Description
Mozart entered this 1788 sonata in his own catalogue as "a little keyboard sonata for beginners," which is where the nickname Sonata facile comes from. It was not published in his lifetime; it appeared only in 1805, after his death. It dates from the same year as the "Jupiter" Symphony.
The first movement is in C major and common time, textbook sonata form with one famous departure: the recapitulation begins not in the home key but in the subdominant, F major. Played through, the choice sounds entirely natural, yet it stands outside what the form conventionally allows.
For all that it is called easy, it is a piece in which everything is exposed. With no ornamental cover and no thick chords, neither an uneven scale nor a wobbling Alberti bass can be hidden. Before raising the tempo, check whether the left hand alone can stay perfectly even. For a beginner the real task here is uniformity, not speed.
Piano sonatas representative of the Classical and Romantic eras, including Beethoven's early works — substantial multi-movement pieces throughout.
Browse all songs in Piano Sonatas →Sheet Music
Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
What this piece teaches
The first movement of Mozart's Sonata in C major, K. 545: the famous theme, runs of scales, and a recapitulation that begins not in C but in F major.
How to practise it
- The long scales bump where the thumb passes under. Loop the scales out on their own.
- Keep the left-hand broken chords (the Alberti bass) much quieter than the right, and even.
- Listen for where the opening theme returns and notice that it starts in a different key from the first time.
Practice guides using this piece
Slow practice: playback speed and the A-B loop
How to slow a hard passage down, loop it and bring it back up to tempo in steps - and when to change the note speed instead.
Reading the difficulty level and score, and choosing your next piece
How the beginner / intermediate / advanced levels and the 1-10 difficulty score are worked out, and how to use them to choose what to play next.
About the Composer
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria, and achieved fame as a child prodigy before establishing his career in Vienna. In a life of only 35 years, he produced masterpieces across symphonies, operas, chamber music, and keyboard works. His style combines clarity and formal balance with rich emotional depth. This site includes movements of the Sonatas K. 545 and K. 331, the Fantasia in D minor, K. 397, and several fugues.
View all works by Mozart →