Beethoven was never much for rules so why obey them for one of his most famous pieces?

Even the title of the piece popularly known as the Moonlight Sonata bears reference to Beethoven’s love of not doing things the way people expected. He called it Sonata Quasi Una Fantasia which means Sonata in the style of a fantasy or literally “Almost a fantasy”.

Listen to most music on the radio today and it follows a very similar style: It starts with a little bit of instrumental introduction, then the singer sings what is known as the verse. Then it goes in to the chorus, that’s the part that you often remember about the song which is why it is also called the hook in most songs. Then the song goes back to the verse, sometimes with different words and after that, the chorus again. Then we get to the bridge where the song changes pretty drastically but eventually makes its way back to the chorus (often played twice) and then a little instrumental at the end. The whole song takes about 4 minutes but rarely more than 5 minutes. Songs on the radio today are fairly predictable.

In Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven’s day, they had the Sonata. It was a very predictable style and although we’ll save a discussion of sonata form for another article, what defined a sonata form was a fast and lively beginning with a slow movement somewhere in the middle and ending with a medium and then fast tempo movements or just a fast movement. Moonlight Sonata is slow, medium, fast.

By the way, in case you’re wondering, a Fantasy is often a piece of music based on an improvisatory style. In other words, by throwing in the word Fantasy (fantasia) Beethoven is giving himself license to do whatever he wants. (Not that he needed it. He often did whatever he wanted anyway)

Every piece of art has to have a story and if they don’t, we romantic humans with big hearts will often make up a story to give a piece of art more personality. Here are the two stories behind Moonlight Sonata. Beethoven wasn’t much in to giving piano lessons to people and there seems to be evidence that he wasn’t all that personable as a general rule but around 1800 Beethoven was giving lessons to a royal family who was most likely paying him well when he met Countess Giulietta Guicciardi.

He fell in love with her (artists fall hard, you know) and wanted to marry her. Sadly, Beethoven being a commoner couldn’t marry royalty. Instead, she married another amateur composer. Beethoven dedicated this piece to her and judging by the not so happy sound of it, one wouldn’t think that it was an upcoming wedding gift. If you believe this story, you can certainly hear the sorrow of a broken heart present in this piece.

On the other hand, some stories, far more boring, say that Beethoven visited Lake Balaton, located in Hungary. (yawn) If a lake was his inspiration, it must have been raining when he visited. We’ll let you decide which story you like better.

The term “Moonlight Sonata” was given to this piece by Ludwig Rellstab who said that the piece sounded like moonlight shining down on Lake Lucerne. (Yes, another lake.) Beethoven didn’t live long enough to know of his piece as Moonlight Sonata.

The piece starts with a slow movement that is absolutely beautiful and when a pianist plays it, they can’t help but hear the sorrow that comes from the piece. It is commonly known that the first movement is played with dampers and very softly the entire way as to not only paint a picture of sorrow but also deep reflection by a tired soul. (As you learn it, see what the piece says to you.)
The second movement sounds much more like a classical period piece, a little more lighthearted than the movements surrounding it. This is probably the least liked movement as many people only know the first and last movements.

The third movement, a technically challenging and musically complicated composition speaks to anger and not just inner anger but anger that bursts out of the soul. As you listen to it, think about what the inspiration for such a piece would have been.

This piece was wildly popular in Beethoven’s day. In fact, he got tired of hearing it himself. He once said, “Surely, I’ve written better things”.

If you’re about to embark on learning this piece, you’re most likely starting with the first movement and quite possibly, not playing the second and third. That’s ok with Beethoven as some of his students and other musicians of the period often did not play complete sonatas.

Now that you know a little bit more about the piece, dive in and have a great time with it.

To learn the first movement of Moonlight Sonata (that’s the theme — the part everyone recognizes) click on the link below to learn about our audio CD course (not a video — an audio course with the original sheet music of the first movement):

Learn to play Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” on the piano

Would you like to learn some of the great classical piano pieces such as Beethovens “Fur Elise”, “Moonlight Sonata”, Chopin’s “Prelude in C Minor”, or Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” without having to be a very advanced pianist?

If so, click on the link below and take a look at these great courses:

http://www.playpianocatalog.com/clpico.html

Learn to play Fur Elise, Moonlight Sonata, and other classical pieces on the piano.

If you are a beginner or a near-beginner, here are
some great courses you should be aware of:

*Fur Elise by Beethoven

*Classical For Beginners (which includes lots of classical pieces)

Just click on this link: http://www.playpianocatalog.com/clpico.htmland you’ll go right there.

For anyone studying popular classical music, it can be a daunting task to know where to begin. There are so many great pieces that a beginner can get overwhelmed. Here are 10 of the most popular classical pieces with a brief background of each. There are many others, of course, but these 10 are certainly among the most popular classical pieces of all time.

Clair de Lune is a piece by Claude Debussy, a French composer. It is the third and most popular movement of the larger Suite bergamasque. It is played pianissimo and is largely in D-flat major, with a shift to E major toward the end. Clair de Lune has been taught to students of popular classical piano for years and is prominently featured in movies and television shows.

Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14, popularly called the Moonlight Sonata, was completed in 1801. Beethoven had begun to suffer from hearing loss prior to this and used a special rod attached to the piano’s soundboard in order to feel the vibrations and enhance his sense of the music. It was given the name Moonlight Sonata by a music critic who compared it to the moonlight shining on a lake.

