Here are 10 simple beautiful songs that I like to play, with printable PDFs. Get used to playing that shape with your left hand—it is extremely common and useful for playing solo piano. The key centers in this piece are A minor and C major, so all of the notes are white notes. There are a lot of chords in this piece, which can be daunting. This list is divided into early and late intermediate pieces. However, it’s also more complex than it appears at first glance. It’s important for all musicians to have at least a few pieces in their metaphorical “toolbox” at all times. Excellent balance, phrasing, and music expression brings this piece to life. Check out this list of 20 popular piano pieces that every pianist should have on their bucket list. Once you can reliably play the left hand ostinato, try improvising short, simple melodies in E minor with your right hand using quarter notes and eighth notes. GET STARTED NOW. Only sneak a little on it at places where you think you might slip or may have forgotten some notes. Like “Für Elise,” only the main first section of the piece that is about a minute long is famous, and the rest of the piece—despite being more difficult—is less well known. Piano pieces have been masterfully created for centuries, with composers whose names will never be forgotten even if their reputation was tarnished by the richest drug lord. Beethoven wrote the piece in 1810 when he was nearly completely deaf, although it was not published until after his death. The opening section plays easier than it sounds; however, learning the entire piece requires mature technique and more advanced skills. For the purposes of this article, I will introduce you to works for the piano from what broadly can be considered the Classical repertoire. The hands do not play at the same time, and the same patterns are repeated up and down the piano. Often times there are only a couple of notes that change between measures. The melody moves to the left hand in the B section. Structure your practice the same way: first master the left hand ostinato, then improvise simple melodies above it. Most people have only heard the famous short introduction to the piece, which is only about a minute long. Browse these fun, intermediate piano pieces below and choose a few that grab your attention. While these piano solos might not sound like beginner songs, they are fairly easy to master with some practice. Teen piano students need pieces that give quick results - pieces that look way harder than they actually are! This piece gives pianists a chance to execute an even, clear tone while experimenting with subtle dynamic changes, tension, and release. Arpeggiated power chords (root and fifth only) and octave sweeps lend this piece a particular gravitas, but they are deceptively easy to play. “Pern” by Yann Tiersen. 1. The song begins with gentle raindrops,  then moves to a dramatic bout of thunder and lightning, and eventually back to rain that slowly fades away. In the case of the introduction to “Claire De Lune,”, which is in F minor/Db major, the pentatonic scale is Db, Eb, F, Ab, Bb. The rhythm also stays the same throughout the piece. But as you grow your skills, you’ll find that the pieces you encounter become longer and more complex. The left hand and right hand parts are almost entirely separate, so you are not playing two different ideas at the same time. A good exercise to prepare for playing “Claire De Lune is to play all of the diatonic triads in Db major up and down like a scale, (Db, Ebm, Fm, etc.). Learn the piece in chunks. This piece features bouncy, rich minor harmony, and gives pianists an opportunity to balance melodic and accompaniment material. Practice slowly! Check out this list of 20 popular piano pieces that every pianist should have on their bucket list. 27, No. How to learn a new piano piece (for late beginner and early intermediate pianists) If you are a new pianist, the first pieces you’ll learn are typically short and to the point (the pedagogical point that is). The main first section is constructed of low, arpeggiated block chords with a simple melody hovering above that invokes a nostalgic longing for a love that is long past. is difficult, but the famous introduction to the piece is a good challenge for beginner-intermediate pianists. This particular Prelude in C is one of JS Bach’s most famous pieces. Be sure to follow our blog for more music news and helpful tips. The level numbers are based on the leveling system used in Jane Magrath’s book, The Pianists Guide To Standard Teaching And Performance Literature. This piece takes the listener through a thunderstorm. The name “Tristesse” (“Sadness” in English) was given to the piece after Chopin’s death. My suggestion for beginners wan… While the opening measures of this piece play reasonably easily, it quickly becomes apparent that this piece includes many complicated piano techniques such as large chords, poly-rhythms, and complex harmonies. I hope this list of the easiest (hardest) piano pieces is helpful to you on your musical journey! “River Flows In You” is very similar to “Comptine d'un autre été.” There is a repeating four chord ostinato progression with a melody in the right hand, and only a few black notes. The simplistic sound of this piece is another example of music that seems easier than it actually is. To tackle this piece, practice each hand separately. Here is an example: The verse is the chords C and F. Most first time students will learn the chords in root position with both hands, and then learn to play the F chord in second inversion, with the C on the bottom. 1" is one of the most powerful classical piano pieces. This piano solo by the great Ludwig van Beethoven is also known as the Piano Sonata No. 14 Famous Classical Piano Pieces. They are good pieces to keep in your mental toolbox because they are easy to learn and remember, but they sound difficult, impressive, and beautiful to others. Don’t learn one note at a time! I don’t remember how to play anything!”. As you feel more comfortable, try out different chord inversions, sing along to the song and play the vocal melody in the right hand! Keep your enthusiasm for the piano alive by learning a song that is simple to learn, yet impressive sounding! Ask your teacher for guidance! Debussy imitated the sounds of Gamelan by using the pentatonic collection. This piece is another excellent snapshot of the classical style. … Keep in mind that your mental toolbox does not have to be limited to just these pieces! Once you know both hands, slowly play them both together. It is a very beautiful and impressive piece, but there are a few “secrets” that make playing it much easier than it sounds. The piece is just constructed from arpeggios and scales! Sheet music. An ostinato is a repeating pattern of notes upon which the rest of a piece is built. Prelude in C is a study in chord progressions and patterns. This will allow you to play along with the song in any number of ways. Pay attention to where the notes in this Impromptu are going next—if you need to flip to your thumb in order to keep going up or down, find the right place to do it by using your knowledge of scales as guidance. 1. They only overlap one note at a time, so they should come together easily! There is a repeating four chord ostinato progression with a melody in the right hand, and only a few black notes. The difficulty is not in the notes but rather how to play the notes. The piano’s 88 keys have bewitched many composers, and the ten mentioned in the list below have surrendered their creative powers with stunning results. Chances are good that if you like the way a piece sounds, so will others! There are only 4 patterns in the left hand, and the final four octave sweep is comprised entirely of the note E! Arpeggiated, flowing chords carry this well-known piece. It is a good piece for a beginner to tackle in order to gain confidence in his or her playing. The Best Music Travel Ideas, How To Read Sheet Music: Step-by-Step Instructions, Music Theory: Learn How To Transpose Music, The Art of Lyric Writing: How to Match Lyrics to Melody, Beat Your Songwriting Block with These 5 Exercises. The rhythm of the arpeggios stays the same throughout, so all you have to worry about are the notes. It requires a delicate yet controlled touch. “Für Elise” is on nearly everyone’s piano bucket list, and for a good reason! This means that the only thing you have to worry about are the notes and the chords. It’s approachable yet also features more advanced rhythms and frequent accidentals. Classical music has an essential role in any player’s repertoire. Debussy imitated the sounds of Gamelan by using the pentatonic collection. The hands don’t always play together at the same time: This is an especially important factor for beginners. There are some very intricate and intense moments throughout the piece, and careful, slow practice is necessary to balance the two distinct voices. The pieces in your toolbox don’t have to be extremely difficult; they should be easy to remember and fun to play and listen to. Haydn: Minuet in G. Sheet music. Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata . How to Learn a Piano Piece Quickly. Each measure is a new chord. This impressive piece features a basic melodic line with chordal accompaniment. Instead, each arpeggio or melodic line is broken up between the hands. See also the Intermediate Piano Repertoire by Level page for a sortable table of intermediate-level piano repertoire. This is one of the first piano pieces I ever learned, and it made me feel like a master pianist, even though I had a long way to go! There are a lot of notes and chords in this piece, and they go by very quickly! Everyone wants to play something impressive and exciting to show off all of their talent, but a lot of pianists—even those who have been studying for years—don’t know what to play when they get the chance! “The Heart Asks Pleasure First” is a piece of music from the movie The Piano. 