{"id":14835,"date":"2023-08-12T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-12T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/?p=14835"},"modified":"2023-08-11T08:43:42","modified_gmt":"2023-08-11T15:43:42","slug":"nocturne-in-e-flat-major-easy-sheet-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/nocturne-in-e-flat-major-easy-sheet-music\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Play Nocturne in E-Flat Major (Chopin)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Nocturne in E-Flat Major, Op. 9 No. 2 is one of Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Chopin\u2019s most beloved pieces. It\u2019s beautiful, and it\u2019s inspired a lot of people to play piano!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If that\u2019s you and you want to learn to play Nocturne in E-Flat Major, you\u2019ve come to the right place! Now, this is not an easy song. But we\u2019ve created a more accessible, easier version for intermediate piano players. You can use this version as a stepping-stone to the more advanced original.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><p><strong>Table of Contents:<\/strong><\/p><nav><ol><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#nocturne-in-e-flat-major-easy-sheet-music-download\">Sheet Music Download<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#nocturne-in-e-flat-major-the-basics\">The Basics<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#nocturne-in-e-flat-major-expert-tips\">Expert Tips<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#what-is-a-nocturne\">What is a nocturne?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#who-was-chopin-the-composer\">Who was Chopin the composer?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#play-more-chopin\">Play more Chopin!<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<span class=\"blue-text-block\"><center><h2 style=\"font-size:22px\"><b>\ud83c\udfb9 Your Go-To Place for All Things Piano<\/b><\/h2><p>Subscribe to <i>The Note<\/i> for exclusive interviews, fascinating articles, and inspiring lessons delivered straight to your inbox. Unsubscribe at any time.<\/p><iframe class=\"email-form-include\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/center><\/span>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"nocturne-in-e-flat-major-easy-sheet-music-download\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Nocturne in E-Flat Major Easy Sheet Music Download<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"simplified-arrangement\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Simplified Arrangement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the arrangement we use in our video lesson. It is shorter than the original and omits some of the more challenging parts of the original. Download it here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/d1923uyy6spedc.cloudfront.net\/nocturne-in-e-flat-major-1691519867.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nocturne in E-Flat Major Simplified Arrangement<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"beginner-arrangement\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Beginner Arrangement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If the simplified arrangement is still a little too challenging right now, we&#8217;ve got you covered! Here\u2019s a beginner-friendly arrangement that\u2019s just as beautiful:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/d1923uyy6spedc.cloudfront.net\/qt-nocturne-in-eb-easy-version-1680716851.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nocturne in E-Flat Major Beginner Arrangement<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"original-sheet-music\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Original Sheet Music<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s the original sheet music taken from our <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/shop\/classical-piano-pieces\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Most Beautiful Classical Piano Pieces<\/a><\/em> book, complete with some extra tips!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2023\/Nocturne%20in%20Eb%20Major\/Nocturne%20in%20E%20Flat.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nocturne in E-Flat Major Original Sheet Music by Chopin<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"nocturne-in-e-flat-major-the-basics\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Nocturne in E-Flat Major: The Basics<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This piece is written in <strong>E-flat major<\/strong> and the time signature is <strong>12\/8<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, we have three consistent flats: B\u266d, E\u266d, and A\u266d. But watch out for accidentals\u2014there are quite a few!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>12\/8 means there are 12 beats per measure, and an eighth note is worth one beat. You\u2019ll notice that Chopin groups his eighth notes in threes. This gives the piece a waltzy feel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Bach is an astronomer, discovering the most marvellous stars. Beethoven challenges the universe. I only try to express the soul and the heart of man.<\/p>\n<cite>Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Chopin (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/author\/quotes\/128294.Fr_d_ric_Chopin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">source<\/a>)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"759\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08141133\/Chopin-Wodzinska-759x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"Slim man in bowtie suit sitting in red chair with arms crossed.\" class=\"wp-image-14836\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08141133\/Chopin-Wodzinska-759x1024.jpeg 759w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08141133\/Chopin-Wodzinska-222x300.jpeg 222w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08141133\/Chopin-Wodzinska-768x1036.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08141133\/Chopin-Wodzinska-1139x1536.jpeg 1139w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08141133\/Chopin-Wodzinska-1519x2048.jpeg 1519w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08141133\/Chopin-Wodzinska.jpeg 1584w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 759px) 100vw, 759px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"nocturne-in-e-flat-major-expert-tips\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Nocturne in E-Flat Major: Expert Tips<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"phrasing\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Phrasing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Chopin\u2019s melodies are sweet and beautiful, and the best way to bring out this sweetness is to pretend you\u2019re singing the melody yourself. Think of the phrases as musical \u201csentences\u201d you\u2019re singing with one breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"268\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08151722\/nocturne-in-e-flat-phrasing-1024x268.png\" alt=\"Nocturne in E flat major sheet music excerpt m. 1-3 with phrases highlighted in pink.\" class=\"wp-image-14850\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08151722\/nocturne-in-e-flat-phrasing-1024x268.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08151722\/nocturne-in-e-flat-phrasing-300x79.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08151722\/nocturne-in-e-flat-phrasing-768x201.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08151722\/nocturne-in-e-flat-phrasing-1536x402.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08151722\/nocturne-in-e-flat-phrasing-2048x537.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"left-hand-chord-shapes\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Left Hand Chord Shapes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The left hand can look intimidating, but see if you can spot chord shapes. This can help making the reading process faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"303\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08153602\/nocturne-in-e-flat-triads-1024x303.png\" alt=\"Nocturne in E flat major sheet music excerpt m.1-3 with triads in the left hand labelled with chord symbols and inversion.\" class=\"wp-image-14851\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08153602\/nocturne-in-e-flat-triads-1024x303.