Melody (Album for the Young No. 1) MIDI & Sheet Music
Robert Schumann · 1848
Schumann opens his Album for the Young with a piece that chases no effect at all: a C major tune, unhurried, over a left hand moving in eighth notes. It's the doorway to a collection of 43 pieces that leads, a little further on, to The Wild Horseman and The Happy Farmer.
⏱1:08 with repeats♪303 notes🎚Beginner🎼C major♩84 per quarter🎹G3 → A5🦶pedal marks
Behind its simple look, it's a real legato lesson. The right hand has to connect every note of its tune while the left plays a quieter second voice in steady eighths. Everything sits in the middle of the keyboard with no stretch anywhere, so your attention can go entirely to the sound.
Bar 4 : the right hand shifts position by 9 semitones compared with the previous bar
Bar 8 : the busiest bar, with 15 notes across both hands
Playing the Schumann Melody on piano with Pianovera
It's an ideal first complete piece in Pianovera: in Wait mode you can read it through in a single session, then switch to scored Scrolling at 80% speed and push toward full tempo day after day.
Free, with no time limit and no ads: 10 pieces in full plus the piece of the week, 30-second excerpts of the others, the first 7 lessons and the 3D hands with no limit. Premium opens all 651 pieces.
About this piece
How long is the Schumann Melody?
The MIDI file lasts 1:08, with every repeat played in full: 20 bars in 4/4 (24 played with the repeats), 303 notes, at 84 bpm (quarter notes). Slowed to 60%, it lasts 1:53.
What level do you need to play the Schumann Melody?
We rate it beginner in C major, with sustain pedal marks. The left hand plays single notes and the right hand stretches up to 8 semitones, across 26 semitones of keyboard (G3 to A5), at 4.4 notes per second on average. The first thing to work on: perfect right-hand legato, note after note.
What is the hardest passage in the Schumann Melody?
It is bar 4: the right hand shifts position by 9 semitones compared with the previous bar.
What tempo should a beginner practice the Schumann Melody at?
Aim for 50 bpm (quarter notes), which is 60% of the file's tempo (84).
Is there sheet music for the Schumann Melody with fingering?
Yes: 123 fingerings, 20 bars, shown in full above and as a free printable PDF.
