Description
A small piece about a child's first taste of sorrow, First Loss takes its name from the German Erster Verlust, which means just that. It is the sixteenth piece of Schumann's 1848 Album for the Young, Op. 68, in the first part, For Younger Children.
In E minor and 2/4, its minor-key harmonies and gently swaying melodic line convey sadness without becoming overwrought. Lasting about 80 seconds with only 314 notes, its range runs from E2 to G5, so it plays on a 61-key keyboard.
Though rated beginner level, it tests the player's expression through subtle control of tempo and the spacing between notes, distilling Schumann's delicate sensibility into a small frame. With so few notes, the weight of each one and the way each phrase is closed are heard directly. Slow the playback, follow the melodic line in the hand colours, and think about where to wait a moment before the next note; the quiet sorrow will come across without too much or too little.
A collection of 43 piano pieces Schumann gave to his daughter Marie for her seventh birthday — musically rich works enjoyable for children and adults alike.
Browse all songs in Album for the Young Op.68 →Sheet Music
Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
What this piece teaches
"First Loss". E minor, 2/4. With so few notes, the weight of each one and the way each phrase ends are the expression itself. The lesson is the small wait - a moment of space before the next note.
How to practise it
- Learn it in steady time first, then decide where to wait. Bend it from the start and the waits land somewhere different every time.
- Set the last note of each phrase down softly, quieter than the one before. Loop just the phrase endings with A-B and repeat them.
Practice guides using this piece
Keeping a practice log that lasts
What the practice log records and when, self-ratings and progress, how days and streaks are counted, and exporting and importing so the log is never lost.
About the Composer
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Robert Schumann was a leading German Romantic composer born in Zwickau. His poetic style reflects his deep literary sensibility, and his wife Clara Schumann was herself a renowned pianist and composer. His pedagogical piano collection Album for the Young remains beloved for its simple yet evocative miniatures for children and families. This site includes pieces from that collection and from Kinderszenen, Op. 15.
View all works by Schumann →