Circle of Fists' Beginner Song Playlist (w/ links)

Circle_of_Fists wrote:We'll see how the new-and-improved "Level 2" goes here. It doesn't sound difficult. But one never knows.

Now I understand why this is level 2.

After 2 nights, I have the piece at least memorized, but man! The right hand does the melody that I'm familiar with, but the left hand part just wanders around like a drunken sailor.

At least I don't have to look at the sheet anymore, but this one might take a while to get comfortable with.

Next up on the list:

(Level 1) Henry Purcell - Air in D minor, Z T676

http://www.scribd.com/doc/250285/PurcellKeyboardWorks

Found on page 47 by the book numbering, or page 50 by the software numbering.

On You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBa0HGKcJ8o

And some info on the composer, one of the most highly regarded English composers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Purcell

Hey!!
Just a short question... you started playing in June, right? How is it you can already play so many difficult songs?? I started playing yesterday and it seems I won't get to songs like that in the next couple of years... =) How did you get your brain to work like that in just that short amount of time???

aendym wrote:Hey!!
Just a short question... you started playing in June, right? How is it you can already play so many difficult songs?? I started playing yesterday and it seems I won't get to songs like that in the next couple of years... =) How did you get your brain to work like that in just that short amount of time???

Hi, aendym! Thanks for checking out my beginner song list thread - I hope it helps a lot!

So far, all but one of the songs I've linked to are considered "Level 1" by a list I linked to earlier in the thread. So, in the piano world these are considered easy songs, but I know that as a beginner they seem extremely difficult to play and frightening to learn - at first. But it gets better!

When I first started I quickly realized how difficult it was to play the piano with both hands together. Today is my 6 week anniversary, and while I can now play these songs and some scales with my hands together, any time I try to learn something new, it's like starting from square one, and I have to teach my hands how to cooperate all over again. Yet, every song seemed so difficult at first, only now to be easy to play. (or I should say "relatively easy" to play. I still make mistakes! )

Since this is only your second day on the piano, you will quickly see how powerful your brain is! For example, when one tries to learn something new, like a scale or a song or whatever, it may seem difficult the first day. But the second day becomes much better because while one sleeps, those things learned during the day become a little more permanent at night. I wouldn't believe it if I didn't experience the same thing myself. It's really amazing!

Andrew covers learning new music in this great video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-dBDNWAc9o

Good luck with learning how to play the piano! Remember, practice a lot, go slowly, practice a lot, get some sleep, and practice more.

hey, thanks for the encouragement!!! And you know what?? Youre right!!! The scales I tried out (left hand a minor, right hand c major/ left hand e minor, right hand g major) even worked out way better then yesterday! way quicker!!! and almost automatic!!! That really is exciting!

So you think I could play all those pieces youve listed too? Ill try and keep you updated on my progress if you keep me updated on yours! =) I printed out all of the sheets you posted and even got that hell of a long list of songs with the music grades... so Im just gonna try all that and see how far I can get. So far Im gonna make YOU my ideal... hahaha... so keep up the good work!!!

he he, that's the spirit! I wish you much luck on your journey. And if you find a nice piece, let us know about it!

I should note here that a lot of the songs listed in that PDF file are either still copyrighted (meaning one has to buy the sheet music ), too obscure to find for free on the Internet, or findable with a little help from google (or a lot of help).

I was having such a hard time finding something free to play at the beginning, which is why I started this thread!

Good luck!

Hey!
I would like to thank you for your list of songs, I've been playing piano for a few weeks now (more exploring) and now with your list I actually started playing easy songs So again thanks for your contribution and I hope you keep posting newer songs!

I would like to add a few links with sheet music if they can be of any help.

Some beginner songs: http://www.gmajormusictheory.org/Freebies/freebies.html
Nobue Uematsu's compositions: http://www.nobuouematsu.com/sheet.html#piano
Game & Anime Sheets: http://ichigos.com/sheets
Mostly Zelda songs: http://www.herbalcell.com/free-sheet-music
More game music sheets: http://www.ninsheetm.us/index.php

Thanks for the links, elishia!

So, here are the songs I've found free music online for, and my recommended learning sequence. Just click on the link below each song name to take you to the post where I describe how to get the music and (perhaps) a link to you tube where someone plays it for you so you know how it sounds.

I learned them in a very different order because I didn't know any better! But each piece offers different techniques to learn while you progress along your piano learning journey.

I hope this helps the beginner pianist - like me! Good luck!


