Sonata in G minor, Op. 49 No. 1: I. Andante
The first movement of Beethoven's Sonata in G minor, Op. 49 No. 1, marked Andante, is a sad, singing movement in 2/4, Octotune grade 7 of 8: a tender tune over a left hand that flows in sixteenth notes.
At a glance
| Composer | Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Advanced: grade 7 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: 2 flats (B♭, E♭) |
| Time | 2/4 |
| Tempo | 98 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 110 measures, about 2:14 |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | B2 to F6 |
| Left hand | G1 to E♭5 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Sonata in G minor, Op. 49 No. 1: I. Andante | 7 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
Beethoven's two Sonatas, Op. 49, written in the 1790s and published in 1805, are known as the "easy" sonatas. No. 1, in G minor (two flats), has two movements: this Andante, then a Rondo. It is tender and a little sad, in 2/4.
How it is built. It starts on a pick-up, D, and the tune sighs: B flat G, F sharp G, then up to a held note. The left hand accompanies with flowing sixteenth notes, broken chords that keep the music moving under the long-breathed tune. Partway through, a second tune brightens into B-flat major before the sad opening returns.
The tricky parts
- Flowing sixteenths. Soft, even and continuous in the left hand. They are the reason for the grade.
- Singing tune. Play it louder than the accompaniment, and join its notes.
- Accidentals. F sharp, G minor's leading note, is everywhere, with E naturals, A flats and others.
- Ornaments. Octotune plays the short turns and grace notes but doesn't wait for them.
Practice plan
- Left hand alone in Play along at 50% speed, until the sixteenths flow without thinking.
- Right hand alone, singing, in Wait for me.
- Both hands, section by section with the loop, at 50% speed; then raise it.
Also by Beethoven: the easier Sonata in G, Op. 49 No. 2.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 10, which teaches B flat and F sharp. The E flats and other accidentals go beyond it.
Questions
Is Beethoven's Op. 49 No. 1 easy?
It is one of his two easy sonatas, but Octotune grades its first movement 7 of 8: its left hand flows in sixteenths for long stretches, and G minor brings many accidentals.
Credits and license
- Music: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
- Typeset by Stelios Samelis for the Mutopia Project
- License: Public Domain
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece