1. Hear the line inside the repetition
The beginning of Erlkönig, D.328, feels in motion before a singer has said a word. The RH repeats octaves while the LH introduces its own rising and falling figure. Our task is to hear both the persistent pulse and the changing idea within it.
Advanced application: this is a demanding accompaniment, not an endurance test or an introductory octave drill. Read and listen to the excerpt first. The preparation on the next page lets you explore the coordination without immediately repeating full octaves.
Two kinds of motion
There are four quarter-note beats in each bar, with three RH attacks per beat. The LH rests throughout measure 1. In measure 2 it rises through six triplet eighth notes, then has two marked quarter notes; measure 3 begins with a quarter note and rests.
Play the LH alone and hear the rise and return. Then tap the RH triplets while speaking the LH rhythm. The LH’s quarter notes span three RH attacks; they must not shorten to the length of a single repeated octave.
Listen closer · The accompaniment starts the story
The singer is silent in these opening measures. The piano’s repeated motion and bass figure already create a scene. Try hearing the LH as an active line rather than treating the RH octaves as the whole musical event.
Source: Ph. Raynaud, Mutopia 1030, C. F. Peters, Band I; public-domain transcription. Notes, forte, LH slur and wedge articulations retained. Tuplet numbers are repeated for study; no fingering or pedal added. The introduction’s empty vocal staff is omitted.
2. Find an easy repetition before adding the octave
Start with a single RH G and a quiet LH bass. A modest sound is enough to hear the release and return. The following original study gives each short group room to stop; its rests are deliberate practice space, not rests added to Schubert’s score.
Keep the groups distinct
In bar 1, each three-note group and its eighth rest occupy two beats. In bar 2, each triplet group occupies one beat and is followed by a quarter rest. Count the difference. The triplet should fit the beat evenly rather than becoming three hurried notes followed by an oversized pause.
The printed RH 3 is a simple slow-practice choice. Let the key return enough to repeat reliably. On a different instrument, the depth and timing of that return may feel different; listen to the actual attacks instead of forcing one fixed motion.
- Play one group, stop, and check whether the hand can soften immediately.
- Play both groups in the bar without increasing the dynamic.
- Try the lower RH G alone in its original register, then the octave for just one triplet group if the span is comfortable.
- Add a small piece of the original LH line before extending the RH duration.
Watch out · Rest does not mean squeeze and wait
A pause helps only if you release the effort as well as the sound. If the hand remains braced during every rest, return to a single note and a smaller movement. Stop for pain or persistent tension.
Checkpoint: each attack speaks, the triplet is even, and you finish a short group ready to let go. The goal is an economical return, not the maximum number of repetitions you can tolerate.
3. Support a singer without losing the pulse
The printed introduction is only the beginning of the accompaniment’s job. When learning the complete song, follow the vocal line as carefully as your own part. A technically secure repetition can still be too loud, too inflexible, or too busy to support a phrase.
Rehearse with a line in mind
First sing or hum the vocal contour while tapping the accompaniment’s broad beats. If the song is outside your vocal range, speak its rhythm or sing it in a comfortable octave. Learn where the singer begins, breathes, and finishes before deciding how the piano should respond.
Then try a reduced accompaniment: one RH pitch in the written rhythm, with the LH retained where manageable. This is a rehearsal tool. Restore the octave and chord texture gradually, checking that its added weight does not cover the line you were following.
Separate pulse from loudness
A reliable pulse can remain clear at several dynamic levels. Practice a short repeated group at p, then mf, without changing its spacing. Return to the score’s actual dynamic when playing the passage. Avoid a loud accent on every first note of a triplet unless the musical context calls for it.
The opening excerpt is marked f. Begin slowly with that intended character, within a comfortable sound and motion. A lighter preparation is useful for diagnosis, but should lead back to the dramatic balance of the original.
Extend by checkpoints
| Before extending the passage | Listen or check for |
|---|---|
| One group becomes two | The second group is no harder or louder by accident |
| One bar becomes a short phrase | The LH still has its own direction |
| A reduced texture becomes full octaves | The movement remains free and attacks stay reliable |
| Solo practice becomes ensemble rehearsal | The singer’s entrances and words remain audible |
Return to the complete edition for the changing textures and dynamics beyond the introduction. Coordinate tempo and breathing with the singer rather than treating a metronome setting as the entire interpretation.
Checkpoint: you can explain what the accompaniment contributes to a phrase, and adjust its balance while preserving the written rhythm. That is a more useful milestone than a long uninterrupted run of octaves.
4. Let a scale become a phrase
The opening of Schubert’s E♭ major Impromptu, Op. 90 No. 2 (D.899) offers a gentler kind of motion. After a single upbeat, the RH flows down through triplets while the LH holds a quiet foundation. Familiar scale material becomes a long, graceful line: an inviting reason to practice evenness with a musical destination in mind.
Hear beyond each group of three
- Begin with the written p, even at a slow tempo. Choose a clear, quiet sound that lets every note speak; do not postpone the dynamic until the notes are learned.
- Play the RH alone. Count three broad quarter-note beats per full bar, with three even notes inside each beat. The opening B♭ is a quarter-note upbeat, not another triplet group.
- Follow the descent through the barline. In measure 2, notice how the line reaches the lower B♭ and turns upward to C–D. Let that turn feel like part of a continuing thought.
- Play the LH alone, holding its dotted-half-note bass while the upper B♭ enters on beat 2 and lasts for two beats. Add the RH without allowing that inner entrance to interrupt the flow.
Choose and mark a workable RH fingering before increasing speed. The opening leap and the turn at the bottom mean this is not simply an E♭ scale with its usual starting finger. Try each connection in context, and use the fingering chapter’s advice about looking ahead to the next position.
Watch out · Three notes need not mean three-note phrases
A small accent at the start of every triplet can make the line sound bumpy. Keep the beat clear while listening across the groups. The source’s legato asks for connection; pedal should not conceal a gap or blur the moving notes.
Checkpoint: you can hear one continuous RH line above the sustained LH, keep the triplets even through a crossing, and begin quietly without losing clarity. Continue in a complete edition to hear where the phrase leads beyond this short excerpt.
Source: Ph. Raynaud, Mutopia 1551, based on Breitkopf & Härtel, 1888; public domain. Notes, rhythms and initial p retained; legato placed above the RH and triplet numbers repeated for study. No fingering or pedal added. Tempo heading omitted for slow practice.