Piano music recommendations?

[Parrot of doom]

I'm learning the Piano, been doing it for about a year now on and off, teaching myself.

So far, I can play entirely from memory:

Moonlight Sonata
Pathetiqe Sonata
Fur Elise
Imagine (J Lennon)
Trouble (Coldplay)

and bits of:

A Little help from my friends (Beatles)
Cavatina (Deer Hunter theme)
My Baby just cares for me (only a bit!)
various other classical music, usually Sonatas.


Can anybody recommend some fairly easy classical pieces, about 5 minutes duration, I don't mind slightly complex bits on the right hand but the left hand should be kept fairly simple? I do like to play the Sonatas, nice and moody and they suit me as a learner.

[chim_knee]

Bach Jesu, Joy Of Mans Desiring?

Mail me if interested regarding the music.

[Einion Yrth]

Trois Gymnopedies - Erik Satie.

[neil_cardiff]

Richard Clayderman?

[blindswelledrat]

Pretty impressive after a year

Perhaps try some of the Chopin preludes as they are quite slow but very recognisable pieces.

Id also reccomend a subscription to www.virtualsheetmusic.com because at $37 per year to download any music you can check out all our reccomendations without paying for something you wont use.

[lord summerisle]

is it a bit early to be suggesting Rachmaninov piano concertos?

[mr_tony]

from an education point of view get yourself the 48 npreludes and fuges by bach ("The Well Tempered Clavier"...

Once you've got that little lot sussed you'll be ready for pretty much anything. Something about Bach that is so timeless - it just works somehow.. Genius

[Plotloss]

Prodigy - Your Love

[alltorque]

in the same position myself (dunno how the hell you've managed to memorise Moonlight Sonata though!!).

Try

Chopin Nocturne number 2

Debussey - Clair de Lune - great beginning but gets a bit tough! Also La fille aux cheveux de lin is beautiful and simple

Satie - Gymnopedie - agree on that one!

Liszt - Lieberstraum no.3 is nice, but one to work on....

[Nuggs]

The Entertainer? Everyone knows it, everyone hates it. Guaranteed to p!ss off your mates at parties.

[batbuilder92]

Have you "discovered " Ludovico Einaudi yet? His stuff is remarkably uncomplicated and sounds very good. I recommend buying the Echos album or look at www.ludovicoeinaudi.com

If you you play the piano his tunes are a must.

[whoateallthepies]

Liszt's B Minor Piano Sonata

Our study piece at A level and our music teacher couldn't play it (piano player for 17 years )

You might need a bit more practice first

[shadowninja]

batbuilder92 said:

Have you "discovered " Ludovico Einaudi yet? His stuff is remarkably uncomplicated and sounds very good. I recommend buying the Echos album or look at www.ludovicoeinaudi.com If you you play the piano his tunes are a must.

[raftom]

Mozart's sonata K545 is quite handy.

Schubert's impromptus are nice (albeit a little repetitive). Schubert was not a virtuoso so is music is usually not that dificult.

Beethoven Pastoral sonata (op28) is very nice and one of my favourites, although not one of his most known pieces. The end of the 4th movement needs a little extra practice but rest is reasonably confortable to play (which is not common in old Ludwig).

Chopin's music is made for the hands! Try listen to some waltzs and nocturnes. Some of the preludes are great and easy too (number 4 and 15 'raindrop' - fabulous!).

J.S. Bach is obviously da man but it's an aquired taste. His music is fairly diferent from all the fellas above that came after him, in that it's more contrapontistic (sp?). Think something like having 2, 3 or 4 melodies runing at the same time instead of the melody-in-the-right-hand-chords-in-the-left that is usual in sonatas, pop songs, etc. You could start by the n.1 prelude (C Major) from Well Tempered Clavier's 1st book. Everybody knows that one

[Bomber Denton]

Don't actually play but if you appreciate the ole joannna, get into Michael Nyman - pure class!

[raftom]

Yeap, and the soundtrack of 'The Piano' is great too.

And BTW this is a good resource for scores online: www.sheetmusicarchive.net

[Parrot of doom]

One composer whose work I do love is

www.imdb.com/name/nm0002353/

But its proving impossible to get sheet music. Can't find it anywhere.

Thanks for the suggestions guys, as for Moonlight Sonata its actually quite a simple piece of music, just variations on a theme really. Impresses the hell out of people though

[elderly]

Parrot of doom said:

I'm learning the Piano, been doing it for about a year now on and off, teaching myself. So far, I can play entirely from memory: Moonlight Sonata .

Can YOU play the last movement!!!!!!!!!
It's SOO hard !

For simple effective classical sonatas
try the early Haydn Piano Sonatas.....
really satisfying.

[raftom]

Funny you mention Thomas Newman. I'm a BIG fan of the Shawshank Redemption soundtrack and have searched the net before for it without success.

Anyway I gave it a try again some minutes ago and voila...

www.cerulean-pictures.com/sheet_movie.html
(by the power of google)

[Marshy]

For a non-classical twist, see if there's sheet music for "Apollo's Frock" or "Ruby through the looking glass" by Tori Amos. Both bloody gorgeous bits of piano work.

>> Edited by Marshy on Wednesday 19th October 21:56