Famous Duets
Brahms' Hungarian Dances

Famous duets your students will enjoy: Brahms' Hungarian Dance Number 5 in two easy arrangements, for early beginners and Level 2 players.  

This soaring minor melody never grows old!

My favorite, and the most famous?

Brahms wrote a whole set of Hungarian Dances, but this one, Number 5, is surely the most irresistable and crowd-pleasing.

Brahms' Hungarian Dances are so full of "sound and fury" that we may think they were originally conceived as orchestral pieces.  Apparently they were piano duets first, and were later transcribed by Brahms himself for orchestra.

Here is a VERY SIMPLE version, for beginners, of the Hungarian Dance Number 5:

Hungarian Dance Number 5 by Brahms

Please scroll down the page for the download links.

Lyrics for young kids

I couldn't resist adding some words to the song, for young children.  It really does make the song easier to remember and more fun to play, as those of you who played as children will recall!  

Us the solo for a duet primo

To turn this easy version into duet music, make up a pattern using the chord symbols above each line.

A more formal duet approach

And below is the arrangement for Level 2/3 players Secondo, and Level 1 Primo:

Hungarian Dance duet sheet music for piano

Please scroll down the page for the download links.

Pages 1 & 2 are just the same, except that the Primo goes up an octave.

The fast-moving eighth notes in the Primo part are usually a new phenomenon for students who are playing this otherwise simple part.  

How should beginners count the fast notes?

  Rather than tedious explanations about "1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and", which many are not ready for, I might say "One-two-three, tee-tee-Tah-two-three-four," in the fast parts (such as measure five, end of line one). 

Primo and Secondo for Hungarian Dance number 5

Please scroll down the page for the download links.

I know that's not very technical, but "Tah" and "tee-tee" really do make sense to young kids!  

Less talk, more music.  The strong melody will itself pull this piece together.

Many editions & arrangements of this piece

There are quite a few book editions of the Hungarian Dances available in their original - and exciting! - form.  You may also download a digital copy from Sheetmusicplus of some of the Hungarian Dances for duet or solo piano.

According to one publisher (Wiener), 

"The 'Hungarian Dances' were published in three different, yet authentic versions during the composer's lifetime: (1) all 21 dances arranged for piano duet, (2) nos. 1-10 also for solo piano and (3) nos. 1, 3 and 10 as orchestral arrangements."

A Youtube video featuring many paintings of the handsome Brahms throughout his life, with the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra playing the music of the famous Hungarian Dance Number 5:


The links for the piano music:



Download Brahms duet primo for easy piano



Download famous duets Hungarian Dance Number 5, Primo & Secondo together


Interested in songs from the Bible for your students or church?  Check out my other website, SingTheBibleStory.com!

SingTheBibleStory.com clickable logo link

Recent Articles

  1. Braveheart: Soundtrack Music for Intermediate Piano

    Braveheart soundtrack sheet music
    Braveheart soundtrack music is among the most expressive & beautiful film music ever. Discover an exciting new piano arrangement , for you or your students!

    Read More

  2. Lullaby All Through the Night: Piano & Lead Sheets, & Guitar Tabs!

    Lullaby All Through the Night
    Lullaby "All Through the Night" is a lovely song with fresh-sounding harmonies. Almost unknown are some of the extra lyrics - 4 verses in all. Very sing-able!

    Read More

  3. Canoe Song Chords & Lyrics: Guitar Tablature to a Great Canada Song

    Canoe Song chords
    Canoe Song chords are easy - just the same Dm chord works beautifully with the guitar tabs melody. Download it here for free.

    Read More

  4. Simple Piano Sheet Music "Canoe Song", an EASY round from Canada

    Canoe Song with 6 notes
    This simple piano sheet music, Canoe Song, is high energy and singable. Just right for piano students beginning to tuck fingers under in scales!

    Read More

  5. White Coral Bells: a Singing Round & Easy Piano Solo

    White Coral Bells lead sheet
    White Coral Bells is a pretty round that many will remember from school days. Get it here as a round, or a piano solo, or a lead sheet!

    Read More

Songs Old & Songs New

All the first-year material I give my beginner students. 

Piano keyboard sheets, scales, chords, note-reading exercises, and over 256 pages of music!

The Story of Esther - a Bible opera!

Queen Esther in the Bible

This beautiful song book for piano & voice "Esther, For Such a Time as This",  available as a digital downloadtells the riveting story of the time when  Jews in ancient Persia faced a foe named Haman, and how a  brave young queen risked her life to save her people.

A good choice for a singing story-teller, an operatic group, a short theater production, or a class of children!

This book is also available from Amazon as a paperback.


Just the Black Keys, a piano song book for young beginners.

Just the Black Keys

This book is available as a digital download  from this site.  Visit this page to see some free examples from the book.

It is also available from Amazon as a paperback!

This is the perfect easy start for little pianists.

And when they start reading white-key notes on the staff, this is a fun easy resource to say each week, "Choose a new black-key song at home this week and figure it out to show me next lesson!"  They will be spending more time at the piano.

The Adventures of Tonsta, Volume 1, is a book about a young boy travelling over mountains and fjords from village to village, encountering trolls and helping folk in distress.

The Adventures of Tonsta

A perfect read aloud storybook
for little boys or girls. 

The Adventures of Tonsta highlight the travels of a very young boy with a good heart, who goes about helping folk in trouble.  

With a red cap on his head and a sack of tools slung over his shoulder, Tonsta seems to meet people in distress wherever he goes.

Lots of trolls in this book - including one who gives him a Christmas gift!

Available at Amazon

Peer Gynt Suite for piano by Edvard Grieg

Ashley:
Thank you so so much for this site!

I'm teaching my little sister and everything up here is absolutely amazing! I will definitely be making a donation as soon as possible! Thank you again! You're wonderful!

Vivaldi's Four Seasons piano transcription sheet music

Stasi:  Because I have such a diverse group of students I spend SO much time making supplemental material and I feel like I have to pick through other websites, to only find one or two useful things.

I am so thankful for the wealth of supplement that you have offered here! And it's all SO user friendly!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!

Mozart's Magic Flute opera, arranged for piano

Sign up for "Take Note!" to see what's new every month.


About the Author

Dana Thynes

Hi, I'm Dana!  (Say that like "Anna".)  I'm the owner of Music-for-Music-Teachers.com, and a newer site, SingTheBibleStory.com.

Like some of you, I've been playing the piano since early childhood, and have added a few other instruments along the way, plus an interest in arranging and composing music.

You can find out more about me and the reason for this website at my About Me page.