Promenade from Pictures at an Exhibition
About this arrangement
Mussorgsky wrote Pictures at an Exhibition in June 1874 after a memorial exhibition of paintings by his friend Viktor Hartmann. The Promenade theme opens the suite and returns between several of the pictures.
Count the 5/4 and 6/4 bars out loud at 50% until the changing metre feels natural, then work on making the chords even.
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 the Promenade?
It's intermediate. The notes are not fast, but the chords are full and the metre changes between 5/4 and 6/4.
02 How long is the Promenade?
Our edition has 24 bars.
03 What should I practise first?
Clap or tap the rhythm while counting the changing bar lengths, then learn the chords hands separately.
04 Why does the Promenade keep coming back?
It links the pictures of the suite. After the opening, versions of the theme appear between several of the movements.
