| Für Elise, by Ludwig van Beethoven, played by Stephen Malinowski, with bar-graph and conventional scores. FAQ Q: Where can I get the music for this piece? A: The score in the video is available for free here: www.musanim.com And here's a version for a solo melody instrument (like flute): www.musanim.com Q: What does "Für Elise" mean? A: For Elisa; read more about it here: en.wikipedia.org Q: I am trying to learn this piece, but the rhythm is confusing. Help! A: You are right, the rhythm is confusing. I had the same trouble when I was first trying to learn the piece. The reason for this is that Beethoven is playing a rhythmic trick on us; the piece is notated in 3/8 time, but the notes sometimes form 3/8 groups and sometimes form 3/4 groups (or, at the beginning, 2/4). I've made a version of the score that shows how this works; you might find that it is easier to learn from this: www.musanim.com Q: I want to learn to play the piano; what advice can you give me? A: I've put some suggestions here: www.musanim.com Q: Did Beethoven write this when he was deaf? A: Beethoven started losing his hearing in 1796, when he was about 26 years old; Carl Czerny said that he could hear music in 1812, but he was almost completely deaf by 1814. He wrote Fur Elise 1808 and 1810, so he probably could hear it, at least a little. In any case, he could certainly hear it perfectly "in his head," since he could read music (and hear in it his "mind's ear") just as easily as most people can read ... |
