Debussy Arabesque No. 1 - Easy Arrangement

Claude Debussy: Arabesque No. 1

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

Approximate Grade: 5+
Scale 1 - 8: Beginner - Advanced

Key: Easy key F major + Original key E major included

This piece was not part of the collection I first considered for additional Simple Solutions arrangements, because it doesn’t feel like it could ever be an “easy” piece. However, if you want to play some faster notes in the form of this well-known gem, it’s definitely worth doing without the high barriers of the original. The “Arabesque” runs of triplets in RH are all there, but without having to deal with polyrhythms in a moving LH! In general, the harmony in LH is complete, but as usual in more manageable units. The choral texture of the middle section is mostly intact, but in a slightly lighter density. I have also used the Dal Segno sign to show the recapitulation of material before it diverges into the Coda. Finally, it’s easier to read all the fast notes in F major (1 flat) instead of E major (four sharps), even at the cost of eight bars of modulation into D-flat major in the middle section.

This arrangement is included in Simple Solutions VOLUME 3 - Nights & Dreams (Intermediate ~ Grade 5)

Also, check out:
Simple Solutions VOLUME 1 (Elementary ~ Grade 3)
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.

The arrangement comes in two versions: both transposed to an easier key signature as well as kept in the original key.

The "Easy key" transposed version is recommended for the most comfortable Simple Solutions experience. It's much easier to read notes without many sharps or flats, which frees up a lot of attention for all other musical aspects solely at a cost if you have perfect pitch. The version in original key serves the purpose of constituting a proper stepping stone if you wish to continue with the full original later on, whithout having to unlearn all harmony because it was in the wrong key.