Ballade

Hello and welcome back. I'm Joseph Hoffman, and in this lesson we're going to learn how to play another
exciting piece by Burgmüller.
Oh, good old Bergy again.
I'm not calling him Burgy Scuba.
Aww.
The piece we're learning today by Burgmüller is called "Ballade".
The term 'ballade' in classical music can be thought of as a dramatic musical story.
One of my favorite "Ballade's" is Seong-Jin's "Ballade" in G minor, which we're listening to right now. It's a very long and dramatic piece, and it's also very lyrical and song like at times,
which is another common feature of Ballades.
As I play Burgmüller's "Ballade" for you, use your imagination to think about what could be happening in this musical story.
Maybe you'll imagine a certain character or two.
Like an evil bad guy?
Like a beautiful princess?
Anything your imagination can come up with.
As you listen, try and imagine what they're doing, what happens, and who they happen to meet along the way.
Here's the score for "Ballade". So as with any new piece, let's go through our checklist.
First up, the tempo indication is allegro con brio.
Allegro you know means fast. Con is 'with'. Brio means with brilliance or brightly. So you could think of this as fast and flashy with excitement.
Then we want to check out our clefs, treble and bass like we expect, then key signature. How many flats do you see?
With three flats, let's look at our ladder of fourths.
If we go up to three flats, we know we're in the key of E-flat major or C minor.
How will we tell?
Well, looking at this first chord. Actually, the first many chords are all C minor chords.
So, we can tell we're going to be in the key of C minor.
And then our time signature is what?
It's 3/8, which you'll recall simply means there are three
eighth note beats per measure. That bottom number stands for what kind of note equals a beat. Top number tells you how many.
So, three eighth notes per measure, and we'll count the eighth note as 1 beat.
So, what do we see here?
These are eighth notes 1 2 3, 1 2 3.
Now the eighth notes are the beat, and when we have sixteenth notes, now we can fit two sixteenth notes inside each eighth note beat.
So these will be 1-& 2-& 3-&
Let's write that in.
Remember, two sixteenth notes equals one eighth note, and that's why we can fit two of them inside each beat.
Then these are also 1-& 2-& 3-& 1 2.
Now remember, this symbol is an eighth rest, which also will equal 1 beat, then another eighth note.
You can tell eighth notes from their single flag. Coming down to the next line we have 1 2 3.
Now, how many beats would a dotted quarter note get?
In 3/8, a dotted quarter note gets 3 beats because the dotted quarter note is equal to three eighth notes, so we have 1 2 3 1 2
and then notice this is tied, so we won't play this note we'll just keep holding it down for three plus two equals 5 beats long,
and then here's beat 3, then 1 2 3. This is also tied 1 2 3
Now you've probably noticed that I'm focusing mostly on the bass staff here, and that's because that's where the melody is.
You'll notice the right hand is just repeating chords
all the way through this first section, and so it's the left hand that's going to be interesting.
Let's try tapping the rhythm of the left hand while we count the beat out loud.
It will sound like this: 1-& 2-& 3-& 1-& 2-& 3-& 1 2 3
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
1 2 3 1 2 3, and then it repeats.
Okay, try it with me this time. Can you count the beat with me? Count the beat out loud while you tap.
Either on your lap or any flat surface. I'll count 3 beats, and then we start.
Count and tap 1 2 3
1-& 2-& 3-&, 1-& 2-& 3-& 1 2 3
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
1 2 3 repeat
1-& 2-& 3-& 1-& 2-& 3-& 1 2 3
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
1 2 3 and then we keep going down to here.
Now on your own if you'd like more practice with that rhythm,
pause the video. You can even take time to write these counts in your own sheet music, which of course you can download from our website.
So, pause the video if you'd like to take time to write these counts in your own music, but otherwise,
let's get started learning how to play this section on the piano.
Alright, let's tackle the left hand first, because in "Ballade" the left hand starts off with the melody.
The right hand is playing a chord accompaniment, just these repeating chords.
Our left hand takes the melody starting in measure three. Take a look at the first note, and can you tell me the name of this note?
If you said bass C, you're correct. So if this is my middle C, I've got to come down here. On your own piano place your finger 1 on bass C.
Now I'd like you to figure out these first two measures on your own.
Ac ...