For Preschoolers to Elementary School Children: Challenging Piano Pieces — A Curated Selection from Competition Repertoire
What children find difficult in a piano piece can vary greatly depending on the benchmark: it might be the fast tempo and dense notes, the challenge of expressive nuance, or the difficulty of sight-reading.
Pieces that contain these elements in relatively balanced measure are the set pieces for piano competitions.
Because these selections are ideal for assessing and improving children’s performance technique and expressive ability, they can serve as helpful references when you’re thinking, “I’d like them to try something a bit more challenging than usual.” This time, we’ve picked out children’s piano works that are frequently chosen as competition set pieces.
Teachers and parents who are struggling to select studies or recital pieces, please use this as a reference.
- [For Lower Elementary Students] A Comprehensive Introduction to Pieces That Are Easier to Win With in Piano Competitions
- [For Elementary School Students] Brilliant, Showy Masterpieces That Sound Impressive at Piano Recitals
- [For 6-year-olds] A curated selection of standout pieces for piano recitals!
- [For 5-year-olds] A curated selection of recommended pieces for a piano recital!
- [Intermediate Level] Cool Piano Pieces You Can Play [Great for Recitals Too]
- Piano Masterpieces: Surprisingly Easy Despite Sounding Difficult!? A Curated Selection Perfect for Recitals
- [Piano Recital] Carefully Selected Masterpieces and Popular Pieces Recommended for 3rd Grade Elementary School Students!
- [Piano Pieces for Young Children] Perfect for Recitals! A Curated Selection of Brilliant, Showy Favorites
- [Piano Recital] Carefully Selected Classical Pieces Recommended for Upper Elementary School Students
- [Piano Recital] Carefully Selected Classical Pieces Recommended for Upper Elementary School Students
- [Piano Recital] Recommended for Boys! A Curated Selection of Cool, Impressive, and Popular Pieces
- Beginner to Intermediate: Chopin pieces with relatively low difficulty. Recommended works by Chopin.
- [Beginner] Recommended Piano Pieces to Play at a Recital
Lower grades (1–10)
Forest fairyWilliam Gillock
This is a piano piece by William Gillock that sparkles like glistening grains of sound spilling out.
You can almost picture charming fairies dancing merrily deep in the forest.
With its crystal-clear melody that captivates the hearts of many children, this work is perfect for youngsters who want to develop rich expressiveness and play music as if weaving a story.
Rather than focusing only on increasing the tempo, paying attention to dynamics and phrasing—contrasts of loud and soft, fast and slow—will surely make you stand out in competitions!
Middle grades (1–10)
Rondo in C major, Op. 52 No. 6Johann Nepomuk Hummel
Hummel’s masterpiece Rondo in C major, Op.
52-6, is widely loved by players from beginner to intermediate levels.
This work is characterized by the interplay of staccato and slurs, making it an ideal piece for developing expressive playing.
Specifically, short appoggiaturas and pedal technique are key.
For short appoggiaturas, when there are notes A and B, there are two approaches: one where A falls on the beat, and another where A comes before the beat and B lands on the beat.
Since you’re practicing this piece anyway, it’s a good idea to master both.
As for pedaling, carefully discerning the placement of slurs and staccatos will help you play with more ease.
Please use this as a reference.
25 Etudes, Op. 100 No. 20 “Tarantella”Johann Burgmüller
Burgmüller’s 25 Progressive Pieces are famous works that every pianist inevitably encounters while practicing.
Although they’re known as being among the easier studies, they condense essential techniques for beginners.
This time, I’d like to introduce one of the more difficult pieces from the set: No.
20 “Tarantella,” Op.
100.
It’s a vigorous dance primarily in 6/8, or sometimes felt in 3/8.
In particular, the eighth rest between the two eighth notes starting at measure 17 demands a perfect balance—neither too long nor too short.
It’s an extremely useful piece for learning delicate, nuanced playing.
Allegro in F major, Hob. III/73Franz Joseph Haydn
A masterpiece that highlights Haydn’s trademark playfulness and lightness: Allegro in F major, Hob.
III/73.
As the fast tempo of an Allegro suggests, performances are lively and full of energy.
The piece presents challenges right from the start.
In measures 1 through 8, many repeated chords can cause the tempo to rush, so take care.
The section connecting two notes legato from measures 17 to 26 also demands a fair level of skill, making it a significant learning experience for young children and elementary school students.
Lyric Pieces, Book I, Op. 12, No. 4: ‘Elves’ Dance’Edvard Grieg
Grieg’s masterpiece Lyric Pieces, Book I, Op.
12 No.
4 “Elf Dance.” Although this piece is well known as one suitable for beginners to tackle, it is by no means an easy work.
Pay close attention to the passages played pianissimo and the sections where the rhythm changes suddenly.
The opening depicts a gentle, graceful, fairy-like figure dancing, while the middle section heightens emotion with a passionate melody and introduces powerful passages.
How you convey this contrast is crucial, so in addition to practicing thoroughly, be sure to deepen your understanding of the piece.
Upper grades (1–10)
Impromptu No. 1 in A-flat major, Op. 29Frederic Chopin
Chopin’s representative piece that beginners should try, Impromptu No.
1 in A-flat major, Op.
29.
Impromptus are free-form music unconstrained by strict structure, and therefore many of them have distinctive characteristics.
This work is one of those: its unique passages are, I think, the most striking feature.
Developing flowing passages without accents requires supple fingertips, so it will be a significant learning experience.
That said, it’s neither chordally difficult nor especially fast, making it approachable even for those without many years of piano study.
Sea Journal No. 24: ‘The Broken Murmur of the Tides’Miyoshi Akira
Here I’d like to introduce a Japanese piano piece as well: Akira Miyoshi’s masterpiece “Sea Diary.” The piece “Sea Diary No.
24: ‘Broken Surf’” has the most pages in the collection.
The key features of this work are, above all, its abundance of fine notes and its fast tempo.
In particular, the tempo in the first measure is extremely fast; judging by that section alone, it could be considered intermediate level.
From there, the tempo gradually settles down, but starting at measure 25 the key changes, which ramps the tension back up, so be sure to maintain a strong awareness of dynamics throughout.