How hard is Radetzky March, Op. 228 to play?

Its passages grade from level 8 to level 9 on Real Sight Reader's ten-level reading scale, so the full piece is intermediate to advanced reading. The hardest stretch is bars 9–16 at level 9.

Is there an easy part of Radetzky March, Op. 228 for beginners?

Its easiest passage is level 8, so it suits a reader past the beginner stage. Start with bars 9–12 for both hands together, the level-8 passage in the reader at the top of this page; it is level 8 because it leaps a major third plus an octave and its chords go beyond simple triads.

What key and time signature is Radetzky March, Op. 228 in?

Radetzky March, Op. 228 is in D major, 2 sharps. The engraving on this page is in 2/2 time.

Can I practice Radetzky March, Op. 228 online for free?

Yes. The reader on this page plays any of the 7 graded passages from Radetzky March, Op. 228 in your browser, with an on-screen keyboard or a MIDI keyboard, and marks every note as you play. No signup.

Why do audiences clap along to the Radetzky March?

Clapping along is a New Year's Concert tradition in Vienna: the audience claps quietly on the first statement of the melody and loudly on the second.

Joseph Radetzky von Radetz was an Austrian field marshal whose 1848 victories over Italian nationalist forces, including Custoza, were celebrated with this march.

Is the Radetzky March in the public domain?

Yes. Strauss died in 1849, so the original is in the public domain. Arrangements and editions can have their own rights; the engraving on this page comes from a public-domain source.

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Radetzky March, Op. 228

Johann Strauss I (1804–1849) · sheet music

Key D major
Time 2/2
Levels 8–9
Passages 7

Your turn · both hands

Preparing your passage…

Johann Strauss I, Austrian romantic (1804–1849). The reading release has 7 passages from this piece at levels 8–9; the reader above opens on the easiest, bars 9–12 for both hands together.

Practice the hard bars →

The hardest stretch is bars 9–16 at level 9.

Your practice path

Learn it the way teachers do: each hand on its own, then together, then the hard bars. Each step is a real graded passage of Radetzky March, Op. 228.

Hands together · bars 9–12 level 8
The hardest bars · bars 9–16 level 9

How to play Radetzky March, Op. 228

Tempo:Keep a steady marching pace. The beat should feel like two big steps per bar, and the tempo is brisk rather than fast.
Right hand:The right hand has crisp, repeated rhythms in the tune. Play them short and clear with a light staccato to keep the parade feel.
Left hand:The left hand alternates bass notes with chords. This oom-pah pattern includes wide leaps, so look at the keys ahead of time and keep the wrist loose.
Hands together:Line up the right-hand rhythm with the left-hand bass on the strong beats. Practice with a metronome clicking the two big beats.
Rhythm:The dotted rhythms need exact lengths. Say a rhythm like long-short out loud and tap it before you try it on the piano.
Dynamics:Use loud and soft contrasts to bring the parade to life. The trio can be softer, then the return can be strong again.
Practice:Practice the left-hand leaps alone until you can play them without looking. Once they are secure, the rest of the march falls into place.

Common mistakes

Dragging the tempo in the leaps of the left hand. Fix: Practice the leap slowly and keep a steady beat with the metronome.
Playing the dotted rhythms as even notes. Fix: Clap the rhythm, then count aloud while you play.
Playing the trio as hard as the march. Fix: Lower the dynamic and connect the notes for a smoother sound.
Forgetting the da capo at the end. Fix: Mark the repeat in your score and note where the piece should finish.

Structure: march and trio with a da capo

A short introduction leads into the main march tune, first given to the strings. A contrasting trio, played by the brass, follows, and then a da capo al fine direction sends the players back to the start to finish with the opening part.

Intro · Opening: A short, punchy introduction that sets the military mood. Expect chords with a strong sense of pulse and a few rests.
A · March strains: Bright, confident tunes in the style of a parade. The right hand has repeated rhythms and the left hand has an oom-pah bass.
Trio · Trio: A contrasting section built on an old Viennese dance tune and given to the brass in the original. Shape it as a broader, singing tune rather than all snap.
A' · Da capo: Following the da capo al fine direction, the opening music returns and the march ends where the first part does.

