5 Pieces to Play Instead of 'Für Elise'

5 MORE Pieces to Play Instead of Fur Elise: • 5 More Pieces to Play ...
Don’t get me wrong, I like Fur Elise; it’s just a tad…overplayed. In this video, we’ll explore the piano’s wonderfully vast repertoire in search of alternatives - lesser-known pieces by lesser-known composers full of depth and around the same level of difficulty as Fur Elise. So, if you’re a budding pianist, student or teacher, then this is the video for you!
And don’t forget to like, share and subscribe - thanks! 😊
Timestamps:
1) Friedrich Burgmuller: Ballade, Op. 100 no. 15 - 0:31
2) Edvard Grieg: Arietta, Op. 12 no. 1 - 1:25
3) Ernest Bloch: Dream, Enfantines no. 10 - 2:06
4) Aram Khachaturian: Ivan Sings - 2:49
5) Jennifer Linn: Moonshadows on the Moutain - 3:36
Very many thanks to Frances Wilson (The Cross-Eyed Pianist) for help in assembling this list and to all the performers who permitted me to showcase their wonderful playing:
1) Michael Kravchuk
Burgmuller - • Burgmuller - Ballade O...
michaelkravchuk.com/
2) Vadim Chaimovich
Grieg - • Edvard Grieg | Six "Ly...
www.vadim-chaimovich.com/en/
3) Dr Jason Sifford
Bloch - • Ernest Bloch, "Dream"
www.siffordmusic.com/
4) Sahan Arzruni
Khachaturian - • Aram Khachaturian - Al...
5) Dr Alan Huckleberry
Linn - • Jennifer Linn, Moonsha...
www.alanhuckleberry.com/
frederickviner.com/

[@FrederickViner]

Many apologies for the sound quality! I was (and still am to a large extent) a total tech noob when narrating this and have endeavoured to improve the quality of my videos. Thanks so much for bearing with me and for all your great feedback. Feel free to reply with more suggestions for pieces! I'd love to make another video exploring more intermediate gems :)

[@Damsel_In_Distress_528]

No, worries. I would only adjust the volume of your voice as it was a bit difficult for me to hear you at times. Thanks for the great video.

[@Helloworld-xu2ui]

Pieces that are amazing to start for beginners. 1. Rachmaninoff - piano concerto 3 2. Balakirev - Islamey 3. Bach - goldberg variation 4. Scriabin - piano sonata 5 5. Liszt - All transcendental etudes

[@eliter7991]

Totally agree!

[@Hailey_Paige_1937]

You forgot Ravel’s “Scarbo” from Gaspard da la Nuit. 😂

[@ruperttmls7985]

Dorkish

[@pianosbloxworld4460]

Oh, don’t forget Chopin’s 24 etudes, and Beethoven Hammerklavier. Totally beginner!

[@exerciserelax8719]

Messiaen's Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant Jésus is a great choice for your first piano recital.

[@jbr8916]

I used to like Fur Elise, but I've just heard it so many times. It's not a piece that's so good that it never gets old. I can listen to Liebestraum No. 3 over and over again, and it still retains its charm and romance.

[@senisokoya82]

You're just like me.I can listen to liebestraum over and over again.

[@razepp]

@@senisokoya82 samee

[@Diamondstar7851]

Margot Channing (and I) agree!

[@aliza4707]

Most beautiful piece ever yup

[@no-rq7fp]

Liebestraum is just as kitsch, and I'm a huge Liszt admirer. People just lack taste.

[@martydg1509]

Hey if you can play the WHOLE of Für Elise then that ain’t bad

[@danteferrarirodrigues1433]

Bro its not worth it trust me

[@rlrihards948]

Actually the middle part is even better.

[@yoshi_drinks_tea]

Better yet, play the updated version from 1822.

[@ruperttmls7985]

Another pieces: -Tchaickovsky’s Album for young (the entire book is early intermediate level) -Schumann’s piece “echoes from the theatre” and another pieces from his album for young.

[@FrederickViner]

Great suggestions, Rupert!

[@MrMinermation]

I don't love Für Elise, but I feel like it's a bit of a rite of passage. Learning to play it now, but excited to move on, maybe to one of these.

[@FrederickViner]

Completely agree. After all, these famous pieces are famous for a reason - they're actually quite good!

[@fatitankeris6327]

Would like to hear the other part of it played by the overplayers. They only play the "main" part, not the joyful one.

[@alephbunchofnumbers]

@@fatitankeris6327 agreed lol. Was just about to say, if the other "movements" were played alongside, I wouldn't mind it being overplayed so much

[@txetwon8237]

Working on Chopin etude. Never played fur Elise never will

[@mychalevenson7710]

That whole Burgmueller Opus 100 is great. It helped me so much as a pianist. I got a book with an accompanying CD that walked the student through the skills to focus on in each piece.

