[For Piano Beginners] Play Right Now with Free Sheet Music! A Roundup of Recommended Practice Pieces
For those who have just started teaching themselves piano, choosing practice pieces can be one of the trickiest parts.
If you’re taking lessons, your teacher will pick sheet music that suits your current level.
But when you’re practicing on your own, it’s easy to wonder, “What should I practice next?” or “What pieces will help me improve more?”
So in this article, we’ve selected recommended practice pieces to help piano beginners choose what to work on.
We’re also sharing free sheet music, so feel free to download it and give it a try!
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[For Piano Beginners] Start Playing Now with Free Sheet Music! A Complete Introduction to Recommended Practice Pieces (1–10)
Minuet in G majorLudwig van Beethoven
When you hear “Minuet in G major,” many may think of Christian Petzold’s piece long attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach.
However, Beethoven’s Minuet is equally famous as a staple practice piece at the beginner piano level.
While both the notes and structure are very simple, playing the theme’s repeated thirds legato is by no means easy.
Pay close attention to your finger shape and wrist movement, and aim to keep the sound connected without breaks.
Children’s Album, Op. 39, No. 16: “Old French Song”Pyotr Tchaikovsky
A collection of piano pieces composed by the Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky—known for his ballet music—The Children’s Album, Op.
39, was written for his then seven-year-old nephew.
No.
16, “Old French Song,” is one of the most famous pieces in the set.
With its relaxed tempo and narrow range, it’s approachable even for beginners; however, be careful where the left hand divides into two voices.
In passages where you sustain the lower voice with half notes while moving the upper voice in eighth notes, try practicing each voice separately before putting them together, and experiment with your practice methods.
Spinning SongEllmenreich Albert
Albert Ellmenreich, a German composer and also an actor at a court theater, wrote “Spinning Song,” a piece often performed at recitals.
Depicting women of the time spinning thread with a spinning wheel, the piece—though short—features rich contrasts in dynamics and tempo, and includes rapid runs and staccato, making it an ideal work for beginner pianists to study.
Aim to maintain a light, airy character while taking care not to rush forward.
[For Piano Beginners] Play Right Now with Free Sheet Music! A Roundup of Recommended Practice Pieces (11–20)
EcosseLudwig van Beethoven
Among Ludwig van Beethoven’s piano works, the Six Ecossaises are well-loved as pieces suitable for beginners.
The composition features a single recurring theme with five short themes inserted between its repetitions, making it perfect for learning to switch moods and sharpen musical expression.
It’s packed with basic techniques such as staccato, legato, and turns, so careful practice will help you level up.
With many repetitions that make it easy to memorize, it’s also recommended for recital pieces!
Minuet in G major, BWV Anh. 114Christian Petzold
Christian Petzold’s Minuet in G major, BWV Anh.
114, is beloved both as a practice piece for beginner pianists and as a staple of piano recitals.
Because it was long attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach, many people may still remember it as one of Bach’s works.
As an entry point into polyphonic music composed of overlapping voices, this is a piece you should definitely practice at least once.
For beginners, it’s an ideal study for developing awareness of the left-hand part, which can easily end up serving only as accompaniment in elementary texts.
At the time of the danceHeinrich Lichner
Heinrich Lichner, a German composer who left many short pieces ideal for learning the piano.
Among his works, one of the most beloved is “At the Dance Hour,” whose light, waltz-like rhythm feels delightful.
The key points are to play the melody lightly and the triplet figures—like ornaments—brilliantly, but above all, to keep a precise three-beat pulse! Imagine taking steps to the count of “1, 2, 3” as you play, and keep the rhythm accurate.
Practicing with a metronome is also recommended!
Harpsichord Pieces, Book I, Suite No. 3, No. 1: “The Cuckoo”Louis-Claude Daquin
Louis-Claude Daquin was a French composer who lived in the same era as Johann Sebastian Bach.
Among his works for organ and harpsichord, the most famous is The Cuckoo, the first piece of Suite No.
3 from Harpsichord Pieces, Book I.
Practicing the quick sixteenth-note passages in the right hand is important, but it’s also key to play the left-hand interjections accurately and expressively.
As you practice, focus on the motion from the off-beat eighth note on the “and” of beat two to the quarter note on beat one, which can evoke the call of the cuckoo.