Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum What pieces do you recommend in my second year? Thank you

Hello everyone,

Do you have any suggestions on what I could learn to play in my second year of learning the piano?
Please feel free to name a few classical pieces (sad, joyful,)

Thank you :-)

It would be a great help if you would name some pieces you have already played.

There is a great selection of relatively simple pieces in Joy of First Classics that could keep you occupied all year!

One thing I really enjoy is exploring the scores for beginner pieces published in each issue of Pianist magazine. They showcase an amazing variety of pieces -- some well off the beaten path -- at all levels of playing ability. Moreover, concert pianist Chenyin Li records all the pieces in the scores on a CD that comes with the issue, so you have an idea of the sound you might try to achieve.

I'd guess you'd come up with something at your level from the current issue or one of the recent back issues available at the Pianist website.

Sure, here is what I have learned :
-Praeludium 1 from Bach (BWV 846)
-Sonatina in G major (Kinsky-Halm Anh. 5) attributed to Ludwig van Beethoven
I have been playing since late 2010.

I have also played a few other pieces but they were part of the beginner book.
Also I have taken a lot of times to learn harmony, chords and we also learned a song of pop/rock.

I will check the pianist magazine.

Thank you for your advices.

Some of what I have played in my second year of piano:

- Minuet in D minor (J.S.Bach)
- Old French Song (Tchaikovsky)
- Invention Nº 1 (J.S.Bach)
- Fantasia Nº 2 in D minor (G.P. Telemann)
- Prelude in E minor, Op.28 nº 4 (Chopin)
- Invention Nº 8 (J.S.Bach)
- "Venetian Gondelier's Song" Op.30 Nº 6 (F. Mendelssohn)

The three minuets from the Anna Magdalena Notebook make a lovely set, Anh 114, 115 and 116 in G major, G minor, G major. The Bach Inventions 1 and 8 mentioned above are very popluar but might be tough for year two without a teacher.

On the classical front (in order of difficulty) Haydn's sonata XVI/8 has much in common with Clementi's Op. 36/1. The first and second subjects are very similar but Haydn's have a lovely lilt. The final Allegro is impressive but quite simple as it falls easily in the fingers. Clementi Op 36, no's 2, 3, or 4 are very popular. Beethoven's Op 49/2 might be a bit tough for year two.

Romantic - Schumann's First Loss Op 68/16, Tchaikovsky's Morning Prayer Op. 39/1, Mendelssohn's Christmas Piece Op. 72/2 or Grieg's Arietta Op. 12/1 are all easy on the ear with gentle challenges easily overcome with careful practise.

For what it's worth, the piece I learned after the aforementioned Beethoven piece was Kuhlau's Sonatina Op. 55 No. 1

I'd agree with Richard that the Inventions might be tough going so early on.

One piece that often gets overlooked is JS Bach's Prelude for Lute (keyboard version) BVW 999. Similar in style to BVW 846, equally lovely, very slightly more difficult but only a small step along (whereas the Inventions are a big step up in difficulty).

Staying with Bach, I'd also recommend the Little Preludes. They tend to be easier than the Inventions (although there is a range of difficulty), and are often short (a page or two).
Henle produces an edition of the 'Little Preludes' (around 23 or 24 in all, in four different sets) that includes BVW 999.

I'd alo recommend starting with Invention 1, then Invention 8, if you decide to tackle Bach's Inventions.

Other than Bach...

A good series is Denys Agay's Classics to Moderns, and More Classics to Moderns (levels 1 to 5?), which has pieces in each volume ranging from the early Baroque to the 20th century. These are non-simplified pieces, so real music. Good editing and the printing. Good way of tackling a range of repertoire, and finding out what kind of things to pursue. Some of the pieces are well known, others less so.

I second the classics to modern series. Here is a nice resource for finding some pieces too.

http://youtu.be/XlHfzj0sVis

On this website, you can find all of the pieces from classics to moderns volume 27 and many from volume 17. There are other playlists with music right at your level.

