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.
The catchy melody of this western American folk ballad adds levity to the sad tale of a young Clementine drowning and her lonely miner father joining her. Their story lives on, and poor Clementine is not forgotten! Each verse of this arrangement builds in complexity with added accompaniment and stronger dynamics until the final, softly echoed refrain.
This traditional English nursery rhyme dates back at least to the 1600s. Each verse suggests a new way to “fix London Bridge”, although nothing seems to work! This arrangement teaches I/V7 chords and helps beginner students recognize parallel motion versus contrary motion.
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.
In this traditional arrangement, the heavenly hosts can be heard in joyous salute heralding the first Christmas. Perfect for a first-year student as a solo recital piece or simply to celebrate the season.
This crackerjack Tin Pan Alley song is all about the great American game of baseball. This beginner arrangement will get you into the spirit for the next baseball season so that you’re ready to root, root, root for the home team!
This American spiritual has been arranged in many different ways over the years. This particular arrangement maintains a march-like religious feel in keeping with one of the song’s most popular styles.
One of the most well-known Christmas carols in the modern world, Jingle Bells is played at almost every Christmas piano recital anywhere. With the verse in Middle C Position and the chorus in C Major Position, this classic take on Jingle Bells is ideal for beginners learning to navigate their way around the keys.
This arrangement of Marche Slave introduces Serbo-Russian and minor sounds to new pianists. The bold, patriotic main theme is featured prominently with compelling dynamics and a climactic finish.
Worried that others wouldn’t take him seriously, Saint-Saëns requested this entire humorous suite be published only after his death. This arrangement of the suite’s finale gives early beginner pianists a taste of how dramatic, crazy, and fun classical music really can be.
There’s no good morning greeting quite like “Morning Mood” from Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite I. This arrangement includes an uncluttered melody with soft thirds and chords in the accompaniment to ease listeners into wakefulness, just like the morning rays.
Very few people haven’t heard this classical Beethoven theme (incredibly, composed after he had lost his hearing). This arrangement combines the marvelously simple stepwise melody with dynamics, a black key crossover, and triumphant harmonic thirds to allow beginner pianists to experience the grandeur of this masterful composer’s music.
Pianists of any age can fall in love with this beautiful American folk song. This arrangement for beginner piano flows just like the wide Missouri and is written with ties to help beginner pianists identify their mid-beat entrances. Because the right hand melody travels, the left hand accompaniment remains in a familiar 5-finger hand position for stability.
This early level baroque piece is filled with stately call-and-response and lends itself well to interpretation with phrasing, dynamics, and articulations. I have included these interpretations in this edition and frequently use this piece to teach students how to transpose using various pentascales.
* Music is in its original form with minor editorial changes.
Who doesn’t love the thrill of finding that one perfect pumpkin and planning how you’ll carve the best Jack-O-Lantern in your neighborhood? To help new pianists not “fear” a challenging key signature, “Pumpkin Patch” combines a rhythmic staccato feel with a catchy melody and lyrics that remind you of everything fun about visiting the pumpkin patch in autumn.
With flickering eyes like witch hats and a fearsome pointy-toothed grin, Jack-O-Lantern chants his scary song from the front porch steps as All Hallow’s Eve begins. This composition combines bass Left Hand minor melody, black keys, spooky seconds, minor triads, and staccatos to capture the delightfully frightful spirit of the holiday.
This traditional Japanese folk song highlights the fragrant pink cherry blossoms that cover the landscape of Japan in spring. This beginner arrangement emphasizes the unique melody with simple accompaniment. Hand movement, dynamics, and other music symbols give it an element of complexity to make it look and sound impressive for recitals and performances.
Whether they’re raiding your candy bag or tying your shoelaces together, these mischievous little hobgoblins put the “trick” in “trick-or-treat”! You might feel a little hobgoblin coming out in you when you play this delightfully spooky composition.
A studio favorite, this original composition hails from the untamed hills of Scotland where Medieval Scots traveled and fought for their clans. The minor melody bred from Scottish beauty and strength quickly draws the listener in with impressions of adventuring and battling across the lonely landscapes through centuries past.
What’s that sound?! In a haunted house, you never know what might be lurking around the corner about to jump out and petrify you. This composition will have your fingers taking turns tiptoeing, jumping, and shouting with fright.
Like a spider busily spinning its web, the fingers of the right hand chromatically spin their way up and down the keys. The Left Hand accompaniment is simple so that the beginner pianist can focus on fingering and speed in this chromatic composition.
This ethereal minor lullaby heralds the arrival of All Hallow’s Eve. Even very early beginners can play this composition written with single-note melody, stepwise reading, one black key, and one RH crossover at the end.
These wide-eyed, spiky-backed creatures cause trouble for machinists, inventors, and the whole modern world. A short composition that’s just right for early beginners, Gremlins introduces eighth notes, accidentals, steps, and skip patterns with directional reading.
Even beginners can entertain! This melody-only arrangement of Joplin’s most well-known rag keeps the performer feeling fun and loose and is just the thing for a first recital piece.