Robert Schumann's music has drawn generations of listeners into his vivid, emotional word. Though he composed in a variety of styles and forms, most of the German composer's best-known pieces were written for solo piano. This explains why many remain popular with pianists with a range of experience levels, from beginners to advanced players. Almost two centuries after his death in 1856, Schumann remains one of the most celebrated composers of the Romantic era.

Many of Schumann's pieces were written specifically with piano students in mind. Exercises in both technique and emotion, these pieces offer players a chance to develop a new skill while stepping into Schumann's imagination. Such pieces teach not only pianistic technique, but also invite students to tell stories using their instrument, developing skills that can inform all aspects of their musicianship.

Today, we'll be exploring eight of Robert Schumann's best pieces, all of which you can learn with the flowkey app.

1. Of Foreign Lands and People

Gentle, simple phrases

Schumann's Kinderszenen, or Scenes from Childhood, is a collection of 13 pieces for piano. Composed to capture the innocence and wonder of childhood memories, the collection opens with this gentle, songlike piece, underscored by a steady rhythm. Its simple phrases conjure a dreamlike mood that transports us to faraway places.

The melody here is deceptively simple, its lilting rhythm shaped by delicate phrasing. A light and even touch is required, and the biggest challenge for players will be achieving enough fluidity of motion to capture the piece's graceful tone. Make sure your hands are balanced, and that the left hand doesn't overpower the right hand's melody. This is an excellent opportunity to work on legato touch and establish finger independence.

2. Melody

Slow and steady

Album für die Jugend, or Album for the Young, was a gift from Schumann to his three daughters. Comprising 43 short works, including "Melody," the pieces are divided into two halves, with the first section aimed at children and beginner pianists. The collection opens with this charmingly simple composition that pairs a lyrical right-hand melody with a supportive left-hand accompaniment.

Though this may be one of Schumann's least demanding pieces, balancing its two voices and maintaining a smooth and expressive tone may still present a challenge. Faced with such simple rhythms, you may be tempted to speed up, but we suggest you begin slowly and increase up to the piece's given tempo slowly, focusing on shaping clear and seamless phrases through careful articulation.

3. Soldier's March

Great for beginners

"Soldier's March" is another another highlight from Album für die Jugend, a spirited piece that evokes the energy of a young soldier marching in time. This is one of Schumann's best-known beginner compositions for a reason, and offers an excellent opportunity to hone your rhythmic precision.

A departure from the flowing legato of the previous two pieces in our list, "Soldier's March" makes liberal use of staccato, an articulation denoted by a small dot above a note that tells us to play the note shortly and sharply. Balancing a mastery of staccato articulation with the kind of firm and steadily paced rhythm required by "Soldier's March" is no mean feat.

4. Little Piece

A sense of nostalgia

"Little Piece" captures beautifully the sense of nostalgia that characterizes so many works in the Album für die Jugend collection. Much like "Melody", it won't present much of a technical challenge to players past the beginner stage, but conveying its emotional nuances in performance requires accuracy and skill.

Throughout "Little Piece", the left hand plays broken chords while the right voices a clearly defined melody that gently rises and falls above them. It's a straightforward piece, with clear and repetitive patterns and simple rhythms, freeing the player up to concentrate on developing smooth legato phrasing and maintaining a consistently even touch.

5. Dreaming

Rich melodies

One of Schumann's most famous compositions, "Dreaming" is a voyage through whimsy and melancholy. The piece is more difficult for beginners than some of this list's previous entries, but the process of learning such a famous melody can be a joyful experience in itself.

"Dreaming" is a soft and gentle piece, and conjuring its ethereal mood in your performance will require careful attention to dynamics, which refers to how loud or soft you play each note. The pedal, for those who have one, is there to shape its crescendos and diminuendos. The right-hand melody is made up of fluid phrases that sometimes require wide leaps across the keyboard, which will need to be performed smoothly without interrupting the melodic flow.

6. Wild Rider

An uptempo challenge

Most of the works we've covered so far have shared a gentle and lyrical mood, but not this one. "Wild Rider" is fast-paced and energetic, much like a galloping horse. As such, it's an opportunity to work on your finger agility.

Performing the rapid staccato eighth notes at the given tempo requires precision and dexterity. We suggest that you begin at a much slower pace, making sure each note is clear and even before even thinking about speeding up. Building up to the quick tempo of “Wild Rider" will require some careful practice, but it'll be worth it.

7. Chorale No. 4

Simple progression

"Chorale No. 4" is a slow and introspective piece from Album für die Jugend, following the style of a traditional chorale. Making use of a fairly straightforward harmonic progression, the piece nonetheless summons a stirringly reflective mood through its four-part harmonies.

Despite its simplicity, "Chorale No. 4" offers beginner pianists ample opportunity to develop their skills. As well as requiring judicious use of the pedal (if you have one), the piece demands the player to pay close attention to their chordal voicing. This means making sure that each note in a chord is balanced with the others, contributing to a cohesive and uniform sound.

8. Wintertime I

Frosty expression

"Wintertime I" presents more of a challenge than many of the pieces we've covered in this article. A deeply evocative piece in F Major, "Wintertime" is a character piece, meaning a piece that's intended to evoke moods, thoughts and images through music. Here, Schumann distills the austere mood of the winter months with admirable skill.

Mastering Wintertime requires a subtle grasp of dynamics and expressive phrasing. While the majority of the piece remains within the softer end of the dynamic range, it's the moments of crescendo that are responsible for its expressive intensity; these must be executed with elegance and precision, along with the glissandi that accompany the dynamic shift.

Learn to play new favorites with the flowkey app

All these Robert Schumann songs and more are available to learn on the flowkey app. With flowkey, you'll have access to a library of gorgeous piano music spanning classical, pop, film music, and beyond. Download the flowkey app and start learning today.