Five-beat dance
Note after Note · Level 4 (Intermediate) · 20th century · Piano
A dance in E minor in 5/4, grouped 3+2: the left hand spins an ostinato while the melody learns to breathe in a “limping” metre.
▶ 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.
- Count “1-2-3-1-2” rather than “1-2-3-4-5”: the bar feels like a three followed by a two. Start with the left hand alone until the ostinato feels natural. Bar 7: the D♯ (leading note) is taken with the thumb; the hand shifts position.