About the piece
Mozart entered it in his catalogue in 1788 as “a little sonata for beginners”. The nicknames “facile” or “semplice” came later; in fact it needs agile, even fingers.
The left hand uses the “Alberti bass” (a chord broken low–high–middle–high), the right alternates a singing melody with long scales.
How to practise it
- The Alberti bass alone: light, with the first note just slightly stronger.
- The right-hand scales at reduced speed, checking the fingering (thumb crossings).
- Hands together on the opening theme, then one section at a time.
- Clear sound and little pedal: this is transparent Viennese classical music.
Free sheet music
First page. Complete sheet music (PDF) on the Mutopia Project (CC BY-SA 3.0, edition by Alejandro Sierra); in the Piano Learning app you read it two pages side by side while you play.
Frequently asked questions
Is it really easy?
It is one of Mozart's most approachable sonatas, but the fast scales need a couple of years of study.
What does K 545 mean?
It is the number in the Köchel catalogue, the list of Mozart's works.