Beethoven, Ludwig van – Für Elise

Learn to Play Für Elise, by Ludwig van Beethoven

Click the boxes below to reveal and watch the video lessons. These videos are part of the full course on the Für Elise, which is available to members.

Access the Full Course as a Member

Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven was born in December 1770 in Bonn, Germany. He is one of the most recognized figures in the history of music. Beethoven wrote music for piano, string quartets, symphonies, concertos, one opera, and other works.

Beethoven's musical history is divided into 3 parts. The early, middle, and late periods. This is due to stylistic changes in his music.

Beethoven connects two important musical periods. The Classical period, and the Romantic period. The compositions written in his early period were traditional for Beethoven's time. His personal ideas pushed the boundaries of music during his late period. He made pieces longer, more dramatic, and more intellectual.

During the late period, Beethoven became deaf. This caused a lot of inner pain and anger. He became more secluded and focused on music. Some of his most popular compositions were written during this period.

Fur Elise was written in the late period of Beethoven's life. It is one of his most recognized compositions for solo piano. It was written in 1810 but was not published during his lifetime. The original title is “Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor”.

The beautiful, melancholy piece has been popular since its discovery. It was published in 1867. Since then, there have been many arrangements for many different instruments. Both performers and listeners enjoy this wonderful piece.

No one but Beethoven himself is certain who "Elise" was. Experts suggest different women in the composer's life. Others suggest that the title of the piece is a mistranslation, or chosen by an editor.