Looking for some fun piano duets to play with your friends or family members? Below, piano teacher Liz T. shares 10 of the most famous piano duets that are surprisingly easy to learn…
Playing the piano doesn’t always have to be a solo activity. If you’re looking to make piano more of a social activity and be challenged at the same time, try playing some piano duets.
Learning how to play piano duets can be complicated at first. With a little practice, however, you’ll get it down in no time. Before you get started, glance over some of the helpful tips below.
Quick Tips For Playing Piano Duets
- Find the right partner: Find a partner that is near or about the same level of piano training as you, as it can be difficult to play with someone who’s less or more advanced than you.
- Divide responsibilities: Make sure that you discuss who will be responsible for what. For example, determine who will count off or set the tempo, as well as who will turn the pages if necessary.
- Practice on your own: Before you meet with your partner, make sure that you have your part down pat. This will ensure that there’s no confusion when it comes time to combine the individual parts.
10 Famous Piano Duets for Beginners
Now that you’ve gotten a refresher on how to play piano duets, check out this list of famous piano duets you can learn today.
1. Heart and Soul by Hoagy Carmichael
This simple piano duet from the 1930’s will leave you wanting to play more. With very distinctive melodies in both the left and the right hand, either hand is quite fun to learn. Check out the cute father and son piano duet above.
2. Chopsticks
The famous Chopsticks waltz is a great song for teaching kids how to play together. There are many easy piano duet versions out there. Watch the two students play the piano duet in the video above.
3. I Got Rhythm by George Gershwin
This piano swing tune is great for adults to learn. You can find an arrangement to a tune like this in the Hal Leonard Gershwin 2 piano book.
4. West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein
The music from “West Side Story” is absolutely gorgeous to play as a piano instrumental. Many of the songs can be performed as a duet. Check out the video above in which the musicians play a duet of the medley of the entire show.
5. Hungarian Dance No 2. by Franz Liszt
This easy piano duet is great for students to play around dynamics, tempos, and finger agility.
6. Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley
This upbeat rock ‘n’ roll tune from the 50’s is a ball to play. Great for students to dive in and explore this genre together, such as the young girls in the video above.
7. All I Ask of You by Andrew Lloyd Webber
This heart melting song from “Phantom of the Opera” is breathtaking as a piano duet. With both classical and Broadway elements, this song is perfect for any performance. It’s also a great song to practice glissandos, octave jumps, and dynamics.
8. Let It Be by The Beatles
The Beatles wrote several great songs that can easily be transferred to the piano as duets. Beatles songs are quite easy to play on the piano, as many of the songs repeat the same chords.
9. Piano Man by Billy Joel
Billy Joel often teams up with Elton John, another iconic piano and vocal legend, in playing this famous song. Notice in the video above that they use two separate pianos, but are still playing a duet together.
10. Sonata in D Major by Mozart
For the more advanced piano player, try placing two pianos facing each other if you have the capabilities of doing so, as this song requires a broad range, and quick hand movements.
Find another piano player and start learning some of these easy piano duets together. Audiences love seeing famous piano duets performed, and as a piano player it is tremendously satisfying to play a duet with a partner.
Post Author: Liz T.Liz T. teaches singing, acting, and music lessons online. She is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music with a B.M in Vocal performance and currently performs/teaches all styles of music including Musical Theater, Classical, Jazz, Rock, Pop, R&B, and Country. Learn more about Liz here!
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