Repertoire for Growing Pianists Fall 2026

Advanced Classical Repertoire

(six to ten years or less of piano playing)

For students with six to ten years of piano playing, this list moves into the standard classical canon — pieces that reward the technique already built and continue to stretch it further. This is meant as a starting point rather than a fixed sequence.

Baroque

14 Bach Invention No. 4 D minor (a must)

15 Bach Invention No. 8 F major (sunny)

16 Bach Invention No. 13 A minor (classic harmonic progression lesson)

17 Bach Invention No. 14 Bb major (elegant)

18 Scarlatti Sonatas L 238 A major, L 430 E major, K 322 A major, K 380 E major, K 159 C major

The Classical Era & the Dawn of Romanticism

19 Beethoven Sonata Op 53 (Waldstein) C major, first movement (full of personatlity)

20 Beethoven Sonata Op 109 E major, first movement (taste of Beethoven's later style)

21 Beethoven Sonata Op 14 No 2 G major, first movement (lyrical)

22 Beethoven Sonata Op 49 No 2 (pgs 49-55 only) G major, both movements (easiest)

23 Beethoven Concerto No 5, second movement (too many treasures)

24 Schubert Impromptu Op 90 No 2 Eb major (pg 10), No 3 Gb major (pg 18), No 4 Ab major (pg 25)

25 John Field Nocturne No 1 Eb major (pg 1) No 5 Bb major (pg 16), No 8 A major (pg 26)

Romanticism

26 Chopin Nocturne, Posth. C# minor (silent pain)

27 Chopin Fantasy-Impromptu C# minor (stormy vs serene)

28 Chopin Etude Op 25 No 1 (pg 2) Ab major (shimmery)

29 Mendelssohn: Songs without Words Op 30 No 6 (pg 11) F# minor, Op 38 No 6 (pg 20) Ab major

30 Schumann: Kinderscenen, Op 15 (start with your favorite movement)

31 Brahms: Intermezzo Op 117 No 2 (pg 4) Bb minor, Op 118 No 2 A major

32 Liszt: Consolation No 5 (pg 8) Db major (lyrical, accessible)

33 Faure: Sicilienne G minor (old world)

Post-romantic and Impressionistic styles:

34 Satie: Gnossiennes No 1 (pg 1) F minor (wandering)

35 Debussy: Arabesque No 1 (pg 3) Reverie (taste of early Debussy)

36 Ravel: Sonatine (pg 6) secone movement (neo-classical)

Some Training Pieces

(five years or less of piano playing)

For adult students with five years or less of piano playing, these selections draw primarily from pedagogical composers, with a few lesser-known and standard classical voices mixed in. The goal is to build the habits and technique that classical playing demands, one piece at a time.

1 Gurlitt - Little Flower

2 Rollins - Prelude in A Minor

3 JS Bach - Prelude in C Minor, Anh

4 CPE Bach - Solfeggio

5 Einaudi - Due Tramonti

6 Tansman - Petite reverie

7 Tansman - Reflections

8 Olson - Above and Beyond

9 Alej - Ballades at Sunset

10 Gromotka - Dreamland

11 Chopin - Waltz in A Minor

12 Purcell - Prelude

13 Baumgartner - Aretta's Rhumba

Repertoire for Growing Pianists

Building a strong classical foundation takes time, and the right piece at the right stage makes all the difference. Below are two curated groups of repertoire I use with my students, organized by experience level rather than age — each list balances technical development with musical satisfaction.