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Für Elise
A rocking half step, two leading tones and two chords: open up Beethoven's Für Elise, hear why its melody hovers on the dominant before falling home to A, and harmonize the opening with A minor and E.
In this lesson you'll
- Play the opening of Für Elise slowly: the right hand E D# E D# E B D C A, then the left hand's broken chords.
- Spot the two leading tones, D# (to E, the dominant) and G# (to A, home), and hear how each one pulls.
- Harmonize the opening with A minor and E major (harmonic minor's V), and play along with the melody.
Music in this lesson
- Für Elise (Bagatelle in A minor, WoO 59)Ludwig van Beethoven · c. 1810
Remember
The melody rocks on the half step E – D#: D# is the leading tone of E, the fifth of A minor, so the tune hovers on the dominant, then falls home to A.
The left hand answers with broken chords, A minor and E major: E major takes G# from the harmonic minor, the leading tone of A.
Two chords take turns under the opening, A minor and E: five, one, five, one, tension and release bar after bar.