[@FrederickViner]

It is, isn't it? Have you played any of the other pieces in the video? :)

[@mychalevenson7710]

@@FrederickViner No, but I just ordered all of them. 9/8 in Dream has me a bit nervous, but I'll figure it out.

[@gmfrunzik]

His opus 105 also

[@sandervdbrink84]

Für Elise is like Toccata and Fugue in D minor of Bach. Overplayed and many people who don't actually listen to classical music, but still claim to do so, can't name much more than these works.

[@pedropicapiedra9381]

at least they kill just the first like 5 seconds of bach´s toccata and maybe the start of the fugue

[@Helloworld-xu2ui]

Flight of the bumblebee is the most overplayed shit

[@sandervdbrink84]

The Seasons by Vivaldi is overplayed as well.

[@ryangreene2159]

@@pedropicapiedra9381 I’m an organist, and I actually haven’t even learned it yet.

[@desolateones]

I avoid playing Für Elise like the plague. It reminds me of some over played pop song that's quirky to begin with but then turns into something you begin to hate over time...

[@cinqtonic504]

I remember playing the Arietta for my grade 4 piano exam last year. It was definitely my favourite piece to play and provided a good level of difficulty that sounded amazing

[@kaan_bey]

This video has, by far, the best thumbnail photo out of all thumbail photos ever existed.

[@JugglerBlend]

It's refreshing to hear other pieces other than Fur Elise that have the same difficulty anyway thanks for sharing

[@pretzelkch8322]

I always love peoples' reactions when I say I've never learned/played Fur Elise despite being a relatively advanced pianist. It's become an expectation at this point.

[@Andrea-hc4kz]

Hey same here! :) People may judge but meh we have taste tho

[@Klavieralter]

It is like Stairway to Heaven or Black Bird for the guitar. Familiarity can breed contempt. And boredom. As a piano learner I'd rather enjoy the unbeaten path than smash my face against the keys due to boredom.

[@sethhu20]

just learn it, you'll probably master it in 3 or 4 days, and deal with all those people around you for the rest of your life

[@hansg9826]

I learned it to annoy my musician friends

[@Klavieralter]

@@hansg9826 That idea is a good motivation tool. A gadfly at the keyboard. Sounds fun...

[@emmapreston9736]

Thank you for this! I stopped playing when I was around 8 and 6 years later I’m trying to get back into it. I would really like to play classical so this video is very helpful, thank you :)

[@FrederickViner]

You're welcome, Emma! Best of luck with that and have fun :)

[@robinthomsoncomposer]

Great. Always on the look out for new this level of pieces for my students.

[@FranWilson]

Great selection of music!

[@mazeppa1231]

Another good piece for beginners is *Oginski's Polonaise: "Farewell to the Homeland".* It has its share of challenges, but nothing too hard, and great to listen to. His other *Polonaise: "Les Adieux"* is also amazing to listen, and suitable for beginners too.

[@cjanebell]

Love the pieces you've chosen. Thank you!

[@FrederickViner]

You're welcome, Jane! There are some truly wonderful intermediate gems out there

[@IndoPersian1969]

I played the Kachaturian for my Grade 2 exam in 1978. I still think about it and ADORE it! Thank you for including it in this video.

[@FrederickViner]

It's wonderful, isn't it? Every pianist should learn it! :)

[@andywg]

Aaaaah Moonshadows on the Mountain! Before I had finished watching the recording you link to for the first time I was ordering the sheet music and memorised it within a week! I have come back to thank you for introducing me to an amazing piece which is in a great book!

[@fireblight2336]

Wonderful. This is exactly what I was looking for, thanks for the videos!

[@FrederickViner]

Thanks for the comment and so pleased you found them helpful! :)

[@aleccino]

These are wonderful suggestions!

[@kyokusei]

Leo Ornstein's Piano Sketchbook is a book of songs for beginner pianists. Although his regular work is insanely difficult, there are some nice simple melodies in the book

[@martathequenn3835]

Thank you veeeery much for this video!!!! beautiful pieces

[@diminished2nd]

Heyyy! Dr Huckleberry was my professor in college! He is so great, and very kind! Jason Sifford was adjunct professor there too, when I was studying there. Dr Huckleberry took a semester off one year, and Professor Sifford sat in for him. He is has a way of communicating his ideas incredibly clearly... he is a fantastic teacher!

[@closmartins]

The world needed this video sooo much!

[@Blues251]

glad I discovered this channel. Subscribed!

