Five Short Variations on Shenandoah, Revised by American Folk Song Part - Digital Sheet Music

SKU: A0.493772

As a disclaimer: This piece is best suited to pianists with larger hands. It is common to find the left hand playing a tenth with the perfect fifth above the bass in between (i.e. C-G-E). In general, the fast movements are very technically demanding, and while lyricism dominates the first two movements, the large chords definitely add a couple layers of difficulty! I still hope you enjoy them!


I wrote my set of variations as a way to explore a variety of ways by which I could accompany the folk tune, Shenandoah. With the first two variations, I chose to stick to the decidedly lyrical disposition of the original tune, while the last three variations are recast in a more boisterous and upbeat light. In all variations, I did my best to write in a way that evoked the feeling of Americana (I tried not to limit myself to stereotypical depictions of Shenandoah, and yet I wanted to ensure I maintained a respect for the source material). Thus, one variation, I attempted to transplant the melody into the vast openness of the unexplored West (variation three). In another, I tried to utilize harmonies that were reminiscent of Jazz (variation two). The final variation's intended affect is one of general optimism that characterizes America's trajectory from infancy to today.