is to feel slightly more weight on the melody finger. And counting the 6/8 in two large beats rather than six small ones is what lets the phrases breathe at length.
A set of beginner études by Burgmüller, each bearing an evocative title, offering a classic way to develop technique and musical expression together.
Browse all songs in 25 Easy and Progressive Studies Op.100 →Sheet Music
Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
What this piece teaches
A pastoral in 6/8: six eighth notes felt as two beats of three, with a gentle rocking motion.
How to practise it
- Rather than counting all six, feel two large beats swaying.
- Turn on beat lines in settings to see the beat drawn across the falling notes.
About the Composer
Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmüller (1806-1874)
Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmuller was born in Germany and spent much of his career in Paris, where he composed the ballet La Peri. He is best remembered today for his pedagogical piano collections, especially the 25 Etudes faciles et progressives, Op. 100, whose accessible, tuneful pieces remain popular with beginning pianists. This site includes Nos. 1 to 18 of the 25 Etudes, Op. 100, beginning with "La Candeur" and "Arabesque."
View all works by Burgmüller →