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08153602\/nocturne-in-e-flat-triads-300x89.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08153602\/nocturne-in-e-flat-triads-768x227.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08153602\/nocturne-in-e-flat-triads-1536x455.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08153602\/nocturne-in-e-flat-triads-2048x606.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Memorizing the left hand is worth the time because then you can focus on phrasing and trickier fingering in the right hand. Having a solid left hand will help with this piece\u2014it works as a \u201ctime-keeper\u201d to keep you anchored to that waltzy rhythm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"look-ahead\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Look Ahead<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Be prepared for upcoming finger gymnastics! There are several octave stretches in the melody, so looking ahead on occasion to see what\u2019s coming up can help your hands prepare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"break-it-down\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Break It Down<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We can break down the scary parts into their essential elements and suddenly they\u2019re not that scary at all!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, take a look at this fancy-looking figure with tons of accidentals. Look closely at the downbeat notes and the notes that lead towards them. You&#8217;ll see that this complex-looking group of notes is, essentially, an arpeggiated C major triad connected by half-step approach tones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"286\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08154917\/Nocturne-in-E-Flat-C-major-triads-1024x286.png\" alt=\"Nocturne in E-flat major sheet music excerpt showing C major triad and half-step approaches in measure 6.\" class=\"wp-image-14852\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08154917\/Nocturne-in-E-Flat-C-major-triads-1024x286.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08154917\/Nocturne-in-E-Flat-C-major-triads-300x84.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08154917\/Nocturne-in-E-Flat-C-major-triads-768x214.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08154917\/Nocturne-in-E-Flat-C-major-triads-1536x428.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08154917\/Nocturne-in-E-Flat-C-major-triads-2048x571.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"trust-your-intuition\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Trust your intuition!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Start slow, write down your fingering, and <em>trust your fingers. <\/em>The more you practice, the more muscle memory you\u2019ll build, and soon you\u2019ll be able to play these tricky parts without thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"box-snippet\">\n<div class=\"shadow\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div><i class=\"fas icon fa-piano\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-container\">\n<b>Fingering Note:<\/b> You may notice that in m. 10 we write down three different fingers for three E-flats in a row! This is on purpose: playing a repeated note with different fingers lets you articulate each note slightly differently. This makes a repeated note sound a lot more interesting than if you\u2019d played it with the same finger three times!\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<span class=\"blue-text-block\"><center><h3 style=\"font-size:22px;\">\ud83c\udfbc <b>Learn Your Favorites, Step By Step With Full Sheet Music Downloads<\/b><\/h3><p> As a Pianote+ Member, you\u2019ll 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 who have played with rock stars.<\/p><center><a class=\"join\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/trial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TRY PIANOTE FOR 7 DAYS<\/a><\/center><br><\/span>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-is-a-nocturne\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>What is a nocturne?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A <strong>nocturne<\/strong> is a piece that is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/musical-terms\/nocturne-definition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">inspired by or evokes the night<\/a>. Chopin is perhaps the most famous nocturne composer, having penned 21 himself. But other composers who wrote nocturnes include Debussy, Mendelssohn, and Rachmaninoff. Other famous Chopin nocturnes include the Nocturne in C-Sharp Minor, Op. posth. and the Nocturne in E Minor, Op. posth. 72 No. 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"who-was-chopin-the-composer\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Who was Chopin the composer?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Chopin (1810-1849) was half-French and half-Polish. Born in Poland, he lived in Paris, France for most of his life where he mingled with like-minded artists like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/franz-liszt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Franz Liszt<\/a> and Eugene Delacroix. He was famously involved with the author Aurore Dudevant, known as George Sand. Unfortunately, Chopin suffered from poor health and he passed away in 1849 at age 39.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chopin was unique for having focused almost solely on the piano. You can recognize a Chopin piece by its chromaticism, polyrhythms, folk influences, and singable, beautiful melodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"play-more-chopin\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Play more Chopin!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Chopin pieces can be difficult, but there are a few Chopin pieces that are accessible to beginner-intermediate pianists. Check out these:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/chopin-waltz-in-a-minor-sheet-music\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Waltz in A Minor<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/3-easy-chopin-pieces\/#prelude\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Prelude in E Minor<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Want all these pieces\u2014and more\u2014in one beautifully designed book with expert tips? Check out our latest release, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/shop\/classical-piano-pieces\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Most Beautiful Classical Piano Pieces<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08144555\/classical-book-product-image-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Black and white book on white background. Title of book is &quot;The Most Beautiful Classical Piano Pieces&quot; by Lisa Witt and Eleny Quapp.\" class=\"wp-image-14843\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08144555\/classical-book-product-image-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08144555\/classical-book-product-image-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08144555\/classical-book-product-image-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/08144555\/classical-book-product-image.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<center><a class=\"join\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/shop\/classical-piano-pieces\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">EXPLORE THE BOOK<\/a><\/center>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chopin\u2019s Nocturne in E-Flat Major is one of his most famous pieces. Play it yourself with this accessible simplified version and step-by-step tutorial.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[837,508],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14835","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-classical-songs","category-song-tutorials"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14835","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14835"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14835\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14873,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14835\/revisions\/14873"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14835"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14835"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14835"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}