[For Beginners] Enjoy Parent-Child Piano Duets! Recommended Songs Introduced
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!
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[For Beginners] Enjoy Fun Parent-Child Piano Duets! Recommended Songs (21–30)
Dragon Quest V “Overture”sugiyama kouichi
While searching for a piano duet piece for a recital, game music is also an option.
The “Overture” from the beloved national hit series Dragon Quest captivates audiences from its opening fanfare and is performed throughout the franchise.
Included in the piano collection “Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride,” supervised by Koichi Sugiyama, it can be performed with a level of fidelity that closely recreates the game’s original sound when using that score.
Frequently arranged for orchestra, the piece has a distinctly classical resonance, and its brilliant, grand melody will surely invite listeners into a hero’s adventure.
From Kirakira Piano: Famous Piano Duets for Children, Volume 1 — “Catbus”Todoroki Chihiro
Chihiro Todoroki is a composer who creates a wide range of works, from piano pieces for children to music for adults.
This piece is an arrangement of music from the film My Neighbor Totoro for piano four hands.
It’s designed so that when a parent and child play together, they can create a richer sound than you might expect.
The lively, fun character that brings to mind the film’s exciting scenes is perfect for motivating children who have grown bored with practice.
Why not experience the joy of making music through a parent-and-child duet?
Alright! HeartCatch Pretty Cure!Takatori Hideaki
“I want to play Pretty Cure songs!” As children become somewhat familiar with the piano—especially younger ones—they often long to play music from their favorite anime or characters.
Anime songs and pop tunes can have complex rhythms and key changes, which can cause stumbling when playing with both hands.
However, if a parent and child play a duet, they can divide the roles of melody and accompaniment, making it easier to tackle songs that are hard to perform alone.
How about achieving your child’s goal of playing their beloved Pretty Cure songs together through a parent-child duet?
Suite ‘The Nutcracker,’ Op. 71a – TrepakPyotr Tchaikovsky
How about the suite The Nutcracker by Pyotr Tchaikovsky? This piece comes from the ballet The Nutcracker.
While the original is known as an orchestral work, there are also scores arranged for piano four hands.
Among those, a particularly popular and dazzling selection is the Russian Dance, or Trepak.
Some people associate it with the movie Home Alone, but the piece used in the film is a different work composed very much in a similar vein with a similar character.
From the very beginning, the music bursts with a lively melody and a sense of drive.
Thanks to its brilliant, joyful character, it’s an excellent recommendation as a duet piece for a recital.
Dragon Quest V “Wedding Waltz”sugiyama kouichi
The nationally popular game Dragon Quest, which invites players on a hero’s adventure, features the “Wedding Waltz,” now arranged for piano four hands.
Supervised by composer Koichi Sugiyama, it is included in the piano collection Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride.
The piece plays during a pivotal scene in the game and leaves a strong impression on those who have played it.
It’s no exaggeration to say this piece represents Dragon Quest V.
Stylistically, it’s a typical Viennese waltz of the 19th century, giving it a very classical feel.
It’s a brilliant, fully realized composition that could easily be mistaken for standard classical repertoire if one didn’t know the game, and it would fit naturally in a piano recital.
It’s best performed with a bright, bridal image in mind.
Beautiful RosemaryFritz Kreisler
As a sparkling and beautiful classical piano duet, I recommend Fritz Kreisler’s “Schön Rosmarin” (“Lovely Rosemary”).
It’s a piece that makes you feel as if you were at a ball, and Kreisler, a violinist, often performed it as an encore at his own concerts.
This work has been arranged for piano four hands, and it fills listeners with a sense of elegance.
It’s a three-beat waltz that is bright, dazzling, and easy to listen to.
The character is that of a typical Viennese waltz popular in 19th-century Vienna, and playing it on the piano can make you feel like nobility.
It’s also a great recommendation for anyone looking for classical piano duet repertoire.
The Fairy Garden, No. 5 from the suite “Ma mère l’Oye”Maurice Ravel
The world of timbres woven by four hands shines even more beautifully in Maurice Ravel’s works for piano four hands.
Premiered in Paris in April 1910, this fairy-tale-themed suite was written for children yet conceals profound musicality.
Its graceful triple-meter waltz unfolds a fantastical atmosphere, captivating listeners with the rich sonority and expressive power unique to piano duet.
Amid the majestic and beautiful melodies, passages evoke the delicate colors of harp and celesta, offering the sensation of being led into a dreamlike realm.
While synchronizing breath and timing with a duet partner can be challenging, the joy of achieving a unified performance is unparalleled.
This is a highly recommended piece for those who wish to fully savor the essence of piano four-hand playing.