A Classic Piano Christmas, Vol. 1 (Digital Piano Book)
2 × $14.95 
Piano Practice Advent Calendar
4 × $0.00 
The Ghost in the Fireplace (Kullak)
2 × $2.99 Subtotal: $35.88
American folk hero Casey Jones and his runaway train were immortalized in this famously fun folk tune by Eddie Newton. This intermediate piano solo was arranged for a student who wanted to learn a piece with glissando and tremolo — it’s filled with both, plus a handful of other fun finger tricks! This is a high energy piece ideal for an intermediate piano solo performance.
This stately patriotic song arrangement for beginner piano allows new pianists to play a favorite American song. It is arranged for 2-hand piano, with RH melody and LH accompaniment comprised of mainly simple harmonic intervals centered around C Major Position.
Li’l Liza Jane is a music standard that has been adapted in a variety of genres, including jazz, bluegrass, folk, and rock. This rendition for late beginner to early intermediate students is fast and lively! It may be played in a quick 4/4 meter or even an energetic cut time feel. Rests on the downbeats in the chorus light a fire under the fingers and make it feel like a dance number.
This arresting selection from the opera Samson and Delilah by Saint-Saëns is arranged here for beginner piano solo. The melody for Egyptian Dance is based on the double harmonic scale, sometimes called the Byzantine scale or Arabic scale. The inclusion of frequent perfect fifths, octave changes, and choice pedal usage gives this arrangement a full sound without being overly challenging for beginners.
This is a medley of two French folk songs: “Sur le Pont d’Avignon” and “Ainsi Font, Font, Font (Les Petites Marionnettes)”. These folk songs both have playful melodies that blend well together in this beginner piano solo. Originally arranged for a French-loving beginner piano student, this French Folk Medley blends together various articulations and dynamic markings into an exciting performance piece. Appropriately selected pedagogical elements such as D.C. al Fine, simple harmonic intervals, parallel motion, and stepwise reading with ledger lines help strengthen music reading skills.
Equestrian pianists! This fun nursery rhyme has a catchy melody that captures the feeling of riding on horseback through the countryside. The simple skip-based melody is played by the RH to the support of LH clip-clop accompaniment. With tempo changes that will keep the player holding fast to the reins, this arrangement is perfect for beginners who love horses, ponies, and playing fast!
The Christmas carol natively known as “Adeste Fideles” has been beloved for hundreds of years. This melody-only arrangement is written simply around Middle C so that even the newest or youngest beginner can successfully learn to play it. Finger numbers are listed only on the first note of each hand to indicate hand position; other fingerings are intentionally excluded to build note-reading and aural skills.
Comes with 2 versions (one PDF): Version 1 includes rests while Version 2 has all rests hidden to simplify readability for new music readers. Both versions sound the same when played.
This traditional well-known Christmas carol is arranged here for mid-beginner pianists. With simple RH melody supported by LH harmonies (dyads/2-note chords), this arrangement has a satisfying “full” sound without being overly challenging. The LH stays in C Major 5-finger position while the RH moves minimally using one-octave scale fingering. This arrangement is perfect for a beginner pianist of any age and makes a great choice for a holiday performance.
Cuckoo, cuckoo! This popular German folk song is arranged here for beginner pianists and advances in difficulty over the course of the piece. The melody initially switches from hand to hand (call and response), then comes together in unison, and concludes with treble melody supported by basic chords and harmonies in the bass. The German Cuckoo song has an appealing melody and feel and is found in many piano method books; however, most arrangements are too simple or short for a performance. This arrangement transforms the melody into an interesting and engaging performance-worthy piece without being overly complicated for beginner students.
This fun traditional Christmas song is one of the oldest known secular carols. This arrangement for mid to late beginner is delightfully bouncy, filled with swing rhythms and staccato. The accompaniment is mostly made up of primary chords and inversions so that it isn’t too challenging while retaining a full and satisfying sound. The final line repeated 8va and 8vb gives a whimsical ending that is perfectly charming for a Christmas piano recital or other holiday performance.
The 12-bar blues chord progression is used in countless many well-loved songs in rock, jazz, and popular culture. Basic Blues is based on this progression and provides the perfect learning format for the discovery of blues for new pianists. A steady walking bass line sets the foundation while chord symbols tell Right Hand what notes they can use to improvise fun swing rhythms. (Simple rhythms are notated in the music for those not inclined to improvise).
* Sample Audio below includes some improvisation.
Looking for some fun Thanksgiving piano music for Turkey Day? This playful swinging composition is all about the Turkey Trot — not the people race on Thanksgiving morning, but the turkey race to escape the farmer! The slowest runnin’ turkey will be served for Thanksgiving dinner, so when the farmer comes a-callin’, the turkeys start a-haulin’! This bouncy, fun, and educational piece is perfect for mid to late beginner turkey lovers this Thanksgiving season.
