When Winter Comes, Early Intermediate/Intermediate Solo

When Winter Comes: Desolate. Bone chilling cold. Sadness…. Explore lyrical musicality in this ballad with haunting melodies and expressive Rubatos. The grand beginning sets the stage for conflict, but then turns to…. sadness? memories? “what could have been”? 

The sweeping Left hand patterns offer wonderful practice for accompaniment figures, and are accessible for Early Intermediate, as they do not compete with Right Hand melody. Limited octaves in Right hand. Notice the gentle Time meter changes from 3/4 to 4/4; the second time this happens- it creates momentum; a sense of urgency rushing towards the climax. Bonus tip- exaggerate the dynamic range for a more dramatic effect.

Key: A Natural minor with a touch of A Dorian

Time signature: Alternating 3/4 and 4/4

Skill development:  Dramatic playing, Left Hand accompaniment

What level: Early Intermediate/Intermediate 

How long: Cover + 3 pages, Performance time 02:33. 

This is a Single License: One purchase - One copy. Thank for honoring the composer’s work by not sharing.

Want this as a STUDIO License? Check out the Collection.

This piece is part of the Collection, Castle Tales, which is a set of 6 original compositions exploring a wide range of moods from Epic to Tender - created to encourage pianists to achieve musical expression. These descriptive pieces are educational as well as inspiring to play; appealing to tweens, teenagers and adult pianists. The Collection is designed as a whole- offering contrasting pieces to work on different musical skills, inspired by stories of Medieval life as seen in video games; but each piece stands equally on its own.

Titles:  Journey to Castle Roche, The Chase is On, When Winter Comes, Defender of the Realm, Waiting for Your Return, and Night Flight

Level: Early Intermediate - Intermediate, RCM 4 - 5 equivalent