[@spatchmo6938]

Chopin's Raindrop Prelude is also good for people of around the same level of skill, but maybe a bit more difficult than Fur Elise? I think the hardest part about Raindrop is playing it with enough expression so that it doesn't feel repetitive

[@thine.]

MOST of the time, not always but mostly when something sounds nicer it tends to be harder to play, like its faster or even slow but has tricky finger placements, but for any nice melody Chopin is definitely the way to go, since there are also easy options like the Waltz in A minor

[@IloveAmadeusMozart]

Oh thank you! This is just what I was looking for! ^_^

[@lipi324]

Thanks you ! its 30 min ive discovered ur chanel and u deserve more repercution in yt. Absolutly great work in production and ideas.

[@qpianist]

What a wonderful video! Thank you so much. I need more ideas for my students

[@FrederickViner]

Thanks, Colin! Subbed to your channel and look forward to checking out your performances :)

[@markinnes4264]

I love the Grieg Arietta piece. This is the first time I've really listened to it. I hope you can show us similar lyrical works like this from the Romantic and modern era in future videos. Right now I'm about halfway into the Pathetique 2nd movement... another Beethoven standard... but I still like playing and listening to it.

[@glueckssilben]

I played the Khachaturian when I was young. It felt like a very rewarding piece.

[@ripleyhrgiger4669]

The Burgmuller Ballad is a beautiful piece of music and is very uplifting!

[@yaretzie.aguilarhernandez723]

Thank u for this video, i was at the edge of madness if i kept being insisted to play fur elise, now i know what to play first :D

[@winston7131]

I remember playing ballade by burgmuller when I was a kid for a competition, gotta say it was one of my favourite pieces well because it won me 2nd place in said competition but that's not the point, really enjoy playing it, fits my style I guess,thank you for reminding of this piece I gotta search through all my files to see if I still have the sheet music. Edit: I would also recommend Felix Mendelssohn's op 30 no 16 "venetian boat song", it isn't that much harder than für elise, it is a very beautiful piece

[@GarciaAlisson]

Ivan Sings is one of the simplest yet most beautiful melodies ever. So much so, I'm writing a set of variations for orchestra on it. One of the first pieces I ever learned with pedal and I never forgot it.

[@FrederickViner]

I'd love to hear your variations once they're completed :)

[@GarciaAlisson]

@@FrederickViner and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it :)

[@gaspari9734]

thks ! it helps a lot !

[@christianloper9483]

Excellent video! Fur Elise, though overplayed, is always fun to play and enchanting, but I often find myself wanting something else I can comfortably play well for others or for myself. These should do the trick.

[@FrederickViner]

Thanks, Christian! Glad you found it helpful. Be sure to check out '5 more pieces to play instead of Fur Elise' if you need more ideas! :)

[@christianloper9483]

@@FrederickViner Thank you! I will check it out :)

[@Linus-nq2op]

When I saw the video title I immediatly thought of Friedrich Burgmüller, as his pieces arent overplayed, but beautiful. What a coincidence the first piece was from him

[@StressKind]

Wow, this is exactly what I need right now. I played Für Elise as a kid but I just don't want to touch the piece anymore since I took playing up again a few years ago

[@FrederickViner]

So glad to hear you've picked up piano again! Keep it up :)

[@oceanelf2512]

Those are fantastic.

[@aldsdwin]

What about Schumann's Album for the Young? Although slightly more difficult for beginners, the album contains lots of interesting and catchy melodies that are probably good enough as recital pieces. These pieces become even more rich and lovely (and sound way more difficult) when played by advanced pianists. Hope you can have part 2 and so on as you discover other pieces in the future 👌

[@zenthik4131]

i used to be a competitive pianist when i was younger. when i was 8, i played ballade for a recital. i vaguely remember the pain it took to flawlessly master the left hand fingering

[@FrostDirt]

Wow, great selection

[@LoLEntensindtoll]

1, 2, 4 was already in my repertoie. :D

[@elizabethhauck2495]

Wonderful thank you

[@arismp2780]

Grieg's lyric pieces overall are little masterpieces

[@mogret7451]

The Bloch piece was amazing! 😍😍

[@martialpanyvino]

Thank you so much !!

[@FromG2eminor]

Been teaching piano for 20 years and have yet to teach Fur Elise. There are so many other treasures out there.

[@JacobBite]

I started my first piece, Waltz in A minor B. 150 over a month ago. I can play the full piece now and just need to work on my expression and tempo. My friend recommended I start with Fur Elise but I'm holding that off for later.

[@louisrorison8457]

Chopin's waltz in a minor is a wonderful piece, learning it myself right now.

