Moonlight Sonata · 1st movement MIDI & Sheet Music
Ludwig van Beethoven · 1801
Beethoven wrote this sonata in 1801 and published it in 1802 with the words "quasi una fantasia", almost a fantasy. The nickname "Moonlight" isn't his. It dates from 1832, when the critic Ludwig Rellstab compared this movement to moonlight on Lake Lucerne. At the top of the score, Beethoven asks for the whole piece to be played "most delicately and without dampers", which means with the pedal.
⏱6:08♪1150 notes🎚Intermediate🎼C-sharp minor♩45 per quarter🎹F1 → D#6🦶pedal marks
In this 1165-note MIDI the right hand rolls out triplets without ever stopping, the left hand holds deep octaves, and the melody settles on top, almost whispered. Nothing here is fast: the difficulty is touch, not speed. One thing to know: the sheet music and the MIDI on this page cover the first movement only, 69 bars. In the same mood, try the Adagio of the Pathétique or Für Elise.
The first movement of the Moonlight Sonata: the first notes
Even triplets in the right hand, with no accent and no rushing
A melody that sings above the triplets, louder than they are
The deep left-hand octaves, joined up and never heavy
Pedal changed on every harmony, without leaving holes in the sound
The tricky passages
Bar 8 : the right hand stretches over 14 semitones
Bar 33 : a leap of 20 semitones in the right hand, in under half a second
Bar 37 : the right hand shifts position by 15 semitones compared with the previous bar
Bar 57 : the busiest bar, with 24 notes across both hands
Playing the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata on piano with Pianovera
In Pianovera, play the triplets alone first, right hand in Wait mode at 60% speed: they should become an even carpet. Then add the melody, then the left hand, and keep the A-B loop on the first 4 bars until the whole thing holds without you looking at your hands.
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About this piece
How long is the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata?
The MIDI file lasts 6:08: 69 bars in 4/4, 1150 notes, at 45 bpm (quarter notes). Slowed to 60%, it lasts 10:13.
What level do you need to play the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata?
We rate it intermediate in C-sharp minor, with sustain pedal marks. The left hand stretches up to 12 semitones (an octave) and the right hand up to 14 semitones, across 58 semitones of keyboard (F1 to D#6), at 3.1 notes per second on average. The first thing to work on: even triplets in the right hand, with no accent and no rushing.
What is the hardest passage in the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata?
It is bar 33: a leap of 20 semitones in the right hand, in under half a second.
What tempo should a beginner practice the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata at?
Aim for 25 bpm (quarter notes), which is 60% of the file's tempo (45).
Is there sheet music for the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata with fingering?
Yes: 928 fingerings, 69 bars, shown in full above and as a free printable PDF.
