La Chasse, Op. 100 No. 9
The galloping 6/8 étude - horns, hooves, and compound meter.
Burgmüller's 25 Études faciles Op. 100, published in Paris around 1838, are the world's most-taught beginner piano collection. Each of the 25 pieces teaches a distinct technique through a vivid character piece. By No. 9, Burgmüller reaches for one of the great dramatic scenes of 19th-century France: the hunt.
La Chasse - 'The Hunt' - draws on the French chasse tradition: the fanfare of hunting horns, the gallop of horses, the energy of the chase across open countryside. Burgmüller captures all of this in C major 6/8 time with a relentless Allegro vivace tempo and chordal staccato figures in the right hand that demand crisp articulation and steady rhythm. After the lyrical and gentle études that precede it, La Chasse arrives as a shock of energy - and the lesson is rhythm: specifically, how to feel a 6/8 gallop as two broad beats, not six separate eighth notes.
Gallop first, then read the notes.
Sit away from the piano and pat your thighs in a galloping rhythm: left-right-right, left-right-right, at a brisk tempo. That is the 6/8 compound feel. When you sit down, match that physical feel to the score rather than counting six. Then learn the right-hand chord figures with crisp staccato - each chord should pop and release cleanly. Add the left-hand bass and let it anchor the two strong beats per measure while the right hand gallops above it.
Before you practice.
01 How difficult is Burgmüller La Chasse Op. 100 No. 9?
It is rated beginner but leans toward the upper end of that range - the 6/8 rhythmic feel and chordal right hand require more coordination than earlier études in the set. Most students tackle it after a few months of Op. 100 work.
02 What rhythm does La Chasse teach?
It introduces compound 6/8 metre and the concept of subdividing into two broad beats, while also developing crisp staccato touch and the coordination needed to play chordal passages evenly.
Staccato chords need a relaxed arm drop, not a grip.
Set the tempo slider to 55% and focus on releasing the right-hand chords immediately after each attack - the staccato comes from a quick wrist rebound, not from tight fingers. At full tempo, tension in the forearm will kill the galloping effect. The piece is 24 measures; the second half repeats the main material a step higher, so once the first section feels secure the rest follows quickly. Raise tempo in 5% increments only when the staccato feels loose and natural.
