Joseph Haydn wrote his Symphony No. 94 in 1791, for concerts in London. Its slow movement opens with a simple, tiptoeing tune played very quietly, repeated even more quietly, and then interrupted by a sudden, crashing loud chord. That moment gave the whole symphony its English nickname, the "Surprise" Symphony. It is a perfect piece for practising dynamics, because the joke only works if the quiet part is genuinely quiet.
This lesson brings together several things you have learned: eighth notes, soft and loud playing, the medium levels mp and mf, and a black key in a piece that is otherwise all white keys.
The tune in 2/4
The theme is in 2/4 time: two beats in every bar. Most bars have four eighth notes, or two eighths and a quarter. Count "1 and 2 and" and the rhythm will look after itself.
The melody is built from a C major chord, broken into pairs of repeated notes: C C, E E, G G, then back to E. It is almost like a nursery rhyme, which is part of the charm.
Notice that the fourth bar goes below middle C, down to B and then G. In the right hand, let your thumb reach down for these, or move the hand a little lower for the end of the phrase. On the treble staff they sit below middle C, so they need ledger lines of their own: B just under middle C's line, and G a little lower.
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The second half and the F sharps
Bars 5 and 6 repeat the opening. Bar 7 jumps up to the C above middle C and steps down to A. Then bar 8 holds the surprise. Two quick F sharps lead up to G, and that last G is played f, suddenly loud.
The piece is in C major, so there is no key signature. The sharps in bar 8 are written in front of the notes. As you know from the G major scale, F sharp sits a half step below G, and here it leans strongly up into it.
Making the surprise work
A surprise needs a set-up. If the first seven bars are played at a comfortable medium level, a loud note at the end will hardly be noticed. So the real skill in this piece is playing softly and evenly for a long time.
- Use a light touch, with fingertips close to the keys. Press gently, from just above the key, rather than dropping in from a height.
- Keep the repeated notes even and detached, like quiet footsteps.
- In bar 7, drop even softer. This is the moment just before the joke.
- Then, for the last G, use the weight of your whole arm, from a relaxed wrist. Do not stab with a stiff finger.
The loud note should be sudden: no crescendo leading up to it. Bar 7 and the first half of bar 8 stay soft right up to the last moment.
A step-by-step practice plan
- Clap and count. Clap the rhythm of bars 1 to 4 while saying "1 and 2 and". Most bars are four even eighths.
- Right hand, bars 1 to 4. Play slowly, softly, and evenly. Listen for every pair of repeated notes being the same volume.
- Bars 5 to 8 without the surprise. Learn the notes first at a single gentle level. Find the F sharps with finger 2 or 3, whichever feels natural.
- Add the dynamics. Now play bars 7 and 8 alone: soft, softer, then loud on the last G. Repeat until the contrast is big and the timing stays steady.
- The whole theme. Play all eight bars. Before the last G, keep yourself from leaning forward or slowing down; the surprise should land exactly on the beat.
- Record it. Listen back. Is the quiet part really quiet? Is the loud note obviously loud?
Common mistakes
- Uneven repeated notes. The second of each pair often comes out louder or shorter. Keep both the same.
- Hesitating before the loud note. It is tempting to pause to prepare. The surprise lands in time, on the second beat of bar 8.
- Missing the F sharps. With no key signature, it is easy to play F natural. Look for the sharp signs in bar 8.
- Playing "soft" too loudly. Most beginners' p is really mf. Aim for the quietest sound you can make reliably.
Try it in Pianuvo
The Academy lesson teaches the Surprise theme in two halves, then has you play the whole thing with its dynamics over an accompaniment. Every step listens as you play, and with a MIDI keyboard it also checks how soft and how loud you are; the on-screen keys and a real piano through the microphone work too. It ends Unit 7: F major, flats and changing dynamics. For a slightly fuller version, see the Surprise Symphony theme song page.