Music Theory

Learning Debussy: Best Songs to Play Right Now

Claude Debussy makes an appearance on just about every list of favorite composers. His music is often described as soothing, relaxing, and just plain beautiful. He was a prolific composer for the piano, leaving dozens of pieces for all to enjoy today. Are you wondering how to play Debussy? While som

Musicnotes

• 4 min read
Learning Debussy: Best Songs to Play Right Now

Claude Debussy makes an appearance on just about every list of favorite composers. His music is often described as soothing, relaxing, and just plain beautiful. He was a prolific composer for the piano, leaving dozens of pieces for all to enjoy today. Are you wondering how to play Debussy? While some of his pieces are difficult and require advanced skills, there are Debussy piano pieces for every level and interest.

Who Was Claude Debussy?

Debussy was born in 1862 in France to a very poor family. They recognized his musical talents, however, and managed to give him piano lessons starting at the age of seven. In 1873 at the age of 11, he began studying piano and composition at the Paris Conservatory. He eventually acquired the patronage of Nadezhda Filatretovna con Meck, a very wealthy Russian. During his summer vacations from the Conservatory, he traveled with her and her children throughout Europe and Russia.

These travels gave him crucial exposure to the work of other famous and successful composers. In particular, he found inspiration in the music of Russian composers Modest Mussorgsky and Aleksandr Borodin. The operas of Richard Wagner were also quite influential, although Debussy did not aspire to Wagner’s overtly bombastic style.

Debussy’s music is inventive and colorful. He broke all the composition rules he learned at the Conservatory and pushed the boundaries of melody and harmony. He became extremely skilled at painting pictures with his music. Each piece is evocative of an exotic location or beautiful scene. His piano music is still popular today and is performed at concerts around the world.

How To Play Debussy on Piano

To learn Debussy well, it’s important to start at the beginning. His music is unique and makes special demands of performers. You have probably heard his famous “Claire de Lune” many times. In fact, that may be the very piece you wish to learn to play. It’s wiser to tackle some other pieces first, to introduce yourself to the sonic world of Claude Debussy.

Good choices for first Debussy piano pieces include:

When tackling these pieces, be sure to practice hands separately. Debussy’s music is known for its interesting rhythms and independent melodic lines. You need to be secure with these elements before putting your hands together.

Take the time to carefully count out any rhythms that are troubling you. Debussy frequently obscures rhythmic impulses by putting duples against triples and other techniques. Listen to recordings of good performances of these pieces to learn how they should sound.

What Are the Next Steps?

Once you can comfortably play the first pieces, you are ready to take on more challenging Debussy piano works. For mid-level performers, the following works are excellent options:

These pieces give you an opportunity to delve into Debussy’s tonal world. In 1889 he attended the Paris Exposition Universelle, a World’s Fair held in the capital city. Although there were many impressive sights, including the newly built Eiffel Tower, Debussy was enchanted with the dancing and music in the Javanese pavilion. For the first time, he heard the gamelan, a traditional Javanese musical ensemble consisting mainly of percussion instruments.

From that time forward, Debussy began to experiment with non-Western tonal centers and how to synthesize them with traditional Western scales and modes. Part of playing Debussy well on the piano is learning ways to bring out the more exotic melodies and harmonies. Identify in your music places with quartal or quintal harmonies. Find melodies with pentatonic flavors and augmented seconds.

Once you have marked these places in your score, practice pedaling in a way that emphasizes the harmonies. Make sure the melodies are articulated clearly and carry a little more weight than the accompanying figures. Listen carefully to the balance between the hands and observe dynamics to ensure the “otherworldly” quality Debussy strove for.

What Are the Challenging Pieces?

Debussy definitely composed some difficult pieces that demand mastery of the piano. If you’d like to challenge yourself and dig into some technical workouts, take a look at these pieces:

Each of these will give you plenty to practice both in interpretation and technique. Once again, practicing hands separately is always a good way to begin learning a Debussy piano piece.

What Are the Benefits of Playing Debussy?

The first and most obvious benefit is personal enjoyment. Debussy’s piano music can be some of the most soothing and is a great way to destress after a busy day. Debussy is also appropriate for a wide variety of special occasions, such as weddings, memorial services, and recitals.

The music of Debussy can also prepare you for the exploration of more contemporary pieces down the road. Claude Debussy is considered by many scholars to be the first truly modern composer. He broke away from the German Romantic model that dominated the music scene in the second half of the 19th century to compose music that was quite harmonically advanced for its time.

Learning Debussy helps you understand and perform the composers who were inspired by him. This is a long list, indeed, as his influence permeated nearly every corner of the 20th century. If you would like to learn works by Stravinsky, Falla, Bartók, Varèse, Britten, Takemitsu, and countless others, Debussy’s piano music is a lovely introduction to what you will encounter.

After you master the music composed for solo piano, feel free to learn some of his music for piano, four hands, such as “The Petite Suite.” There are also excellent transcriptions of his orchestral music, including “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun.”

Whichever Debussy piano piece you chose, be patient with yourself. Playing his music can be like learning a new language. Take time to enjoy the journey.