What’s a sign that a kid loves music? When they sit on the bench and start playing right away because they can’t wait to show you their favourite piece? That’s it!
As you guide your students out of the beginner phase of piano lessons into more mature-sounding Elementary music, your teaching is made easier when you have irresistible music! You want your students to want more! This is the critical time when piano lessons start to be a little more work. Students will want to do that work if they love their music!
Here’s music sure to catch your students’ attention!
- Full-sounding hands separate
- Simple hands together
- Current musical styles like blues and jazz and expressive pop piano
- Fun lyrics
The 6 Elementary student pieces featured in this blog post were reviewed by blogger Jennifer Foxx. Read Jennifer’s full article. Excerpts are included in italics.
1) Full-sounding Hands Separate
While Preparatory pianists want beautiful music, they are most successful when it’s simple with one challenge at a time. The Sad Clown Waltzes Alone is composed in a clever way that makes the music sound full when the hands are actually playing one at a time. This allows the young pianist to truly shape the sound.
Maybe I’m showing my age when I say that Nadia’s theme was one of my favorites when I was growing up. The Sad Clown Waltzes Alone was inspired by this popular 70’s piece. In A minor, students will be practicing their strong-weak-weak waltz patterns. ~ Jennifer Foxx
Another Elementary piano solo that has hands separate, yet a full, rich sound is Rock This Town.
…inspired by one of my favorite groups, The Beach Boys! Students will be movin’ and groovin’ to a fun rock and roll tempo. Filled with chromatic passages with hands moving up and down the keyboard, it just may become a favorite! ~ Jennifer Foxx
To order your own, go to Rock this Town in my shop!
2) Simple Hands Together
Elementary pianists are like all pianists: they love playing music within their grasp that sounds bigger than it actually is. In Rock Around the Block, the sections that are hands together are easy to play, yet give that bigger sound kids are eager to make.
This one is sure to be a hit with your students! So fun! ~ Jennifer Foxx
3) Current musical styles
Children have so much to learn about the music that surrounds us in everyday life: rock, blues, jazz, boogie and expressive pop piano. Back Street Blues gives you a chance to teach your Elementary students about our current musical heritage with tender, slow blues.
…students will enjoy playing a walking bass pattern and the blues scale. ~ Jennifer Foxx
Jelly Roll Jazz has a rolling left hand boogie bass line and jazzy back and forth between right and left hands. Because the left hand challenge is to play finger cross-overs, the right hand is kept simple with five-finger parallel motion and repeated chords.
A walking legato bass line and right hand parallel motion leads into the Jelly Roll Jazz. The staccatos…give it just enough sweetness to the melody and before you know it, you have a nice blues and jazz combination going on. ~ Jennifer Foxx
To order your own, go to Rock this Town in my shop!
4) Fun lyrics!
Elvis Presley How About a Date is a traditional skipping chant with an original tune. The lyrics make it so much fun, and make the rhythm easier to learn:
Students may not be familiar with the traditional skipping chant, but they will enjoy this rock and roll piece filled with third, fourth and fifth intervals. Shout out, “Come on, baby” as students play their staccatos and accents with vigour! ~ Jennifer Foxx
Get the music!
All 6 of these ‘student-saver’ pieces are available in the shop! Get them separately in eSheets or in one book (print or eBook), Rock This Town.
Rock This Town has these and more!
- These 6 piano solos
- Plus 4 piano solos with optional teacher duets
- Plus 1 Elementary piano duet (1P4H). Primo Prep B, Secondo Level 1.
Get the Rock Collection Series!
If you’re serious about student progress and keeping it fun, this series is for you!
Rock the Boat – Early Elementary with a pirate and cat theme. Solos/duets
Rock this Town – Elementary with a city and squirrel theme. Solos/duets
Rock that Train – Late Elementary to Early Intermediate. Piano solos
To order your own, go to Rock this Town in my shop!
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I appreciate shares, comments and likes. Happy teaching! ❤
Rebekah Maxner 
Which bands, styles, things and singers besides Abba and Andrews Sisters (3 girls sang Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy) is RockTown inspired by besides computer games?
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Let’s save some surprises for when you open the book 😉
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