Sound ToolsEstudio de Piano

Czerny Op. 599 No. 87: tempo and how to practice it

Czerny Op. 599 No. 87 is part of “Erster Wiener Lehrmeister im Pianoforte-Spiel (Practical Method for Beginners), Op. 599” by Carl Czerny (1791–1857). Main focus: fluent reading and coordination between the hands. In our transcription it is in F major, in 6/8 time, and 16 bars long. Suggested tempos: start at ♩ = 60 to learn it, practice at ♩ = 78 and work up to the target of ♩ = 99. Difficulty 3/10 (beginner).

The pattern and its fingering

First bar of our transcription, note by note, with the fingering the app shows.

Right handA–C–F–B♭–A–C–A–F–C
Left handF–A–C–A–C–F–A–C–A–C

■ right hand (finger above) · ■ left hand (finger below)

What it trains

How to practice it

  1. Read through the whole piece before playing: key signature, time signature and where the hand changes position.
  2. Use the metronome from the start; steadiness is the main goal.
  3. Once it comes out clean, add dynamics: even though it is a study, shape the phrases.

Tempo ladder: ♩ = 60 → ♩ = 69 → ♩ = 78 → ♩ = 88 → ♩ = 99. Only move up a step once the take comes out clean; in the app, the progressive metronome does it for you.

ComposerCarl Czerny (1791–1857)
WorkErster Wiener Lehrmeister im Pianoforte-Spiel (Practical Method for Beginners), Op. 599
Difficulty3/10 · Beginner
KeyF major
Time signature6/8
Bars16
Suggested temposlearn ♩ = 60 · practice ♩ = 78 · target ♩ = 99
Where the target tempo comes fromestimated: difficulty 3/10 → 6.8 notes/s on the dominant note value (sixteenth note) → ♩ = 99 (♩. = 66). No confirmed composer's metronome mark.
Transposableno
Status in the appAvailable
Copyrightpublic domain: Czerny died in 1857