[Beginner] Recommended Piano Duets | A curated selection of pieces enjoyable for both adults and children

Kirby and the Forgotten Land: Dash Across the New WorldOgasawara Yuta

Kirby and the Forgotten Land: Dash Across the New World (Piano Duet)

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!

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sai-kisaragi

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Blue TangoLeroy Anderson

Blue Tango composed by Leroy Anderson, arranged by Masanori Iida

Composer Leroy Anderson, who gained popularity for his lively musical style, is an indispensable figure when discussing American light music.

Among Anderson’s works, one I particularly recommend is Blue Tango.

It’s frequently used in the media, so you may find it familiar.

While it demands a fair level of difficulty for solo performance, it’s quite manageable as a duet for beginners approaching the intermediate level.

However, since it calls for a powerful performance, a certain amount of stamina is required.

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Ryo

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Beautiful RosemaryFritz Kreisler

[Piano Duet] Schön Rosmarin / Fritz Kreisler / Piano Duo Lumière / 4-hands piano

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.

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Wish Upon a StarLeigh Harline

When You Wish Upon a Star Piano Duet Beginner

Composed by Leigh Harline and known as the theme song from Disney’s film Pinocchio, this piece features a simple, beautiful melody and lyrics full of hope.

It carries a warm message that resonates with those pursuing their dreams, and it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1940.

It’s also popular as a piano duet and is approachable even for beginners.

Enjoyable for a wide range of ages—from adults to children—it’s perfect for recital performances.

Highly recommended for fans of Disney works and for anyone who wants to enjoy playing music together with someone else.

The Fairy Garden, No. 5 from the suite “Ma mère l’Oye”Maurice Ravel

M. Ravel – 5. Le jardin féerique – Ma Mère l’Oye

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.

Dragon Quest V “Wedding Waltz”sugiyama kouichi

Bridal Waltz Piano Duet (Bridal Waltz from Dragon Quest V, four hands)

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.

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sai-kisaragi

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Waltz of ParisCatherine Rollin

Waltz of Paris / Catherine Rollin

Katherine Rollin, the famous American composer.

For piano beginners, practicing her pieces has become something of a standard, hasn’t it? Among her works, I especially recommend Waltz of Paris.

Since it was written as a duet piece, it’s packed with the fundamentals of duet playing for beginners.

It’s generally notated without ledger lines, so the octaves may be a bit tricky to read, but the technical difficulty is low—so beginners should definitely give it a try.

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Ryo

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