di Capua: "O Sole Mio" - Easy Piano Arrangement

Eduardo di Capua & Alfredo Mazzucchi: "O Sole Mio"

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

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

Key: G major, same as original

This is one of those songs on the verge between classical and popular folk-inspired music. Written by Eduardo di Capua and Alfredo Mazzucchi in traditional Neapolitan Italian, it was part of the popular music of the early 1900’s and has stayed that way ever since. Inspired by the beautiful European sun, the text compares it to another sun – the one radiating from the face of the loved one! As with the Habanera from Carmen, the LH accompaniment features a continuous dotted rhythm which provides both rhythmical structure and harmony. RH plays pretty much the melody as is, with a few extra chord notes from the original piano part at suitable times.

This arrangement is included in Simple Solutions Volume 5 - A Burning Desire (Intermediate ~ Grade 3-5)

ABOUT SIMPLE SOLUTIONS

The Simple Solutions series came from the idea that even not-professionally trained pianists should be able to enjoy the feeling of playing great music from the piano repertoire with their own hands. This is possible with some clever rearranging of the musical material: reducing the range of independent voices and jumps while preserving core ideas of melody and rhythm. In this easier setting, you will instead have enough time on your hands (literally!) to bring the music to life and care about those aspect 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.

In the end, if you feel ready for a challenge and want to go forward with proper piano studies that requires years of practice – you can always move on to more advanced arrangements or original piano compositions. They will always be there. In the meantime, these arrangements will bring you close to the same enjoyment as the full versions, because all musical ideas are carefully conserved.

They are just a little bit easier.