Prelude Op. 28 No. 16 in B-flat minor
About this arrangement
It's one of Chopin's 24 Preludes, Op. 28, finished in Mallorca in the winter of 1838-39 and published in 1839. The pianist Vladimir de Pachmann called it the most technically difficult of the preludes, possibly apart from No. 19.
Learn the left hand alone first, since its leaps drive the whole piece. Then loop the right-hand runs a few bars at a time at 50% and check the fingering stays the same every time.
Start with short loops.
Use the section list as a practice map. Start at 50% tempo, loop one section, then return to the full piece once the hand shape feels stable.
Choose Right or Left to focus on one hand. Wait for note checks the highlighted notes as you play them on the screen or a connected MIDI keyboard.
Before you practice.
01 How hard is Chopin's Prelude No. 16?
It's one of the hardest preludes in Op. 28. The right hand runs without a break at Presto con fuoco while the left hand jumps.
02 How long is the Prelude in B-flat minor?
Our edition has 46 bars.
03 What should I practise first?
The left hand, slowly and alone. Once its jumps feel safe, add the right-hand runs in short loops.
04 When did Chopin write the Op. 28 Preludes?
He worked on them between 1835 and 1839 and finished them in Valldemossa, Mallorca, in the winter of 1838-39. They were published in 1839.
