Free MIDI file · CC0

Sonata Op. 49 No. 2 · Tempo di Menuetto MIDI & Sheet Music

Ludwig van Beethoven · 1796

The 2 sonatas of Opus 49 are Beethoven's easy sonatas, written in the late 1790s and only published in 1805. This Tempo di Menuetto closes the second one, in G major, and its theme had a second life: Beethoven reused it for the minuet of his Septet Op. 20, one of the most popular works of his lifetime.

2:401280 notesIntermediateG major134 per quarterG2 → E6pedal marks

Sonata Op. 49 No. 2 · Tempo di Menuetto · Sheet music

Sheet music

120 bars · 5 A4 pages

View the whole score (PDF) →

The minuet alternates its refrain with episodes, including one in C major, before settling back into its calm theme. It's a great way into Beethoven's sonatas: clear writing without big stretches, already teaching you to shape a phrase and balance an accompaniment. You may also see it listed as Sonata No. 20.

Sonata Op. 49 No. 2: the first notes

Right hand, in letter names (C4 = middle C): G4 F#4 F#4 F#4 G4 G4 G4 B4 D5 E5 D5 C5 B4 G4 G4 F#4 F#4 F#4 G4 G4 G4 B4 D5 C#5…

What you'll be working on

The minuet theme, singing and well phrased
A discreet, steady left-hand accompaniment
The C major episode and its change of character
A settled 3-beat minuet tempo, never heavy

The tricky passages

Bar 29 : 12 notes in a row in the left hand, at about 8.9 notes per second
Bar 85 : the right hand shifts position by 10 semitones compared with the previous bar
Bar 114 : a leap of 14 semitones in the left hand, in under half a second

Playing Sonata Op. 49 No. 2 on piano with Pianovera

This minuet suits Pianovera's version ladder: the Beginner version keeps the whole melody, one note at a time, with the left hand reduced to the beats. Pass it at 85% and the app offers the next one, all the way to the original.

Open Sonata Op. 49 No. 2 · Tempo di Menuetto in Pianovera: on PC with the falling notes piano software for Windows, on a phone or in your browser.

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Free, with no time limit and no ads: 10 pieces in full plus the piece of the week, 30-second excerpts of the others, the first 7 lessons and the 3D hands with no limit. Premium opens all 651 pieces.

About this piece

How long is Sonata Op. 49 No. 2?

The MIDI file lasts 2:40: 120 bars in 3/4, 1280 notes, at 134 bpm (quarter notes). Slowed to 60%, it lasts 4:27.

What level do you need to play Sonata Op. 49 No. 2?

We rate it intermediate in G major, with sustain pedal marks. The left hand stretches up to 12 semitones (an octave) and the right hand up to 9 semitones (a sixth), across 45 semitones of keyboard (G2 to E6), at 8 notes per second on average. The first thing to work on: the minuet theme, singing and well phrased.

What is the hardest passage in Sonata Op. 49 No. 2?

It is bar 29: 12 notes in a row in the left hand, at about 8.9 notes per second.

What tempo should a beginner practice Sonata Op. 49 No. 2 at?

Aim for 80 bpm (quarter notes), which is 60% of the file's tempo (134).

Is there sheet music for Sonata Op. 49 No. 2 with fingering?

Yes: 941 fingerings, 120 bars, shown in full above and as a free printable PDF.