Composer

:

Percy Grainger

Genre

:

Keyboard

Style

:

Piece

Compose Date

:

1900 - 1905

Publication Date

:

1912

Average_duration

:

3:53

Walking Tune for piano is a composition by Percy Grainger, an Australian-born composer, pianist, and conductor. The piece was composed in 1900 and premiered in London in 1901. It is a single-movement work that lasts approximately three minutes. The piece is characterized by its simple, folk-like melody and its use of syncopation. The melody is based on a Scottish folk tune called "The Keel Row," which Grainger heard while traveling in Scotland. Grainger's arrangement of the tune features a walking bass line in the left hand and a syncopated melody in the right hand. The syncopation gives the piece a lively, energetic feel. Walking Tune is written in the key of G major and is in 2/4 time. The piece begins with a simple statement of the melody in the right hand, accompanied by a walking bass line in the left hand. The melody is then repeated with slight variations and embellishments. The middle section of the piece features a more complex version of the melody, with the syncopation becoming more pronounced. The piece ends with a return to the simple, straightforward melody of the beginning. Overall, Walking Tune is a charming and accessible piece that showcases Grainger's skill as a composer and arranger. Its use of a folk melody and syncopation make it a quintessentially American piece, despite Grainger's Australian origins. The piece has remained popular with pianists and audiences alike, and is frequently performed in recitals and concerts.

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