Interactive piano piece
Learn Sicilienne
A graceful 6/8 dance in A minor that sways between melancholy and elegance — Schumann's homage to the ancient Sicilian boat-song tradition. Use slow-tempo mode to feel the characteristic lilting siciliano rhythm before bringing the piece up to its gentle, swaying full speed.
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Press Play for the full piece, or choose Opening and switch to Wait for note for guided right-hand practice.
About the piece
An old Italian dance in a children's album.
Schumann assembled Album for the Young (Op. 68) in 1848 for his daughter Marie's birthday, filling the first half of the collection with accessible pieces for young players and the second with more demanding music. Near the end of the first half sits the Sicilienne — a piece whose roots go back centuries before Schumann was born.
The siciliano is a Baroque dance form associated with Sicily, traditionally in a lilting dotted-sixth rhythm that rocks gently in compound meter. Schumann's version is in A minor and keeps the characteristic swaying feel while giving it a Romantic harmonic warmth. It is more introspective than the marches and dances around it, and the minor key lends it a bittersweet quality — old, unhurried, and slightly melancholy.
Practice path
Find the sway before the speed.
Learn the characteristic siciliano rhythm in the right hand at a slow tempo so the dotted-note lilt feels natural. Then add the left hand and work on keeping the rocking motion even — the piece should feel like a boat on calm water, never rushed or choppy.
Score basis: Generated MusicXML from Mutopia MIDI. Public domain composition; CC BY-SA 2.5; MusicXML generated for Pianodemy. Attribution: Mutopia Project (https://www.mutopiaproject.org/cgibin/piece-info.cgi?id=783).
MIDI source: Mutopia Project (https://www.mutopiaproject.org/cgibin/piece-info.cgi?id=783). CC BY-SA 2.5.
Questions
Before you practice.
Short answers for learners and for searchers deciding whether this is the right version to start with.
01How difficult is Schumann's Sicilienne Op. 68 No. 11?
It is a late-beginner piece, largely due to its 74-measure length and the flowing 6/8 left-hand pattern that must stay light and even throughout. Students comfortable with the earlier Op. 68 pieces will find it a satisfying next step.
02What is a sicilienne in music?
A sicilienne (or siciliano) is a Baroque-era dance in 6/8 or 12/8 time with a lilting, dotted rhythm, traditionally associated with pastoral or sorrowful moods. Schumann's version captures both the gentle sway and the melancholy of the original form.
How to use this V1
Rock, do not rush.
At 60% tempo the siciliano rhythm reveals any unevenness in the dotted figures. Use loop mode on the middle section, where the harmony moves through a brief major passage before returning to A minor. Once the sway feels natural, resist the urge to play too fast — the sicilienne's character depends on an unhurried, floating pulse.