This dramatic piano solo is surprisingly easy to play! Especially written for teens and preteens, this original contemporary piece has a dark and foreboding feel reminiscent of fantasy, video games, adventure, war — you name it! Heavily pattern based, Downfall’s form is easy to follow with repeated moving RH eighth note passages supported by deep, long octave tones in the LH. It can be quickly and easily learned even by beginner pianists. This composition is sure to impress and is fulfilling as either a performance piece or for personal enjoyment.
This lesser known French carol has a beautiful melody line written in Dorian mode for a minor feel with a raised sixth that creates a feeling of light and hope in dark times. It is arranged for LH melody in bass clef with rolled RH treble chords as a delicate ringing accompaniment. With many valuable teaching elements for late beginner/early intermediate level pianists, this arrangement is also a beautiful Christmas performance piece.
Good King Wenceslas is an old Christmas carol that tells a story of generosity that warms both soul and body in the cold winter of Christmastime. This arrangement is written with RH treble melody supported by simple LH chords. The final verse includes additional accompaniment notes and some RH chords to build to a strong finish. This arrangement works well for piano students of all ages.
This beloved holiday carol “Carol of the Bells” is arranged here as a late intermediate to early advanced piano solo. The main 4-note motif is supported by a continually moving accompaniment that begins softly in 4/4 meter and transitions to 3/4 with increasing energy. You can hear the ringing bell tones throughout with changing octaves, crossovers, increasingly broader harmonies, chord modulations, and urgent rhythms that ultimately swell to a climax before returning to 4/4 meter once again for a softer, calming finish. Without question, the Ukrainian Bell Carol is a sure favorite for holiday performances and recitals.
Save $40 and get this and 11 other Christmas piano solos in “A Classic Piano Christmas, Vol. 1”.
This Swedish folk song is often sung as a game while dancing around a Christmas tree or Maypole. Arranged for late beginner level, the cheerful melody is supported by lyrics that, when translated, paint an image of a bunch of schoolchildren pressuring their teacher for some sodawater punch. This lively, bouncy piece is filled with staccatos and lifts and is perfect for any late beginner pianist who likes to play FAST!
An approximate English translation is included for your enjoyment.
This traditional Welsh lullaby arrangement for late beginner pianists is filled with gently rocking broken chords and a sweetly singing treble melody. The continually moving broken chord patterns of the LH make it easier to line up the rhythm of the RH melody. Step and skip reading with ledger lines, as well as D.S. al Coda, improve reading skills. Legato and cantabile markings encourage musical expression. This calming lullaby makes a beautiful recital piece.
A Korean folk melody based on the pentatonic scale, Arirang is quite beautiful. The melody in this beginner arrangement sails high over a simple repeating LH pattern that is easy to learn. It teaches counting in an unusual time signature and how to lightly extend the RH beyond 5-finger position. Arirang is a great choice for a recital performance piece.
This joyful Christmas carol is arranged here as a late intermediate to early advanced piano solo. It begins with a recurring theme of treble chords tinkling like ringing bells while the melismatic “Gloria” passage sings beneath. The traditional energetic verse and refrain are repeated several times and carried through melodic variations, unique chord progressions, and modulations before coming to a jubilant conclusion. This arrangement is perfect as a showy, yet time-sensitive Christmas performance piece. (Performance length: less than 3 minutes.)
Save $40 and get this and 11 other Christmas piano solos in “A Classic Piano Christmas, Vol. 1”.
While not originally associated with Christmas, “What Child Is This?” and many other holiday carols are set to this English folk melody. The beautiful, lilting tune is arranged here with a simple, single-note bass line accompaniment. Greensleeves lends itself well to teaching a new pianist about dotted quarter note rhythms and minor melodies.
“Gwine to Run All Night, or De Camptown Races” is a minstrel song by Stephen Foster. This arrangement captures the excitement of old-time horse races and teaches dotted quarter note rhythms, arpeggio fingering (RH), and LH/RH coordination while playing different articulations and rhythms. (Lyrics have been adapted slightly.)
The Cradle Song melody by William Kirkpatrick celebrates the arrival of the baby Jesus in the stable at Bethlehem. This arrangement is perfect for a beginner student’s first Christmas performance, with a single-note melody, an 8va repeat, and a few harmonies at the finish.
A playful-sounding French Canadian children’s song arranged in swinging sing-song style for beginner piano. The melody in this arrangement occasionally hops back and forth from right hand to left hand, just like the subject of the song (the morning lark). For non-French speakers, the lyrics speak of revenging oneself against the lark, who interrupts sleep and represents gossip, mistrust, and bad news!
This arrangement comes in two different versions: one in C Major and one transposed to G Major. The Single-User License is available in either key. The Studio License comes with both versions.