The library · Classical
Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9 No. 2
Frédéric Chopin
A melody ornamented like an opera aria, over a left hand swaying in 12/8: each return of the theme is a little more decorated than the last.
E♭ major · 12/8 · 66 beats per minute · 37 bars · 3 min 22 · advanced level
The form
The sections of the piece and their chords: the map you learn before playing a single note.
A A' B A'' B A'' C D E Coda
| Section | Bars | Chords | Phrase ending |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1–4 | E♭ · E♭/B · C7/B♭ · Gm7 · Cm · Cm7 I · I · V7/ii · iii7 · vi · vi7 |
— |
| A' | 5–8 | E♭/B♭ · E♭/B · C7/B♭ · Gm7 · Cm · Cm7 I · I · V7/ii · iii7 · vi · vi7 |
— |
| B | 9–12 | B♭ · F · A♭/C · E♭ · B♭6 · E♭6/B♭ · F7/C V · V/V · IV · I · V6 · I6 · V7/V |
— |
| A'' | 13–16 | E♭maj7/B♭ · C7/B♭ · Gm7 · Cm · E♭ Imaj7 · V7/ii · iii7 · vi · I |
— |
| B | 17–20 | B♭ · F · A♭/C · E♭ · B♭6 · E♭6/B♭ · F7/C V · V/V · IV · I · V6 · I6 · V7/V |
— |
| A'' | 21–24 | E♭maj7/B♭ · C7/B♭ · Gm7 · Cm · E♭ Imaj7 · V7/ii · iii7 · vi · I |
— |
| C | 25–28 | A♭m · E♭ · A♭m · E♭ · B♭sus4 · E♭ iv · I · iv · I · Vsus4 · I |
Perfect cadence |
| D | 29–32 | A♭m · E♭ · A♭m · E♭ · B♭7sus4 · Cm · C♭dim · B♭ iv · I · iv · I · V7sus4 · vi · ♭vi° · V |
Imperfect cadence |
| E | 33–36 | B♭/D · Am · A♭ · E♭ V · ♯iv · IV · I |
Plagal cadence |
| Coda | 37–37 | E♭/B♭ · E♭ I · I |
— |
The key
- E♭ major
- 3 flats in the key signature: B♭, E♭, A♭
- Scale
- E♭ · F · G · A♭ · B♭ · C · D
- Pillar chords
- I = E♭ · IV = A♭ · V7 = B♭7
The tricky passages
- Bar 16: fast runs (13.2 notes per second), a melodic leap (more than an octave (16 semitones)), notes outside the key, lots of notes
- Bar 24: fast runs (13.2 notes per second), a melodic leap (more than an octave (16 semitones)), notes outside the key, lots of notes
- Bar 30: fast runs (8.8 notes per second), a melodic leap (octave), notes outside the key
The plan: 24 days
Half an hour a day. First I help you understand the map of the piece, then we lay down the chord framework, learn each section phrase by phrase, work on the tricky passages, put it together and bring it up to tempo, until you can play it from memory.
More pieces from the library
- Ode to Joy · Ludwig van Beethoven
- Prelude in C major, BWV 846 · Johann Sebastian Bach
- Invention No. 1 in C major, BWV 772 · Johann Sebastian Bach
- Minuet in G major, BWV Anh. 114 · Christian Petzold
- Minuet in G minor, BWV Anh. 115 · Christian Petzold
- Sonata in C major, K. 545: 1st movement · Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Renato Biolcati Rinaldi / Mutopia Project · CC BY-SA 3.0