Be careful though, watching all of the pieces performed could easily turn you into a sheet music junkie (said from experience ;))

In my second year of learning piano, I've been playing (or at least trying to play) Bach's Inventions 1 & 14, Mozart's Sonata No. 16 K. 545, C.P.E. Bach's Solfeggietto, and Beethoven's Fur Elise & his Minuet in G.

I might also suggest the third movement of Chopin's Piano Sonata No. 2. It's not especially challenging, once the big chords are memorized.

Solfeggietto and Für Elise were my first two pieces ever. Solfeggietto is STILL difficult in small parts, and it's a lifetime exercise-type piece which I begin mornings with.

I just began my third year, but my second year was filled with:

• Ghosts n' Goblins (Japanese videogame ragtime)
• Lady Madonna by McCartney/Beatles (full version, not the simplified job)
• She's a Rainbow by The Rolling Stones (full version)
• Just The Way You Are by Billy Joel (an arrangement by someone else)
• Merry X-Mas/The War Is Over by John Lennon
• As Time Goes By (Casablanca Theme)
• Nagasaki
• Piano Bar by Yoko Kanno
• 6+ Anime pieces/eye catches/incidental music

Though the songs are small and modern, they are mostly very-very difficult and are still being worked out. Classical piano is generally easier than much of the modern pop, but the anime stuff is usually easy for a beginner to learn well.

I return to classical in December with Claire De Lune/Rachmaninoff/Pathetique II/Revolutionary Etude, and then a few ragtimes from circa 1910, and a couple more anime pieces.

There are so many pieces to recommend but here's a couple of collections that I like.

Burgmuller Op. 100

"Parisian Promenade" Euginie R. Rocherolle

A lot of the pieces from those collections are on You Tube.

I would second the recommendation of Burgmuller's op 100, and also the recommendation of Clementi's Sonatinas (Op 36) - some of the movements are trickier than others, but many are very easy, and none of it is beyond intermediate. If you want something more modern, which falls very nicely under the hands, try Stravisnsky's "Les Cinq Doigts".

If you are trying to become well rounded in a classical style piano, may I suggest a repertoire series that moves by levels. The two I enjoy are:

Jane McGrath's Masterwork Classics: http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/search?q=Masterwork+Classics

and

Celebration Perspectives: http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/search?q=celebration+perspectives

The Masterwork Classics series is full of very much standard works of piano literature and judging from your previous pieces, I would say you could start at level 3, 4, or 5.

The Celebration Perspectives series has many pieces from the classical eras that are not too often played as well as many many modern pieces that offer a wide variety of styles. It is a wonderful series and also at every level has an etude book that is filled with many nonstandard materials.

From reading the responses of other people here, it seems some are interested in only playing more difficult pieces and others are more comfortable with pieces at their level. I would suggest doing pieces at your levels, but it of course depends on what you are learning piano for. However, by skipping over to the advanced literature, even if it seems slow and easy, there will always be a lack of control and technique that trained ears will notice.

Hello, these are not classical, but may help depending on your style of learning and interest. My suggestion would be Bosa Novas. There are zillions of them. They are generally easy to play, have nice chord changes, you can make your own arrangements and most importantly ... they are sure to impress the girls (or boys perhaps)

Meditation
Corcavato (quiet nights is another name) My favorite
How Insensitive - My second favorite
Blue Bossa
Begin the Beguine
Besame Mucho
Shadow of your smile (Beguine)
Desifinado (put at end of list ... little tougher for starting with)
Ipanema
Music to watch girls by (Samba)
Call Me

I can send you scores (I have most of them I think)that have just chords and melody. If interested, please let me know.

Oh My God!

I haven't logged in in such a long time and now I see all these messages!
THANK YOU!

Have a good day

Thanks so much everyone.

I have chosen: Prelude in E minor, Op.28 nº 4 (Chopin)

I should also consider buying some repertoires.
Thanks very much!

You should definitely look into Tchaikovski's Album for the Young and Schumman's Album for the Young, many good pieces there and a lot of them will be doable.