This is a remarkable piece for beginners with a tender and expressive character, as well as a great study in balance and phrasing. "Melody" is part of Schumann's Album for the Young, a collection of forty-three miniatures written specifically for children, and initially composed as a birthday present for his eldest daughter, Marie. The Album falls into two parts, with the first eighteen pieces designed for young children and the later numbers for ‘more grown-up’ players.