Für Elise
Für Elise, Beethoven's Bagatelle in A minor, WoO 59, is an Intermediate piece (Octotune grade 6 of 8) in 3/8. Its famous opening is much easier than the two contrasting sections in the middle.
At a glance
| Composer | Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Intermediate: grade 6 of 8 |
| Key | A minor (no sharps or flats) |
| Time | 3/8 |
| Tempo | 72 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 105 bars, about 2:10 |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | A3 to E7 |
| Left hand | A1 to E5 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Für Elise, WoO 59 | 6 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
Beethoven's Bagatelle in A minor, WoO 59, known as Für Elise, was published forty years after his death and is now probably the most recognised piano piece there is. It is a rondo: the famous opening tune returns after each of two contrasting episodes, and ends the piece.
How hard is it? It depends which part. The opening section is a realistic goal for a beginner who reads both clefs; the whole piece is intermediate. Octotune grades it 6 of 8.
The opening. The right hand rocks between E and D sharp, then falls to A through B, D and C. The left hand answers with a quick broken chord, and the two hands take turns to spin one continuous line of sixteenth notes. The skill is the hand-over: the second hand must start exactly where the first stops, with no gap and no bump.
The episodes. The first, in F major, has a singing tune and then runs of very quick notes. The second sits over a low A repeated in the left hand, under chords that grow louder, and ends with a fast arpeggio up and a chromatic scale down. These are the hard parts.
Practice plan
- Learn the opening alone, hands separately, then together, slowly. The A–B loop is ideal for the hand-over bars.
- Use the Melody level to learn the tune of the episodes before adding the left hand.
- Practise the fast runs at 50–60% speed, in short bursts.
- Only then join the sections, keeping the opening light: it is marked poco moto, a little movement, not fast.
Before you start: Octotune's path covers the reading, both clefs and ledger lines (Unit 9). The tune climbs above the path's high C in places, so read those notes slowly.
Questions
Is Für Elise hard to play?
The famous opening section is manageable for a keen beginner who reads both clefs. The whole piece is intermediate: Octotune grades it 6 of 8, because of its quick runs, its left-hand repeated notes and chords in the middle, and its range.
What key is Für Elise in?
A minor, in 3/8 time. It has no key signature; the G sharps and D sharps are written in as accidentals.
Credits and licence
- Music: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
- Typeset by Stelios Samelis for the Mutopia Project
- Licence: Public Domain
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece