The Most Difficult Piano Song to Play, Ranked

Voting rules: Choose the piano song you think is the most difficult!

Updated on May 9, 2024 06:25

Aspiring pianists often challenge their skills with complex compositions, striving for mastery in performance. Difficulty can vary significantly from one piece to another, affecting every pianist's journey uniquely. Understanding which songs are considered the most challenging helps learners set realistic goals and prepares them for the arduous tasks ahead. This interactive list serves as a dynamic guide for those keen on advancing their piano playing prowess. By participating in the voting, users contribute to a broader community consensus, helping shape a clear picture of the top hurdles in piano literature. Gather insights, share your experiences, and see how your opinions align with those of others in the piano community.

What Is the Most Difficult Piano Song to Play?

1

105
votes
"La Campanella" by Franz Liszt

Franz Liszt

This piece requires incredible finger dexterity and speed, with complex arpeggios and rapid trills. The original version was written for the violin, but Liszt transcribed it for piano.
La Campanella is a virtuosic piano piece composed by Franz Liszt. It is the third movement of Liszt's Grandes études de Paganini. La Campanella is known for its extremely challenging technical demands, incorporating fast and intricate fingerwork, wide leaps, and complex rhythms. The piece requires highly skilled pianists to navigate its difficult passages with great precision and dexterity.

Key: G-sharp minor

Time Signature: Common time (4/4)

Duration: Approximately 5 minutes

Difficulty: Advanced/Professional

Technical Challenges: Fast scales, jumps, double notes, trills, octaves, polyrhythms
2

28
votes
"Gaspard de la Nuit" by Maurice Ravel

Maurice Ravel

This suite of three pieces is notoriously difficult, with intricate rhythms and challenging technical passages. The third movement, "Scarbo," is particularly challenging due to its rapid, jarring shifts in tempo and harmony.
Gaspard de la Nuit is a three-movement piano suite composed by Maurice Ravel. It is considered one of the most challenging and technically demanding piano pieces in the classical repertoire. Each movement of the suite presents unique musical and technical challenges, making it a formidable test of a pianist's skill and virtuosity.

Composition Year: 1908

Genre: Piano suite

Movements: 3 (Ondine, Le Gibet, Scarbo)

Difficulty: Very difficult

Length: Approximately 25 minutes
3

20
votes
"Islamey" by Mily Balakirev

Mily Balakirev

This virtuosic piece is known for its relentless energy and technical demands, including rapid octave passages and intricate hand crossings.
Islamey is a highly challenging piano composition that lasts between 8 and 12 minutes. It is known for its virtuosic demands and technical difficulties, making it one of the most challenging piano pieces in the repertoire.

Key: B-flat minor

Time Signature: 4/4

Tempo: Allegro vivace

Number of Movements: 1

Largest Chord: 13-note chord
4

17
votes
"Chaconne in D minor" by Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach

Originally written for solo violin, this piece has been transcribed for piano and requires exceptional control and precision in both hands.
The 'Chaconne in D minor' by Johann Sebastian Bach is a monumental piece for solo violin that has been transcribed for piano by various pianists. It is considered one of the most challenging piano arrangements due to its technical demands and emotional depth.

Composition Year: 1720

Key: D minor

Genre: Baroque

Duration: Around 14-16 minutes

Number of movements: 1
5

10
votes
"Etude Op. 10 No. 4" by Frédéric Chopin

Frédéric Chopin

This etude is nicknamed the "Torrent" for its rushing, cascading arpeggios and requires a high degree of finger strength and agility.
Etude Op. 10 No. 4, also known as the 'Torrent' Etude, is a highly challenging piano composition by Frédéric Chopin. It is characterized by its rapid and intense arpeggios that require exceptional finger dexterity and agility. The piece is in the key of C sharp minor and is approximately three minutes in length.

Difficulty Level: Extremely difficult

Technical Requirements: Requires advanced finger dexterity and agility

Speed: Fast tempo, with intricate and rapid arpeggios

Complexity: Involves complex hand coordination and polyphony

Key Signature: C sharp minor
6

12
votes
"Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" by Sergei Rachmaninoff

Sergei Rachmaninoff

This piece is a set of variations on a theme by Paganini and features virtuosic solo passages for both the piano and the orchestra.
The 'Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini' is a composition for solo piano and orchestra, created by the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff. It is a set of 24 variations on the famous 24th Caprice in A minor by Niccolò Paganini. This piece is known for its technical difficulty and emotional depth, capturing the virtuosity and expressive qualities of both Rachmaninoff and Paganini.

Difficulty Level: Extremely challenging

Composition Year: 1934

Key: F minor

Duration: Approximately 22 minutes

Form: Theme and variations
7

11
votes
"Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor" by Sergei Prokofiev

Sergei Prokofiev

This complex and dissonant sonata is known for its challenging technical demands, including rapid octave passages and complex rhythms.
The "Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor" by Sergei Prokofiev is a highly challenging piano composition. It is one of Prokofiev's most famous piano sonatas, known for its technical demands and complex musical structure. The sonata was composed between 1909 and 1912, and it showcases Prokofiev's innovative and bold musical style.

Key: B-flat minor

Movement: Four movements

Duration: Approximately 30 minutes

Difficulty level: Advanced

Technical challenges: Fast and intricate passagework, large leaps, polyrhythms, wide dynamic range
8

4
votes
"Mephisto Waltz No. 1" by Franz Liszt

Franz Liszt

This fiery piece is heavily influenced by the legend of Faust and requires exceptional technical skill and interpretation to capture its devilish energy.
The 'Mephisto Waltz No. 1' is a piano composition by Franz Liszt, inspired by the character of Mephistopheles from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust. It was composed in 1861 and is classified as one of Liszt's most challenging and virtuosic works.

Key: A major

Genre: Symphonic poem for solo piano

Difficulty Level: Extremely difficult

Tempos: Varied, including Allegro moderato, Allegro vivace, and Presto agitato

Duration: Approximately 12-15 minutes
9

10
votes
"Pictures at an Exhibition" by Modest Mussorgsky

Modest Mussorgsky

This suite of ten pieces is known for its complex harmonies and unusual textures, and requires a high degree of interpretive skill to bring out the unique character of each movement.
Pictures at an Exhibition is a suite of ten piano pieces composed by Modest Mussorgsky in 1874. It is considered one of the most challenging piano songs due to its technical demands and expressive nature. The suite was inspired by an exhibition of artworks by Viktor Hartmann and is known for its vivid musical portrayals of various paintings.

Duration: Approximately 30 minutes

Number of movements: 10

Complexity: High

Hand independence: Requires advanced level of hand coordination

Range: Utilizes the full range of the piano
10

3
votes
"Piano Sonata No. 2" by Dmitri Shostakovich

Dmitri Shostakovich

This sonata is known for its dark and brooding atmosphere, with challenging technical passages and complex harmonies. It requires a high degree of emotional intensity and interpretive skill to convey its haunting qualities.
The "Piano Sonata No. 2" by Dmitri Shostakovich is a challenging and complex piano composition. It was composed in 1943 during World War II and is considered one of Shostakovich's most demanding works for piano. The sonata is known for its technical difficulties and emotional intensity.

Key: B-flat minor

Movements: 4

Duration: Approximately 30 minutes

Difficulty level: Advanced to virtuosic

Chromaticism: High

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Ranking factors for difficult piano song

Technical difficulty

This includes the complexity of the piece, the speed at which it must be played, and the level of finger dexterity and strength required. Elements such as large leaps, hand stretches, and intricate passages will add to the difficulty.
Interpretation and expression

How complex is the piece in terms of the dynamics, articulations, tempo changes, and phrasing? A challenging piece will require a high level of musicality and the ability to convey the composer's intent.
Length and endurance

Longer pieces demand sustained focus, concentration, and energy from the performer, contributing to the overall difficulty.
Memorization

How challenging is it for the performer to memorize the piece? Complex structures, large chords, and frequent changes in patterns or themes will add to the difficulty of memorization.
Polyphony and texture

Pieces with multiple voices, intricate counterpoint, or dense chords require the performer to manage multiple layers of sound simultaneously, further adding to the challenge.
Pedaling and coordination

Complex pedal work and the need for precise synchronization between hands and feet can make a piece particularly difficult to perform.
Rhythm and meter

Pieces with complex rhythmic patterns or frequent changes in time signatures can be more difficult to master than those with consistent rhythms and meters.
Harmonic complexity

Pieces with advanced harmonic language, ambiguous tonality, or frequent modulations require a deeper understanding of music theory, making them more challenging to perform.
Style and historical context

Understanding and correctly executing the performance practices and conventions of a specific composer or musical style can add to the difficulty of a piece.
Personal skill level and experience

Different performers will find different aspects of a work challenging based on their own strengths and weaknesses. Some may struggle more with the technical aspects, while others may find expression and interpretation more challenging.

About this ranking

This is a community-based ranking of the most difficult piano song to play. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or piano piece is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!

Statistics

1725 views
218 votes
10 ranked items

Movers & Shakers

"La Campanella" by Franz Liszt
"Gaspard de la Nuit" by Maurice Ravel
"Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" by Sergei Rachmaninoff
"Piano Sonata No. 2" by Dmitri Shostakovich

Voting Rules

A participant may cast an up or down vote for each piano piece once every 24 hours. The rank of each piano piece is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.

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More information on most difficult piano song to play

The piano is considered one of the most versatile and expressive musical instruments in the world, and has been a favorite among composers and musicians for centuries. However, mastering the piano is no easy feat, especially when it comes to playing some of the most challenging pieces ever written. There are a number of piano compositions that are notoriously difficult to play, requiring exceptional technical skill, endurance, and a deep understanding of musical theory. Some of the most famous examples include Liszt's "Transcendental Etudes," Chopin's "Piano Sonata No. 2," and Rachmaninoff's "Piano Concerto No. 3." But what makes a piano piece truly difficult to play? Is it the sheer complexity of the notes, the intricate fingerwork required, or the emotional depth and nuance demanded by the music? Whatever the case may be, there is no denying that these challenging piano pieces continue to inspire and awe audiences around the world.