Easy classical piano pieces for beginners: 15 in order of difficulty

These are 15 real classical piano pieces that beginners play, in order from easiest to hardest. The list starts with a minuet that Mozart wrote as a small boy and ends with Für Elise. Each one is a real piece from the classical repertoire, in its original form, and not a simplified version. A child who has finished one or two method books is ready for the first group.

How to use this list

The order is a guide. Hands differ, and a piece that is easy for one child is awkward for another. Ask your child’s teacher before buying music.

The three groups match stages of study, not ages.

Group 1: after the first method book or two

1. Minuet in F, K. 2, by Mozart. He wrote it when he was about six. Each hand plays one note at a time. It teaches a graceful three-beat swing.

2. “Melody,” by Schumann. This is the first piece in his Album for the Young, which he wrote for his own daughters. The right hand sings while the left hand rocks back and forth. Read Album for the Young: a guide for piano families.

3. “Soldiers’ March,” by Schumann. The second piece in the same book. Both hands play short, crisp chords together. It teaches a firm, bouncing touch.

4. Écossaise in G, by Beethoven. A quick dance in the Scottish style. It is short, bright, and full of jumps.

5. “Children at Play,” by Bartók. The first piece in his set For Children, which is built on folk tunes. The left hand keeps a simple pattern going under a cheerful tune.

Group 2: the second and third years

6. Minuet in G, from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach. For 250 years, people thought Bach wrote it. The composer was Christian Petzold. The two hands play two separate tunes that fit together. Read who wrote the Minuet in G.

7. Musette in D, from the same notebook. A musette is a small bagpipe. The left hand jumps between two low notes, the way a bagpipe drones.

8. Sonatina in G, said to be by Beethoven. Two short movements, one flowing and one songlike. Scholars are not sure that Beethoven wrote it.

9. Sonatina in C, Op. 36 No. 1, by Clementi. Three short movements. For many students, this is the first piece with the shape of a real sonata. Read Clementi for kids.

10. “Arabesque,” by Burgmüller. Quick runs of five notes over bouncing chords. It sounds fast and brilliant, and it fits the hand well. Read Burgmüller for kids.

11. “The Wild Horseman,” by Schumann. A galloping tune that starts in the right hand and then moves to the left.

Group 3: the third to fifth years

12. Prelude in C major, by Bach. This opens his great collection The Well-Tempered Clavier. There is no tune. One pattern of broken chords runs from start to finish, and the harmony does all the work. The French composer Gounod later wrote his “Ave Maria” over the top of it. Read Gounod for kids.

13. Prelude in E minor, Op. 28 No. 4, by Chopin. Slow and sad. The left hand repeats soft chords that change by one note at a time. The right hand holds long notes above. The notes are easy. The control is not.

14. Gymnopédie No. 1, by Satie. A slow, floating piece. The left hand swings from a low note to a chord, again and again, and a simple tune drifts over it.

15. Für Elise, by Beethoven. The famous opening is within reach at this stage. The two middle sections are harder, and many students learn the opening first and the rest a year later. Read who was Elise?

What each group teaches

Group	New skills
1	Hands together in simple patterns, a steady beat, and loud and soft
2	Two tunes at once, quick fingers, staccato, and longer pieces
3	The pedal, a singing tone, and control at slow speeds

Where to find the music

All 15 pieces are old enough to be free of copyright, and free copies are easy to find online. Printed books for students add fingering and are easier to read.

Exam boards such as the Royal Conservatory and ABRSM publish graded books that hold many of these pieces. Read music exams for kids.

Composers who wrote for children

Several composers wrote whole books for young players.

• Schumann: Album for the Young
• Tchaikovsky: Album for the Young
• Bartók: For Children and Mikrokosmos
• Kabalevsky: 24 Pieces for Children
• Burgmüller: 25 Easy and Progressive Studies
• Bach: the notebooks he put together for his wife and his sons

A student who likes one piece on this list can find more in the same book.

Things to do together

Listen first. Find a recording of each piece before your child starts it. Children learn faster when they know how the music goes.

Pick by ear. Play recordings of three pieces from one group. Let your child choose which to learn.

Mark the map. Print this list. Tick each piece as it is learned, and write the date.

Play for the family. When a piece is ready, hold a concert in the living room.

Print and play

Track practice on a weekly practice chart. For easier tunes, see first piano songs for kids. For help choosing a piece to perform, read piano recital pieces for beginners. For books that come before these pieces, read piano method books compared.

For more on lessons, see music lessons for kids: a parent’s guide.