# Ballade (Burgmüller)



## henrikhank

Hi!
I am learning Ballade (Burgmüller): http://www.gmajormusictheory.org/Freebies/Classics/8Ballade.pdf
In the first part you see a natural sign before B and A and a sharp sign before F. What is going on? Is this really how you play C minor?


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## millionrainbows

henrikhank said:


> Hi!
> I am learning Ballade (Burgmüller): http://www.gmajormusictheory.org/Freebies/Classics/8Ballade.pdf
> In the first part you see a natural sign before B and A and a sharp sign before F. What is going on? Is this really how you play C minor?


Well, in the key of C minor (Eb major, 3 flats: Bb, Eb, Ab), B and A must be specified by a natural sign, since they are not in the key signature, and likewise with F-sharp: C-D-Eb-F-G-Ab-Bb-C).


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## Nate Miller

what's going on there is where you have those notes in your left hand at the beginning, the interval being composed out is from the G below to the C tonic. That is why they are using notes from melodic minor there as you are ascending toward the C tonic from below.

the F# is just a non harmonic neighbor of that G there. This just extends the general "A minory" sort of sound, but remember that a minor 6th chord is a very complex structure as it shares the same notes as a D9th and also as an F# half diminished, so it can function like a secondary dominant, but if I was playing this I would probably just think of the F# as a non harmonic tone, since the other voices are rather static.

The B naturals are in there when you have a dominant in the key so that you get the leading tone

so that is what is going on there


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## millionrainbows

Nate Miller said:


> what's going on there is where you have those notes in your left hand at the beginning, the interval being composed out is from the G below to the C tonic. That is why they are using notes from melodic minor there as you are ascending toward the C tonic from below.
> 
> the F# is just a non harmonic neighbor of that G there. This just extends the general "A minory" sort of sound, but remember that a minor 6th chord is a very complex structure as it shares the same notes as a D9th and also as an F# half diminished, so it can function like a secondary dominant, but if I was playing this I would probably just think of the F# as a non harmonic tone, since the other voices are rather static.
> 
> The B naturals are in there when you have a dominant in the key so that you get the leading tone
> 
> so that is what is going on there


Yes, anybody who has played in a minor key should have already encountered a B natural. That always happens in minor.


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## Nate Miller

millionrainbows said:


> Yes, anybody who has played in a minor key should have already encountered a B natural. That always happens in minor.


yes, too bad you didn't think to mention it


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## henrikhank

Nate Miller said:


> what's going on there is where you have those notes in your left hand at the beginning, the interval being composed out is from the G below to the C tonic. That is why they are using notes from melodic minor there as you are ascending toward the C tonic from below.
> 
> the F# is just a non harmonic neighbor of that G there. This just extends the general "A minory" sort of sound, but remember that a minor 6th chord is a very complex structure as it shares the same notes as a D9th and also as an F# half diminished, so it can function like a secondary dominant, but if I was playing this I would probably just think of the F# as a non harmonic tone, since the other voices are rather static.
> 
> The B naturals are in there when you have a dominant in the key so that you get the leading tone
> 
> so that is what is going on there


Why can't you go up to C with harmonic minor? Does it really sound that non classical? And if you start with melodic minor will the while piece be based on that scale or will you have to go back to harmonic minor?

I think you actually telling me that I am asking a question that could be above my theoretical level. You can't just open a prayer book and try to understand all the theology before praying. The same is true for this piece, right? 
Please correct me if I'm wrong but if you play pieces you can play much more theoretical difficult stuff than if you were improvising as pieces really only requier that you know piano technique?


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## Nate Miller

Actually, you could just as easily use harmonic minor to do the same thing, its just that in this case they didn't. The two are interchangeable in a lot of ways, harmonic and melodic minor. There isn't one that is "more correct" or anything like that. In this case, he is using that "A" natural from the melodic minor in some interesting ways. Notice in the chord before the F#, that is an A half diminished, which is a chord that has a lot of possibilities. So introducing it like that in the left hand right away makes a good case for melodic minor.

I don't think the piece is beyond your theoretical level, though. these are good questions. 

it is true that you have to have more command of music theory in improvise (in this style), but even if you are playing a piece, the more you know, the more you can bring to your interpretation. But you are right that you don't have to understand the theory if you have the mechanics. So you can play much more theoretically difficult stuff when you are playing a piece because you just have to execute the notes that are written.

for example, I'm a pretty good improviser, but I still can't improvise a 3 voice fugue.


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