No.6 Progrès
Description
"Progress" — the title announces the technical aim outright. As the sixth study of Op. 100, it takes what the first five have covered and pushes further into scale work. This is the advantage of the titled étude: the stage of learning is visible from the name.
Scale figures run up and down in both hands, with the same shape passed from one to the other. Writing in common time and in C major, with no key signature to think about, leaves the player free to concentrate on the movement of the fingers alone.
Thumb crossing, which all scale playing depends on, is the point here. If the wrist bounces at that moment, a step appears in the middle of the scale. Prepare the thumb early and move the whole hand quietly in the direction of travel. Practising the scales alone, hand by hand, before taking the tempo up makes an audible difference.
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
"Progress." Scales throughout: moving the hand by passing the thumb under, in both hands, until it is secure.
How to practise it
- The note where the thumb passes under tends to break or bump. Loop just those spots.
- Where both hands run scales together, learn each hand at 0.5x first and settle the fingering before combining.
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 →