Como trucutú is a rhythmic and salon-style piano work by the prominent Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona. It is distinctive for its syncopated Caribbean-influenced rhythms integrated into a traditional Romantic piano framework.
At Henle 5 this is a late-intermediate piece — technically substantial, with musical demands to match. The main demands: a left hand with real melodic or rhythmic responsibility of its own; precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece; and a waltz lilt that needs charm and a flexible left hand.
Beyond that, expect chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others.
The primary challenge is maintaining a steady, dance-like pulse while navigating the syncopated bass patterns typical of Lecuona's style.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
A level or two down with the same spirit — ideal if this piece is still out of reach.
Where this piece's skills lead: slightly harder works making similar technical demands.
Como trucutú is rated Henle level 5 of 9 — late intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 6–7. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 6.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 5 — meaning you can already play level 4–5 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
A typical performance of Como trucutú lasts about 3 minutes.
Como trucutú is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.
Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include Canto del guajiro by Ernesto Lecuona, Canto Karabalí by Ernesto Lecuona, 12 Variations on "Ah vous dirais-je, Maman" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.