The library · Teaching books

Gurlitt: The First Lessons (Die Anfangs-Stunden), Op. 117

Thirty-four short pieces by Cornelius Gurlitt (1881) for the first year at the piano: twelve with both hands in the treble clef, then little character pieces with names (Morning Salute, The Chase, Cradle Song, The brave Soldier) that bring in the bass clef, new keys and dotted rhythms.

The library has all 34, levels 2 to 4.

Pieces

34

Levels

2 to 4

Key signatures

1 flat to 2 sharps

Length

16 to 67 bars

In the book's order

Each with its number and level, and easier versions made from the score itself, so you can start below a piece's level and work up to it as written.

• Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 1
  no sharps or flats, 4/4, 16 bars
  No. 1 of 34; level 2
• Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 2
  no sharps or flats, 4/4, 24 bars
  No. 2 of 34; level 2
• Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 3
  no sharps or flats, 3/4, 25 bars
  No. 3 of 34; level 2
• Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 4
  no sharps or flats, 4/4, 17 bars
  No. 4 of 34; level 2
• Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 5
  no sharps or flats, 2/4, 16 bars
  No. 5 of 34; level 2
• Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 6
  no sharps or flats, 2/4, 48 bars
  No. 6 of 34; level 3
• Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 7
  no sharps or flats, 2/4, 16 bars
  No. 7 of 34; level 2
• Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 8
  no sharps or flats, 4/4, 16 bars
  No. 8 of 34; level 2
• Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 9
  no sharps or flats, 3/4, 16 bars
  No. 9 of 34; level 2
• Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 10
  no sharps or flats, 4/4, 24 bars
  No. 10 of 34; level 2
• Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 11
  no sharps or flats, 3/8, 32 bars
  No. 11 of 34; level 3
• Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 12
  no sharps or flats, 2/4, 48 bars
  No. 12 of 34; level 2
• Morning Salute, Op. 117 No. 13
  1 sharp, 3/8, 48 bars
  No. 13 of 34; level 3
• Going to School, Op. 117 No. 14
  1 sharp, 2/4, 32 bars
  No. 14 of 34; level 3
• The Chase, Op. 117 No. 15
  no sharps or flats, 3/4, 33 bars
  No. 15 of 34; level 2
• Lamentation, Op. 117 No. 16
  no sharps or flats, 6/8, 32 bars
  No. 16 of 34; level 2
• Cradle Song, Op. 117 No. 17
  1 flat, 6/8, 32 bars
  No. 17 of 34; level 3
• The little Rogue, Op. 117 No. 18
  1 flat, 3/8, 25 bars
  No. 18 of 34; level 3
• The good Child, Op. 117 No. 19
  no sharps or flats, 3/8, 16 bars
  No. 19 of 34; level 3
• Even-Song, Op. 117 No. 20
  1 flat, 6/8, 24 bars
  No. 20 of 34; level 4
• Catch me, Op. 117 No. 21
  no sharps or flats, 2/4, 24 bars
  No. 21 of 34; level 2
• Round, Op. 117 No. 22
  1 sharp, 6/8, 16 bars
  No. 22 of 34; level 3
• The Departure, Op. 117 No. 23
  no sharps or flats, 2/4, 16 bars
  No. 23 of 34; level 3
• The Return, Op. 117 No. 24
  no sharps or flats, 6/8, 24 bars
  No. 24 of 34; level 3
• The brave Soldier, Op. 117 No. 25
  no sharps or flats, 4/8, 57 bars
  No. 25 of 34; level 3
• The little Savoyard, Op. 117 No. 26
  1 sharp, 3/8, 49 bars
  No. 26 of 34; level 3
• Hymn, Op. 117 No. 27
  no sharps or flats, 4/4, 25 bars
  No. 27 of 34; level 3
• The poor Child, Op. 117 No. 28
  1 flat, 6/8, 16 bars
  No. 28 of 34; level 3
• Merry Company, Op. 117 No. 29
  2 sharps, 6/8, 21 bars
  No. 29 of 34; level 4
• The Hobby Horse, Op. 117 No. 30
  1 flat, 2/4, 32 bars
  No. 30 of 34; level 3
• Gavotte, Op. 117 No. 31
  no sharps or flats, 4/4, 56 bars
  No. 31 of 34; level 4
• The hardy Horseman, Op. 117 No. 32
  no sharps or flats, 2/4, 48 bars
  No. 32 of 34; level 3
• Clappermill, Op. 117 No. 33
  no sharps or flats, 2/4, 24 bars
  No. 33 of 34; level 3
• Song without Words, Op. 117 No. 34
  1 sharp, 2/8, 67 bars
  No. 34 of 34; level 3

An order to learn them in

The same pieces from the easiest, by the level fitted to each score; within a level, in the book's order. Teachers skip about in these books, and so can you.

1. Level 2 Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 1 · Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 2 · Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 3 · Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 4 · Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 5 · Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 7 · Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 8 · Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 9 · Catch me, Op. 117 No. 21 · Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 10 · Lamentation, Op. 117 No. 16 · The Chase, Op. 117 No. 15 · Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 12
2. Level 3 Round, Op. 117 No. 22 · The Departure, Op. 117 No. 23 · The good Child, Op. 117 No. 19 · The poor Child, Op. 117 No. 28 · Clappermill, Op. 117 No. 33 · The Return, Op. 117 No. 24 · Hymn, Op. 117 No. 27 · The little Rogue, Op. 117 No. 18 · Cradle Song, Op. 117 No. 17 · Going to School, Op. 117 No. 14 · The Hobby Horse, Op. 117 No. 30 · Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 6 · Piece in C, Op. 117 No. 11 · Morning Salute, Op. 117 No. 13 · The hardy Horseman, Op. 117 No. 32 · The little Savoyard, Op. 117 No. 26 · The brave Soldier, Op. 117 No. 25 · Song without Words, Op. 117 No. 34
3. Level 4 Merry Company, Op. 117 No. 29 · Even-Song, Op. 117 No. 20 · Gavotte, Op. 117 No. 31

Other teaching books

Every book five or more library pieces are from.

• Köhler's Very Easiest Exercise Pieces, Op. 190 24
• Beyer's Vorschule im Klavierspiel, Op. 101 14
• Gurlitt's The First Lessons, Op. 117 34 of 34
• Duvernoy's École primaire, Op. 176 16 of 25
• Mozart's first pieces, K. 1a–1f 6 of 6
• Burgmüller's 25 Easy Studies, Op. 100 25 of 25
• Le Couppey's L'Alphabet, Op. 17 25 of 25
• Anna Magdalena Bach's Notebook (1725) 20 of 20
• Lemoine's Études enfantines, Op. 37 29 of 50
• Czerny's 160 Eight-Measure Exercises, Op. 821 19 of 160
• Czerny's School of Velocity, Op. 299 6 of 40
• Clementi's Six Sonatinas, Op. 36 6 of 6
• Schumann's Album for the Young, Op. 68 21 of 43
• Schumann's Kinderszenen, Op. 15 7 of 13
• Chopin's 24 Preludes, Op. 28 8 of 24