The Girl with the Flaxen Hair (Préludes, Book I, No. 8)

Claude Debussy · Level 4 (Intermediate) · Impressionist · Piano

The eighth of the Préludes of Book I (1910), inspired by a poem by Leconte de Lisle: a pentatonic melody, unaccompanied at first, then harmonised with soft parallel chords. One of Debussy’s simplest and best-loved pieces. G♭ major, 3/4, 39 bars (about 2 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.
• Very calm and gently expressive: the unaccompanied opening melody must sing without heavy pedal. In the parallel chords, bring out the top note. The original grace notes are not in the playable score: add them once you know the notes. Key signature with 6 flats: name them aloud before playing and spot the places where accidentals cancel them. One hand sometimes plays two voices: hold the long notes for their full value and let the main line sing louder than the accompaniment. Triplets and other tuplets must be perfectly even: count them aloud with the metronome.

More pieces by Claude Debussy

• Danseuses de Delphes (Préludes, Book I, No. 1)
• Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l’air du soir (Préludes, Book I, No. 4)
• Deuxième Arabesque (L66 No.2)
• Arabesque No. 1 in E major
• Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum (Children’s Corner No. 1)
• Jimbo’s Lullaby (Children’s Corner No. 2)
• Sarabande (Pour le piano No. 2)
• Valse romantique

Source : PDMX / MuseScore · CC0 1.0