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!
Brazilian Carnival is a huge festival celebration filled with rhythm, dancing, costumes, and music. Mama Paquita is a well-loved Brazilian folk song that celebrates this song and dance. This arrangement is perfect for helping beginners feel rhythm and beat and learn how to navigate around the piano. Right Hand melody is supported by percussive Left Hand octave jumps that keep the fingers dancing! A great choice for a beginner piano recital 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.
This Australian bush ballad is the most well-known Australian folk song and Australia’s unofficial national anthem. This early beginner arrangement in C is for single-note melody with both hands. The verse begins in Middle C Position, and some Right Hand movement is required for the chorus before returning to the original hand position. Finger numbers are excluded to challenge new note readers. This well-liked melody definitely gets beginner pianists’ fingers to “go a-waltzing, Matilda, with me!”
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.
This lovely Chinese melody based on the pentatonic scale is arranged here as an easy piano solo for the late beginner/early intermediate pianist. The damper pedal is held throughout so that the tones continue to resonate for a full, ringing sound. The arrangement encourages familiarity with piano geography as the hands travel back and forth. A great choice for a 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 beautiful Egyptian melody is arranged here in Middle C Position for early pianists. It introduces new pianists to the arresting feel of music based on the Phrygian dominant scale, commonly heard in both Arabic and Egyptian music. Accidentals, slurs, lifts, and harmony at the end add musical complexity to this otherwise simple single-note melody arrangement.
“Yankee Doodle” dates back at least to the American Revolution, and the tune may be centuries older than that. The familiar tune lends itself well to teaching a new pianist dotted quarter note rhythms. This arrangement uses primary chords to support the catchy melody.
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 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.
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 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.
“Hush-a-bye, don’t you cry…” This beautiful American lullaby softly lulls listeners to a sleep filled with dreams of pretty little horses. This short arrangement performs well for first recitals and is a great way to introduce first-year piano students to melodies in a minor key.