A simple, anonymous quick step dance popular in the 19th-century parlor tradition. It is a straightforward, rhythmic piece intended for light entertainment and amateur performance.
At Henle 2 this is a beginner-level piece, where steady coordination between the hands is the main hurdle. The main demands: Alberti-bass accompaniment kept quiet and even under the melody, and precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece.
Maintain a steady, crisp pulse throughout, keeping the left-hand Alberti patterns light and rhythmic.
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.
Lesser-known works by the same hand, at a comparable level.
Davis' Quick Step is rated Henle level 2 of 9 — beginner repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 2–3. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 2.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 2 — meaning you can already play level 1–2 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 Davis' Quick Step lasts about 1 minute.
Davis' Quick Step 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 Der Flohwalzer by Anonymous, Altenglischer Tanz by Anonymous, Ballet for Keyboard in G major by Anonymous — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.