About the Piece
Muzio Clementi (1752–1832) published his famous set Six Progressive Sonatinas, Op.36, in 1797. The first one—this cheerful Sonatina in C Major—is a staple of the classical teaching repertoire.
Its opening movement (Allegro) is a compact example of Classical-era sonata form: clear thematic statements, a short development that briefly ventures away from C major, and a tidy recapitulation.
The writing looks transparent at first glance, but it is deceptively demanding:
- Evenness in scale passages requires careful finger control.
- Articulation must remain light and precise.
- Left hand accompaniment needs to keep the harmony flowing without getting heavy.
No wonder this piece has been a training ground for generations of piano students.
My Practice Notes
Learning this piece turned out to be much harder than I expected. Reading through the score wasn’t too bad, but coordinating both hands in the beginning was a real challenge. Before I could play it smoothly—even at a slow tempo—it was common to hit “mental freezes” where my hands just wouldn’t cooperate. 😅
Once I managed to play the entire movement without stopping, the real struggle began: bringing it up to speed. Achieving a tempo close to standard interpretations was much tougher than I thought.
- Left hand melody passages were especially difficult. Keeping them clear and not muddled took a lot of focused practice.
- Fast scale runs and overall tempo stability were another challenge. Even in this video, I don’t feel my playing is as clean as I’d like—some runs get messy, and in a few spots my hand locks up, making the rhythm uneven.
After about a month and a half (around 30 hours of practice), I decided it was time to record and move on. The performance isn’t where I ideally want it to be, but it’s good enough for now. I’ll revisit this piece later with stronger technique and fresher ears to polish it further.
What about you? Have you ever studied Clementi’s Sonatina in C Major?
If you’re also an adult learner, let me know how your practice is going—I’d love to hear your experiences!
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