Black Key Music Kids Love®

All three pieces in this set are black key pieces – and they’re fun to play! Songs about ninjas, construction jobs, and western wear appeal to younger students especially. Finger numbers are above each note, just like they’ll find in their method books. This makes them easy supplemental pieces, because students will recognize the layout.

Two pieces in this set are all black keys. One piece uses a couple of white keys in a very natural hand position. This set is all about fun things to do in the summer, and one solo has claps throughout (kids love surprises in music!). A picture in the corner shows the hand position clearly so students know where to place their fingers during home practice, and can read the notes by finger number.

2 of the 3 pieces in this set are black keys only. One piece has a single white key included. It’s a great way to get students used to the idea of playing on the white keys, without completely overwhelming them. Even if they’ve never been to the fair, students will love lyrics about bumper cars and fast rides! Hand positions are shown in a picture, and finger numbers written in help students with practice.

This fun and catchy piece includes one white key in the left hand, a teacher duet, and knocking on the piano (which students think is a blast!). The catchy and repetitive verse allows students to sound good while playing fast. And beginning students always want to play fast! . This is the same piece as Watch Out, Here I Come. The lyrics and cover are simply reworked so that it can be played at any time of year!

This Rote and Reading® piece is almost completely on the black keys. However, the notes are written on the staff, but because it can be taught by rote and finger numbers. It’s the perfect introduction for students to “read” music. There’s a bit of chromaticism at one point in the piece, which is another way for students to begin learning the names of white keys. The teacher duet and silly lyrics add an extra level of fun for students!

This adorable solo is great practice for students just beginning to learn the white keys – and they’ll love how mature they look as they play all over the piano! The black and white key pattern is identical, which makes moving to different octaves easier for beginning students. There’s also a fun Little Fuzzies manipulative you can make that will get students excited about playing all pieces – not just this one!

This outrageously catchy solo has three surprising elements: a fun cover, knocking on the piano, and a surprise ending! This piece has been a winner and recital favorite for years, and contains a catchy hook that teaches students to easily move from the black keys to adjacent white keys. A fun duet makes it the spooky fun even better!

Everyone struggles with fear in new situations – even monsters! This mysterious piece draws students in, and the fun teacher duet makes it a wonderful way to have fun during lessons. There is an introduction of some white keys that fall naturally under the hands, and introduce using both black and white keys in an easy-to-teach and understand way that sets students up for success.

Once you see them staring at you, you can’t unsee them. But that’s a great way to teach young students keyboard orientation. And since there are 7 sets of beady eyes, your student gets to explore the entire keyboard! A teacher duet and sections that can be taught by rote make this piece a winner for students. The fun “snaps” in the teacher duet not only add an element of surprise, but help students learn to observe the rest!

Even young students are enjoying these more mature sounds at the easiest of levels. These pieces are a continuation of our Beautiful Places series, and is full of the mature sounds of storms, waves, and mist. Each piece shows a picture of where the student’s fingers are placed on the keyboard. Then finger numbers help guide students as to which keys to play.

This Rote and Reading® Christmas piece has a big sound that young students will love! It makes a wonderful recital solo, and students feel accomplished because of the large, festive sound. Students can read by finger number on the black keys and the picture of the keyboard shows students where to place their hands. The left hand thumb is placed on a white key, but this is very easy for the student to see because of the picture and the left hand thumb falls naturally on that key anyway.