Morning Mood
About this arrangement
Grieg wrote it in 1875 as music for Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt, which opened in Christiania, now Oslo, on February 24, 1876. It is the prelude to Act 4 and shows sunrise while Peer is stranded in the Moroccan desert, not a Norwegian morning. Grieg later put it at the start of his Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, published in 1888.
Feel 6/8 as two big beats per bar, not six small ones. The opening tune uses only five notes, so learn it in the right hand first.
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 Is Morning Mood good for a late beginner?
Yes. This arrangement is in C major and the tune is built from five notes, though the middle section adds sharps and moves away from C.
02 How long is it?
It is 38 bars in 6/8 time.
03 What should I practice first?
The opening melody in the right hand. Count two beats per bar, each split into three.
04 Is Morning Mood about a Norwegian sunrise?
No. In Ibsen's play it opens Act 4, when Peer Gynt is in the Moroccan desert.
