Fur Elise easy piano
Fur Elise is one of the most famous and recognisable pieces of classical piano music. Composed in approximately 1810 by Ludwig van Beethoven, it has been a popular piece for piano players to learn for over 200 years! I have put together 3 different piano arrangements for you to have a go at learning depending on your level of experience:
- Fur Elise Easy Piano Version
- Intermediate version
- Full version of the original manuscript
Fur Elise easy sheet music
The easy piano arrangement is a short extract of the original score in the key of A minor (no sharps or flats) that is suitable for beginners.
The right hand is the main melody of the piece and will take some practice to perfect as there are some tricky interval leaps between the notes which will require you to stretch your right hand outside of its natural resting position. For example, the broken chord in bars 2-3 moves from a C up to a B (an interval of a 7th).
Make sure you look out for the accidental D sharps that are written at regular intervals throughout the melody line.
These are often followed by a D natural note (shown by an added natural sign).
It is vital that you play the correct combination of D sharps and D naturals in order to accurately play the melody. However, once you have worked out how to play the 1st phrase you should be ok as the main melodic motif repeats itself.
Also, look out for the G sharps!
I have kept the notes of the left hand very simple in this easy piano version of Fur Elise.
The left hand notes play the root notes of the chords and are held for the length of each bar.
The left hand does not have to move from its starting position for the whole piece.
Try not to play the piece too fast. A slow and steady choice of tempo will enable you to capture the beautiful lyrical quality of the notes.
Intermediate Piano Version
The main difference in the notes of the intermediate version of Fur Elise is in the left hand.
I have used the original broken chord patterns that Beethoven wrote.
These are challenging to play as they involve considerable leaps and also some intricate fingering.
It is important that you take the time to practice the left hand part separately and slowly to perfect these arpeggios.
Once you have mastered the notes of the intermediate version you will be ready to progress to the full Fur Elise piano sheet music.
Fur Elise Sheet Music
The full sheet music version is a big step up from the other 2 versions both in terms of length and complexity of the notes.
There are various new sections for you to learn.
Have a look/listen to this version of Fur Elise performed by Lang Lang.
Notice the slow tempo and the beautiful lyrical quality of the melody line:
