Piano songs · Intermediate
Nocturne in E♭, Op. 9 No. 2 on piano
Chopin's Nocturne in E♭, Op. 9 No. 2 is the most famous nocturne ever written: a singing, ornamented melody over a gently rocking left hand. Here are its first four bars.
this song
Nocturne in E♭, Op. 9 No. 2 sheet music
The same notes as the player above, as a piano score: E♭ major, 12/8. Press Play and the notes light up as they sound. Free to print or save as a PDF.
How to read the rhythms · how to read the notes
About the piece
Frédéric Chopin wrote his three Nocturnes, Op. 9, around 1830–31, when he was about twenty, and published them in 1832, dedicated to Marie Pleyel. A nocturne is a "night piece": the style came from the Irish composer John Field, and Chopin made it his own. The melody is meant to sing like an opera singer, with ornaments that decorate it more each time it returns.
The notes
The letters above are the tune, played by your right hand: B♭ G F G F; E♭ B♭ G C C; G B♭ A♭ G F; G D E♭ C B♭ D C B♭ A♭ G A♭ C D E♭. Longer boxes are longer notes. Press Play and follow along, slow it down with the speed slider, or turn on Wait for me and play each note yourself.
How to learn it
- The left hand rocks: a low bass note, then two chords, in 12/8 (four big beats, each split in three). Learn it alone until it's smooth and quiet.
- The melody sings: B♭ up to G, then a slow fall. Play it louder than the left hand, and connect every note.
- Three flats: E♭ major, so every B, E and A is flat.
- The ornaments (the quick runs) come later in the bar: get the long notes right first, then fit the run in without rushing.
Learning Nocturne in E♭, Op. 9 No. 2 on a real piano? Ivory listens to you play and tells you what's off: a note that's missing, a hand that lands late, a rhythm that runs away. Then it shows you how it should go.
Questions people ask
Is Chopin's Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 hard?
It's intermediate to advanced: the opening is approachable after two or three years of playing, but the ornaments and the wide left-hand leaps take time.
What key is Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 in?
E♭ major, with three flats, in 12/8 time.
More songs to play
Notes checked against the public-domain Mutopia Project edition (mutopiaproject.org). Piano sound: Salamander Grand Piano by Alexander Holm, CC BY 3.0.