Six Songs Every Pianist Should Learn by Heart

Every pianist, regardless of their age or ability, should learn at least six pieces by heart. The reason? As a pianist, even a very young one, you never know when you will be called upon to play 'something' at a moments (or less!) notice. Having a few songs always at your disposal, even if you don't have music with you, will ensure that you will be prepared for just about any situation. Here are my top six:

"Happy Birthday to You"
Due to a somewhat strange application of copyright law, it could be technically illegal to perform the song, "Happy Birthday to You." However, this song, according to Wikepedia.org, is the most recognized song in the English language. Since you don't really hear this song on the radio, it is pretty safe to assume that it is probably the most sung song in the English language. But because of the copyright issue, you are not likely to find good sheet music for Happy Birthday to You since the copyright holders claim that every time the song is sung, royalties must be paid. This instance of the law is under review. In the meantime, you can safely use the piece of music that Happy Birthday was derived from, entitled, Good Morning to All, by sisters Patty and Mildred Hill. Visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:GoodMorningToAll_1893_song.jpg for a copy of this song. If you are a pianist and you attend a birthday party, school event, or even church event, you are likely to be asked to play along. Commit it to memory and you will be able to play it at a moment's notice (which, by the way, is usually all you get! ). Play it slow, loud and strong, and with a steady tempo so that everyone can sing along!

"Jingle Bells"
If you need a crowd pleaser during the Christmas season, Jingle Bells, by James Lord Pierpoint, is almost always a sure bet. Jingle Bells has passed into the public domain, so there is no need to worry about copyright or paying loyalties to play this song. Play it with an oompa bass at a quick tempo and you are sure to make people smile and sing along. Visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jingle-Bells-Sheet-Music-chorus-SS.jpg for music and lyrics.

"Amazing Grace"
If you go to church, and even if you don't you are pretty likely to be familiar with Amazing Grace by John Newton, a former slave trader turned pastor. It has been estimated that Amazing Grace is sung ten million times a year. Play it with feeling as this traditional hymn is about God's redeeming love and grace. Find it at: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AmazingGraceFamiliarStyle.png

"Heart and Soul"
Heart and Soul was originally written by Hoagy Carmichal and Frank Loesser back in the late 1930's. Although it was first performed by an orchestra, and was in quite a few movies and television shows, it is now mostly played as a simple, piano duet. Although the commonly learned version is not an accurate representation of the original, it is fun to play and has been passed down from pianist to pianist. The duet is so simple that even people who are not up on their piano skills can learn it and play along. Therein lies the beauty of Heart and Soul: almost anyone who desires can play it. Playing it together creates a bond and a sense of community, that makes it worth its weight in gold.

"The Entertainer"
The Entertainer was written in 1902 by Scott Joplin. It is still learned by pianists today who love it's fun, cakewalk feel and by the excitement it generates in its listeners who easily recognize and enjoy it. The Entertainer poses some challenging fingerings to early pianists, but is well worth the time spent learning and memorizing it. Download it at: http://www.mutopiaproject.org/cgibin/piece-info.cgi?id=263

"Fur Elise"
Fur Elise is also known as Bagatelle No. 25 in A Minor, by Ludwig Van Beethoven. This piece is usually one of the first serious classical pieces of music that pianists learn, and is much loved and cherished by almost anyone who has ever had a piano lesson. Care should be taken not to play it too fast. Being able to pull it from memory at any time means you can spread some piano cheer around anytime you can find a piano. You can read it's interesting history at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fur_Elise and download it at http://cantorion.org/music/4/F%C3%BCr_Elise_Original_version .