[Piano Etudes] Recommended for Beginners! A Curated Selection of Easy, Playable Pieces

Always With MeKimura Yumi

Always With Me (Piano) from Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away – Beginner

It’s the main theme from the Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away.

The song expresses a deep affection for life itself, for existence, and the sanctity of life and death.

In addition to Yumi Kimura’s clear, beautiful vocals, her simultaneous performance on the harp also drew significant attention.

Invention No. 2 in C minor, BWV 773J.S.Bach

Bach / Invention No. 2 in C minor (J.S. Bach: Two-Part Invention No. 2 in C minor, BWV 773)

Known as Invention No.

2, this work in C minor is a compelling piece that distills the contrapuntal techniques of the Baroque era.

As part of an educational collection compiled in 1723, it features a canon-like dialogue in which the right and left hands enter two measures apart.

Despite its brevity, it includes voice exchanges and modulations, requiring the performer to maintain independence and balance between the parts.

The introspective, austere atmosphere created by the key of C minor is striking, lending the piece an artistry that goes beyond a mere study.

It is recommended for those who wish to explore the beauty of counterpoint and the depth of Baroque music.

Offering both technical challenges and opportunities for musical expression, it is a valuable addition to a learner’s repertoire.

French Suite No. 2, BWV 813: GigueJ.S.Bach

Bach French Suite No.2 “Gigue” P. Barton, FEURICH 133 piano

Enveloped in a light, dance-like rhythm, this piece serves as the brilliant finale to the French Suite No.

2.

Its lively 3/8 meter and contrapuntal structure are exquisitely interwoven, creating a beautiful musical dialogue through the interplay between the right and left hands.

Composed around 1722, the work is also included in the music notebook compiled for his wife, Anna Magdalena, conveying the warmth of music-making in the home.

While the key of C minor lends depth and tension, the characteristic vitality of a dance is never lost.

It is recommended for those wishing to take on Baroque music or experience the beauty of counterpoint.

Though it presents technical challenges, it also demands musical expressiveness, making it a compelling work that offers the joy of performing as well as the pleasure of listening.

French Suite No. 2, BWV 813: Menuet IJ.S.Bach

Bach French Suite No.2 “Menuet 1 & 2” P. Barton, FEURICH 133 piano

Beloved as an elegant dance in triple meter, this piece is part of a C minor suite composed around 1722–1725.

Its simple yet refined melody, set in binary form, is captivating, and its inclusion in the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach suggests it was intended for domestic performance.

While adopting a French-style dance form, it also conveys the distinctive beauty of Baroque-era polyphony.

With its relaxed tempo and absence of difficult passages or virtuosic demands, it is recommended for those wishing to try Baroque music or savor the depth of classical traditions.

By paying attention to tone color, expression, and dynamics, performers can enjoy its graceful world all the more.

French Suite No. 3, BWV 814, MinuetJ.S.Bach

Bach: French Suite No. 3, Minuet (BWV 814) (Piano Sheet Music)

Brimming with the charm of an elegant and refined dance, this piece is cherished as part of a suite composed between 1722 and 1725.

Structured in ternary form, it exquisitely contrasts flowing, beautiful melodies with introspective, delicate expression, allowing performers to showcase a wide range of musicality.

While it requires an understanding of Baroque ornamentation and articulation, its technical demands are relatively modest, making it ideal for those who wish to focus on musical expression and sensitivity.

It is also widely featured in educational settings and is used as an important repertoire to cultivate both performance technique and musicality.

Gavotte from French Suite No. 4, BWV 814J.S.Bach

Bach French Suite No. 4 in E-flat Major BWV 815 Gavotte Piano Tutorial

Here is a Baroque masterpiece that lets you savor the light, buoyant rhythms of the French dance style.

Composed between 1722 and 1725, it is known as the fourth movement of a suite and is structured as a clear, dynamic dance in 2/4 time.

It features the repeated use of a concise motif built from consecutive two-note figures, showcasing a superb fusion of Bach’s distinctive contrapuntal beauty with the elegance of a courtly dance.

Although originally written for harpsichord, it is commonly performed on the piano today, demanding a crisp sense of rhythm and a delicate touch.

Recommended for those who want to explore Baroque music or experience the charm of dance forms.

Le Tombeau de Couperin, No. 2: FugueMaurice Ravel

Collard plays Ravel ‘Le Tombeau de Couperin’ – 2. Fugue

Maurice Ravel’s suite Le Tombeau de Couperin was imbued with a sense of remembrance for friends who perished in World War I.

This work, which is the second movement of the suite, was premiered in April 1919 and dedicated to Lieutenant Jean Cruppi.

It is the only fugue Ravel ever composed, with three voices quietly overlapping as if in dialogue.

It seems to speak not only of sorrow, but also of gentle memories of friends now gone.

Within its classical formal beauty, Ravel’s characteristic shimmering sonorities melt together, enveloping the piece in a mysterious sense of weightlessness.

The entire suite was also staged as a ballet.

The key is to let each voice sing its melody with care while maintaining an overall transparency.

It’s a captivating piece through which one can learn both Baroque style and the delicate expression of Impressionism at the same time.