How to play Für Elise

Beethoven · Opening theme (A section) · About 3 days of light practice

Those first seven notes are among the most famous in music — and surprisingly beginner-friendly. You only need your right hand, one easy position, and a little patience with two black keys. Here’s the whole opening theme, note by note.

Before you start

• Open the online piano and press X once to shift the keyboard up an octave (Base C4). This puts every note of the theme within reach of your computer keys.
• Turn on key labels if you want the letters printed on the keys.
• Listen to the piece once — or just recall it. Your ear is your best teacher here.

The theme, note by note

Letter names first, computer keys in parentheses. Everything assumes Base C4 (press X once).

Phrase 1 — the famous pickup

Phrase 2 — climbing back up

Phrase 3 — and back home

Play Phrase 1 again exactly (; P ; P ; J L K), then instead of stopping on A4, finish with:

Practice tips

• Two notes at a time. Play E–D♯ five times. Then E–D♯–E five times. Add one note each round. It feels slow and sounds fast.
• Keep it even. The pickup should flow like water — same spacing between notes, no rushing.
• Long notes are the music. The A4s and B4s carry the melody. Hold them full length; beginners always cut them short.
• D♯ and G♯ are black keys. If you miss them, look at the keyboard — they sit up and to the right of their white neighbors.

Once the right hand flows, you have the world’s best party trick. When you’re ready for more, try Ode to Joy — or learn how chords work in our beginner chords guide.