Pathétique Sonata, Rondo
by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) · Classical · Advanced
Versions
| Version | Level | Key | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced · Level 4 | 4 of 5 | C minor | 3:53 |
The player above plays the first 20 seconds. Learn all 3:53 of Pathétique Sonata, Rondo in the PianoKite app: every version, both hands or one at a time, Wait mode on every bar, play-along at 50, 75 or 100% and per-bar feedback. Get early access.
- Era
- Classical (1750–1830)
- Mood
- Dramatic · fast, in a minor key
- Versions
- 1
About this piece
Pathétique Sonata, Rondo is a dramatic Classical-era piece by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827). The version here is level 4 of 5 (advanced), in C minor and about 3:53 long. In the app's library you'll also find it in the Sonatas & sonatinas collection. Note the pickup: the music starts with an upbeat before the first full bar, so count yourself in before the first note.
About Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827): German composer whose music bridges the Classical and Romantic eras. Besides 32 piano sonatas he wrote many short pieces, including Für Elise and the bagatelles, that suit intermediate players.
How to play Pathétique Sonata, Rondo on piano
- Expect weeks, not days. Learn it section by section and keep a list of the hardest passages to practise first in every session.
- Slow practice is the fastest way forward: loop the difficult bars at 50% until they are clean, then 75%, then full speed.
- Decide on fingering early for fast passages and write it down; changing fingering later costs more time than it saves.
- It's a fast piece. Resist playing it at full tempo until it's accurate at a slower one; speed built on wrong notes doesn't last.
- Sonatinas are built from scales and broken chords. Settle on a fingering for each run the first time you play it, and use the same one every time.
- Short daily sessions beat one long weekly one. Ten focused minutes a day is enough to make steady progress.
In the PianoKite app you can learn it with your own digital piano over Bluetooth or USB, or with any piano through the microphone: the score scrolls past a playhead, the keys light up, and every bar gets a score so you can see what's learned. See how it works. New to the piano? Start with the beginner lessons. Get early access.
License and credits
Typeset by Chris Sawer for the Mutopia Project. License: Public Domain. Source: Mutopia Project.
Both the composition and the source file are in the public domain.
Text events such as lyrics were removed; the notes are as published. The player on this page plays the first 20 seconds.
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