This fun Portuguese folk song is light, bouncy, and playful. The lyrics are about a cockroach telling tall tales: in one verse, she claims she has a “velvet shoe”, but it’s just her hairy foot! This arrangement is a late beginner to early intermediate piano solo filled with staccatos, accents, crossovers, and a nice two-step feel for pianists who enjoy dancing across the keys. The silly, laughing lyrics (original Portuguese and English translation) are included on a separate page for your enjoyment. Great choice for a performance piece!
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.
