1. Let repeated notes speak
A repeated note can have direction even when its pitch stays put. In Sonata in G major, K.455, measures 24–26, Scarlatti makes a string of A’s into a lively accompaniment to changing upper notes. Listen for the small change of shape at each bar, rather than eight identical taps.
Preparation: comfortable slow repeated notes and a free release after each attack. This is an advanced repertoire excerpt; the work’s Allegro is a destination, not a starting tempo. Begin without pedal.
Give the key time to return
- Play the RH A’s alone, slowly, with finger 2. Let the key rise enough to sound again without lifting the whole arm for every note.
- Try 3–2–1–3–2–1–3–2 over the eight A’s of measure 24. This is an editorial experiment, not a fingering printed in the source. Compare it with alternating 3–2.
- For measures 25–26, try finger 5 on the first, higher note, then 3–2–1–3–2–1–2 on the seven A’s. Test the return to 5 at the next bar before choosing this route.
- Add the LH at a quieter level. Preserve the held upper A in its inner texture rather than repeating it with every lower note.
Watch out · Three fingers do not change the meter
A 3–2–1 fingering cycle must not turn the eighth notes into audible groups of three. Count the four quarter-note beats and listen across the finger changes.
Source: Knute Snortum, Mutopia 2104, citing the Italian Digital Library; CC BY-SA 4.0. This re-engraved excerpt retains notes and rhythm; spacing is adapted. The adapted score remains CC BY-SA 4.0.
2. Give a crossing somewhere to land
Hand crossing needs a clear route, not a theatrical swing. In this original preparation, the RH finishes its little figure before the LH passes over it to a bright upper note. The rests make room to travel and return. This is not another passage from K.455.
Practice the journey in three stages
First play only the LH bass and upper destinations, with a pause before each. Look toward the next key while the hand is still traveling. Keep the unused hand out of the way, then place the RH in its playing position and trace the same path above it without playing.
Next play the RH alone. Its first four eighth notes occupy beats 1–2; the LH upper note belongs on beat 3. Let the RH release at the end of beat 2, keeping the hand near the keyboard rather than pulling it dramatically away.
Finally join the hands. Keep the first LH bass lighter than the upper answering note. Return during beat 4 so the next bass arrives on time. The last bar settles on G and gives both hands a rest.
Listen closer · Distance can create dialogue
The bass statement and high answer sound like different characters. A well-timed arrival makes that exchange convincing; simply playing the upper note louder does not.
Bring it back to Scarlatti
Use the repeated-note excerpt to refine release and the preparation to refine travel. In a complete sonata with crossing passages, mark which hand goes over, where it lands, and when the other hand can release. Do not infer a crossing merely because the two staves overlap in pitch.
Checkpoint: four slow repetitions keep the pulse, the RH does not duck abruptly, and the upper LH note speaks without a hard landing. If the crossing feels cramped, widen the pause first; speed should follow a dependable route.