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The library · Classical

Prelude in E minor, Op. 28 No. 4

Frédéric Chopin

An almost still melody over chords that slide down semitone by semitone: a gem of harmony to understand.

E minor · 2/2 · 56 beats per minute · 25 bars · 1 min 48 · intermediate level

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The form

The sections of the piece and their chords: the map you learn before playing a single note.

A B C A' D E Coda

SectionBarsChordsPhrase ending
A 1–4 Em/G · B7sus4 · F♯m7 · F♯dim7 · Dm/F · Fm6 · Em7
i · V7sus4 · ii7 · ii°7 · vii · ♭ii6 · i7		 —
B 5–8 C/E · Am6/E · D♯dim7 · D7 · Dm7
VI · iv6 · ♯vii°7 · VII7 · vii7		 —
C 9–12 Ddim7 · Am/C · B7 · Am/C · Cdim
vii°7 · iv · V7 · iv · vi°		 —
A' 13–16 Em/G · B7sus4 · F♯m7 · Fm7♭5 · Em7♭5
i · V7sus4 · ii7 · ♭iiø7 · iø7		 —
D 17–20 Am/C · Am · Cmaj7/G · Bsus4 · B7sus4/C · B7sus4 · Esus4 · B
iv · iv · VImaj7 · Vsus4 · V7sus4 · V7sus4 · Isus4 · V		 Imperfect cadence
E 21–24 Am7♭5 · C7 · Esus4 · Em/B · C7/B♭ · Bsus4
ivø7 · VI7 · Isus4 · i · VI7 · Vsus4		 Imperfect cadence
Coda 25–25 Em
i		 —

The key

E minor
1 sharp in the key signature: F♯
Scale
E · F♯ · G · A · B · C · D
Pillar chords
I = Em · IV = Am · V7 = B7

The tricky passages

  • Bar 12: fast runs (8.1 notes per second)
  • Bars 16–17: a melodic leap (major seventh), notes outside the key, 4-note chords
  • Bar 18: a melodic leap (octave)

The plan: 19 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.

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