[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)
Waltz of ParisCatherine Rollin
Katherine Rollin, a renowned American composer.
Among her works, I particularly recommend “Waltz of Paris.” Written as a duet, it’s packed with the fundamentals of four-hand playing for beginners.
This waltz, which evokes the scenery of Paris, is sure to be enjoyable when performed in sync by a parent and child! Since the same motif is repeated, it’s relatively easy to play—another part of its appeal.
Give it a try!
Kirby and the Forgotten Land: Dash Across the New WorldOgasawara Yuta
Classical music is great, but for those who want to try performing something bright and dazzling from a different genre, we’d like to introduce “Running Through the New World” from the game Kirby and the Forgotten Land.
It’s a Kirby track popular with children and serves as the theme song for Kirby and the Forgotten Land, released in March 2022.
While preserving the signature feel of past Kirby music, it’s a bright and lively main theme.
A piano duet arrangement is also included in the commercially published sheet music “Enjoy Kirby on Piano ~ Game Music Selection ~,” released in April 2024.
If you love game music or Kirby, why not give it a try? Let’s express the world of Kirby on the piano!
[For Beginners] Enjoy Parent-Child Piano Duets! Recommended Pieces (31–40)
Sing, Sing, SingLouis Prima
Composed by Louis Prima, this piece is an iconic song of the swing era.
When it was released in 1936, it quickly gained popularity.
With its energetic tempo and powerful solo sections, it has a charm that naturally makes listeners want to dance.
It uplifted people during economically difficult times, and it’s recommended not only for fans of jazz and swing but also for anyone looking to brighten their mood.
Focusing on rests and sustained notes in both the accompaniment and the melody makes it easier to play in sync.
Once you can play it, it’s sure to bring the energy up—so give it a try!
He’s a Pirate from the movie Pirates of the CaribbeanKlaus Badelt/Hans Zimmer
Composed by Klaus Badelt and Hans Zimmer, this piece is very well known as the theme for the film Pirates of the Caribbean.
It features a catchy sound and a bold, heroic melody, and is used in many scenes.
When performing it, playing the accompaniment’s bass line as powerfully as possible will better convey the piece’s coolness and grandeur.
The rhythm can be a bit tricky, so start by practicing slowly and in sync.
Once you can play it, it’s sure to get everyone excited!
Jolly Old Saint NicholasBenjamin Hanby
“Jolly Old Saint Nicholas,” a song about Saint Nicholas, who is considered the origin of Santa Claus, is a Christmas carol published in the United States in the late 19th century.
There are various theories about its authorship, but one claims it was composed by American songwriter Benjamin Hanby.
Although it’s in A major with three sharps, the melody is very short and simple, making it easy to try as a duet with young children.
Sheet music with arrangements that use few black keys is also available, so choose an easy-to-play version and enjoy a parent-child duet during the Christmas season.
Suite “Dolly” Op. 56 No. 1: Berceuse (Lullaby)Gabriel Faure
The Suite “Dolly,” composed by the French composer Gabriel Fauré for the daughter of his lover.
Its first piece was written to commemorate Dolly’s first birthday.
Characterized by a gentle, serene melody, this piece invites listeners into a world of tranquility.
In fact, it is said that Fauré adapted another work composed in 1864, adding changes roughly 30 years later to create the version we know today.
Although originally written for piano four hands, there are also orchestral and ballet arrangements.
It’s a perfect piece for parent-and-child piano duets.
Why not spend a loving, heartwarming time wrapped in its tender tones?
HumoresqueAntonín Dvořák
This is an elegant miniature in which the musical sensibilities of the composer’s native Czech Republic and his adopted United States are seamlessly fused.
The contrast between the lively, rhythmical main section and the somewhat wistful middle section is striking, and its graceful melody also carries elements of Bohemian folk music.
Completed during a summer holiday at home in 1894, the work combines brightness with profound emotion.
It has become widely beloved in Japan as well, being used as background music in Studio Ghibli’s short film “Ghiblies episode 2” and in “Chibi Maruko-chan,” among others.
There is also an arrangement for piano four hands, making it especially appealing in the way it lets two players share the joy of making music together.
Simple yet deeply moving, this piece is an excellent choice for those who wish to experience the wonder of music through duet playing.