1. Keep a waltz moving underneath
Here the RH traces a broken-chord melody while the LH moves from a bass note to lighter upper chords. This original eight-bar study in F major combines arpeggio shapes with measured travel. Its waltz character gives the coordination a purpose: one grounded beat, followed by two buoyant replies.
Preparation: comfortable one-octave broken chords and slow bass-to-chord placement. Start around quarter note = 54–66 if that leaves time to travel easily. Use the printed fingerings as a starting route, not a reason to hold a rigid hand shape.
Release the span
Play the RH first bar alone. The notes cover an octave, but the hand does not need to hold that octave open. Move through F–A–C toward the upper F, then return. The apex should belong to the phrase, not sound like an involuntary accent from finger 5.
For the LH, play only beat 1 and beat 2. Release the bass before traveling, and find the chord shape in time for its attack. Add beat 3 without bouncing higher into the air. The return to the next bass is another journey; give it equal attention.
Put the two routes together
Play the LH with only the first RH note of each beat. Once the arrivals line up, restore the RH’s second eighth note on each beat. Keep the LH detached enough to hear its release; use no pedal at this stage.
Watch out · The leap must fit the beat
Do not shorten the bass to the point of a jab, or delay beat 2 to finish traveling. At a slower tempo, find a release and motion that leave both attacks in their proper places.
First checkpoint: the LH reaches its chord without searching, the RH apex stays gentle, and the fourth bar’s quarter notes keep the same pulse as the preceding eighths.
2. Let the bass shape the return
The second phrase begins on B♭ harmony, moves through an F-major chord over A in the bass, and returns through C7 to F. Listen for B♭–A–C–F underneath the RH. That small bass story is more useful than thinking only “jump down, jump up.”
Practice the changes, not just the comfortable bars
- Join the last beat of measure 4 to the first two beats of measure 5. Look toward the LH B♭ bass before the hand arrives.
- Practice measures 5–6 slowly. The LH shifts down a step in both its bass and chord; avoid making that easy change louder than the previous leap.
- Check measure 7 separately. The RH uses G–B♭–C–E and returns through C–B♭. It is a seventh-chord shape, not the opening F-major triad moved to another starting key.
- Land on the final chord with both hands together. Let its dotted half note last all three beats.
Choose the sound from the beginning
Keep the opening at mp and the final chord at p. Play the whole study once without pedal. Then try catching each bass and its harmony with a light pedal, clearing at the next bar. Compare whether the accompaniment still feels buoyant; if it grows thick, use less pedal or return to the dry version.
Listen closer · A bass note can be a destination
The quiet upper chords are not the only important arrivals. A well-placed next bass gives the following bar its direction, especially in the descending B♭–A motion.
Checkpoint: the melody is easier to hear than the accompaniment, no leap changes the tempo, and the last bar settles without a sudden loud attack. For a further challenge, transpose only the first two bars to G major, writing the new pitches and checking fingerings first. Keep the same balance and travel time. This is original teaching material, not an excerpt from a historical composer.