1. Good luck! The word intermediate can mean many different things to different people; especially when considering pieces for the piano. Now sit back and relax, listen, and enjoy 10 Breathtakingly Beautiful Piano Pieces. Often times there are only a couple of notes that change between measures. > Learn Gymnopédie No. The difficulty is not in the notes but rather. 8 in F Major, BWV 779” by Johann Sebastian Bach, “Prelude in D-flat Major, Op. Prelude in C is a study in chord progressions and patterns. It is easier to remember arpeggios if you remember the chord as a whole and not just the individual notes. Try to master one pattern or section before moving on to the next. The piece is just constructed from arpeggios and scales! Schubert is credited with the first verse-chorus structure song we know so well, and the … This lively piece includes arpeggiating left-hand rhythms and a bouncy right-hand melody. This manually-updated list includes intermediate-level piano repertoire that may be used in teaching piano. Beethoven: Für Elise. 5, No. This list is divided into early and late intermediate pieces. Keep your eyes on your fingers as you practice to memorize a piano music piece. This piece is the standard example of a ragtime style in the piano world. The arpeggios give the illusion that a lot of things are happening at the same time. If you need any help or would like some guidance from a teacher, contact us. 15 Fun Intermediate Piano Pieces. In fact, the dedication on the manuscript doesn’t even say Elise, it says ‘Für Therese’. They are good pieces to keep in your mental toolbox because they are easy to learn and remember, but they sound difficult, impressive, and beautiful to others. Start learning piano now for just $14/month – cancel anytime. Click here to browse all classical pieces at Musicnotes.com! 1 (this is a premium song) Forrest Gump Main Theme Next, practice playing a Db pentatonic scale and a Gb pentatonic scale. Memorize the chord progression instead of individual notes or shapes. The following pieces are considered the most beautiful piano pieces to date. It can be tempting to try to rush through playing a section once you are comfortable with it, but get through the whole piece first. The left hand is the same throughout the entire piece, so begin by practicing the left hand part on its own. It’s one of the finest examples of lyrical pianistic writing with diverse emotional depth. It is in the key of E minor, so it is almost all white notes. 36, No. Pay close attention to what chord you are playing (it helps to know a little bit of theory, here. Don’t learn one note at a time! Looking for the best classical piano songs to learn for beginners? is on nearly everyone’s piano bucket list, and for a good reason! Once you are able to do this, try to learn the right hand melody on its own, and then put both hands together slowly. This well-known minuet is a great starting point for Baroque music. The key to being able to play this Impromptu is fingering and especially thumb placement—if your thumb is misplaced then you will find yourself in a bind very quickly. The next sections are actually more difficult, but you don’t need to learn those to impress your audience! It helps to be familiar with your E major scale and chords before you try to tackle this piece. It is in the key of E minor, so it is almost all white notes. Except for the last couple measures, there is only one note being pressed at a time in this piece. It’s bright and crisp with an inviting sound. This music is split between three voices and requires control and finger dexterity to balance each voice as needed. Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password. It features a typical ragtime stride bass pattern in the left hand, syncopated rhythms, and quick right-hand melodies played in octaves. Ask your teacher for guidance!). Learning to play a new piece of music on the piano can be difficult. There is a theory that it bared too much resemblance to another piece -Impromptu (Op 89) by Ignaz Moscheles. The singing melody line has to be approached carefully and with a compelling shape. If you’re not careful, you might find yourself in a similar situation thinking, “What should I play? Remarkably, this piece of music was not published until after Chopin’s death. The middle section of “Claire De Lune”. number 7, “The Heart Asks Pleasure First,” are good examples. This requires a lot of slow, precise practice. The main “secret” is that the piece is composed of repeated 6-note ostinatos in each hand. More Classical Piano Songs. Because there is no standardized leveling system for piano music, these level numbers are used to give you a general idea of the difficulty of each piece, in addition to helping you understand a logical progression in which to learn these pieces. Difficulty, in this case, will be a technical one although that is not to imply that the pieces in some why lack substance. During the process of memorizing piano pieces, you should try to avoid looking at the music sheet for playing the piece. Once you are able to repeat the ostinato pattern with both hands separately, putting them together will be no trouble at all. My childhood piano experience was a stressful one, but today playing piano has become for me a nice outlet, a relaxing escape from the computer screen, from answering emails and scheduling calendar appointments.. 