Nocturne in E-flat major Op. 9 No. 2

Frédéric Chopin · Level 6 (Expert) · Romantic · Piano

Chopin’s most famous nocturne (1832): an ornate melody over a slow 12/8 waltz accompaniment. A work by Chopin, the poet of the Romantic piano. E♭ major, 12/8, 38 bars (about 3 minutes), complete score.

▶ Play this piece with the interactive score

How to practise it

• Listen first: the site plays it while the score scrolls.
• Wait mode: the score waits for you at every note, at your own pace.
• Tempo challenge: play in time, with a score and a map of the bars you got right.
• Supple, precise left hand and singing melody; rubato only once the notes are secure. The piece starts with a pickup: count the incomplete bar before coming in. In 12/8, count the beats as groups of three eighths (dotted beats) to keep the lilt. One hand sometimes plays two voices: hold the long notes for their full value and let the main line sing louder than the accompaniment.

More pieces by Frédéric Chopin

• Prelude Op. 28 No. 9 in E major
• Prelude Op. 28 No. 4 in E minor
• Prelude Op. 28 No. 6 in B minor
• Prelude Op. 28 No. 20 in C minor
• Mazurka in G-sharp minor Op. 33 No. 1
• Prelude Op. 28 No. 10 in C-sharp minor
• Prelude Op. 28 No. 11 in B major
• Prelude Op. 28 No. 14 in E-flat minor

Source : Mutopia Project · CC BY-SA 3.0