Lecture description

Fur Elise by Beethoven - 5:30 - Both Hands together - Beginning on 'A' hand positioning

0:01 Right hand positioning
0:16 Right hand - Combined finger numbers and note names lesson
0:35 Play through on Right hand - Opening phrase ('Riff') of 'Fur Elise'
0:42 Repeat right hand lesson - Finger numbers only
0:51 Right hand - new stretch positions - beginning with Middle C
1:22 Return to repeat of opening phrase - Right hand
1:48 Play through of entire Right hand so far - (Section 'A')
2:08 Section 'B' on Right Hand - Fingers and Note names combined
3:16 Return to repeat of Section 'A' on right hand
3:30 Left hand position and individual notes to be played - Finger numbers and Notes named.
4:04 Both hands together illustration - Section 'A'
4:35 Both hands together illustration - Section 'B'
5:14 Repeated 'A' section in Both Hands and closing phrase.

Poor Beethoven! This piece was originally named Fur Therese - but Beethoven's handwriting was so bad that his publisher misread the name as "Elise" and the rest is history. I wonder how he explained that one away to the lady in question?

As our first lesson piece in the Intermediate section of the course, this one is a timeless gem, and the overall favorite piece of many music listeners and performers alike.

Take care and time with the constantly changing hand positions - Aim to eventually change position smoothly and without breaks in the flow of the music. I suggest practicing the Left hand separately for this purpose.

Also note that you can be moving the Left hand to it's new position, anticipating coming in with the right hand again; AS the right hand is playing phrases of notes unaccompanied by the left hand.

Learn more from the full course

Learn Piano Today: How to Play Piano Keyboard for Beginners

Play piano or keyboard today both hands together. No prior ability to read music. Entire pieces from the first lessons.

04:34:29 of on-demand video • Updated June 2015

Course summary
Lesson transcript

Transform from a complete beginner piano student to the level of an early intermediate standard pianist within only 30 days (assuming a personal committment to daily practice).
Play confidently both hands together in a variety of styles, positions on the keyboard, key signatures, and genres of music.
Learn and engage with a substantial repertoire of pieces you have known and loved your entire life, and be able to play these piano pieces to entertain your family and friends. Astound them with your newfound skills and abilities. You will be an action taker instead of a passive observer
Speak the language of piano music, by learning it's common terms and expressions.
Gain a working understanding of all Major and Minor scales, the 4 main Chord families (the essential building blocks of all musical composition) and how to play and utilize these in any inversion on the keyboard

English [Auto] Self-released right hand you begin the A minor position someone he fourth finger will play Dee sharp the black is that of the at the beginning. So we begin playing for tune B the fourth comes off the sharp D C with third and so five or four on to the right key. Then come right down to middle C should be something like this. C one to a four from up to the with one she's sharp you're right up again. Repeat that little sucker the same middle C exactly the same two four five and it's time to close that little first section and you see five four three all together will be like this. We're finished Tonhalle we put our thumb on it. We just play up the notes consecutively off. That's what we call G finger right at some on note to F from a play for three E-D. We keep that she stepped on a note on the piano with her hand in this position go to stepped on a note with her heart an opposition against this go see. Let's look at the shifts we have stepped in and out step in and out. So clear them from some top. So she repeat the open sectioning in OK the first section of the right hand. When I look at the laptop. Good luck. OK. So the left hand for release and the key of A Minor we're just going to play the notes little is here for reference. We call the drop time we play. So five one on cross over to the middle Blackey and quick three sharp fingertip and come back to the right hand side as we keep coming in with the last note of Raytown together. You want to repeat the next section for me to see when I go see so. So we're trying to be five to one all the time back to or a Bactine to play ok it a more complicated version I should get her on but for the moment we could then just go back and try cake. Good luck with that.