Erik Satie was a French composer and pianist best known for simple melodies and innovative harmonies. Active from the 1880s, Satie wrote most of his pieces for solo piano, many of which are played to this day. Among these are the Gymnopédie and Gnossienne series, which include some of the most famous music ever written for piano. In fact, you've probably heard them playing in a cozy café or in films like The Royal Tenenbaums, About Schmidt, or The Fabelmans.

Satie was a close friend of the similarly beloved composer Claude Debussy, who was active in French music circles around the same time. Satie was an eccentric man who rejected the conventions of classical music of his time, and helped inspire the surrealist art movement that emerged in the aftermath of World War 1. Many of Satie's compositions — unlike those of his peers — were intended to be played in the background of cafés and restaurants, making them a precursor to modern ambient music. He avoided traditional labels like sonata and prélude in order to be free from the conventions that come with them, and even wrote a piece that was about 19 hours long, which we've covered below.

Keep reading to learn about ten of Satie's best works, along with their interesting backstories and how to learn them.

1. Gymnopédie No. 1

A recognizable favorite

One of Satie's many eccentricities was that he often referred to himself as a "gymnopedist" rather than a "musician." While the word sounds similar to Gymnopaedia — an ancient Greek festival — it seems that Satie invented the term "gymnopedist" to describe his profession and subsequently wrote the pieces he called "Gymnopédies."

"Gymnopédie No. 1" is marked "lent et douloureux," meaning slow and painful. First published in 1888, it's since been featured in various films, including Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums. Whether you're a new or experienced player, you can learn this piece to add it to the soundtrack of your life.

2. Gymnopédie No. 2

A walk down memory lane

"Gymnopédie No. 2" is also marked "lent et triste," which means slow and sad. Satie wrote this piece around the same time as his other Gymnopédie compositions, but didn't release it until 1895, or seven years after debuting "No. 1" and "No. 3".

If you listen carefully, you'll notice many similarities between this piece and the first. The left-hand part can be quite tricky, so you can start by just learning the melody with your right hand. Even if you're just learning that right-hand melody, try playing along with the accompaniment on the flowkey app to get a full picture of the harmonies underneath.

3. Gymnopédie No. 3

A moment of reflection

"Gymnopédie No. 3" matches the nostalgic feel of its counterparts, completing a masterful set. Ironically, Satie's popularity began to wane not long after the trio of pieces was released, but new orchestral arrangements of "No. 1" and "No. 3" were so well received that they helped put the series back in the limelight, where it remains more than a century later.

As you will hear, each Gymnopédie piece has a similar structure. They follow the same time signature (3/4), have the same accompaniment style, and feature a simple but beautiful melody. This means that, once you master one of the the pieces, you'll have the blueprint to play them all.

4. Gnossienne No. 1

A bout of anguish

Like "gymnopédie," the word "gnossienne" is unique to Satie in the world of music. Researchers aren't certain why Satie used the word for this series of compositions, but it had been previously used by authors to describe a "ritual labyrinth dance" in ancient Greek poetry. In yet another act of defiance to the musical norms of his time, Satie chose to write this piece in free time — there is no time signature in the original sheet music .

This piece is available in beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels on flowkey, and we've included a time signature for the beginner and intermediate levels just to make things easier to understand. Even for beginners, this piece is a great choice for practicing your dotted (and double-dotted) rhythms.

5. Gnossienne No. 3

A mysterious adventure

In his third Gnossienne, Satie uses a melody full of repeated and winding notes to create a mysterious and gloomy ambience. Information around the Gnossienne series is hazy, but we know the first three pieces were composed around 1890, and first published in 1893.

As with many of Satie’s other works, the challenge for "No. 3" is in the left hand jumps. If you've fallen in love with this song but are still in the early stages of learning piano, we recommend that you start by learning the right-hand melody.

6. Gnossienne No. 5

A moment of gratitude

Though it's the fifth instalment in the Gnossienne series, "No. 5" is actually thought to have been Satie's first post-Gymnopédie composition. Dated 8 July 1889, this piece sounds quite a bit more cheerful than the "gnossiennes" we've covered so far, but be prepared for a finger workout in the right hand.

Not only are there a lot of notes in the melody, but you'll have to work through some rhythmic challenges as well — triplets, sextuplets, septuplets, and more. As such, this is best suited to more advanced players.

7. Je te veux

A romantic adventure

"Je te veux" was premiered as a sung waltz at a cabaret in Paris in 1903. The title translates to "I want you," and it features romantic lyrics written by Henry Pacory. Satie wrote many versions of the piece, including this one for solo piano. The accompanying lyrics are especially touching:

Burning in the same flames,
In a dream of love
We will swap our two souls

Yet even without the words, romance seeps out of the gorgeous melody and lush harmonies. That explains why the piece is still performed by jazz bands all over — with and without the original French lyrics.

8. Ogive No. 1

A burst of spirituality

The word "ogive" refers to the curve of a pointed gothic arch, and it is said that Satie was inspired to write his four Ogives by the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. These tunes imitate the sound of a pipe organ in a large cathedral through rich, slow-moving chords.

The series's first piece is quite challenging, but you may have noticed that the beginning features both hands playing the same melody in parallel octaves. Learning this first section is a great place to start – just be aware that both parts are written in bass clef.

9. Ogive No. 3

A powerful moment

Just like with "Ogive No. 1," this piece has the same rhythm for both hands. You can also get a taste of this song by learning just the first section of the piece.

You may have also noticed that like some of the Gnossienne, the "Ogives" don't have a time signature. This, along with the straightforward rhythms, evokes the relentless and eternal marching of time.

10. Vexations

In times of darkness and confusion

"Vexations" is easily the most avant-garde piece on this list, and was never published or performed in Satie's lifetime. Satie included a now-legendary suggestion for the performance of this 180-note piece: "In order to play the theme 840 times in succession, it would be advisable to prepare oneself beforehand, and in the deepest silence, by serious immobilities". Altogether, playing the piece 840 times in a row would take approximately 19 hours.

It wasn't until the 1960s that composer John Cage discovered "Vexations" and decided to program it in a concert with eleven pianists playing it in shifts throughout the night. If you're ready to tackle this intriguing masterpiece in full, we suggest pulling up the flowkey app with 839 of your closest piano-playing friends so you each only have to play it once.

Learn to play new favorites with the flowkey app

If any of these pieces by Erik Satie have inspired you, you can get started by downloading the flowkey app. With flowkey, you'll have access to a library of gorgeous piano music by Satie and more — at various levels and with all the tools you need to guide you through the learning process. Start learning today.