Recital pieces

Crowd-pleasers that sound harder than they are, at every level. 25 pieces, easiest first.

Got a recital, an open mic or a family gathering coming up? These are the pieces that make an audience sit up: catchy tunes, a bit of sparkle and a big finish. Each one rewards the work you put in.

Choose one a level or so below where you usually play, so nerves on the day have room to spare.

Beginner Levels 1 to 3

Intermediate Levels 4 to 6

Advanced Levels 7 to 10

Picture credits

Ludwig van Beethoven with the score of the Missa solemnis. Joseph Karl Stieler, 1820. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
Henrik Klausen as Peer Gynt, 1876. Ernst Emil Aubert, 1876, Oslo Museum. Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0.
The Entertainer, first edition cover. Unknown cover artist, 1902. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Barbara Krafft, 1819. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
Robert Schumann. Josef Kriehuber, 1839. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Unknown photographer, c. 1865–1871. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
Friedrich Burgmüller. Jakob Becker, 1836. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
Muzio Clementi. Edward Scriven, 1819. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
Title page of The Well-Tempered Clavier, in Bach's hand. Johann Sebastian Bach, 1722. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
Johann Sebastian Bach. Elias Gottlob Haussmann, 1748. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
Frédéric Chopin. Eugène Delacroix, 1838. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
Maple Leaf Rag, first edition cover. Unknown cover artist, 1899. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.