Stuck on Choosing Pieces for a Recital? | Recommended Collections for Beginners (Part 1)

From introductory to beginner levels

Recommended recital music collections (Part 1)

Hello!
Thank you for reading! 😊

This time, I have compiled a list of music collections that I have actually used and found truly helpful for my students' recital selections, focusing on books that:
• I have used frequently in practice
• I have selected multiple pieces from
• Are stage-ready and easy to play
These are the collections that really worked for me.

These collections are suitable for students from their very first recital up to preschool and early elementary school age!

Beyond that,
they also contain many pieces that look great on stage
even for students who started in middle elementary school or later. 🎹
(e.g., "Dream" from Gillock Best Level 2...)

I hope this serves as a helpful reference for choosing recital pieces or challenge pieces for daily lessons. 🎹🌱

Nijiiro no Okurimono (Rainbow Gift) Vol. 1 - Introductory level and up

★ For choosing piano recital pieces or daily lesson challenges ★

Features of "Nijiiro no Okurimono Vol. 1"
• Contains mostly introductory to beginner-level pieces
• Fingerings and articulations that even small hands can play comfortably
• Includes works from various eras and countries


It is a very interesting collection featuring pieces by various composers.
Many pieces are stage-ready, and it includes a lot of works by Japanese composers.

The titles are easy to visualize,
so I find that children can practice them happily while letting their imaginations run wild.

Hajimete no Gillock (My First Gillock) - Introductory level and up

A solo collection for beginners that even small hands can play.
It includes pieces in various styles, such as Baroque-style, modern, and jazz.
Honestly, I use this book whenever I am stuck!



I think I have used almost every piece in this book for recitals.
The pieces are easy to play because they feature repetitive movements,

yet they are all very effective on stage.
It is a classic collection that you should definitely have one copy of.

Gillock Best Level 2 - Introductory to beginner level

A best-of collection focusing on Gillock's masterpieces,
featuring works that are gentle on children's fingers and adults' hearts.



It is a series that goes from 1 to 4,
but I have a very high selection rate from volume 2 onwards.
Almost all the pieces in this book have been performed by my students at recitals.

In addition to Gillock,
• Glenda Austin
• Martha Mier
• Catherine Rollin
• Carolyn Miller

works by composers like these are also included.

Because of this collection,
I have also purchased individual collections by composers other than Gillock.

Nani Shite Asobu? (What Shall We Play?) - Beginner level

A collection themed around things children love and stories.
It starts with warm-up pieces,
and is composed of five suites and a final fun piece.



It is a collection by Miho Abe,
and while the level is toward beginner, it is a bit on the difficult side.

My favorite is the suite "The Hero's Story."
I get the impression that many of these pieces really resonate with boys.

"Saisho wa Gu Variations"
"Shiny Boots"
and "Digital Puzzle Game" are also pieces I love.

"Haru ni Nattara..." (When Spring Comes...) - Introductory to beginner level

Piano pieces for children / Piano duet pieces

A collection of works that the composer wrote one by one every year
over the course of more than a decade.
The latter half also includes a collection of piano duets.



This is one of the collections by Takekuni Hirayoshi, known for "Rainbow Rhythm."
The titles are interesting, and the rhythms are very charming.

The solo works are accompanied by poems and notes,
which makes it easy to expand on the image of the music.
It is a collection that I personally love as well.

Conclusion

Honestly, there are so many more recital collections I could write about,
and throughout my lessons and recitals to date,
there are many books that I have thought, "This was good" or "This book really helped me."
So, I hope to continue
compiling these as a series little by little.
I hope this serves as a small hint

for teachers and parents
when they are struggling with recital selections.
Thank you for staying with me until the end. 🌱

﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋

I run a quiet YouTube channel🎥
I have also posted some of the songs from the collection introduced this time,
so if you are interested, please feel free to take a look🫡