Recommended Schubert Pieces to Play on Piano (Beginner to Intermediate)
Franz Schubert, a leading composer of the early Romantic era, left behind an enormous body of work in his short life of just 31 years.
It goes without saying that he produced masterpieces that have gone down in music history across a wide range of genres: songs found in school textbooks such as “Heidenröslein” (Wild Rose) and “Erlkönig,” piano pieces like the Four Impromptus and Moments Musicaux, and symphonies such as Symphony No.
7, the “Unfinished.”
In this article, we’ve compiled a selection of Schubert’s many famous pieces that are relatively accessible for pianists, including not only original piano works but also songs that can be played in piano arrangements.
If you’re a beginner to intermediate pianist who finds the famous sonatas too challenging to tackle, start here and step into the world of Schubert!
- [Intermediate Level] Cool Piano Pieces You Can Play [Great for Recitals Too]
- Beginner to Intermediate: Chopin pieces with relatively low difficulty. Recommended works by Chopin.
- Piano Masterpieces: Surprisingly Easy Despite Sounding Difficult!? A Curated Selection Perfect for Recitals
- [Beginner-friendly] Play right away! A comprehensive introduction to Schumann’s piano works
- [Intermediate Level] A curated selection of piano masterpieces featuring strikingly brilliant melodies!
- Brahms Piano Pieces | A Curated Selection of Easier, Beginner-Friendly Works
- [For Adults] Recommended for Piano Recitals! A Curated Selection of Impressively Sounding Masterpieces
- [For Intermediate Players] Challenge Yourself! Recommended Masterpieces That Shine at Piano Recitals
- [For Elementary School Students] Brilliant, Showy Masterpieces That Sound Impressive at Piano Recitals
- Beginner-friendly: Easily playable Mendelssohn piano pieces. Recommended piano works.
- Beethoven: A selection of gem-like masterpieces that are easy to play on the piano
- Lower difficulty: Not as hard as it sounds!? Debussy’s piano pieces
- [Beginner] Recommended Piano Pieces to Play at a Recital
[Beginner to Intermediate] Recommended Schubert Pieces to Play on Piano (11–20)
No. 13 from 34 Sentimental Waltzes, D 779 Op. 50Franz Schubert
Comprising 34 approachable, easy-to-play waltzes, the 34 Valses Sentimentales, D 779 Op.
50, offer a wealth of charm.
No.
13 combines brightness and brilliance with calmness, making it a pleasure to play.
Rather than rigidly adhering to the triple meter, aim for a higher level of performance by shaping the tempo with subtle rubato to follow the musical contours.
Ensure the beautiful melodic line sings clearly by maintaining a good balance between the hands and using the pedal effectively.
Waltz in A-flat major, D. 978Franz Schubert
Schubert left many waltzes for solo piano, and it is said that among the pieces he improvised before close friends, he carefully wrote out the ones he liked, which were later included in various collections.
Perhaps because they arose spontaneously for his friends, Schubert’s solo piano waltzes are accessible and relatively short, with many repeated sections; they seldom demand advanced technique, making them easy to tackle.
The Waltz in A-flat major, D.
978, discussed here, appears to have an unknown year of composition, but it is a light, graceful piano dance about a minute long that evokes the genial atmosphere of the salon.
It is quite manageable for upper-beginner level players, but its simplicity can make it prone to sounding monotonous, so even within that single minute, be sure to shape the repeated phrases with clear expression.
Serenade, No. 4 from SchwanengesangFranz Schubert
Often referred to as the “King of Song,” Schubert is also known for having produced many historically renowned masterpieces that continue to be loved today, such as “Heidenröslein” and “Erlkönig.” There are numerous piano solo arrangements of Schubert’s lieder, and many people have likely performed them at recitals.
In this article, we introduce the particularly famous “Serenade” from Schubert’s posthumously compiled song cycle Schwanengesang.
The melody is so heartrendingly beautiful that simply having it in your head makes it easy to get started, and the key point is to solidly internalize the basic 3/4 rhythm while the left hand steadily handles the bass.
It’s well within reach for players at an upper-beginner to approaching-intermediate level, so by all means, try to express the music’s shifting emotions with your whole being.
Minuet in A major, D 334Franz Schubert
This “Minuet in A major, D334” is, as its title suggests, a minuet composed by Schubert around 1815, when he was in his teens.
It proceeds gently in typical minuet fashion, but from the trio in the latter half, the repeated left-hand chord strokes can pose a stumbling block for beginners.
That said, if you have a firm sense of 3/4 time, there’s nothing to be overly afraid of.
Focus on not overexerting the left hand and on playing the right-hand slurs smoothly to shape the beautiful melody, and do your best to perform gracefully all the way to the end!
Andante in C major, D 29Franz Schubert
Andante in C major, D 29 was composed in 1812, when Schubert was still around fifteen years old.
It is said that he even wrote “September 9, 1812” on the score, making it a rare early work by Schubert in which the date of composition is clearly indicated in the composer’s own hand.
If you have basic piano technique, you should be able to play it without much difficulty, though the relatively frequent accidentals may be a bit confusing for beginners.
Because the main theme’s melody is repeated, once you’ve learned it you can play it smoothly—so keep practicing it over and over.
Eight Landlers, D.378Franz Schubert
The waltzes and dances that Schubert improvised in front of his friends are concise pieces, and as long as you have a feel for the waltz rhythm, they’re approachable even for beginners.
They’re especially recommended if you simply want to get a taste of Schubert’s world.
This set, the Eight Ländler, D.378, composed in 1816, is true to the name “Ländler”—a South German folk dance in 3/4 time—light and distinctly dance-like in its melodies.
The arpeggios in the right hand, which literally seem to dance, are the most important element.
In the repeated sections, avoid monotony by shaping the dynamics skillfully to evoke the glittering atmosphere of the social ballroom.
[Beginner to Intermediate] Recommended Schubert Pieces to Play on Piano (21–30)
30 Easy Minuets and Trios, No. 8Franz Schubert
The collection is titled “30 Easy Minuets and Trios,” but since 10 pieces are actually missing, it has effectively become “20 Easy Minuets and Trios.” It was composed by Schubert in his teenage years.
No.
8, which is discussed here, is a minuet with a trio interlude and runs just under two minutes; it should be perfectly playable without advanced technique.
If you keep the staccatos crisp, play the slurs smoothly, and pay attention to contrasts—especially with the character change in the trio—you should find it easy to shape the expression.