Easy piano · 8 keys

Tchaikovsky · Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy easy piano by numbers

Q: How many keys do I need for Tchaikovsky · Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy?

8 keys, 3 of them black, played with the right hand: 1 = B, 2 = C, 3 = C♯, 4 = D, 5 = D♯, 6 = E, 7 = F♯, 8 = G.

Q: What are the first notes of Tchaikovsky · Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy?

In numbers: 8 6 8 7 5 6 4 4. In letter notes: G E G F♯ D♯ E D D.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker, Op. 71, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (1892) · 15 s · 40 notes · public domain

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy is easy to play on the piano with numbers. One hand, 8 keys, about 15 seconds: press the numbers in order, as they light up, and the lesson waits for you. Free, no account needed.

▶ Play it now

On paper: the 25 easiest songs, in a printable book · 2 songs free to print

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The interactive lesson needs JavaScript. Meanwhile, here is the whole song in numbers.

Tchaikovsky · Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy piano notes: G E G F♯ D♯ E D D · D C♯ C♯ C♯ C C C B · E C E B G E G F♯ …

The number sheet

The whole song, in numbers. Print it, or put it on your piano.

8G·6E·8G·7F♯·5D♯·6E·4D·4D·

4D·3C♯·3C♯·3C♯·2C·2C·2C·1B·

6E·2C·6E·1B·8G·6E·8G·7F♯·

5D♯·6E·4D·4D·4D·3C♯·3C♯·3C♯·

2C·2C·2C·1B·6E·2C·6E·1B·

How to play Tchaikovsky · Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy on the piano

The sparkling theme of the Sugar Plum Fairy from Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker, composed in 1892, originally played by the celesta. It is written here in E minor, an octave or two below the celesta, and uses a few sharps.

This easy version uses 8 keys (3 of them black) and the right hand only: 40 notes, about 15 seconds at 64 BPM in 2/4 time. It has no words.

Find key 1: B4 (above middle C). The other numbers go up from there, to the next key the song uses.

Press ▶ Listen to hear the song while the numbers light up.

Press 🎹 Play it and play the numbers in order; an arrow shows the next key, and the lesson waits for you.

Want the rhythm too? Press 🌧 Falling notes: each note falls onto its key, and its length shows how long to hold it (how falling notes work).

Finish the song for up to three stars — fewer mistakes, more stars.

The keys

Number	Note	Key	Where
1	B	B4	above middle C
2	C	C5	above middle C
3	C♯	C♯5	above middle C
4	D	D5	above middle C
5	D♯	D♯5	above middle C
6	E	E5	above middle C
7	F♯	F♯5	above middle C
8	G	G5	above middle C

Number

Note

Key

Where

above middle C

C♯

C♯5

above middle C

D♯

D♯5

above middle C

F♯

F♯5

above middle C

Tchaikovsky · Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy in letter notes

Show the whole song in letter notes, line by line

G E G F♯ D♯ E D D

D C♯ C♯ C♯ C C C B

E C E B G E G F♯

D♯ E D D D C♯ C♯ C♯

C C C B E C E B

Questions

How do you play Tchaikovsky · Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy on the piano, the easy way?

With one hand and 8 keys: put a finger on key 1, B4, and number the keys the song uses from there. Then press the numbers in order: 8 6 8 7 5 6 4 4 (in letter notes: G E G F♯ D♯ E D D). The whole song lasts about 15 seconds; the lesson on this page shows the next key and waits for you.

How many keys do I need for Tchaikovsky · Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy?

8 keys, 3 of them black, played with the right hand: 1 = B, 2 = C, 3 = C♯, 4 = D, 5 = D♯, 6 = E, 7 = F♯, 8 = G.

What are the first notes of Tchaikovsky · Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy?

In numbers: 8 6 8 7 5 6 4 4. In letter notes: G E G F♯ D♯ E D D.

Is Tchaikovsky · Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy free to play and share?

Yes. Tchaikovsky · Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy is in the public domain (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker, Op. 71, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (1892)). This easy arrangement, its number sheet and its MIDI file are free to use and share for learning.

Can I play it without a piano?

Yes: tap the keys on the page on a phone or tablet, or press the numbers 1–8 on a computer keyboard. The lesson waits for the right key and shows the next one.

How long does it take to learn?

The whole song lasts 15 seconds at 64 beats a minute. Most beginners play it through within a few tries; lower the speed with the slider to go slower.

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Tchaikovsky · Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy easy piano by numbers

The number sheet

How to play Tchaikovsky · Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy on the piano

The keys

Tchaikovsky · Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy in letter notes

Questions

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