The proper name for Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata’, as it’s commonly know, is Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor “Quasi una fantasia”, Op. 27, No. 2. It was finished by Beethoven in 1801 and it was rumored that it was dedicated to his 17-year-old pupil that he was madly in love with, the Countess Giulietta Guicciardi.
The name “Moonlight” Sonata originated with a description of the first movement in 1832 by music critic Ludwig Rellstab, who compared it to moonlight shining upon Lake Lucerne (a beautiful lake in Switzerland–I know it’s beautiful because I’ve seen it in person a number of years ago 🙂 ). Here’s how to play it on the piano:
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There’s an awesome home learning program that I used to teach myself how to play piano I’d like to recommend if you’re serious about doing this, it’s actually where I learned how to play Moonlight Sonata since, instead of teaching you boring no-name songs you have no interest in, they use well-known songs to teach you how to play because people usually have far more interest in those sorts of songs. It includes several hundred sound files, videos instructing you how to play (similar to what you saw above), pictures, diagrams, manuals, etc. You’ll learn how to read sheet music in addition to learning how to play rock, jazz, classical, country, etc. Check it out here: Rocket Piano Self-Teaching Program (you can download it immediately, by the way).