1:
Ferdinand Beyer - Mountain Song:
https://afpa.hooxs.com/songs-f5/circle-of-fists-beginner-song-playlist-w-links-t1217.htm#11803

2:
(Level 1) Mozart Allegro in F K. 1c :
https://afpa.hooxs.com/songs-f5/circle-of-fists-beginner-song-playlist-w-links-t1217.htm#11700

3:
(Level 1) Beethoven Ecossaise in Eb major WoO 86:
https://afpa.hooxs.com/songs-f5/circle-of-fists-beginner-song-playlist-w-links-t1217.htm#11959

4:
(Level 1) Minuet in C major by J.P. Rameau:
https://afpa.hooxs.com/songs-f5/circle-of-fists-beginner-song-playlist-w-links-t1217.htm#11939

5:
(Level 1) Henry Purcell - Air in D minor, Z T676
https://afpa.hooxs.com/songs-f5/circle-of-fists-beginner-song-playlist-w-links-t1217-20.htm#12145

6:
(Level 1) Beethoven Ecossaise in G Major WoO 23:
https://afpa.hooxs.com/songs-f5/circle-of-fists-beginner-song-playlist-w-links-t1217.htm#11709

7:
(Level 1) Friedrich Burgmüller - Arabesque, opus 100 no 2
https://afpa.hooxs.com/songs-f5/circle-of-fists-beginner-song-playlist-w-links-t1217-20.htm#12045

8:
(Level 2) Bach - Minuet in G (BWV Anh. 114):
https://afpa.hooxs.com/songs-f5/circle-of-fists-beginner-song-playlist-w-links-t1217-20.htm#12062

And now, after the 8 previous songs, I'm on to something a little longer and (perhaps) a little more difficult, but still well within my basic skill level.

Muzio Clementi - Sonatina, Opus 36 No 1 (3 movements)

Sheet music and audio samples can be found in the link below:
http://www.pianostreet.com/search/freesingle.php?id=1426

(a free piano street account is required to see and hear the music, well worth signing up for)

Like a lot of the other songs, I just kind of stumbled onto this one, but it seemed playable for me at this point.

It has definitely presented a challenge for me. I've only worked my way through the first movement. It took me 6 days to get through that, and I still have a lot of major hang-ups and mistakes at this point, and I'm only through the first of 3 parts here! But so far, I love it.

I found the wikipedia page on Clementi fascinating. While it sounds like the estate of Clementi wrote the article ( ), there was still some interesting bits. Apparently Mozart thought he was a hack:

Clementi is a charlatan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muzio_Clementi


Anyway, great stuff. I hope to get through the rest of it over the next few weeks.

Hmmm.

I appreciate you sharing list of pieces to play - it's always hard to find music to play next - but you are really off in the grading in my opinion.
Ecossaise for example is a level 5! not a level 1.
I'm just mentioning this because it's frustrating, and a little discouraging, for us beginners (I've just played a month) to try a piece of music that is way above our present level.

I did like the Mountain Song, that you're playing above. I'm just getting to the stage where I can play some songs nicely with solid chords, and I'd like to take the next step to broken chords, so that looked like a nice piece to start with. I find that I can do this veeeery slowly, so my next goal is to be able to play this song as well (read fast) as you do.

Thanks for sharing.

Hi jytte, Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it.

Just a few posts back I re-posted the list I've assembled here, but put it in an order I felt more appropriate for learning (for example, in order of difficulty), as opposed to the order I found them in. (which was pretty random)

You're right, the Ecossaise (WoO 23) is pretty tough. That was the second song I stumbled on. After getting feedback from alessio, and drawing on my own experience from learing that song, I put it at #6 (out of 8 ) in the re-posted song list. (although I,m pretty sure it's not a level 5 - where did you get that from? )

So anyway, I do appreciate the comment. I'll refrain from listing any other songs that aren't at the beginner stage (like the last one I posted from Clementi) to maintain the spirit of the thread.

Also, I welcome any other links to music that anyone else might have!

Hi, the Ecossaise I found on makingmusicfun.net, where it is listed in level 5.
I have noticed that levels and grades seem to vary a lot from site to site, but when they are listed by levels, at least one can find something at one's present level/ability.
The problem with this and other sites is, that the easy pieces at the low levels (where I'm at) aren't just easy, they are also bloody boooring. Also, when you're not a little kid, Twinkle Twinkle holds little charm. I find that I tend to find sheet music that is just too hard for me at present, when I try to look for music I can stand to listen to for extended periods of time (and I need a looong time to learn and practice he he).

For others like me out there looking, I did find this little gem:
God rest ye merry gentlemen (LINK TO SHEET)
It was hard enough to present a challenge for me, but after a week of struggling, I can play it, especially since it sounds even nicer in a somewhat slower tempo than on the midi (that is available also).

I am still looking for similar pieces, with solid chords, that I can learn and practice on. Hard to find stuff! If anyone else knows some nice songs like that, please let me know.