About Radetzky March, Op. 228

Johann Strauss I wrote the Radetzky March in 1848 for a victory celebration in honor of the army in Italy, held on 31 August 1848 in Vienna on the Wasser-Glacis, the open ground outside the old city walls. It honors Field Marshal Joseph Radetzky von Radetz, whose victories over the Italian nationalist forces that summer, including the Battle of Custoza, were celebrated in the capital. Strauss and his orchestra gave the first performance.

Much of the music was borrowed. The opening two-bar motif comes from Croatian military music, and Strauss had already used it in two earlier works, the Lust-Lager waltz and the Jubel quadrille. The trio uses an old Viennese dance tune known as the Tinerl song, which Strauss converted from triple to duple time.

Today the march is best known as the jubilant encore of the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Concert. It was first played there on 1 January 1946 under Josef Krips, as a first encore before the Blue Danube Waltz, and the audience now claps quietly on the first statement of the tune and thunderously on the second.

The opening motif was used by Strauss in two earlier compositions, the Lust-Lager waltz and the Jubel quadrille.
The old Viennese dance behind the trio was later printed in Eduard Kremser's 1913 collection Wiener Lieder und Tänze.
The march is a fixture at major sporting events, especially the football matches of Austria's national team.
Joseph Roth's 1932 novel Radetzky March takes its title from the piece.

Why the first passage is level 8

That passage is level 8 rather than 7 because it leaps a major third plus an octave, its chords go beyond simple triads.

The passages here are written at high reading levels because of wide left-hand leaps and fuller chords. Keep the pulse in two big beats per bar.

Questions about Radetzky March, Op. 228

How hard is Radetzky March, Op. 228 to play?: Its passages grade from level 8 to level 9 on Real Sight Reader's ten-level reading scale, so the full piece is intermediate to advanced reading. The hardest stretch is bars 9–16 at level 9.
Is there an easy part of Radetzky March, Op. 228 for beginners?: Its easiest passage is level 8, so it suits a reader past the beginner stage. Start with bars 9–12 for both hands together, the level-8 passage in the reader at the top of this page; it is level 8 because it leaps a major third plus an octave and its chords go beyond simple triads.
What key and time signature is Radetzky March, Op. 228 in?: Radetzky March, Op. 228 is in D major, 2 sharps. The engraving on this page is in 2/2 time.
Who composed Radetzky March, Op. 228?: Johann Strauss I, Austrian romantic (1804–1849). Johann Strauss I wrote the Radetzky March in 1848 for a victory celebration in honor of the army in Italy, held on 31 August 1848 in Vienna on the Wasser-Glacis, the open ground outside the old city walls.
Can I practice Radetzky March, Op. 228 online for free?: Yes. The reader on this page plays any of the 7 graded passages from Radetzky March, Op. 228 in your browser, with an on-screen keyboard or a MIDI keyboard, and marks every note as you play. No signup.
Why do audiences clap along to the Radetzky March?: Clapping along is a New Year's Concert tradition in Vienna: the audience claps quietly on the first statement of the melody and loudly on the second.
Who was Radetzky?: Joseph Radetzky von Radetz was an Austrian field marshal whose 1848 victories over Italian nationalist forces, including Custoza, were celebrated with this march.
Is the Radetzky March in the public domain?: Yes. Strauss died in 1849, so the original is in the public domain. Arrangements and editions can have their own rights; the engraving on this page comes from a public-domain source.

Every passage, easiest first

The reading release grades 7 distinct passages of this piece. Open any of them in the reader:

Level 8: bars 9–12 both hands · bars 37–40 both hands
Level 9: bars 9–16 both hands · bars 13–16 both hands · bars 21–24 both hands · bars 25–28 both hands · bars 41–44 both hands

More pieces to sight-read

Score: public-domain engraving from the corpus (pdmx), graded by the piano-reading-v2-20261023-identity-audit reading release.

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