Gymnopédie No. 1
Erik Satie
Gymnopédie No. 1 by Erik Satie, a Impressionist piece from 1888 — written out in colour-coded piano letter notes you can play live in the browser.
Composed in 1888. Erik Satie lived from 1866 to 1925.
About this piece
Erik Satie completed his three Gymnopédies in 1888, publishing the first that year. No. 1 is marked Lent et douloureux ("slow and painful"), in 3/4 time, and the title nods to the gymnopaedia, an ancient Greek festival dance. Its gentle, hovering dissonances create a famously calm, melancholy mood — and because the tempo is meant to be slow, beginners aren't fighting the clock. Debussy admired the set enough to orchestrate two of them in 1897. Source: Wikipedia
Letter notes (text) — Gymnopédie No. 1
RH 4|-d-| RH 4|-F-| RH 3|-b-| LH 2|g--| RH 4|-C-| RH 4|-F-| RH 3|-a-| LH 2|d--| RH 4|-d-| RH 4|-F-| RH 3|-b-| LH 2|g--| RH 4|-C-| RH 4|-F-| RH 3|-a-| LH 2|d--| RH 5|-Fa| RH 4|-d-| RH 4|-F-| RH 3|-b-| LH 2|g--| RH 5|gFC| RH 4|-C-| RH 4|-F-| RH 3|-a-| LH 2|d--| RH 5|-Cd| RH 4|bd-| RH 4|-F-| RH 3|-b-| LH 2|g--| RH 4|aC-| RH 4|-F-| RH 3|-a-| LH 2|d--| RH 4|Fd-| RH 4|-F-| RH 3|-b-| LH 2|g--| RH 4|-C-| RH 4|-F-| RH 3|-a-| LH 2|d--| RH 4|-d-| RH 4|-F-| RH 3|-b-| LH 2|g--| RH 4|-C-| RH 4|-F-| RH 3|-a-| LH 2|d--| RH 5|-Fa| RH 4|-d-| RH 4|-F-| RH 3|-b-| LH 2|g--| RH 5|gFC| RH 4|-C-| RH 4|-F-| RH 3|-a-| LH 2|d--| RH 5|-Cd| RH 4|bd-| RH 4|-F-| RH 3|-b-| LH 2|g--| RH 4|aC-| RH 4|-F-| RH 3|-a-| LH 2|d--| RH 5|C--| RH 4|-C-| RH 4|-F-| RH 3|-a-| LH 2|F--| RH 5|F--| RH 4|-d-| RH 4|-F-| RH 3|-b-| LH 1|b--| RH 4|e--| LH 3|-g-| LH 3|-b-| LH 2|e--| LH 4|-d-| LH 4|-g-| LH 3|-b-| LH 2|e--| LH 4|-d-| LH 3|-f-| LH 3|-a-| LH 2|d--| RH 5|--c| RH 4|ab-| LH 4|-c-| LH 4|-e-| LH 3|-a-| LH 1|a--| RH 5|ed-| RH 4|--b| LH 4|-e-| LH 3|-g-| LH 3|-b-| LH 2|d--| RH 5|dc-| RH 4|--b| LH 4|-e-| LH 3|-d-| LH 3|-g-| LH 3|-b-| LH 2|d--| RH 5|d--| LH 4|-d-| LH 3|-c-| LH 3|-e-| LH 3|-a-| LH 2|d--| RH 5|--d| LH 4|-d-| LH 3|-c-| LH 3|-F-| LH 3|-a-| LH 2|d--| RH 5|efg| LH 4|-c-| LH 4|-f-| LH 3|-a-| LH 2|d--| RH 5|acd| LH 4|-c-| LH 4|-e-| LH 3|-a-| LH 2|d--| RH 5|ed-| RH 4|--b| LH 4|-e-| LH 3|-d-| LH 3|-g-| LH 3|-b-| LH 2|d--| RH 5|d--| LH 4|-d-| LH 3|-c-| LH 3|-e-| LH 3|-a-| LH 2|d--| RH 5|--d| LH 4|-d-| LH 3|-c-| LH 3|-F-| LH 3|-a-| LH 2|d--| RH 5|g--| RH 4|-e-| RH 4|-g-| RH 3|-b-| LH 2|e--| RH 5|F--| RH 4|-C-| RH 4|-F-| RH 3|-a-| LH 2|F--| RH 4|bdb| RH 4|-F-| RH 4|-a-| RH 3|-b-| LH 1|b--| RH 5|Cde| RH 4|-C-| RH 4|-e-| RH 4|-a-| LH 2|e--| RH 5|Cde| RH 4|-C-| RH 4|-F-| RH 4|-a-| RH 3|-a-| LH 2|e--| RH 4|Fdd| RH 4|--g| RH 3|-ab| LH 3|--e| LH 2|eb-| RH 5|c--| RH 4|c--| RH 4|e--| RH 4|a--| LH 3|g--| LH 2|a--| RH 5|d--| RH 4|d--| RH 4|F--| RH 4|a--| LH 3|d--| LH 2|d--| LH 2|a--| RH 5|g--| RH 4|-e-| RH 4|-g-| RH 3|-b-| LH 2|e--| RH 5|f--| RH 4|-d-| RH 4|-f-| RH 4|-a-| RH 3|-a-| LH 2|e--| RH 5|-cf| RH 4|bc-| RH 4|-f-| RH 3|-a-| LH 2|e--| RH 5|edc| RH 4|-c-| RH 4|-e-| RH 4|-a-| LH 2|e--| RH 5|edc| RH 4|-c-| RH 4|-f-| RH 4|-a-| RH 3|-a-| LH 2|e--| RH 4|fdd| RH 4|--g| RH 3|-ab| LH 3|--e| LH 2|eb-| RH 5|c--| RH 4|c--| RH 4|e--| RH 4|a--| LH 3|g--| LH 2|a--| RH 5|d--| RH 4|d--| RH 4|f--| RH 4|a--| LH 3|d--| LH 2|d--| LH 2|a--|
How to play along
Press play to hear it, then drag Speed down to slow the melody while you find the keys. Tap any letter in the notation to hear just that note, or click the keyboard to play freely. New to the format? Read the guide →