10 Frightfully Fun Features for Fall, Elementary - Late Elementary. Studio License

Do you have little ghosts & goblins looking for some frightfully fun music for Halloween? Here are 10 pieces that will have them dreaming of Tricks & Treats! You need to see this collection: 10 Frightfully Fun Features for Fall, Vol. 2. Look for the purchase button at the bottom of the descriptions.

Each piece in this collection is packed with fun, and also offers pedagogical concepts for the student to develop, in a purposeful way - making everyone happy! Pieces are presented in order from easiest to most difficult - including note assist for students who aren’t reading yet, to Late Elementary. Time signatures are 3/4 and 4/4, including pieces that are fast & slow. Look for these styles: Ballad, Waltz, Etude, March, and wrapping the collection up with a happy ending, Monster Boogie!  Don’t worry, all the accidentals are written in!  

Here’s a little bit about each Solo:

I’m a Jack-o-lantern  (Includes a teacher duet.) Early Elementary with Note Assist and Accidentals written in. Lyrics hint at the age old verse, “Trick or Treat, smell my… ? (feet)”, but with a twist. Added hand percussion - snap or clap, or stomp - be creative!

Hand position: Treble & Bass C Penta Scales.

Time signature: 4/4, BPM = 144

Skill development: Staccatos, Playing flats, Steady beat, Counting rests.

Level: Early Elementary, with Note Assist

How long: 20 measures + DC al Fine

What Will You Be? BONUS: this is a SOLO, but also a Student DUET: each part is for 1 hand with note assist, and plus there’s a teacher duet.  This piece asks the never ending question - “What will you be for Halloween?” Right hand, or Primo, pretends to be a Princess, but the Left hand, or Secondo, will not agree! Most students will enjoy “yelling” the “No!”  Will you let them?  Options: Play the backing track and let your students sing this one! Or use the track for students and play the duet. When they are ready, use the Solo to play both parts. Right hand is always in the C Major penta - scale, and Left hand always uses E flat.

Hand position: Treble & Bass C Penta Scales.

Time signature: 4/4, BPM = 144

Skill development: Legato playing, Playing flats, Steady beat.

Level: Elementary

How long: 16 measures + DC al Fine

Ride the Spooky Bus Do you hear the driver honking the horn? Hurry up! You might miss the bus!  Have fun working on your steady beat and counting rests - don’t rush through the silence!  Make sure to accent the bus horn sounds! Watch for the dynamics in m. 13 - maybe someone is sneaking up behind you!

Hand position: Treble & Bass C Penta Scales.

Time signature: 4/4, BPM = 144

Skill development: Staccatos, Playing flats, Steady beat, Counting rests.

Level: Elementary

How long: 22 measures. Too short? Optional repeat to beginning after m. 20.

How Much Candy Did You Get? It’s Halloween night and you rushed from house to house to get the best loot!  But now for the important part - How Much Candy Did You Get? It’s always fun to spread your candy out on the table and compare!  The fast tempo of this piece sounds like children rushing from house to house, in order to get the most candy.

Hand position: Treble & Bass C Penta Scales, D minor Penta (m. 9 -12)

Time signature: 4/4, BPM = 200! You want to beat your friends to the next house!

Skill development: Reading sharps & flats, finger patterns in 2nds.

Level: Early Elementary, with Note Assist

How long: 31 measures. 2 pages.

I Wonder Why? Imagine: your tummy is all full - It was a good night. As you drift off to sleep, you stop to wonder…… Encourage your students to come up with ideas about the things they might be thinking. The Left hand ostinato gives the Right hand melody time to explore.

Hand position: RH - D minor Penta scale. LH - Middle C thumb

Time signature: 3/4, BPM = 160, feel it like a Waltz in “1”

Skill development: LH: “C, B, B flat” accompaniment rocks back in forth to create calming sounds to allow you to ponder… Right hand melody.

Level: Elementary

How long: 32 measures. 1 Page.

Almost Midnight Tick Tock goes the clock! This piece is all about rhythm! Make sure to keep a strict steady beat between the 2 hands. Watch for the Right hand, 1 note cross over and fermata in m. 24. How fast can you play this piece?

Hand position: RH - E minor Penta scale. LH - 3 notes (B, A, E)

Time signature: 4/4, BPM = 220, this is similar to a Bach etude

Skill development: Rhythmic, steady beat between hands.

Level: Elementary

How long: 39 measures. 2 Pages.

Shadow Dance As the sun sets, you’re not sure what you see… What IS that in the shadows? Is it a monster? A ghost? What’s in those bushes over there? Oh! Not to worry, it was just your friends playing tricks on you! Make sure to bring out the mysterious feeling in this piece.

Hand position: RH - C Penta scale, D minor Penta m. 9 - 20. LH E minor Penta.

Time signature: 3/4, BPM = 160. feels like swaying.

Skill development: LH repeating chromatic accompaniment figure, RH moves hand positions, feeling a waltz in “1”, shaping the phrases. 

Level: Elementary

How long: 24 measures + DC al Fine. Too short? Feel free to repeat.

Midnight March Calling all Tricker Treaters!  Line up for the Midnight March. One by one, all in a straight line, we are being summoned! Encourage your students to march around the room as they listen to the recording of this one! Look for the dynamic contrasts from the Mezzo Forte at the beginning, to Piano at m. 17.   Exaggerate these contrasts for a more dramatic effect!

Hand position: C minor Penta scale, M. 19 - 22 RH to F minor Penta.

Time signature: 4/4, BPM = 132. Definitely feel the March!

Skill development: Rhythm! Definite steady March beat with both hands. Left hand “2” finger ostinato cross over from G to A flat. RH - moves from C minor to F minor and back, Subito Piano in m. 23. Shape the phrases.

Level: Late Elementary

How long: 24 measures + DC al Fine. Too short? Feel free to repeat.

The Lonely Ghost Have you ever felt lonely? Do you think ghosts are ever lonely? Start a conversation to explore this thought: about loneliness in general. As a composer, I try to describe thoughts & emotions, and this piece gives the students an opportunity to put these feelings into music. Sometimes, we don’t have the right words to express ourselves, but we can pour those feelings into our music making. Make sure your audience hears the “sighs” of the lonely ghost in m. 1 & 3 and through out: look for the tenuto marks to help you find them.

Hand position: D minor Penta scale, single note cross overs.

Time signature: 3/4, BPM = 160. Gentle contemplation.

Skill development: Introspective playing - bring out the melody, use the Tenuto notes to enhance the melody, Left hand extended note range in both broken & blocked settings, “A” section repeats written out Octave higher.

Level: Late Elementary

How long: 48 measures , 2 Pages.

Monster Boogie A happy ending!  Welcome to the party! All the ghosts & goblins have gathered on the dance floor - let’s see your best Boogie! This one is a blast to play!! Here’s the most difficult piece of the collection.

Hand position: RH - moves around - look for the finger patterns. LH C minor Penta

Time signature: 4/4, BPM = 120.

Skill development: Swing the eighths! Make the melody feel jazzy by emphasizing certain notes and make sure the staccatos are nice & short!  Right hand position movements are pattern based. Grace notes. 

Level: Late Elementary/ Early Intermediate

How long: 22 measures with optional repeat.