Simple & interesting musical piece in... F# Maj

[aliceinpianoland]

Hi there!  

I'm an intermediate student and just had the idea to learn a small but characteristic piece for every scale I'm working on. The problem is that it happens to work on F#Maj, which is a very important scale, since, after a quick research in IMSLP, it seems that in our enormous reportoire F#Maj appears in a total of... 61 pieces, occasionally just for a few bars!!!   

So, I'm going through these works one-by-one to identify their level, but so far they are all demanding pieces, and I don't have time to add something so challenging in the pieces I am learning wright now. I  just need an easy to remember by heart, small musical poem to connect it with this... exotic scale 

I would appreciate your suggestions!

[eldergeek]

How about taking any piece that fits the bill but is written in F major and play the thing a semitone higher? This would also give you experience of transposing pieces on-the-fly

[dogperson]

Chopin Prelude 28 no 13

Chopin Nocturne in F Sharp Major

[visitor]

I suggested a different piece from Arensky op 36 just the other day, no 13 the etude in f sharp major is so lovely, toughy bear of a piece, but worth exploring  at some point for you  

Not a intermediate piece by any means but not impossible with hard work and a good teacher for a talented student

[aliceinpianoland]

Thank you all, dear pianists, but it seems I didn't make myself clear enough!...

I need a s-i-m-p-l-e + SHORT piece, even an interesting educational composition whould be fine, originally composed in this scale, to learn it at the most on the same period that I'm working on the scale, meaning a week or so, to connect it with this particular scale. This helps to develop a more tonality-oriented ear.

Currently, I'm working on 8 other pieces for my teacher and I said I'm an intermediate student, which means that I need at least 2 months to learn a Nocturne by Chopin. So, please, don't be such a flashy guys  and restrict your suggestions to what I've asked:

a small but characteristic piece

[mjames]

All intermediate pieces. It shouldn't take more than a week to learn them all. Also, why not gb major pieces? They are technically the same key:

You'll find more example in gb than f# imo.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

The Bach Prelude in f# major is short, reasonably easy, and quite a nice piece as well.

[aliceinpianoland]

Thank you, james! I need a small theme, something that you could recall on the fly, even when you are in the middle of another key. Although those preludes are marvelous and I could use an extract, since its purpose is exclusively my brain-ear training in tonality, I'll consider the suggestion for Bach's prelude more suitable, since it's harmony is more stable and "orthodox".

I'd like to acquire a fluency in improvisation, not only in the scales' topography, so under this perspective, F# is not the same as Gb...  

Thank you both!

[outin]

There are a couple of Scarlatti sonatas in f sharp major, k318 and k319.

[rosejaune177]

Hello Alice,

What about this Romance in F sharp major by Schumann?

I thought of it as soon as I saw your thread, as I learnt it about a year ago. It's in F sharp major, it's only 3-4 minutes long, it has a memorable theme, and it's not too difficult. The main challenges are about expression and layering the sound properly; it's not very tricky technically. So, it seems to tick all the boxes for you! Listen to it a few times and see if it would suit you. If not, I hope you find another piece which does

[lostinidlewonder]

I was about to post that Romance from Schumann, I like how the thumbs in that piece follow each other like a couple in love... awwww

[samdm93]

How about checking out a couple of Liszt "5 Little Piano Pieces". Numbers three and four are in F-sharp major and are simple, however they provide greats examples of the key and it's typical progressions and modulations. I seem to remember No.4 being on the ABRSM Grade 5 syllabus so not challenging, but enough so to familiarize yourself with the key.

[outin]

Btw. If you want REALLY short and still interesting pieces in all keys, look at Hummel's preludes op.67. They are really nice!

[zebra555]

Hi Aliceinpianoland. I like this idea - are you happy to share the pieces you're using for the other scales?

[aliceinpianoland]

Thank you all so much for your suggestions! Lizst, Scarlatti and Hummel seemed to accomodate my needs best, but...

My idea (which was a brand-new idea, zebra, so there are no other key-related pieces) was modified by my teacher, who -after reviewing my proposals, see below-, will let me know of the next steps of the process... cause it seems I have entered a hudge door, meaning a new project

So, for those who are interesting to follow, the prerequisites of the project are:
 
-One must find 12 songs/pieces in 12 diferrent tonalities (a chromatic-songs project!), one for each note plus accidentals, no matter in major or minor key, and don't bother with the enharmonics. Meaining, don't care if the piece is in e.g. Do# or Reb. You just need a piece with the tonic in the specific black key...

-The songs/pieces must be familiar since... ever!!!! childhood if possible or teen ages; something that is permanetly plagged into your head and moves you deeply.

-They must complete a (prefferable) common harmonic progression in their first bars, e.g. I-IV-V-I

-If it is a song that has be sung by many singers, you must go with the performance that you are trully familiar and engaging with.

I still don't know what is to follow, but I like surprises! 

So, my personal list won't help you, but still, I'm sharing it it with you, along with links for the less-known pieces, just cause... Keep in mind that it has not yet approved by my teacher, so it may be a piece/song that is not suitable. If so, I'll let you know, as I also will inform you about the purpose of this assingment. All I know till know is that it is relative to ear-training towards perfect pitch, also that is based on the outcome of neuroshientistic researches... 

So, my list goes like this:

C - Koutsi kithara ("Broken quitar" in truly free translation... composer Loizos Manos by Dimitra Galani)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev44Y_xqzpA

C# - Hungarian Rhapsody No2 (Lizst)

D - New York, New York (by Sinatra)

Ed - My Favorite Thing from "The Sound of Music"

E - Four Seasons, Spring (Vivaldi)

F - Sunnefoula ("Little cloud-lady", composer Savvopoulos Dionysis, greek song. If anyone from my country would see my tranlation, will laugh until 2020)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90ji3NlJFGI

F# - Hey you, Pink Floyd

G - Angelos Exangelos ("Angel From-angel"...  Just another non-translated word. I wonder why even try... Savvopoulos Dionysis)

Ab - Take my breath away, Berlin

A - Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin

Bb - Obladi-Oblada (Life goes on, brah!!!  Beatles)

B - I plateia itan gemati ("The square was qrowdy", Savvopoulos Dionysis)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGJVHECYG8w

CAUTION!!! You must never reveal your list if you wanna hide your age!!! 

Naturally, the scale-project will have to wait until the completion of the chromatic-pieces project. It will be interesting to put some team work on it...

Have a nice New Year eve and an even nicer New Year!
Sorry if my English are not so "englishy"... I'm doing my best!

Best regards, my beloved pianists!