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The Music of the Spheres
A Piece for the Beginning Pianist
by Brent Hugh

Piano solo, duration approx. 2 1/2 minutes, 1994.

PDF files are compressed to save storage space, so the output is a little chunky but perfectly serviceable. You will be able to view and print the PDF-format music very easily if you have the Adobe Acrobat Viewer.

You will notice that the PDF files have some blank pages inserted. This is because the files are set up to print on ledger-sized paper (front and back; two pages per side). When printing on regular 8 1/2 x 11 paper you may want to skip these blank pages.

(Before downloading The Music of the Spheres, please the Composer's Comments, which tell why "Space Songs" were written and how to teach/learn them)

If you want a good quality pre-printed copy of Music of the Spheres in regular sheet music format, printed on paper that doesn't flip-flop off the music stand every time the air conditioner turns on, then click here to order it at a really great price.

From the composer's notes for The Music of the Spheres:

The Music of the Spheres

The music of the spheres is an idea that has been discussed by writers and philosophers for thousands of years. The music of the spheres isn't actual music that you can hear. Instead, it is an imaginary kind of harmony. It represents the beauty and wholeness of God's universe, which, from the smallest to the greatest, works together in a glorious unity.

Many writers have suggested that the reason we humans love to listen to, play, and write music is because in some small way it reflects the order and beauty of God's creations. The music of the spheres is the "real" music. Our everyday music-made up of mere sounds-is but a faint echo of that great and glorious harmony.

Suggestions for learning
The Music of the Spheres

The Music of the Spheres is a solo for the beginning pianist. It is designed to sound difficult and impressive, while actually being quite easy to play.

The Music of the Spheres can easily be taught as a rote piece to a pianist who has only had a few months of lessons, or it can be assigned as a regular piece to a more advanced student. Students are ready to learn The Music of the Spheres when they can play the C, F, Db, and Ab five finger patterns, hands together, at a moderately fast speed.

The student should first learn to play the four measure episode, measures 2-5. Once the hand position is found, this is quite easy because the hands are playing a mirror image of each other. (And yes, each hand really does have its own key signature, and the key signature for the left hand really is Bb, Ab, and Gb, and nothing else!)

Once this has been mastered, the student can learn the four right hand melodies (mm. 6-11, 16-21, 26-31, and 36-41). Notice that there are only four different chords used in all these melodies. The four chords are the outer notes of the C, F, Db, and Ab five finger patterns.

The final passage can be practiced next. Notice that it alternates the same two chords up the entire span of the keyboard.

The damper pedal should be held for almost the entire piece. It is changed once, in measure 52, and then released in measure 59.

--Brent Hugh

Questions or comments? Mail me: bhugh@oz.sunflower.org
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