Noctave
The piece
A pastorale imitates shepherds' music: a lilting 6/8, repeated chords standing in for a drone, a plain tune on top. Burgmüller opens with two bars for the right hand alone, a line of eighth notes that sets up G major before the accompaniment comes in. Marked Andantino, the piece takes its time, and the grace notes scattered through the melody give it a rustic tint.
The left hand repeats the same three-note chord in eighth notes, bar after bar, changing a single note when the harmony moves: G-B-D becomes G-C-D. Keep the hand resting close to the keys and move only the finger that changes; these chords should stay very soft, like a backdrop. The melody sings above in long phrases, feeling the two-beat sway of 6/8 rather than six equal eighths. The score's ten grace notes are played lightly, without delaying the main note, and the pulse picks up again at once. Listen to the end of each phrase: the last eighth gets lighter before the next breath.