Notalo › Piano songs with letters › Moonlight Sonata (1st movement, easy)
Moonlight Sonata (1st movement, easy) — piano notes with letters
The opening eight bars of the first movement, moved from C♯ minor to A minor and written in 12/8 so the triplets become plain eighth notes. Same shape, far fewer sharps.
Ludwig van Beethoven, 1801 · A minor · 12/8 · public domain · arranged and labeled by Notalo
Hear it. A MIDI file of exactly these notes at 50 BPM — open it in any music app, or slow it down to practice.
Download MIDIAbout the song
Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14 in C♯ minor (1801) was published as 'Sonata quasi una fantasia'. The 'Moonlight' name came from the critic Ludwig Rellstab, who in 1832 compared the first movement to moonlight on Lake Lucerne. Beethoven marked the movement to be played with the damper pedal down throughout, and the steady triplets never stop from the first bar to the last.
How to play it, phrase by phrase
This is the opening eight bars, moved to A minor so there are far fewer sharps, and written in 12/8 so the triplets are plain eighth notes. Every bar is the same three-note shape (low, middle, high) four times: bar 1 is E A C over and over, bar 3 changes to C F A (F major), bar 4 to B E G♯ (E major, with the black-key G♯). Bars 5–6 repeat bars 1–2, bar 7 mixes both chords, and the piece settles on A. Keep the left hand very quiet and let the pattern flow; the notes should sound like one long ripple.
Letter notes, bar by bar (right hand)
Read left to right; a | is a bar line. Chord symbols are for the left hand or a guitar.
| Bar | Chord | Right-hand letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Am | E A C E A C E A C E A C |
| 2 | Am7 | E A C E A C E A C E A C |
| 3 | F | C F A C F A C F A C F A |
| 4 | E | B E G♯ B E G♯ B E G♯ B E G♯ |
| 5 | Am | E A C E A C E A C E A C |
| 6 | Am7 | E A C E A C E A C E A C |
| 7 | Fmaj7 | C F A C F A B E G♯ B E G♯ |
| 8 | A | A |
Three things to watch
- Each bar is the same three-note pattern (low, middle, high) four times — learn one, get the bar.
- Bar 4 introduces G♯, a black key; it comes back in bar 7.
- Left hand holds long two-note chords; keep them quiet under the arpeggios.
Have a different version, or a different song? Upload your own sheet music — a photo or PDF — and Notalo writes the letters under every note the same way, plus chords and a MIDI file.
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Frequently asked questions
Is this sheet music free to print and use?
Yes. Moonlight Sonata (1st movement, easy) is in the public domain and this arrangement was written and rendered by Notalo. Print it, share it, use it in lessons.
What do the colors mean?
Red letters are the right hand (treble clef), blue letters are the left hand (bass clef), green is the chord for the bar. This is the same output Notalo gives for any sheet music you upload.
Can I get it with Do Re Mi or numbers instead of letters?
Yes — download the image above, upload it to Notalo, and pick solfège (Do Re Mi), German letters, or numbers (1 2 3) as the label style.