Waltz in A minor, B. 150

Why this piece

Piano Man introduced a comfortable waltz groove; Chopin demands a more refined version. The left hand must make recurring bass-to-chord leaps almost invisible, freeing the right hand to phrase delicately and handle small ornaments without disturbing the dance pulse.

Musical profile

• Key / tonal centre: A minor
• Meter: 3/4
• Suggested version: Original posthumous waltz.

Representative harmony

Waltz bass-and-chord texture built on Am, Dm, E/E7 and related passing harmonies.

What to listen for

Think bass on beat 1, upper chord on beats 2–3; notice the leading tone G♯ in the E7 dominant.

What to learn

Practice left-hand bass–chord–chord movements without the right hand, aiming to locate the next chord reliably. Add the melody with attention to its peaks and small decorations. Allow slight expressive flexibility in melodic timing while preserving the fundamental triple-meter feel. Do not use pedal to conceal inaccurate left-hand landings.

Practice checkpoint

Perform a complete section with steady left-hand landings, delicate right-hand phrasing, and a danceable underlying pulse.

Diagnostic drill · E36 — Waltz leaps with flexible melody

Target: LH leap reliability and RH rubato without disturbing the dance.
Drill key / meter: A minor · 3/4

Use this only when it addresses the current bottleneck. Skip it when the skill is already ready.

Steps

1. LH plays Am as bass A2 on 1 and upper chord C4–E4–A4 on beats 2 and 3; then do the same with Dm and E7, choosing comfortable upper voicings.
2. Keep LH strictly in time while RH plays a simple four-bar melody. Give RH a slight expressive stretch into a phrase peak, then gently return to the original flow.
3. Practice with no rubato first; later compare your flexible version on a recording. The flexible version should still feel like a waltz.

Ear task: Hear the LH bass-to-chord leap without a gap after the bass.

Transfer: Isolate the waltz accompaniment in the Chopin score and decide where RH flexibility is musically justified.

Drill checkpoint: LH maintains the dance over 12 bars while RH makes an expressive but controlled phrase.