09 April 2020. Here you'll find all collections you've created before. In the case of the introduction to “Claire De Lune,” which is in F minor/Db major, the pentatonic scale is Db, Eb, F, Ab, Bb. is to play all of the diatonic triads in Db major up and down like a scale, (Db, Ebm, Fm, etc.). This elegant piece is an excellent demonstration of the classical piano style with frequent 2-note slurs and arpeggiated left-hand chords. The fastest way to learn piano pieces: https://www.skoove.com/redirect?page=JazerLee (All my students use this app too! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Musicnotes Now – A Noteworthy Blog for Seriously Fun Musicians. “Comptine d’un autre éte” is a piece of music from the French movie Amélie. Therefore, you only need to learn the first section! Most Beautiful Piano Songs – The Classics 1. Repeating chord progressions: If you can remember the chords in a four chord progression then you don’t necessarily need to remember all of the notes in a piece individually. The classical sonatas often dominate lists of piano repertoire, but Scarlatti’s baroque sonatas are definitely worth exploring as well. Canon in D was originally composed for strings but has been transcribed for piano. The simplicity of these pieces contributes to their beauty and brings a sense of space to the music. This list is divided into early and late intermediate pieces. As you learn more, you should fill your mental toolbox with pieces that you know well, so that you can perform at any opportunity! Be on the lookout for pieces that sound fun and interesting to learn and play, especially if they display any of the previously mentioned characteristics. Be sure to learn about chord inversions and 7th chords while attempting this piece. The opening section plays easier than it sounds; however, learning the entire piece requires mature technique and more advanced skills. Its instant popularity led to a massive influx of solo piano pieces being written – some a violent explosion of color and motion, others a slow, melodic meditation. If you can really play the pieces in it, you're probably not a "student" anymore. It is rhythmically complex, taking the pianist on a journey through several different musical sections throughout the piece. This voicing is how the chord is played in the song. Be sure not to confuse it with the first prelude in the. The right-hand requires precise, clear articulation. Next, practice playing a Db pentatonic scale and a Gb pentatonic scale. Learn to play some of these pieces confidently and consistently to add them to your toolbox! It can be tricky to play two difficult lines simultaneously, but there are many great pieces, that only require one note to be pressed at a time! This piece is said to have been Chopin’s favorite piece of music he ever composed. The left-hand alternates between a simple accompaniment and strongly rolled chords. In addition to the top 15 easy classical piano songs here is a few more songs that just didn’t quite make our top 15 list. Learn to play some of these pieces confidently and consistently to add them to your toolbox! It includes many scale-like passages and 1-octave arpeggios. 114” by Johann Sebastian Bach, “Sonatina in C, Op. thank you for these amazing article and videos these helps me a lot. It features long melodic phrases, a simple accompaniment, and many opportunities to refine staccato and legato techniques. This is later expanded throughout the piece, repeated with more decorative chords and sixteenth note passages that can be tough to understand fully. This is a collection of ten pieces that I teach to beginner students in order to boost their confidence and give them something to play for others when they get the opportunity. At only 1-3 minutes long, each of these pieces is short enough to remember. “Hey, don’t you play piano? You will be able to speed up later. Play 10 famous and beautiful piano pieces for Beginners by composers such as as Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Antonín Dvořák. Chopin: Fantasie-Impromptu Op 66. This piece is a good starting point for fugal playing. As you learn the parts, take note of which chords your hands are playing. Note: the YouTube videos are not of me :) Enjoy! It’s one of the finest examples of lyrical pianistic writing with diverse emotional depth. Pianu is the easy, affordable, fun and fast way for ANYONE to learn piano. PI-101 In this 12-week course, you will learn how to play 10 beautiful classical piano pieces for beginners. Dating back to the 1760s, this Haydn piece is thought to …