The Note START HERE CHORD THEORY SONG TUTORIALS THEORY TECHNIQUE MUSICIANSHIP CHORDS & SCALES LIBRARY

Turkish March (Mozart) – Free Sheet Music & Tutorial

Lisa Witt  /  Classical  /  UPDATED Sep 14, 2023

promo banner

In this lesson, we’ll teach you how to play Mozart’s classic, Turkish March, with free sheet music downloads. Turkish March (aka “Rondo alla turca” or Piano Sonata No. 11) is one of piano’s most iconic pieces. It’s fun, it’s upbeat, and it’s impressive! We’ll give you some tips on how to progress in this piece so you can wow your audience.

🎹 Don’t Miss Out on Free Song Tutorials

We love helping people learn the songs they love. Each week, we release quick tips, song tutorials, and other free content for piano players, by piano players. Subscribe to our mailing list so you don’t miss out. You can unsubscribe any time.

Turkish March Sheet Music – Free Downloads

You can download the sheet music we use for this tutorial here, which is the first two sections of Turkish March. If you’d like the full original arrangement, download it for free through the Petrucci Library.

Turkish March sheet music. Screenshot of first page.
TUTORIAL SHEET MUSIC

Turkish March – Background and History

Mozar’ts Turkish March is the third movement of his Piano Sonata No. 11. The third movement is labelled “alla turca” and is written in an altered rondo form.

Black and white photo of men in traditional Turkish clothing and turbans holding instruments while standing.

Mozart may have been inspired by the music of the Turkish Janissary bands of the Ottoman Empire. The Janissary bands (mehterân مهتران) were perhaps the world’s first marching bands, and the first to be recorded.

Mozart also may have also designed Turkish March to be played on a pianoforte with a drum attachment. Yep, you could be a one-person band in the 1700s! Here’s a video of one of these instruments in action.


How to Play Turkish March: Practice Tips

This is an intermediate piece that may be tricky for beginners. But you can gain a lot of skills by practicing it, such as sight reading, advanced fingering skills, trills and ornaments, and large hand shapes. Here’s how to handle these challenges:

Sight Reading

A lot happens in this piece. Don’t be afraid to write down the names of notes you don’t immediately recognize. But at the same time, look for patterns. A lot of the music repeats and much of it can be broken down into a few basic chords. Spotting patterns helps with reading music faster.

First two lines of Turkish March sheet music with chords highlighted and labelled.

Fingering

Not getting your fingers tied up can be difficult in a fast-moving piece like this one. Remember: the fingering you see in sheet music is not set in stone. Everyone’s hands are different, so if a fingering feels awkward for you, make up your own. As long as it works, it works.

Section B Turkish March sheet music with fingering markings.

Be patient, start slow, and slowly ramp up the speed only when you’re comfortable at a lower speed. It’s better to be consistent and accurate at a slower tempo than to be sloppy at a faster one.

Trills and Ornaments

Turkish March is decorated with a lot of extra frills. There are gracenotes and trills and these can be tricky for a beginner.

For gracenotes, focus on the downbeat — or what you’re gracenoting “towards.” This can help you line up your chords.

Turkish march sheet music m. 23-26 with lines showing how notes in right and left hands line up.

If you have trouble with hand coordination (we all do!) you can also draw lines in your Turkish March sheet music where the notes on each hand align.

Turkish March sheet music m. 27-32 with downbeats labelled and lines showing how right hand octaves line up with left hand.

Large Hand Shapes

Lots of us find octaves challenging. When it comes to learning this piece, you don’t have to worry about the octaves right away when you’re just starting out. For example, you can practice playing the right-hand octaves in the B section with the thumb only while keeping your hands open. Then, place down your pinky once you’re more comfortable with the left-right hand coordination.

Feeling stiff? Hands are more flexible after they’re warmed up. And warm your hands up literally, because warm hands tend to be stretchier!

Dynamics

Finally, don’t forget your dynamics! Dynamics are a big part of this piece because Turkish March is all about contrasts. The A and B sections are softer while the C section is louder and more exciting. And in the complete unabridged sheet music, there’s a D section after that with some delicate, playful scale runs.


Other Turkish March Arrangements

We hope you’ve enjoyed our introduction to Turkish March! This piece has been iconic for centuries and over time, it’s spawned some very interesting arrangements. For example, check out Fazil Say’s jazz arrangement and Arcadi Volodos’ dark and virtuosic interpretation (which should only be attempted by the brave of heart!).

Master the Piano YOUR Way 🔥

As a Pianote Member, you’ll get access to our 10-step Method, song library, and growing community of piano players just like you. Plus: get coached by world-class pianists and learn whenever you want, wherever you want, and whatever you want.

TRY PIANOTE FOR 7 DAYS


Lisa Witt has been teaching piano for more than 20 years and in that time has helped hundreds of students learn to play the songs they love. Lisa received classical piano training through the Royal Conservatory of Music, but she has since embraced popular music and playing by ear in order to accompany herself and others. Learn more about Lisa.

Headshot of woman with short platinum hair against a studio background.

The easiest way to learn beautiful piano chords.
Sign up for 5 FREE play-along lessons

By signing up you’ll also receive our ongoing free lessons and special offers. Don’t worry, we value your privacy and you can unsubscribe at any time.