Innocence is the fifth of the 25 Easy and Progressive Studies Op. 100, published by Friedrich Burgmüller in 1851. Marked Moderato and written in 3/4, it's one of those pieces students remember fastest: a melody that moves with grace over a chordal accompaniment.
⏱0:50 with repeats♪414 notes🎚Beginner🎼F major♩112 per quarter🎹F2 → C7🦶pedal marks
The file has 215 notes over 27 seconds. The difficulty is touch: keeping notes light and clear without leaning on every beat. A few passages climb into the high register, which sends the right hand traveling without letting it tense up. Play it alongside La Candeur, which comes just before it in the collection.
A light, clean touch, all the way into the high register
The 3-beat pulse, with a soft first beat
A chordal accompaniment that stays in the background
The climbs into the high register, without hardening the hand
The tricky passages
Bar 6 : 12 notes in a row in the right hand, at about 7.5 notes per second
Bar 17 : a leap of 24 semitones (over two octaves) in the right hand, in under half a second
Playing Innocence Op. 100 No. 5 on piano with Pianovera
Loop it in Pianovera, 8 bars at a time, in Wait mode: speed will come by itself once the touch is clean. Note the tempo you can stay even at each session, and raise it by 5% only.
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About this piece
How long is Innocence Op. 100 No. 5?
The MIDI file lasts 0:50, with every repeat played in full: 17 bars in 3/4 (32 played with the repeats), 414 notes, at 112 bpm (quarter notes). Slowed to 60%, it lasts 1:23.
What level do you need to play Innocence Op. 100 No. 5?
We rate it beginner in F major, with sustain pedal marks. The left hand stretches up to 10 semitones and the right hand up to 8 semitones, across 55 semitones of keyboard (F2 to C7), at 8.2 notes per second on average. The first thing to work on: a light, clean touch, all the way into the high register.
What is the hardest passage in Innocence Op. 100 No. 5?
It is bar 6: 12 notes in a row in the right hand, at about 7.5 notes per second.
What tempo should a beginner practice Innocence Op. 100 No. 5 at?
Aim for 65 bpm (quarter notes), which is 60% of the file's tempo (112).
Is there sheet music for Innocence Op. 100 No. 5 with fingering?
Yes: 97 fingerings, 17 bars, shown in full above and as a free printable PDF.
