Easy Piano Pieces: Piano Solo

These selections occupy a rare space in piano repertoire: pieces that sound entirely musical and complete, yet remain genuinely accessible to intermediate players. The editing by Hans-Joachim Schulze respects Bach's intentions while making the scores clear and playable. You'll find students actually want to practice these pieces, not because they're required, but because they sound and feel like real Bach.

Orderly yet expressive. Each piece unfolds with logic, you always understand where you are harmonically and structurally, but within that clarity lives genuine emotion and personality. There's a conversational quality: lines speak to each other, respond, and build ideas together rather than merely accompanying a melody.

Pianists at the intermediate level (roughly grades 3-5 ABRSM or RCM equivalent) who have solid hand position, basic voicing awareness, and comfort reading two-part counterpoint. These pieces work equally well for students preparing for auditions, recitals, or simply deepening their understanding of how voices interact.

• Approach each voice as an independent line with its own direction and character, even when both hands are moving in similar patterns. This clarity transforms Bach from academic to alive.
• Shape phrases by the harmonic rhythm rather than by bar lines. Bach's punctuation happens at cadences and structural points, not every four measures.
• Keep a steady, unhurried tempo. These pieces reveal their beauty only when there's time for the voice leading to speak. Rushing obscures the very thing that makes Bach rewarding.

Include these in student recitals to represent the Baroque period with substance. They pair beautifully with contemporary works or Romantic pieces, providing historical context without the technical demands of Bach's more complex works. They're also ideal for studio class or informal performances where you want to showcase musical growth without overwhelming performers.

• Independent voice leading and part awareness
• Phrase shaping by harmonic and structural landmarks rather than bar lines
• Rhythmic clarity in polyphonic texture
• Keyboard finger independence and control
• Reading and executing Baroque articulation and ornamentation
• Recognizing harmonic function and voice movement