Minuet in F major

A dance with changing detail

The opening of this minuet sets paired notes in the right hand against a more sustained bass. Later triplets and changes of register make the little dance more varied than its first gestures suggest. The challenge is to let those details enliven the music without losing the three-beat framework that holds it together.

At the keyboard

First hear the upper note of each right-hand pair as a line, rather than two equally heavy notes. Prepare the hand movements where the register changes, and fit the triplets into the same pulse as the surrounding notes. Try one passage with a deliberately quiet bass, then restore its natural weight while keeping the melody audible.

Music in this edition

1. Minuet in F major