Erik Satie
Gymnopedie 1
The sparse texture and repetitive chords of this meandering waltz seem to hint at something mysterious and unattainable beyond the notes.
Piano score: Scanned score 
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Enduring Simplicity
Erik Satie is not easily explained. His piano music endures, yet it is sparse and barren when compared to that of his contemporaries. He wore crushed velvet suits, but he lived in a tiny hovel most of his adult life. He never married, but his works seem to yearn for something unattainable. Debussy was one of his champions and even orchestrated the Gymnopedie No. 1. The piece is a lilting and meandering waltz that never rises much above piano when it comes to dynamics. It achieves a sense of stillness through its repetitive harmony – for the entire first page, only two chords are used. It is quite difficult to bring off because of its simplicity – even pianists who are well-versed in the thundering bundles of notes of Liszt and Prokofiev can stumble.Forum posts about this piece:
Treble vs Bass Clef for notes. E.g. Gymnopédie No.1 by lettersquash
Hi, A friend is learning Gymnopédie no.1, and noticed that there are versions with the chord notes either on the treble or bass clef. He says, "Check out the different ways measures 9 through 11 are...
Advice on becoming a better teacher by pianoholic
Hello everyone! I am currently 17 years old and have only started teaching piano a few weeks ago. I currently have 2 students both of whom began playing the piano very recently. I must admit that I...
Good Technique Songs by c128ash
Hello, This is my first post so I apologize if something isn't formatted correctly. I played the piano when I was younger, and just got back into it 4 or so months ago. Over that time span I played...
Notation around chord by jimf12
I think I know the answer, but I thought I would ask to make sure. In Satie's Gymnopedies #1, starting at measure 9, there is a chord (BDF(#)) there is a bracket like symbol just under the forte...
pieces easy to memorize but not necessarily easy to play by kalospiano
Hello everybody, I've been checking out two pieces lately: 1 - Chopin's prelude n. 3 2 - Tiersen's Valse d'Amélie These two pieces apparently...
French Composerss Piano Recital by amirawad
I am going to give a Recital about French Composers The Program will be : Couperin Les Barricades Myterious Ramau Gavotte with 6 doubles
Introducing myself by lb023
Dear people of this forum, My name is Laurens, I am a 23 year old law student living in the Netherlands. I have been visiting this forum quite some times, so I decided it was about time to make an...
Gymnopedie no. 1, the beginning by faa2010
When you play the Gymnopedie no. 1 introduction, do you use one hand or both hands? Any other recommendations for this piece?
Using the sustain pedal in Erik Satie's Gymnopédie No. 1 by pbryld
Practicing this piece at the moment, but I haven't been able to find any sheet music with directions for the sustain pedal. I guess one can guess when to press and release it, but I like being...
beginner's question about satie by megwoodruff
I am an older adult beginner (3 months so far, with Albert's course, and sheet music of Fur Elise, Moonlight Sonata, part 1). I am trying to learn Satie's Gymnopedie #1. I have an...
Couple Gymnopedie 1 Symbol Question by 00range
Looking at the sheet music for Satie's Gymopedie 1, I'm confused right off the bat by a couple things. The first is a symbol I'm not familiar with, it makes it's first appearance...
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This piece is composed by Erik Satie and was published in 1888. Title: Gymnopedie, No. 1 in D Major from Gymnopedies. The difficulty level if graded by ABRSM would be approximately 5 and it belongs to the Impressionism period.