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[For Beginners] Enjoy Parent-Child Piano Duets! Recommended Songs Introduced

Graduated from a music school / 21 years of piano experiencesatomi
I began playing the piano at the age of four and spent six years at a conservatory, focusing mainly on classical music while honing my skills. In addition to solo performance, I studied extensively in chamber music and two-piano repertoire, and I had the opportunity to perform twice on stage as a soloist in piano concertos. While not to the same extent as classical, I also learned jazz and pop through practical performance. I was active as a pianist in various settings, including instrumental and vocal/choral accompaniment, performance assistance for other departments, and recording sessions. Beyond the piano, I devoted five years to the trombone in a wind ensemble. I hope to draw on these experiences to share the charm of music with many people.
Accompanist / Piano Instructoryuri
Accompanist pianist × piano instructor × web writer. I began piano lessons at age four and, inspired by my piano teacher, decided to pursue music. I went on to specialized music programs in high school and university, where I discovered the appeal of accompanying instrumentalists and singers. Currently, alongside teaching piano, I work mainly in my home region of Aichi as an accompanist for flute, voice, choir, and more. Through lessons, my students often introduce me to trending songs, and my hobby is trying anything on the piano—Japanese and Western pop, commercial jingles, and beyond. Since 2021, I’ve also been active as a web writer, covering music and a variety of other genres.

Seeing your child practice the piano may inspire many parents to dream of playing a duet together.

Why not make that dream come true? In this article, we’ll introduce recommended pieces for parent–child piano duets from a wide range of genres.

Duets might sound difficult at first, but there are many published duet scores for familiar music—nursery rhymes and folk songs sung in preschools and kindergartens, theme songs from animated films, and pieces that beginner piano students learn—making them approachable for parents and children alike.

Even if your child has just started lessons and you, as a parent, are trying the piano for the first time, you can give it a go with ease.

We hope you and your child will experience the joy of breathing together and making music as one!

[For Beginners] Enjoy Parent-Child Piano Duets! Recommended Pieces (1–10)

Mickey Mouse MarchJimmie Dodd

Recommended for recitals! Parent–child duet: Mickey Mouse March

Mickey Mouse MarchJimmie Dodd

The one and only Mickey Mouse theme song! It’s a bright, poppy tune that captures Mickey and his friends marching along with excitement.

If your family loves Disney, you’ll find your spirits lifting as you play it as a duet! To keep it rhythmic, it’s important to play the accompaniment lightly and steadily.

If the child plays the melody and the parent takes the accompaniment, maintain a tempo that’s comfortable for the child while keeping a constant sense of forward motion.

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SummerHisaishi Joe

[Summer] Piano Duet Beginner Level - Joe Hisaishi

SummerHisaishi Joe

Summer is a piece with a refreshing yet somewhat wistful tone that makes it especially appealing.

Composed by Joe Hisaishi, who is also active in the field of contemporary music, it’s perfect for a parent–child piano duet.

One recommended approach is to have the child play the simple melody while the parent plays the accompaniment—together it will sound quite polished.

The original is in D major, which has two sharps, but if you transpose it to C major starting on C, you can play it without using any black keys.

Be sure to try that kind of arrangement as well!

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Small WorldRobert Sherman／Richard Sherman

It's a Small World - Piano Duet (Beginner)

Small WorldRobert Sherman／Richard Sherman

Composed by the Sherman Brothers, Robert and Richard Sherman, the masterminds behind many iconic Disney songs, this piece premiered at the New York World’s Fair in April 1964 and was a huge success.

Featuring highly message-driven lyrics that sing of friendship and peace among children around the world, its simple, easy-to-remember melody has been translated into many languages.

It’s also famous as the theme song for a popular Disneyland attraction.

Start by practicing slowly, enjoying the fun of synchronizing your breathing together.

Once you get used to it, try to play the accompaniment lightly—you’ll feel a cheerful mood that suits the song.

Give it a try!

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[For Beginners] Enjoy Parent-Child Piano Duets! Recommended Pieces (11–20)

I Stepped on the Cat

I Stepped on the Cat (Upper Part) [Play a Duet Together] With Do-Re-Mi Notation, Easy Piano

I Stepped on the Cat

Neko Funjatta (Chopsticks) is played mostly on the black keys.

Some of you may have tried the opening but then lost your way partway through.

It’s a piece you can play solo, but in fact, if you layer a right-hand-only part on top of the familiar version, it becomes much more luxurious! You could support a child who’s just started piano by playing the lower part, or gently add the right-hand part over your child’s two-handed playing, and enjoy a parent–child duet.

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My favoriteRichard Rodgers

My Favorite Things – Parent-Child Piano Duet (6th Grade) Piano Duo

My favoriteRichard Rodgers

“My Favorite Things” is one of the songs featured in the classic musical The Sound of Music.

It’s also known as a jazz standard and has been covered by many artists.

In a piano duet for two players, you can greatly expand the expressive range of the piece by introducing melodies at various registers that make use of the players’ different seating positions.

Performing it in a typical musical-theater style is great, but a jazz-style arrangement also makes for a cool performance.

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A Town with an Ocean ViewHisaishi Joe

From Kiki's Delivery Service: "A Town with an Ocean View" — Piano, duet by sisters

A Town with an Ocean ViewHisaishi Joe

Joe Hisaishi has brought numerous masterpieces to the world, especially through the works of director Hayao Miyazaki.

This piece was composed as an insert song for the animated film Kiki’s Delivery Service and is used in the scene where the protagonist, Kiki, begins her life in a new town.

Its gentle, nostalgic melody expresses personal growth and challenges in a new environment, as well as the joy and wistfulness felt along the way.

In performance, both the melody and accompaniment feature a fair amount of leaps, so simply being mindful not to let your hands stray too far from the keys will make it easier to play.

It’s a piece that especially highlights the joy of playing in sync, so by all means enjoy performing it together as a parent and child!

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Mountain MusiciansDoitsu min’yō

Mountain Musicians - German song, piano duet

Mountain MusiciansDoitsu min'yō

The German folk song The Musician of the Mountain became widely popular in Japan after being arranged by Katsuhisa Hattori and broadcast on Minna no Uta, sung by the Dark Ducks.

Many people may remember singing it at nursery or kindergarten performances or at elementary school arts festivals.

When children play this piece on the piano, it sounds utterly charming.

Because it’s a familiar tune, the melody and rhythm are easy to remember, so even for a first duet, children can perform without feeling anxious.

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