Canon in D is the most well known piece by Johann Pachelbel. Originally written for three violins and basso continuo, it has since been given many different arrangements. Basso continuo refers to a group of instruments, one of which must be able to play chords. Other instruments must be able to play in the bass register, such as a cello. Canon in D is often played at weddings.

The Hallelujah Chorus is part of George Frideric Handel’s Messiah. The text is from a libretto by Charles Jennens, who adapted parts of the Old and New Testaments for his composition. The Hallelujah Chorus is taken from the book of Revelation, and it is customary for audiences to stand during this movement of the Messiah.

George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue is a piece that combines the elements of popular classical music with the popular jazz music of the era. It was commissioned as a classical element in an all-jazz concert to be presented by band leader Paul Whiteman. Known as Al Capone’s favorite song, Rhapsody in Blue has been featured in numerous films and advertisements.

The Piano Sonata in B minor is one of Franz Listz’s most popular classical solo piano works. It is a piece in the Romantic style and consists of small movements woven into a larger whole. Thematic elements are presented in each movement, although the different setting of the movements make the elements sound differently each time. In one section the melody may seem violent, yet later in the piece it becomes something beautiful in a different context.

Symphony No. 5 by Gustav Mahler contains many of the common elements of Mahler’s work, such as the funeral march. Commentators have noted that when hearing Mahler’s Fifth “you forget that time has passed.” Scored for a large orchestra, the Fifth is considered to be Mahler’s most conventional symphony up to that point in his career. He was regarded as a highly unconventional composer until the Fifth was published.

Johann Sebastian Bach composed The Well-Tempered Clavier to instruct students in solo piano playing. He collected 24 pieces and published them in 1722 as The Well-Tempered Clavier. In 1744 he published a similar collection with the title Twenty-Four Preludes and Fugues. Combined, these two books comprise The Well-Tempered Clavier.

The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi consists of four violin concertos. A Baroque piece from 1723, The Four Seasons is also considered a series of tone poems, as Vivaldi provided instructions with each movement. Phrases such as “the drunkards have fallen asleep” and “the barking dog” give conductors instructions about the feel of each concerto in this popular classical piece.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 is one of his greatest pieces. Scored for orchestra with tympani, it contains three movements, which is common in the concertos of Mozart. Its brooding sound, enhanced by the tympani, has made it one of the most popular classical pieces of all time.

These 10 popular classical pieces are just the tip of the iceberg. Popular classical music contains thousands of compositions from composers all over the globe. Any student of popular classical music is venturing into a world full of surprises, with pieces that fit any season or mood.

How many songs do you know on the piano? Would you like to have a larger repertoire at your command? How about entertaining friends and acquaintances at a party with a staggering knowledge of popular songs? From Chopin to Gershwin, from Thelonius Monk to Tori Amos, piano music in a variety of popular styles is increasingly available in music stores and online outlets.

For the beginning piano student, the variety of popular piano music is staggering. A simple search will place the sheet music for “Pomp and Circumstance” and Mahler’s funereal variations on Frere Jacques in his Symphony No. 1 in D Major directly on your computer monitor. Download the pieces, print them out and practice until you’ve mastered them. Soon you will be an expert at many diverse kinds of piano music.

Whether you invest time in learning every note and trill involved in a piece or you’re simply looking for a chord progression for accompaniment purposes, sheet music is likely available. Mesmerize onlookers with your knowledge of the entire Beatles catalog! Serenade sweethearts with a flawless take on Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies.” Why stick to practicing dull scales over and over when friends will be more impressed with a hot rendition of “My Heart Will Go On?”

Jokes aside, the ease of obtaining popular piano music is making an extensive knowledge of entire song catalogs a breeze. The fake arrangement, which is a piece of sheet music outlining the basic chord progressions and melodies in a song, is invaluable to those wanting to play piano with modern ensembles. This kind of arrangement enables the pianist to know what is coming at him. It gives him the basic melodic theme with which to improvise, play behind another instrument or just play straight from the paper.

Perhaps a more thoroughly written piece is what you’re after. Don’t want the fake arrangement of Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata?” Piano music for popular pieces such as Claude Debussy’s “Clare de Lune” and Frederic Chopin’s Prelude in C Minor is a handy tool for the beginning pianist or the tutor to have on hand. The longevity and popularity of pieces such as these makes them fun to learn for any pianist, great or small.

So your skills on the instrument aren’t up to par with the virtuosos? Is that any reason to not enjoy a relaxing stay at the piano bench with the ivories at your fingertips? No, it’s not. Piano music doesn’t have to be difficult to be enjoyed. It shouldn’t always require a degree in music theory and performance. There are multitudes of pieces in the lexicon of popular piano music that are stunningly beautiful, yet don’t require years of rigorous practice. Elton John, one of the greatest pop composers in modern music, has songs that come in easy piano translations. Feel free to find a nice version of one of his songs, or perhaps a standard like “Singin’ in the Rain.” Plink out the melody, find the bass line and play until your heart’s content.

Piano music is one of the most enduring forms of art and entertainment in the world. With the instrument’s multiple octaves and singular ability to produce melody, harmony and underlying chord progressions, the piano is a timeless wonder. So invite some friends over, find some great sheet music and have a sing along to some of your favorite songs.