A crucial point in this Bagatelle is the hint found in conceiving the entire piece as a string quartet. For instance, at the beginning, the short staccato notes should be played with a sharp sound, as if a violin bow briefly touches the string. Furthermore, the slur markings written in measure 6 should be played with the image of violin bowing. However, when playing on the piano, the key is to make the last note under the slur short, soft, and detached. For example, in measure 6, beat 1, when the right hand has D-C, playing D softer than C and detaching C briefly will help avoid a heavy sound.

Measures 17-36 are truly a string quartet section, where all instruments sustain their notes legato. Avoid sharp attacks as much as possible, and strive for a horizontal flow in the music rather than vertical segmentation. Following the individual voices is also important. For example, in measures 17-18, the inner voices B H C in the treble clef should be thought of as being played by the viola, connecting to A-flat in measure 19, which is written in the bass clef. This then connects to Es Des in the tenor voice of the bass clef in measure 20. The inner voices B H in the right hand of measure 20 should be considered the second violin. In this way, follow each voice and ensure consistency. Furthermore, try playing each voice individually to create the phrasing, and then finally combine all voices; the result should be entirely different.