![[Piano Duets] Guaranteed to get the crowd excited! A roundup of recommended pieces](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EsA0YVKJK9w/hqdefault.jpg)
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 Hype Up the Crowd! A Curated Selection of Recommended Works (1–10)
Galaxy Express 999Godaigo
This classic song by the progressive rock band Godiego is widely known as the theme for the animated film Galaxy Express 999.
Composed by Yukihide Takekawa and arranged by Mickey Yoshino, it’s said to have been completed in just 12 hours.
The lyrics encourage setting off on a new adventure, symbolizing the courage and resolve to overcome past hardships and forge a path to the future.
With that spirit in mind, enjoy performing it as a piano duet!
He’s a Pirate from the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean.”Klaus Badelt/Hans Zimmer
Music from Disney works is extremely popular in the piano world as well.
At more casual recitals, you’ll often see children performing Disney pieces.
Among those Disney works, the one I especially recommend is He’s a Pirate from the film Pirates of the Caribbean.
It’s the movie’s theme song, pairs exceptionally well with piano duets, and makes for a very impressive listen.
If you’re good at powerful playing, definitely give it a try.
Theme of Lupin the ThirdŌno Yūji
A celebrated piece composed by jazz pianist and composer Yuji Ohno.
It was used as the theme song for the 1978 broadcast of the anime Lupin the Third (Part II) and has continued to be beloved by many fans ever since.
The original features a lively big band jazz sound, with a dazzling and dynamic performance that leaves a strong impression.
Saxophones, trumpets, keyboards, and guitars are employed in an energetic arrangement that musically conveys a thrilling sense of adventure.
That appeal can also be felt in a piano four-hands setting.
Imagining the instruments from the original while you play makes it even more enjoyable, so give it a try!
Tico-Tico no FubáZequinha Abreu
For solo performance, Tico-Tico no Fubá is a piece familiar even to beginners.
That said, that familiarity often comes from simplified scores; depending on the arrangement, some versions are challenging enough to be considered advanced.
The duet version of Tico-Tico no Fubá isn’t necessarily that difficult.
However, if the performers aren’t perfectly in sync, it can suddenly sound awkward—so in that sense, it is demanding.
Be sure to check it out.
Hungarian Dances No. 1Johannes Brahms
Among the works by Johannes Brahms, a leading composer of the Romantic era, this piece is especially popular.
Written for piano four hands, it captivates with its lively rhythms and passionate melodies.
It is said to reflect Brahms’s encounters with Romani folk music during his concert tours in Germany; while based on Hungarian folk music, it also bears Brahms’s distinctive interpretation.
Upon its publication in 1869, it met with great acclaim, and it was later arranged for solo piano and for orchestra.
This is a guaranteed showstopper that lets you fully savor the richness and opulence unique to piano duets, where two players breathe as one.
Piano Sonata in D major, Op. 6, for four handsLudwig van Beethoven
A work for piano four hands by the great classical composer Beethoven, published in 1797.
It is a relatively short, two-movement sonata characterized by a bright and lively tone.
The first movement has a vigorous, energetic sense of tempo, while the second is notable for its gentle and elegant melody.
Because its technical difficulty is relatively low, it has been enjoyed not only by professional performers but by a wide range of pianists.
The piece was conceived for performance in small settings, such as the salon culture of the time and domestic musicales.
It emphasizes the shared joy of playing, allowing two performers to breathe together and create a single performance in unison.
It is also recommended as a piece to include in the repertoire of those who enjoy the piano.
Sing, Sing, SingLouis Prima
When you think of piano duets, many people might picture genres other than classical, right? “Sing, Sing, Sing” is one of the most frequently performed jazz standards as a duet.
Its difficulty ranges from beginner to advanced! Some of you might be thinking, “What?”—but in short, the difficulty varies greatly depending on the sheet music.
In simpler arrangements like the one in the video, the crossing sections will likely be the tricky parts.
Advanced versions feature formidable arpeggios and fast passages, so if your fingers can keep up, definitely try tackling the higher-difficulty scores.