: Harmonic intervals using identical notes Could someone please tell me how the left hand for the final bar of this piece is played. The time signature is 3/4 and the piece begins with an anacrusis.

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Both notes are played together on beat 1. The composer is thinking in terms of two instruments. If there was e.g. a cello and a double bass, the cello could play the half-note A, the double bass the two quarter-note ones. On piano, FEEL that, but all you can actually do is play the A once.

Don't over-think this! There are still only two beats in that bar - matching up with the one beat anacrusis in the first. You play the higher A on beat 1, the lower one on beat 2. This sort of 'part writing' is common in piano music.

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You would usually keep two fingers in the case of a unison. The one finger would hold the top A note while the second finger would move to the octave below.