Doriantella is an original tarantella in dorian mode. Written in D dorian, it lightens the feel of the classic minor key tarantella, giving it a mysterious and almost mystical fantasy quality. Best for early intermediate pianists and a beautiful recital piece.
Accessible for smaller hands: The largest harmonic interval is a Major 6th (inverted chord triad).
This original piano solo cleverly combines a simple staccato walking bass line with a running melody to set the tone for a spooky Halloween encounter. The melody is filled with turns and scale passages offset by simple harmonies and chords. Easy octave changes make it accessible for elementary level pianists, and scale passages worked into the melody teach harmonic minor (while sneaking technique into repertoire!). The finale with a glissando down the keys is always a hit. This is a great piano solo for late elementary to early intermediate students any time of year, and especially during Halloween.
In the dark of the night, the clock strikes: it’s Witching Hour! This spooky, ghostly original piano solo sets the perfect tone for the spookiest holiday of the year. In the music you’ll hear the call from beyond the veil, the casting of magical spells to awaken the dead, the mysteriously eerie movements of supernatural beings, and progressively faster tempo changes until the end, when the dead fall back into their quiet slumber before first light. Set in the challenging key of G-sharp minor with frequent double sharps and transitions between minor and diminished passages, advancing pianists will love the spellbinding twists and turns. “Witching Hour” is an excellent choice for a Halloween performance piece.
The quiet solace of a peaceful night can be felt throughout this intermediate piano solo. Nocturne in G features LH melody and bass tones, with gentle and steady RH mid-range tones. Frequent LH crossovers and clef changes offer an excellent study in reading, keyboard awareness, and the dynamic balance between melody and accompaniment. A contemporary composition with classical influence, this is a beautiful performance piece for pianists of any age.
BONUS: This piece can easily be played by individuals with small hands, as the largest interval is only a Melodic Perfect 5th.
Springtime Daisies is an original piano solo for one-hand piano: it can be played entirely by Left Hand or Right Hand! Pedal and careful fingering strategies make it sound like a traditional two-hand piece, but with all the impressive showmanship of playing it one-handed. This beautiful, graceful intermediate piano solo was originally composed for a student who broke a finger and needed a new piece for a piano recital. It’s an excellent learning challenge and a fantastic performance number.
This ghostly waltz calls forth an otherworldly chill from your piano keys. Mysterious and slightly sad, this waltz in A minor makes a fine Halloween piece but can easily be enjoyed any time of year. LH melody with RH pulses on beats 2 and 3 of each measure create a beautiful contemporary 2-hand waltz in classical style, supported by expressive dynamics and strategic pedal. Perfect for late beginner to early intermediate level.
Tarantula Tango is a dramatic tango intermediate piano solo in E minor. Classic tango LH rhythms and moving RH passages, harmonies, and chords combine to create a fun and memorable piece. Intermediate pianists will love the triplets and chromatic passages. Great for a Halloween performance or recital piece.
Taran-Tango is a flashy showpiece piano solo for late intermediate to early advanced level. It smoothly blends together Tarantella and Tango rhythms into an exciting dance filled with polyrhythms. Played allegro con fuoco, this original composition is a fantastically energetic performance piece.
Trick-or-Treating captures the playful spirit of Halloween. Staccato passages feel like mischievous children in costume tiptoeing from house to house (will they play a trick or get a treat?!), followed by dramatic unisons, octaves, and full four-note chords that absolutely scream, “THIS IS HALLOWEEN!” This late intermediate to early advanced Halloween piano solo is perfect for a Halloween recital piece or and will get everyone in the mood for something delightfully spooky!
It was a dark and stormy night — lightning flashes, thunder crashes, pouring rain, pounding hail. Late elementary to early intermediate pianists will love how Stormy Night captures this moody, dark scene, perfect for Halloween music. In this original composition, RH takes on the role of the rain and hail while LH controls the thundering melody. Octave changes and harmonic intervals help with keyboard awareness and reading skills, while the quick tempo and dynamics develop musical expression.
Weigh anchor, me hearties! Set sail for the open sea! This original composition embodies the spirit of adventure, exploration, and of course, pirates! With a sailing 6/8 time signature reminiscent of old sea shanties and a melody that alternates between treble and bass, let’s hope you have your sea legs as this piece is sure to keep you on your toes. Sailing the Seven Seas is a catchy, lively piece that performs well at recitals and is especially written for early intermediate pianists who enjoy adventures and pirate music for piano.
Quietude is the essence of calm and peacefulness. This original contemporary piece brings quiet calm amid the stresses of life.
The steady stepwise RH melody is embellished by LH alternating bass and treble tones, and the challenge of the LH crossovers is balanced by a slower tempo and simple chord structure. Quietude is pattern based for ease in learning for late beginner to early intermediate pianists of all ages.
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.
Soft, broken chords and a sad refrain paint a picture of lonesome beauty in this 3-page piano solo. The melody passes from treble to bass with continual flowing accompaniment and develops a progressively deeper tone over the course of the piece before ultimately dying away.