By Heck is a highly spirited fox-trot novelty that gained popularity in the early 20th century. It is noted for its bouncy syncopation and use of idiomatic piano flourishes common to the era's light music.
Focus on the rhythmic drive and precise execution of the recurring staccato melodic motifs.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
By Heck is rated Henle level 3 of 9 — late beginner repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 4–5. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 4.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 3 — meaning you can already play level 2–3 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
A typical performance of By Heck lasts about 3 minutes.
By Heck is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.
Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include Alexander's Ragtime Band by Irving Berlin, Waltz in D-flat major, No. 1 by Frédéric Chopin, 12 Variations on 'Ah vous dirai-je, Maman' by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.