{"id":5214,"date":"2021-10-08T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-08T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/?p=5214"},"modified":"2023-05-05T10:17:54","modified_gmt":"2023-05-05T17:17:54","slug":"clair-de-lune-easy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/clair-de-lune-easy\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Clair de Lune&#8221; Easy Sheet Music &#038; Piano Tutorial"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>\u201cClair de Lune\u201d is an <em>iconic<\/em> piano piece. It\u2019s beautiful, recognizable, and oh-so peaceful.\u00a0The original \u201cClair de Lune\u201d sheet music by Claude Debussy isn\u2019t easy, so we\u2019ve created an easier version that anyone, even beginners, can share in the joy of this amazing piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Watch our video tutorial for a step-by-step guide on how to play \u201cClair de Lune\u201d and keep reading for some tips and tricks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\"><p><strong>Table of Contents:<\/strong><\/p><nav><ol><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#clair-de-lune-sheet-music-easy-vs-original\">Clair de Lune Sheet Music: Easy vs. Original<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#tip-1-ties-\ud83e\udea2\">Tip #1: Ties<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#tip-2-clefs-\ud83c\udfbc\">Tip #2: Clefs<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#tip-3-pedaling-\u2728\">Tip #3: Pedaling<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#tip-4-dynamics-and-expression-\ud83c\udfad\">Tip #4: Dynamics and Expression<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#learn-more-easy-classical-pieces-\ud83c\udfbb\">Learn More Easy Classical Pieces<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" 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 Learn Piano For Free<\/b><\/h2><p>Inspiring tutorials. Fascinating articles. Exclusive interviews. We create piano content anyone, anywhere can enjoy for free. Don&#8217;t miss out, sign up for more free lessons.<\/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<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\" id=\"clair-de-lune-sheet-music-easy-vs-original\" style=\"font-size:28px\"><strong>Clair de Lune Sheet Music: Easy vs. Original<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The original &#8220;Clair de lune&#8221; sheet music by Claude Debussy isn&#8217;t easy. So we&#8217;ve created a more accessible arrangement in C major. Download it for free!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<center><a class=\"join\" href=\"https:\/\/d1923uyy6spedc.cloudfront.net\/Clair%20De%20Lune%20(branded)-1632711593.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CLAIR DE LUNE SHEET MUSIC &#8211; EASY<\/a><\/center>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to take a crack at the original (warning: it&#8217;s got five flats!), you can find it on <a href=\"https:\/\/imslp.org\/wiki\/Suite_bergamasque_(Debussy,_Claude)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">IMSLP<\/a>, an online library of free sheet music for classical pieces that are in the public domain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\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=\"tip-1-ties-\ud83e\udea2\" style=\"font-size:28px\"><strong>Tip #1: Ties<\/strong> \ud83e\udea2<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Watch out for the very many ties in this piece! <strong>Ties<\/strong> simply mean notes \u201ctied together\u201d are held for the full duration of all notes tied. There are lots of moments in this song where you hold onto notes and \u201csave them for later.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/clair%20de%20lune\/clair%20de%20lune%20tie%20copy.png\" alt=\"Beginning of easy sheet music for Clair de Lune with ties marked up with red arrows.\"\/><\/figure>\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\"><b>\ud83d\udd25\ud83c\udfb9<i> HOT TIP!<\/i><\/b> If you\u2019re new to reading music, check out our most popular lesson ever: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/how-to-read-notes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How to Read Notes<\/a>.<\/span>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tip-2-clefs-\ud83c\udfbc\" style=\"font-size:28px\"><strong>Tip #2: Clefs<\/strong> \ud83c\udfbc<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Also watch out for changing clefs throughout the sheet music! For example, in the beginning, we use a treble clef for both the right and left hand. The piece starts off pretty high, so it\u2019s much easier to read everything in treble clef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/clair%20de%20lune\/Clair%20De%20Lune%20clef%20change.png\" alt=\"Easy sheet music for Clair de. Lune with clef change in measure 13 highlighted in red.\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>However, we switch back to bass clef in measure 13. Things switch back to treble clef in the last two measures!&nbsp;<\/p>\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 Get a Head Start on Classical Piano \u2728<\/b><\/h2><\/center><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2022\/Beginner%27s%20Guide%20to%20Classical\/victoria%20theodore%20beginner%20classical%20guide.jpg\"><p>Love classical music but not sure where to start? Head over to <b>Classical Piano Quick Start<\/b>, four free lessons designed for beginners taught by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/victoria-theodore\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Victoria Theodore<\/a>. Victoria is a classically trained pianist with degrees from Oberlin College and Stanford University, and has played with Beyonc\u00e9 and Stevie Wonder. Start your classical journey with Victoria today!<\/p><br><center><a class=\"join\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/classical-piano\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GET 4 FREE CLASSICAL LESSONS<\/a><\/center><br><\/span>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tip-3-pedaling-\u2728\" style=\"font-size:28px\"><strong>Tip #3: Pedaling<\/strong> \u2728<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll notice some pedal markings in this piece. They look like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/clair%20de%20lune\/clair%20de%20lune%20pedaling%20copy.png\" alt=\"Easy sheet music for Clair de Lune with pedal markings highlighted with red arrows and where they start and end.