[@Wuschi2001]

Great video

[@nightshade8958]

You really like the piano! I'd like to hear you play these.

[@josephhapp9]

My grade 5 teacher banned Fur Elise,,as a result I picked it up later in life and now always love playing it. So many think negatively but its really because so many attempt bits that are popular and end up embarrassing themselves. Just learn it slowly.

[@jordidewaard2937]

Ah Burgmuller pieces. They certainly helped me a lot at the time, perhaps I should play them for fun again sometime to take a break from the Pastorale sonata :D

[@haver9478]

G E K O L O N I S E E R D

[@okboomer6724]

Ah yes, gotta love that twoset clip in there. I'd also recommend any Chopin or Liszt.

[@330105346]

Nice！

[@NoahSpencer008]

Bach's C major prelude from the WTC I think would fit nicely in this category as well. The rhythm is repetitive, but the piece explores such a vibrant colour of harmony. Awesome video!

[@finiraelkhami8251]

The funiest piece I ever played was Goliwog's cakewalk. That is litteraly the only music I had fun listening

[@danawinsor1380]

Thank you for this.

[@ArthurAgamenon_]

For who have reach an intermediate level and wants to play enjoyful pieces instead of some "kids" pieces that's helps a lot, thank you!

[@hansmachado]

Thank you!

[@FrederickViner]

You're welcome, Hans!

[@reallynotpc]

Fun! Thank you.

[@FrederickViner]

Glad you liked it!

[@spacetaco048]

I know debussy arabesque and debussy is my type of piano stuff so I was looking for something new. I'm definitely going to learn the last one :D

[@fineline614]

waltz in a minor by chopin will forever be my go to classical piece. i love it so much. (i mostly just listen to it because i still can’t really play it and it sounds a tad unprofessional, but shhhh)

[@Ninjaurban99]

Other pieces likely this difficulty: -Ecossaise Beethoven -Moonbeams -Shadows Walter Carrol -Gymnopedie 1 -the theme of Mozart's Piano sonata 11 -Beethoven Sehnsuchtwalzer -Bach's Musette PRACTICE

[@gabrieleugenew]

another teosetter I see?

[@Ninjaurban99]

@@gabrieleugenew shut up and give me your phone

[@gabrieleugenew]

@@Ninjaurban99 wha

[@yodragon2003]

I learned how to play fur elise because I liked it as a kid, now I just use the first part of it as warmup because of how ingrained into me it is 😅 Les ombres de lune sur la montagne is absolutely beautiful, I can't believe I've never heard of it before!

[@nachoooooo800]

Grieg is so frequently overlooked and underrated

[@SirBenjiful]

3:58 uses the same arpeggiation as Wet Hands from Minecraft!

[@FrederickViner]

Oh yeah!! No wonder it's so relaxing.

[@somethingoldish7696]

It is not as bad when people play more than just the easy part. My favourite parts are the joyful section and the arpeggios.

[@GwasWorthy]

I've never heard Moonshadows on the Mountain before. Thanks for introducing me to it!

[@lindildeev5721]

I have learnt the Ballade three years ago and I have some suggestions for the list : Bach : Prelude in C (extremely famous), Prelude in C minor, Minuet in D and the pretty Musette in D. Mozart : Sonate n°16, first movement and Turkish March Beethoven : Bagatelle (no, it's not Für Elise) and La Marmotte Chopin : Prelude in C minor and Waltz n°17 Schumann : The Little Rider Tchaikovski : Album for the Youth

[@murielkhelifa5587]

Tout à fait d accord avec vous .Le répertoire de piano possède beaucoup de pièces magnifiques pour les pianistes débutants et la Lettre à Elyse n est pas une obligation ni une preuve de succès dans les études...

[@chris6291]

Played Fur Elise back when I was a kid learning piano. Now returning to playing after many years I've vowed not to play that or any of the other "popular" ones I learned then and focus on lesser known but beautiful pieces. Just working on A Tear by Mussorgsky, I recommend that! Frederick and commenters, more please!

[@FrederickViner]

Thanks, Chris! New videos coming soon...

[@dogsbody49]

A truly lovely selection of lesser know piano pieces. When I owned a piano retail business I got sick & tired of Fur Elise as nearly every budding pianist would play it. I nicknamed it Furry Knees!

[@FrederickViner]

Thanks so much, Chris! This one's for you and all the other pianists just a 'bit' sick of it...

[@DavidConnors]

I sent your fur elise alternatives videos to my piano teacher and she said that your presentation style is 'incredible earnest'. I agree. Unfortunately, I now have Changing Times on my list of things to learn and it is RATHER CHALLENGING for a late starter @ 1.5 years experience. 😂 Thanks for taking time out of your PhD to produce such compelling content.

