Satie Gymnopédie no. 1 - Easy Arrangement

Erik Satie: Gymnopédie no. 1: Lent et douloureux

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

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

Key: D major, same as original

Satie’s Gymnopédies belong to our all-time favourite piano pieces in the calming and relaxing genre. They all follow a very clear and regular pattern with LH alternating between bass octaves and middle register chords, and RH keeping the melody on moving quarter notes and longer resting notes. RH is very easy and kept completely intact here. The difficulty in the original lies with LH, which here is freed from all big leaps and instead staying in hand positions as close as possible that still retain the harmonic functions.

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.