Where it comes from
The first of Clementi's Six Sonatinas, Op. 36, written for piano and often arranged for violin.
Clementi: Sonatina Op. 36 No. 1
C major · 4/4 · 76 bars
Score
- Level
- Intermediate
- Key
- C major · no sharps or flats
- Time
- 4/4
- Bars
- 76
- Range
- C2 – D6
- Fingering
- not marked
How to practise this piece
Take it at 125 BPM first, then move up to 156 once the notes sit under your fingers.
What this piece trains
Sonata shape: exposition, development and recapitulation each need a different tone, at crotchet equals 156.
Where it usually goes wrong
Seventy-six bars invite tension at the start and slack at the end; fast scale figures lose notes.
Does it need shifting?
Range C2–D6; the top notes go beyond comfortable first position, so expect shifting or an extension.
Practice steps
- Learn the exposition theme alone and fix its tempo before going further.
- Work section by section and stop at each boundary instead of running straight through.