About Four-Hand Piano Performances

A four-hand performance is type of piano duet involving two players playing the same piano simultaneously.
There are also six-hand performances played by three people too, but since four-hand performances are more general, I will explain four-hand performances on this page.
For pieces which are appealing to the audience, please refer to Recommended Pieces for Four-Hand Performances.

Genres for Four-Hand Performances

Some pieces are originally composed for four-hand performances, but many are arranged from orchestra, movie, or difficult solo pieces.
As for the latter, there may be several different versions. There is also a possibility for the sheet music to be out of print.

The Dynamism of Four-Hand Performances

Because you can cover a wider range of pitch by four hands, you can enjoy more dynamic and glamorous pieces.
You can experience the joy of creating one performance with another person too.

What Makes Four-Hand Performances Difficult?

Four-hand performances require different skills than solos such as aligning your breaths or considering the sonority balance.
I recommend you to look at your partner’s part in advance too because there are things you don’t realize if you practice your own part only.

Primo / Secondo

The person who plays the high notes is called “Primo” and the person who plays the low notes is called “Secondo”.
The Secondo part is often more difficult when the sheet music is for beginners because it is intended to be played by teachers, but there is really no difference in the level of difficulty between Primo and Secondo although the pedals are operated by the Secondo.

Important Mindset for Four-Hand Performances

In four-hand performances, 1+1 is not always 2. It can be 3 or 4, or even -1. If you think “no one can tell which one of us made the mistake”, the result will probably be -1.
What happens when you make a mistake?
Your partner will be upset, and start making mistakes himself/herself.
Through individual practice, joint practice, and discussions, you’ll be able to minimize the number of mistakes, as well as becoming generous to each other’s mistakes.
The joy of four-hand performances can be achieved when you are able to give the best performance both of you had pursued.

Summary

Four-hand performances allow you to enjoy dynamic and glamorous pieces of a wide range of pitch as well as to experience the joy of creating one performance with another person.
At the same time, it requires various techniques to balance between the sonority of both parts.
I hope you will practice a lot and open a new world through four-hand performances.

Popularity Ranking

Here, you can find the popularity ranking of the pieces that are appealing to the audience. You can choose the piece that best suits you by referring to the level of difficulty. The ranking is based on the web traffic of the previous month. Check the Ranking

Sudden Rise Popularity Ranking

Here, you can find the sudden rise popularity ranking of the pieces that are appealing to the audience. Check the Ranking

Recommended Solo Pieces

You can find our recommended solo pieces that are appealing to the audience according to different levels. You can also sort them by composers and/or genres along with performance videos and sheet music information.

For Beginners
For people who have just started learning the piano. We have chosen easy-to-play pieces that have few notes and simple rhythm but rich in musicality which don't require a lot of knowledge.Go to List of Recommendations
For Elementary Learners
For people who can now read sheet music and play a little. Choose the piece that best suits you according to your finger strength and rhythmic sense. Even though the sheet music may look easy, these pieces sound wonderful when expressed in a careful manner.Go to List of Recommendations
For Elementary to Elementary/Intermediate Learners
For people who have already acquired the basics. Exotic, pop, beautiful, flowing melodies...the ones we have selected will best showcase certain techniques or your ability of expression.Go to List of Recommendations
For Elementary/Intermediate Learners
For people with certain piano techniques and expression abilities. The pieces we have selected are all rich in musicality and sound impressive. Don't worry if your fingers don't reach an Octave. Most of them don't require big hands. Popular recital pieces to hidden masterpieces, we are continuously looking out for pieces to be played by elementary/intermediate learners.Go to List of Recommendations
For Elementary/Intermediate to Intermediate Learners
For people who possess a wide range of techniques. The pieces we have selected are high quality, adequately challenging, and are appealing to the audience. You will find many big scale and glamorous pieces.Go to List of Recommendations
Search by Composer
Here, you can look for our recommended pieces that are appealing to the audience according to composers as well as some basic information on the composers.Search by Composer
Search by Genre
Recommended pieces that are appealing to the audience are shown according to different genres. Please find your favorite by the feature of the piece, era, etc.Search by Genre

If you are not sure whether you are an elementary, intermediate, or an advanced learner, please refer to Elementary? Intermediate? Advanced? Piano levels should be measured by "Piano IQ" which explains the judgement criteria for piano skills.

Recommended Four-Hand Pieces

Here, you can find recommended four-hand pieces that are appealing to the audience. Please check out the list of our recommended pieces for elementary, intermediate, and advanced learners as well as performance videos and sheet music.About Four-Hand PerformancesGo to List of Recommendations