“Für Elise” by Ludwig van Beethoven – Solo ukulele arrangement in Fingerpicking style by Ukulele Mike Lynch
According to Wikipedia we find that Fur Elise (For Elise) is one of Ludwig van Beethoven’s most popular compositions. The score was not published until 1867, 40 years after the composer’s death in 1827. The discoverer of the piece, Ludwig Nohl, affirmed that the original autographed manuscript, now lost, was dated 27 April 1810. It is not certain who “Elise” was. It has been suggested that Ludwig Nohl may have transcribed the title incorrectly and the original work may have been named “Für Therese” a reference to Therese Malfatti von Rohrenbach zu Dezza (1792–1851). She was a friend and student of Beethoven’s to whom he proposed in 1810, though she turned him down to marry the Austrian nobleman and state official Wilhelm von Droßdik in 1816.
Here is a YouTube video of my arrangement of this piece for solo ukulele:
“Fur Elise” is a full out fingerpicking arrangement. As in all of my fingerpicking pieces I assign the thumb to the 4th and 3rd strings. The index finger to the 2nd string and the middle finger to the 1st string.
I conceived this arrangement on a standard tuned ukulele with the 4th string being G above middle C. If you are playing a Low G tuned instrument then
the only changes you need to make are notated by the notes in parenthesis: e.g. (6). See short clip below . . .
Although this piece is a fingerpicking piece there are a few places where it calls for a gently rolled chord to complete that particular section.
Simply use the right hand thumb with a gentle downward stroke.
See the clip below:
Tablature for this piece which indicates adjustments for Low G tuning is available for purchase: $5.39 by paying through the paypal donate button on my website: http://www.ukulelemikelynch.com
The tablature will be emailed as a pdf file within the day of purchase. I also include a Midi Audio file rendered at a slow practice tempo.
Check out this blog for current information on my complete catalog of solo ukulele instrumentals available https://allthingsukulele.com/2013/10/27/october-2013-update-on-ukulele-instrumentals-available-in-tablature-format/
I also have a “2 in 1” UKULELE CHRISTMAS ebook collection . . . Here is a blog detailing the contents of that book.
UKULELE MIKE LYNCH - All things UKULELE 
Can you please give me the full sheet of Fur-Elise, I’m trying to learn it, and it is kind of hard to learn it with only the first measure and a half
Hi David, I’m not sure which version you mean…Mike wrote 2 different arrangements for Fur Elise, a fingerpicking version and a chord melody version. Both are available on his website for $5.39 apiece (The Chord Melody is in Book Three).
The shortcut to the Store page is: http://ukulelemikelynch.com/store.htm and follow the directions.
I hope that helps.
Mahalo!
Collene