[@FrederickViner]

Many thanks, David, and to your teacher too! Comments like that make my day. I'd love to do more repertoire exploration videos soon :)

[@tarikeld11]

Max Reger's Albumblatt Op. 44 No. 1 has a similar rhythm as Für Elise, it's really beautiful!

[@alirezasoori1075]

was good video, good luck

[@llamagirlp9898]

Fun fact, the ‘dream’ piece is either currently or was recently used for grade 4 piano ABRSM.

[@Frankpizzaa]

Wow! I actually know Dr. Alan Huckleberry, he is a wonderful pianist and friend and his wife is the amazing oboe professor at my university.

[@fescel6902]

can u make tutorial for Jennifer Linn, Moonshadows On The Mountain pls i need this

[@usernameatusernameperiodsh2168]

Burgmuller has heps of nice melodys and tunes in his etudes. For example in his opus 109 no.9 no.5 no.1

[@FrederickViner]

Wonderful pieces. Burgmuller needs more love

[@samueladler8953]

so true

[@manuventurous2018]

Agsjsjsjs i was so confused when I saw TwoSet's chicken cover here😂 didn't expect that

[@katiecowan7133]

Hey I played that first piece for my piano jury freshman year

[@hiiplayhornandpiano419]

Hello, I’m kinda a total noob at piano hehe. I tried taking lessons two years ago, but my teacher didn’t really care about me… I started playing again this year. I don’t have a teacher and try to learn by myself… Which piece would you recommend for beginners who really want to learn piano?

[@bencera6067]

Very cool, I’m a guitar player that has played fur Elise whenever I see a piano (much to my band mates chagrin).. now I’ll have a couple of more options I’m sure they’ll be grateful :)))

[@diogopinto2878]

Shame on you

[@edelnome]

I would advise the Keyboard Sonata in C Minor, Illy No. 38, I. Allegro moderato, but the sheet music is hard to find.

[@Enjoyer5222]

That Grieg piece reminds of some other piano song, cant quite remember what it was.

[@taniacummings9207]

I like your videos and your gentle presentation style Frederick and there are some wonderful ideas and tips. The music level is perfect in my view but I have trouble hearing your words. If I have to strain to hear, I have to let it go. I managed this one but the music drowned your voice in places. There was one about Chopin's 4th Prelude that someone posted on a piano forum I'm on, but I couldn't hear you so I had to miss out :( Please consider this as constructive and I wouldn't post it if I didn't think you had something valuable to say that I could learn from. Others may differ and I don't need comments about my hearing. I do wear hearing aids now I'm older but I don't have difficulties with other videos. Thank you.

[@FrederickViner]

Thanks so much for your comment, Tania. I'm really sorry that the audio is not well balanced in some of my videos. I've really worked to improve on this in my latest content, so I hope you find that a bit better :)

[@CatkhosruShapurrjiFurabji]

The composer Morton Feldman has pieces that are extremely easy although they are musically intricate and not necessarily tonal. And a lot of music by the romantic composer Charles-Valentin Alkan that is away from the mainstream virtuoso works of his, are a must for intermediate pianists.

[@RaptorT1V]

Thank you very much, of course, but where can I find the sheet music of all these works?

[@FrederickViner]

I'm pretty sure that nos. 1-4 are all on IMSLP; and here's the Jennifer Linn: www.sheetmusicdirect.com/se/ID_No/175020/Product.aspx

[@Julesbn09]

i had to play ariette in my exam for piano👍

[@noisepope]

Thanks. Your voice over's level can be higher tho. Good stuff.

[@FrederickViner]

Thanks a lot for the feedback, Karim! I'll try and address that for the next video :)

[@rhinrhino]

Thank you 😭 I can't bear hearing für Elise because it's overplayed..

[@Fluffysocks3124]

Omfg FINALLY SOMEONE SAID IT. I’m a classically trained singer and my fiancé is a pianist. Anytime we hear someone say oh my gaawwwd I love fur Elise or fuc$:ing moonlight sonata…we just smile and nod. There are SO MANY composers and pieces out there, and it’s unacceptable to only know about fur Elise and/or moonlight sonata. Eye-roll to infinity. Do better, people.

[@eirikstave3804]

Funny how a Simply Piano ad with Für Elise played right before the video....

[@TheStickCollector]

yes

[@FilipSandecomposer]

Great video! All the pieces you mentioned is really far better and more enjoyable than Fur Elise....

[@FrederickViner]

Thanks, Filip! I completely agree, in case that wasn't already obvious from the video...