Flight of the Bumblebee

Overview of this digital piano sheet music:

About "Flight of the Bumblebee":  

"Flight of the Bumblebee" is a very famous music piece composed by a Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for an opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan as an orchestral ensemble piece. However, these days, a lot of people know about the music "Flight of the Bumblebee" better than the opera itself. And not only that, a lot of piano players are challenging the arrangement of this piece for piano solo created by another Russian composer, Sergei Rachmaninoff. It is not easy to play on the piano because they have to play so fast. But that's what fascinates piano players. It is a short music piece that expresses chaotic bumblebee movements. 

Tips for playing Level 6 "Flight of the Bumblebee":

This particular level (Level 6: Expert, the highest level at Galaxy Music Notes) of "Flight of the Bumblebee" in the original form that was arranged by Sergei Rachmaninoff. It is in the original key of A minor. Please notice that sometimes your left-hand needs to cross over right hand to play in the upper range. Clef signs also change a few times for the left-hand part. It is a fast piece as you probably already know. However, practice very slowly first and increase the tempo gradually. We didn't provide any fingering numbers. However, you'll notice that there are a lot of chromatic lines going up and down. There are some chords that are spread out wider than octaves. People who can't reach those wide intervals can arpeggiate them (but rather quickly). A lot of concert pianists play this piece way too fast to show off their skills. However, we don't think it sounds musical. Therefore, we recommend you to play it around 145 through 155 (as your final tempo after practicing) which Korsakov intended when he composed this piece.  

Download, Print (or see it on your tablet), and Practice! 

This product is a digital download. After you purchase it, you will be downloading a PDF file. You should be able to download it to your desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet if they are connected to the internet. You'll also receive a download link via email. You may download it later when it's convenient. After you download it, please print it out or see it on your tablet for your use. And most importantly, PRACTICE!

If you have a difficulty downloading a PDF file, you may need to upgrade or download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Please visit Adobe Acrobat Reader to download the newest Adobe Acrobat Reader. 

You may also like to check out: 

• To learn more about the Russian composer, Korsakov who composed The Tale of Tsar Saltan, please visit our page, "About Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov."
• To learn more about the Russian composer, Rachmaninoff who arranged "The Flight of the Bumblebee" for piano solo, please visit our page, "About Sergei Rachmaninoff."
• To learn about the story part of The Tale of Tsar Saltan, please visit our page, "Story of The Tsar Saltan."
• To find more sheet music for pieces by other Russian composers, please click these collection pages:
• by Pyotr Tchaikovsky
• by Modest Mussorgsky
• by Alexander Borodin