Fantaisie-Impromptu on the ocarina
On a 12-hole it starts C, D, C, F. Medium, 53 notes, in F major.
Fantaisie-Impromptu
Bar 1 of 16
What are the notes for Fantaisie-Impromptu?
On a 12-hole. Read left to right, a line at a time.
- CDCFGTricky spot:Ahigh CB♭AGAFCD
- (hold)E♭DGAB♭AGAFAGG
- CDCFGAhigh CB♭AGAFCD
- (hold)E♭DGAB♭AGAFAGGFrest
The Fantaisie-Impromptu races along in fast runs, then slows into a broad, singing tune: a long C, a quick turn up through D, C, F and G to a long A, then a reach up to high C. That middle theme is the one people hum. Here are its first two statements, 16 bars of 4/4, moved up from D-flat into F major. It stays between C and high C, so it fits every ocarina, the 4-hole included.
What is the tricky spot in Fantaisie-Impromptu?
The reach in the second bar from a long A up to high C, the top note of the tune, held for two full beats. On a 12-hole, Fantaisie-Impromptu goes from A to high C: you lift the left middle and left index. On a 6-hole or 4-hole, you lift the left index.
Lift the fingers for high C cleanly and together, and keep the breath steady rather than pushing: a pushed high note goes sharp. Practise A to high C slowly a few times before you play the phrase. The other spot to watch is the fifth bar, where the tune steps from D to E flat and back: E flat takes a cross-fingering, so check it on the chart and keep the four quick notes after the long D even.
Which ocarina can play Fantaisie-Impromptu?
Any 12-hole, 6-hole or 4-hole ocarina in C plays Fantaisie-Impromptu in this key. On an ocarina in G or F, use the same fingerings: the tune sounds in a different key, which is fine when you play alone. Each linked chart has every fingering for its ocarina, and you can check your notes with a tuner such as our free ocarina tuner.
The 8 notes here, on a 12-holeHoles in words, with a picture
| Note | Holes to cover | Picture |
|---|---|---|
| C | Cover every main hole | |
| D | Cover every main hole but the right pinky | |
| F | Cover every main hole but the right middle, right ring and right pinky | |
| G | Cover every main hole but the right index, right middle, right ring and right pinky | |
| A | Cover the left pinky, left middle, left index, left thumb and right thumb | |
| high C | Cover the left pinky, left thumb and right thumb | |
| B♭ | Cover the left pinky, left index, right ring, left thumb and right thumb | |
| E♭ | Cover every main hole but the right ring and right pinky, plus the right sub-hole |
Drawn as you see it while playing: mouthpiece towards you, left hand on the left.
| Note | Holes to cover | Picture |
|---|---|---|
| C | Cover every hole | |
| D | Cover every hole but the right middle | |
| F | Cover every hole but the right middle and right index | |
| G | Cover every hole but the left middle and right middle | |
| A | Cover the left index, left thumb and right thumb | |
| high C | Cover the left thumb and right thumb | |
| B♭ | Cover the right index, left thumb and right thumb | |
| E♭ | Cover the left middle, right middle, left index, left thumb and right thumb; half-cover the right index |
Drawn as you see it while playing: mouthpiece towards you, left hand on the left.
| Note | Holes to cover | Picture |
|---|---|---|
| C | Cover every hole | |
| D | Cover every hole but the right middle | |
| F | Cover the left middle and left index | |
| G | Cover the left index and right index | |
| A | Cover the left index | |
| high C | All holes open | |
| B♭ | Cover the right index | |
| E♭ | Cover the left middle, right middle and left index; half-cover the right index |
Drawn as you see it while playing: mouthpiece towards you, left hand on the left.
When did Chopin write the Fantaisie-Impromptu?
In 1834, but he never published it. Julian Fontana published it in 1855, after Chopin's death, against Chopin's wish that his unpublished manuscripts stay unpublished. Our tabs follow that first edition from Schlesinger in Berlin, whose title page says it was printed from the original manuscripts with his family's consent, and whose first page dates the piece "vers 1834". They teach the slow Moderato cantabile theme from the middle of the piece, its first 16 bars, without the trills and the small grace notes printed over it. Chopin died in Paris in 1849. We show the melody only. Music: Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849), the slow middle theme of his Fantaisie-Impromptu, Op. 66, about 1834.