One of the highlights of every piano student’s lessons is learning Fur Elise and to play it in a recital. Many pianists would remember fondly how they first learned this musical piece and how they felt as they played it in front of an audience. We are happy to share with you a brief tutorial on how to play this wonderful iconic song.
A short introduction on Fur Elise
Fur Elise is also Bagatelle No.25 in A min. in solo piano. Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven, it was not published while he lived and was only published after being discovered by Ludwig Nohl around 40 years after his demise. Fur Elise may also be called Albumblatt or Bagatelle.
If you’re wondering who Elise is in the song, this remains a mystery till today. But historians think that this could be Elise Barensfeld, Therese Malfatti or Elisabeth Rockel.
The music
Fur Elise is a five-part rondo with A-B-A-C-A. This piece is an A min and in 3/8 time. This piece has three beats in every measure, and every eight-note has one beat. A rondo means that the first section is repeated in other sections.
The initial section is the popular melody with your right playing the melody while the left play the arpeggios. Other sections of the song are more complicated using the different keys EM, CM, GM, and FM.
The central theme with A minor key creates a melancholy sound. But Fur Elise’s themes are in contrast to the main theme; therefore, you have a whimsy, playful song that will play on and on in your head.
How Fur Elise is played
- Start with Refrain A in a binary form Poco moto tempo and an arpeggiated left hand as an accompaniment.
- The unaccompanied oscillation of the dominant E and D-sharp that starts the melody.
- The shift at measure 9 begins from the relative major and returns to the original key, and then the dominant key is prolonged. This extends to the lower-key oscillation.
- The outline of the pitch of E-F-E-D-C-B creates the basis of B and C, and this unifies the entire piece.
- Meanwhile, the B section is at the submediant FM. This starts by elaborately following this outline and modulates the dominant. This is then followed by the 32nd note repeating the progression in CM in a codetta.
- Return to the dominant of AM in bar 34 near the dominant E, and this leads repeats the exact A section.
- Now C at bar 59 with no coda-like appearance but creates a dramatic tonic pedal from the ass and cadencing along with the home key. The melody remembers the descending outline done earlier. The cadence is in bars 66 to 67, but this is an augmented piece of the theme’s cadence found in bars 7 to 8.
- The cadence in 66 to 67 is another version of the theme’s rhythm in bar 7 to 8. Cadence at bar 76 takes the music to a halt for the first and only time in an ascending arpeggio in AM in a chromatic descent in two octaves. The tempo may be described as a cadenza.
- The A section is repeated
- The piece ends with no postlude.
Johannes Quack, a German scholar whose instrument is the organ, says that the letters that spell the word ELISE may be decoded to reveal the first three notes of the musical piece. Take note that E is Es in German, and it sounds like “S,” which makes E as L- I- S-E: E-L-I- Eb-E. The enharmonic equivalents may sound the same as the notes are written E-L-I – D#-E.
An easier way to play Fur Elise using practical piano placement
In this easy tutorial, play the left and right hands simultaneously and then play the son one hand at a time. The right part went first and followed by the left hand. There is a final slow version at the end of the song, and the notes are presented this way.
This method includes the right-hand part and the left-hand part. Here are the notes to play using the right hand:
E E♭ E E♭ E
B D C A
A B
G♯ B C
E E♭ E E♭ E
B D C A
A B
C B A
E E♭ E E♭ E
B D C A
A B
G♯ B C
E E♭ E E♭ E
B D C A
A B
C B A
B C D E
F E D
E D C
D C B
E E♭ E E♭ E
B D C A
A B
G♯ B C
E E♭ E E♭ E
B D C A
A B
C B A
Now, these are the notes to be played using the left hand:
A C E C E
G♯ D E E
A C E E
A C E C E
G♯ D E E
A C E
A C E C E
G# D E E
A C E E
A C E C E
G♯ D E E
A C E
C E G G
B F G G
A C E E
G♯ D E E
A C E C E
G♯ D E E
A C E E
A C E C E
G♯ D E E
A-C-E
The musical style of Fur Elise
The music was a part of the Romantic Movement in the music of the late 18th century to the 19teh century in Europe. When you say romantic music, it refers to the ideas of going against the Industrial Revolution with the potential win of hyper-rationalism. This idea was open to the interest in nature, an imagined past with glorious experience and emotional and spiritual highlights.
Fur Elise moves back and from a melancholic mood in the main theme and quick shifts in tone at the B and C.
Tips for playing Fur Elise
If you have decided to play Fur Elise on piano, remember the following tips:
Playing Fur Elise as a beginner
The most popular part of Fur Elise is the song’s main theme and is also the easiest to play. Most teachers only allow their students to play the first part of the song during the early lessons. This part is very easy and offers a form of exercise for finger placement on the piano.
Take note of tricky fingering in Fur Elise. You need to follow the precise finger position to help the right-hand melody flow and left-hand arpeggios. Use your music sheet to write proper finger placement so you won’t forget.
Remember that the song is played in legato. Play it as smoothly as you can moving, gliding from one note to another. We advise playing the piece in a flowing tempo in legato to let the melody stand out.
This song may be pictured as a conversation from right to left. Practice with the right and the left hand separately. When you’re finally combining the two hands, play as if the left and the right hands are replying to each other. To come up with this conversational tone, move the legato style of playing from the right hand to the left and then vice versa. Remember never to privilege a hand over the other and when it comes to tempo or volume.
Never move too fast. After you have mastered the melody, keep your tempo slow to show that sad yet wistful mood. This was marked as molto grazioso by Beethoven, and this means a “deeply graceful” and very even speeds.
Playing Fur Elise as an intermediate
When learning and playing the three different sections of the song, remember the following tips.
Get to know the section according to the levels of difficulty. Theme A is the easiest; the moderately difficult part is theme B, so you may have to learn this later. You must learn each section phrase after phrase until you’re able to learn the entire theme and song.
Follow a repetitive technique for easy memorizing. When the song is in rondo form, it’s easier to learn. Also, because most of the song’s sections are similar, it’s also easier to learn even by a beginner. Also, learn the transitions from one section to another in a confident manner.
A part of Fur Elise is the many shifting tones and changing moods in the three sections. You must remain in contrast depending on the different sections and the mood you want to convey.
Playing Fur Elise as an advanced pianist
Advanced players can play Fur Elise without even looking at the musical piece. But still, there’s room for improvement. Here are some great tips:
Maintain proper wrist placement throughout the piece. The proper placement allows you to move smoothly and glide over the keys. And for someone who can play very adequately, learn to make your mark. Bring your own style and quality to your work. You may want to avoid any interpretation as you work on the piece but soon create your voice.
