What does everyone play for pleasure? I find it difficult at my grade (grade 2-3) to find music to play just for pleasure, as opposed to studying for an exam or doing pieces my teacher has asked me to prepare. It is very frustrating to see all the wonderful music available yet not be able to play it because I'm nowhere good enough yet. Does anyone have any suggestions? Is there anybody out there at the same level as me?

Suggestions from Piano Street:
http://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/t...9.html#msg41289
http://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/t...1.html#msg45261
http://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,8126.0.html

Yes, I'm working for my Grade 3 exam now.

I have the same problem as you Randall. I always want to try out new, and more famous pieces.

Car Expert

i play lots of beethoven for pleasure. i dont really love his music, but find its a good sight reading exercise. If i play for pleasure - just something im not learning - i just play it as sight reading ,otherwise it is a useless exercise.

I started looking at the liszt sonata, the first 2 pages, 1. because i was intrigued, and 2. because i figure its good to get a headstart! hehe

My G2-3 piano students play an Easy Disney songs book, Piano Time Jazz, Duets with a difference, and Making the Grade...2 and 3. Michael Aaron's piano books 2 and 3 have arrangements of classics that you can manage.

It really depends what sort of thing you're after. When you're playing for pleasure are you looking for something quite easy that you can maybe read a couple of times and will be able to play it; something around the same level as your teacher gives you but perhaps in a different style; or something a little harder to give you a challenge?

Also what sort of style do you look for? Many people feel that they study the classical repertoire with their teacher but that's not what they want to play for themselves as that's not the music they listen to; others, myself included, like that sort of repertoire so that is their 'fun' too. If you fall into the first category you might want to look at something like Christopher Norton's Microjazz or find some of the books from the 'It's easy to play....' series, the pieces in those books are usually around grade 2-3 standard and they have books for almost every style of music.

If you enjoy the more 'classical' works then you could go for one of the 'Tunes You've Always Wanted to Play' books if you like easy versions of more famous pieces (although I must say that easy doesn't usually weigh in at much less than grade 4 standard). If you prefer music by great composers in it's original unadulterated form then try some of the 'Hours With The Masters' series: if you want something that you'll be able to read quite easily and pick up quickly for fun go for the books a grade or so downwards (maybe grade 1); or if you want something similar to what you're playing now have a look at the ones for your grade. If you're after a challenge for fun, some of the earlier Greig lyric pieces are very good but they're around grade 4; it depends where in the spectrum between grade 2 and 3 you lie.

It has to be said that at grade 3 there are very few books that one can expect to pick up and be able to read quickly, especially ones that one would consider worth reading (even at grade 5 I don't find that many...) but it's worth persevering as I'm sure that both of us will one day be able to pick up books that are worth reading and play through them. For now though easier pieces that you can not necessarily sight-read, but can learn quickly might be quite rewarding; unless of course it's just different styles you're wanting in which case look at the suggestions above.

Happy playing .

The first page of the Liszt is probably about the only part that's physically playable

For pleasure, I usually play just about anything, be it Bach, Liszt, Chopin, Mozart, Beethoven, Debussy, Rachmaninov etc.

For pleasure....Einaudi and Hisaishi!! (see separate threads)

For pleasure anything I can find. I like doing musical songs, I'd like to reccomend you something but I'm not sure what's appropriate.

I usually play lots of Hisaishi for pleasure and for sight reading I print out some game music and start playing it.

Thanks everyone, really helpful comments. I would recommend Storini's links - there is so much brilliant information here it's amazing. Thanks Storini. I do have the I Can Play THat Classics book,which has some really well known tunes in it e.g. Delibes (the British Airways commercial song) and I don't find them too difficult after a bit of work, although the arrangements here are not as easy to follow as, say, some of the AB books. Has anyone tried the AB books e.g. Short Romantic Pieces for Piano and MOre Short Romantic Pieces for Piano? These are really good for building up confidence. Has anyone tried the Keyboard Anthology series books? THese contain all exam pieces for the last couple of years at a particular grade. I am thinking of getting one. My friends and family are always very keen to buy me books as presents for Christmas/birthdays and such like but they don't have a clue where to start - neither do I sometimes!