\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The pedal is what creates that cloudy, dreamy sound that \u201cClaire de Lune\u201d is famous for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There aren\u2019t pedals everywhere, though, because the ties sort of imitate what the pedal does by holding those chords. However, I personally pedal throughout the song \ud83e\udd2d! I just think it sounds extra pretty \ud83d\udc96<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can learn more about pedaling techniques over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/how-to-use-the-sustain-pedal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\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\">\ud83d\udcdc\ud83c\udfb9 <b><i>HISTORY BITE!<\/i><\/b> \u201cClair de Lune\u201d is the third of a suite of piano pieces (Suite Bergamasque). Although \u201cClair de Lune\u201d is famous for being an \u201cImpressionist\u201d piece, Debussy disliked the impressionist label. He was actually <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/decoding-the-music-masterpieces-debussys-clair-de-lune-79765\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">inspired<\/a> by 17th and 18th century Baroque French music.<p><\/p><\/span>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tip-4-dynamics-and-expression-\ud83c\udfad\" style=\"font-size:28px\"><strong>Tip #4: Dynamics and Expression<\/strong> \ud83c\udfad<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Pieces like \u201cClair de Lune\u201d are allllll about emotional expression!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So don\u2019t be afraid to let your dramatic side fly! There are dynamic markings to help you along, and if you\u2019re new to musical terms, here\u2019s what they mean:<\/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\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/clair%20de%20lune\/piano-red.png\" alt=\"Piano symbol - p in red stylized font.\" width=\"71\" height=\"75\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Piano<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Play softly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\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\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/clair%20de%20lune\/forte-red.png\" alt=\"Forte symbol: f in red stylized font.\" width=\"97\" height=\"89\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Forte<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Play loudly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\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\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/clair%20de%20lune\/ritardando-red2.png\" alt=\"Ritardando symbol (&quot;rit.&quot;) in italicized font.\" width=\"131\" height=\"95\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Ritardando<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gradually slow down.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\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\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/clair%20de%20lune\/a%20tempo-red2.png\" alt=\"&quot;a tempo&quot; in red italicized font.\" width=\"175\" height=\"66\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>A Tempo<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Play at the original tempo.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\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<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/clair%20de%20lune\/crescendo-red-long2.png\" alt=\"Crescendo symbol (less than symbol opened towards the right) in red.\" width=\"129\" height=\"40\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2021\/clair%20de%20lune\/decrescendo-red-long3.png\" alt=\"Decrescendo symbol (greater than symbol opened towards the left) in red.\" width=\"136\" height=\"42\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\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<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Crescendo and Decrescendo<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gradually play louder (right; crescendo) or gradually play softer (left; decrescendo).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>At the end of the day, play this piece in a way that feels right for YOU! If you want to pedal a lot, great. If you prefer not to pedal, that\u2019s okay too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We want you to have fun with this iconic piece in whichever way suits you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\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=\"learn-more-easy-classical-pieces-\ud83c\udfbb\" style=\"font-size:28px\"><strong>Learn More Easy Classical Pieces<\/strong> \ud83c\udfbb<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Classical music sounds stunning on the piano, but if you\u2019re intimidated by unabridged versions of your favorite classical pieces, don\u2019t worry! We have LOTS of easy sheet music for pieces beyond \u201cClair de Lune.\u201d Check out some of our other lessons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/gymnopedie-no-1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gymnop\u00e9die No. 1 (Erik Satie)<\/a> &#8211; easy sheet music and video tutorial<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/easy-classical-piano\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">3 Classical Songs That Are Perfect for Beginners<\/a> &#8211; sheet music and tutorials for \u201cF\u00fcr Elise\u201d (Beethoven), Minuet in G Major (Petzold\/Bach), and \u201cGymnop\u00e9die No. 1\u201d (Erik Satie)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/3-easy-classical-pieces\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cMoonlight\u201d Sonata and Other Easy Classical Songs That Sound Impressive<\/a> &#8211; sheet music and tutorials for \u201cMoonlight\u201d Sonata (Beethoven), \u201cCanon in D\u201d (Pachelbel), and \u201cPrelude in C Major\u201d (Bach)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Happy practicing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/weekly-email\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Clair de Lune&#8221; is an iconic piano piece. Here&#8217;s a beginner-friendly arrangement and video tutorial to get you started on this beautiful piece.<\/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":[1133],"class_list":["post-5214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-classical-songs","category-song-tutorials","tag-survey"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5214","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=5214"}],"version-history":[{"count":36,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5214\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13491,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5214\/revisions\/13491"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}