For 2nd Grade Elementary School Students: Must-Play Pieces for Piano Recitals! Recommended Masterpieces & Famous Songs
Choosing pieces for a piano recital can be a real challenge for teachers, students, and parents alike.
“I want to play a piece I love, but is it too hard?” “I don’t have a specific piece I want to play, but if I don’t like it, I won’t be motivated to practice!” With situations like these, selecting a piece often becomes difficult.
In this article, we’ve picked out the best recommendations—balanced for character and level—for a piano recital featuring children around the second grade of elementary school.
If you’re struggling to choose a recital piece, we hope this helps!
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[For 2nd Grade Elementary Students] Pieces You’ll Want to Play at a Piano Recital! Recommended Masterpieces & Famous Songs (11–20)
Children’s Album – 24 Easy Pieces, Op. 39: No. 8 “Waltz”Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
“Children’s Album – 24 Easy Pieces, Op.
39, No.
8 ‘Waltz’” is a piece frequently performed at piano recitals featuring elementary school children and preschoolers.
Composed by Tchaikovsky when he was 38, it’s perfect for getting used to the waltz style.
Although the difficulty level is approachable for beginners, the staccato passages can be challenging for children who have not yet developed fine motor skills.
Waltzes with frequent staccato are quite rare, so be sure to give it a try.
castanetWilliam Gillock
William Gillock’s “Castanets” features a striking opening with a succession of chords and an exotic musical character.
Not only is it varied and fun to play, but it also incorporates many essential elements for progressing in piano study—such as alternating hands, tempo control, and passages requiring finger independence—allowing students to build skills that will benefit future performances as they practice.
It’s a perfect choice for children who think “standard pieces are boring” or who, precisely because it’s a recital, want to try something with a different atmosphere from the pieces found in their usual textbooks.
Babayaga Op. 39-20Pyotr Tchaikovsky
This is a masterpiece created by a Russian composer who devoted himself to nurturing children’s hearts through music.
The work vividly depicts in music the tale of a mysterious witch who lives in a hut standing on chicken legs and travels through the sky in a flying mortar—a story that powerfully captivates a child’s imagination.
Rapid ascending and descending scales, leaping melodic lines, and unstable harmonies skillfully express the witch’s eeriness and enigmatic movements.
Composed in 1878, its brisk tempo and richly evocative writing convey a thrilling sense of immediacy, letting listeners experience the excitement of the story.
With its expressive depth and dramatic flair, this piece is perfect for a child’s piano recital or as an encore.
A highly recommended classic for those who wish to cultivate imagination through music.
“Baumkuchen” from “The World of Sweets”Yuyama Akira
“Baumkuchen,” included in Akira Yuyama’s piano collection The World of Sweets, stands out for its particularly gentle atmosphere and is very popular, often performed at recitals and competitions.
By enjoying the swiftly shifting moods and expressions as they play, children can sharpen their imagination and expressive abilities, and more fully appreciate the joy of piano performance.
Despite its compact form, the piece offers moments to showcase technique, making it perfect for the stage.
Why not let your child’s expressive power shine with this exciting, heart‑warming piece?
From Eine kleine Nachtmusik, Movement 1Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
A string serenade composed by Mozart in 1787.
Its first movement is characterized by lively rhythms and melodies.
The powerful opening theme is likely one everyone has heard at least once.
In the middle section, an elegant melody unfolds, enchanting the listener.
Mozart began composing at the age of five and left more than 800 works before his death at 35.
From this piece, one can sense his genius and passion for music.
It’s a perfect choice for a piano recital—light, brisk, and bright—recommended for those who want to delight their audience.
ToccatinaDimitri Kabalevsky
This is a piece you can enjoy for its light, rhythmic performance.
Written in A minor, it features a captivating melody in the left hand, while the right hand provides a delicate accompaniment.
A clever touch is the placement of the top notes of the right-hand triads so that they seem to chase the left-hand melody.
As the music unfolds like a small storm, the balance between tension and release is exquisitely expressed.
Although it lasts less than 50 seconds, this work—included in the 1938 album 30 Children’s Pieces, Op.
27—has become widely beloved as an educational resource, making it ideal for beginners to develop both technique and expressiveness.
It can be performed by elementary school students and is a popular repertoire choice.
[For 2nd Grade Elementary Students] Pieces You’ll Want to Play at a Piano Recital! Recommended Masterpieces & Famous Songs (21–30)
Indian DanceAlfred Cortot
Alfred Cortot, a French composer who was also active as a pianist, wrote “Indian Dance,” a piece crafted with friendly melodies and rhythms so that children can enjoyably learn basic piano techniques.
Because it requires playing staccatos and accents accurately at a fast tempo and controlling dynamics, it serves as excellent practice for children aiming to improve their fundamental technique.
The lively atmosphere that evokes brave Native Americans is also perfect for motivating young players.
If they can perform it with confidence at a recital, it will surely lead to a great boost in self-confidence.