I'm working on grade pieces in lessons but im being naughty and playing some music for my own pleasure. I love Ludovico Einaudi: Le Onde.

Also does anyone know where i can download these two pieces of sheet music for free (and safely)

a ) Dawn ( theme from pride and prejedice) (solo piano)
b ) Tears in Heaven, the choirboys (voice and piano accompaiment)

Yeh I love playing Einaudi for pleasure as its all really pretty and not that hard xD Though alot of the time I just browse through music books and play things that take my fancy , even if I cant really play them

Although I don't share your taste in music *looks around in case nat returns *, I can certianly say that it's not naughty to play pieces for your own pleasure, your teacher would probably be very pleased if they knew you were doing it. Enjoying music and wanting to work on something yourself is a good thing .

Can someone recommend an Easy Piano Einuadi book suitable for say Grade2-3 piano? Or/and perhaps Michael Nyman The Piano?

[font=Arial][size=5]Hi there, I would recommend the Einaudi, I Giorni book. I wouldn't say it was easy as I have only been playing for about 18 months or so but I can now play Limbo and have been practising I Giorni for quite a while but I'm struggling with this one. It's very inspiring and worth buying.

I only have the Einaudi Collection book but that has most of his well-known works from eden roc, le onde and i giorni albums. Most of it is easy-ish...
You can view track listings as well as most of his other works at http://www.musicroom.com/se/ID_No/076384/details.html

I love playing disney music and music from films such as lord of the rings

Burgmuller's first studies are quite simple?!?!?

Sara
x

I giorni rocks my socks

I play what I can really, if I hear a piece on the radio, I'll go and try and find it. I like playing chopin, what I can, learning the Nocturne in C# minor. This evening I've downloaded the first movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. I also like Bach's two part inventions, very clever how he forms these.

Can you recommend any to play? Coz i want to try some...

There's an animated analysis of Bach's Two part invention no 1 - BWV772 animated

The sheet music for the two part inventions are available at Mutopia

The first one seems to me to be a good place to start.

I just had another look at "Pictures at an Exhibition" which was too difficult for me five years ago and still is, but is a stunning piece, with its unorthodox harmonies and sonorities. I find some things better, because of my better keyboard kinaesthetics, and others worse, mainly because of the redistribution between the hands which is necessary and is very difficult to read at speed. "The Old Castle" is probably the easiest movement and is very satisfying.

Debussy was aware of Mussorgsky, and I have long thought "French Impressionism" a misnomer. Many of the ideas refined by Debussy were already present in Mussorgsky's music.

There's one on the grade 6 syllabus I think, it's in B minor. Also first 2 part invention in C major is quite cool, and there's one in D minor that's funky, think it's number 13.

Thanks everyone! The one on the g6 syllabus sounds very familiar... I think i'll have a go at the first one..thanks

i SO understand what you mean Randal McGregor!.... i'm doing my Grade 3 piano this year and im telling you that i find some things hard to play for pleasure... but what i try to do is just think of music that i really like and then look for sheet music for it! i jus try and have a go. my mum is rather good at her piano, and she tells me that if i really want to play a tune, i should try it out een if it's kind of hard, and perhaps set myself a challenge.... thats what i've done with a propably grade 4-5 piece and i actualli managed to get there, so my advice is... if u realli want to play something then just go for it! try it out... be patient.. n in time you'll learn to play... just whatever you do... dont try to play it all at once learn it a little bit at a time, a phrase a day if u must (thats what ive done anyway ) besides if u do that u might find yourself improving a lot more aswell!!! so go for it Loadsa Luck xxxangelxxx

Yep! Give it a go 'cos it does work.