Chopin: Funeral March - Easy Arrangement

Frédéric Chopin: Funeral March
From Sonata no. 2, Op. 35, Movement III: Marche funèbre

PDF Sheet music, piano solo
Simple Solutions arrangement by Henrik Kilhamn

Approximate Grade: 3
Scale 1 - 8: Beginner - Advanced

Key: A minor (original is in B-flat minor)

This music is very well suited to be arranged like this. The march section features an oscillation between two chords in LH, and once that is learned–here without any change in position–the whole section will go more or less automatically, and RH is able to focus on that aching funeral march melody. The cantabile middle section is even more worth it: the broken chords in LH that in the original often span more than two octaves with four 8th notes, are here collapsed to one comfortable hand position per harmony, and again RH can turn all of its attention to produce the tender melody.

This arrangement is included in Simple Solutions VOLUME 1 (Elementary ~ Grade 3)

Also, check out Simple Solutions VOLUME 2 (Intermediate ~ Grade 5)

ABOUT SIMPLE SOLUTIONS

This is for everyone who loves the great piano repertoire but haven’t (yet) developed the skill required to master it. After all, the big composers wrote music for professional musicians, and it takes many years of studies to achieve a level sufficient to play their pieces as written. However, the musical material can be separated into melody, harmony, rhythms, and textures, and in some cases simplified while preserving the core ideas. This is what I have done in these arrangements of some of the most beloved piano melodies by the great composers. In this easier setting, you will instead have enough time on your hands (literally!) to bring the music to life and care about those aspects that often otherwise come second: phrasing, articulation, dynamics, and balance. This will help you develop your over-all musicality, which will be of great value in all other pieces as well.

I believe you have the right to enjoy playing this great music with your own hands, even when the original writing is beyond your present level or would require too much time and effort. In the end, if you feel ready for a challenge and want to go forward with proper piano studies that requires years of practice—the originals are always there. In the meantime, these arrangements will bring you close to the same enjoyment, because all musical ideas are carefully conserved.

They are just a little bit easier.