Parameters
Key: Bb Major
BPM: 70
Mood: Well-paced,
Difficulty: Easy (Grades 1-3)
Duration: 1:18
External Links
About “Empty Minds”
Empty Minds is a sparse miniature piano piece that is intended to convey the idea of an empty mind. Through the sparseness of the piece, particularly the left hand, the piece illustrates the emptiness that can be found in bored minds.
Written in 4/4 time the piece begins with the left hand playing the motif in half notes. This echoed in the right hand playing notes that are a 3rd above intended chords. From bars 7-18 the right hand plays sixteenth notes with the added 3rd above. This creates movement but the left hand continues to maintain the same drone of notes. This is to illustrate that regardless of movement or action, one can still have an empty and bored mind.
The harmony in this piece is also quite simple. We begin the piece with just the bass note playing. The bass note highlights that we are using the vi-IV-V-iii progression. This progression does not change through the piece and continues to lean into that emptiness of thought. By the end, the piece ends on the IV of Bb, leaving the listener somewhat resolved, but not completely.