[Piano Duets] Guaranteed to get the crowd excited! A roundup of recommended pieces
Piano duet is when two people sit side by side at the piano and, breathing together, perform with four hands.
With duets, you can enjoy a depth and opulence of sound that’s different from solo playing.
Another major attraction is the joy of ensemble—two people creating a single performance together.
This time, we’ve picked out guaranteed crowd-pleasing recommendations from among piano duet pieces!
We’ve gathered cool works that will captivate both players and listeners, so please enjoy to the end!
- [Intermediate] Recommended Piano Duets | A Curated Selection of Cool and Dazzling Pieces
- [Piano Duets] Perfect for recitals! A carefully curated selection of brilliant, crowd-pleasing works
- [Advanced] Piano Duet Works | Exquisite Masterpieces to Savor the Rich, Weighty Sonorities of Four Hands
- [Beginner] Recommended Piano Duets | A curated selection of pieces enjoyable for both adults and children
- [For Beginners] Enjoy Parent-Child Piano Duets! Recommended Songs Introduced
- [Piano Duet × J-POP] A showcase of insanely cool piano duet arrangements all at once
- [Intermediate Level] A curated selection of piano masterpieces featuring strikingly brilliant melodies!
- [Advanced] Super cool if you can play it! Selection of famous piano pieces
- [Piano Recital] Recommended for Boys! A Curated Selection of Cool, Impressive, and Popular Pieces
- [For Elementary School Students] Brilliant, Showy Masterpieces That Sound Impressive at Piano Recitals
- [Popular Piano] Capture the Audience’s Attention! Recommended Pop Songs That Shine at Piano Recitals
- [For Adults] Recommended for Piano Recitals! A Curated Selection of Impressively Sounding Masterpieces
- Piano Masterpieces: Surprisingly Easy Despite Sounding Difficult!? A Curated Selection Perfect for Recitals
[Piano Duets] Guaranteed to Get the Crowd Going! A Roundup of Recommended Pieces (51–60)
My Neighbor Totoro – Duet VersionHisaishi Joe
This is a duet version for two pianos of the main theme from a classic Studio Ghibli animated film.
The gentle, warm melody and the rich sonority woven by four hands blend beautifully, further enhancing the charm of the original piece.
Featured on the celebrated album “My Neighbor Totoro Soundtrack,” released alongside the film in 1988, its bright and lively character is sure to soothe listeners.
Requiring tightly coordinated ensemble playing, this is a piece you’ll want to tackle with fellow piano lovers.
Its arrangement shines in recitals and concerts alike, captivating audiences.
An ideal work for pianists looking to refine both expressive depth and solid technique.
Sword DanceAram Khachaturian
A highly faithful, cool, and recommended piece for four-hand piano is “Sabre Dance,” used in the final act of Aram Khachaturian’s 1942 ballet Gayane.
The opening timpani and off-beat strings, followed by the xylophone’s exhilarating, fast-paced melody, are impressively recreated in piano duet form.
While there are solo piano arrangements, dividing the melody and accompaniment between two players achieves a much higher level of fidelity than a single performer can.
Although there are technically demanding passages for the performers, the cross-handed playing showcases the essence of duet performance, making it visually engaging as well as musically captivating for listeners.
typhoon→Pia-no-jaC
This piece is by the duo →Pia-no-jaC←, featuring HAYATO on piano and HIRO on the cajón, a percussion instrument originating in Peru.
The original is written for piano and cajón, but sheet music for piano four-hands aimed at intermediate to advanced players is also available.
With its stylish, contemporary vibe, it’s sure to hook you once you play it! In addition to clearly articulating the lively rhythms, be sure to breathe together and align your timing perfectly in sections where the tempo changes or the dynamics shift abruptly.
Pavane for a Dead PrincessMaurice Ravel
A piano piece composed in 1899 by Maurice Ravel, a composer France is proud of.
It was later orchestrated and has captivated many with its elegant, delicate beauty.
The work is characterized by a nostalgic atmosphere that recalls the old court dance “pavane” once performed in Spain.
With gentle, nuanced tones and restrained expression, it offers a quiet yet profound emotional impact.
Ravel is said to have chosen the title for the beauty of its sound.
Performed as a piano duet, the rich sonority produced by two players is exceptional.
Highly recommended for those seeking healing and comfort.
[Piano Duets] Guaranteed to Get Excited! A Roundup of Recommended Pieces (61–70)
In the MoodJoe Garland
How about a four-hand duet jazz piece for intermediate players? In the Mood, the big band jazz standard composed by Joe Garland, offers a delightful and fun time for two intermediate pianists playing a duet.
It’s a very upbeat jazz number, famously popularized by the Glenn Miller Orchestra in 1939, and is considered one of the group’s signature tunes.
While duet pieces may often evoke a classical image, choosing jazz works well too, and it’s worth adding to your repertoire.
Since it’s jazz, some improvisational skill is required; however, many scores include guides, so if you have a score with a guide, try following it first.
Unlike classical music, jazz involves improvisation, so once you’ve practiced and feel more comfortable, it might be good to study the chord progressions and challenge yourself with ad-libbing.
Parade of ClownsEmmanuel Chabrier
The piano duet March of the Jester, published posthumously as a work left behind by French composer Emmanuel Chabrier, is a dazzling and varied piece that seems to depict a jester whose unpredictable movements bewilder onlookers.
Its swiftly shifting moods keep the audience endlessly engaged, making it a perfect concert piece! Although the technical demands are high and it’s easy to focus on coordination and technique, if the performers aren’t enjoying themselves, the charm of the piece won’t come across.
So step into the role of the jester who delights the audience, and have fun performing it!
Bling-Bang-Bang-BornDJ matsunaga
For those looking for a lively, intermediate-level piano piece, how about “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born”? At first glance you might wonder how to read the title—it’s pronounced “Blin-Bang-Bang-Born.” It’s a rap-style song that’s hugely popular on social media, and you often see videos of people dancing to it.
With up-tempo songs, the notes fly by in an instant even as you chase them, so be sure not to fall behind the beat as you play.
It may take time to play the rhythms accurately, but use a metronome and master them thoroughly.
The more familiar and well-known a song is, the easier it is to notice mistakes, so listen to the original track and practice until the two of you can perform a well-synchronized duet.