Bethena (A Concert Waltz)
by Scott Joplin (1868–1917) · Early modern · Advanced
Versions
| Version | Level | Key | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced · Level 4 | 4 of 5 | G major | 4:23 |
The player above plays the first 20 seconds. Learn all 4:23 of Bethena (A Concert Waltz) in the PianoKite app: every version, both hands or one at a time, Wait mode on every bar, play-along at 50, 75 or 100% and per-bar feedback. Get early access.
- Era
- Early modern (1890–1930)
- Mood
- Joyful · bright and lively
- Versions
- 1
About this piece
Scott Joplin (1868–1917) is the composer of Bethena (A Concert Waltz), an early-20th-century piece that is cheerful and quick on its feet. The version here is level 4 of 5 (advanced), in G major and about 4:23 long. In the app it belongs to the Waltzes and Ragtime collections. It is one of the 100 most popular pieces in our library.
About Scott Joplin (1868–1917): American composer known as the King of Ragtime. The Maple Leaf Rag (1899) and The Entertainer (1902) made syncopated piano music famous.
How to play Bethena (A Concert Waltz) on piano
- Expect weeks, not days. Learn it section by section and keep a list of the hardest passages to practise first in every session.
- Slow practice is the fastest way forward: loop the difficult bars at 50% until they are clean, then 75%, then full speed.
- Decide on fingering early for fast passages and write it down; changing fingering later costs more time than it saves.
- Learn the left hand's waltz pattern on its own first: a low bass note on beat one, then two lighter chords. Once it runs without thinking, add the melody.
- Short daily sessions beat one long weekly one. Ten focused minutes a day is enough to make steady progress.
In the PianoKite app you can learn it with your own digital piano over Bluetooth or USB, or with any piano through the microphone: the score scrolls past a playhead, the keys light up, and every bar gets a score so you can see what's learned. See how it works. New to the piano? Start with the beginner lessons. Get early access.
License and credits
Typeset by Magnus Lewis-Smith for the Mutopia Project. License: Public Domain. Source: Mutopia Project.
Both the composition and the source file are in the public domain.
Text events such as lyrics were removed; the notes are as published. The player on this page plays the first 20 seconds.
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