Bittersweet Creek

• Level: Early Elementary
• Pages: 4 pages, 2 pages of music, cover included!
• Style: Melancholy and highly emotive
• Bonus and Features: mp3 performance track; Black key; Hand positions pictured
• Format: PDF instant download
• Series: Finding Beautiful Places – Set 1, Set 2

Wistful and nostalgic, Bittersweet Creek is an emotional piece that older students will connect with immediately. There is a depth and richness to this piece that adds an almost lonesome quality to the sound. An undercurrent of gentleness gives this piece the latter part of its “bittersweet name”, and will be one that students enjoy exploring and playing for themselves and others. 

What level is Bittersweet Creek?

Bittersweet Creek is an early elementary piece. The hand position is early level black keys with some white keys used. A picture of the position is indicated on the first page. The hand position falls naturally under the hands, making it easier for students to explore multiple registers on the piano. The hand position in this piece stays the same throughout. 

The smallest note value is a quarter note, and the piece is written in common time. There is no pedaling indicated as students will hold the left hand notes for finger pedaling. Dynamics are written in, and students will want to play dynamically thanks to the way the piece is written. The rhythms in the piece feel much like dropping a pebble into a creek – there is a brief hold (the half notes), and then the water continues on its usual path (the continuous quarter notes).

Bonus recording included!

Bittersweet Creek comes with a bonus mp3 recording performed by Wendy Stevens. You are permitted to send this example performance track to your students to help them learn the piece.

More About the Finding Beautiful Places Series:

Bittersweet Creek is part of the Finding Beautiful Places series that gives older students (like teens and adults) beautiful music that doesn’t make them sound like a child. This series is especially easy and helpful as hand positions are pictured, finger numbers are indicated on each note, and the hands are mostly on the black keys so finding the correct notes are easy. This series is made especially for teens and adults as is part of our Music Adults Love® and Music Teens Love® collection – beautiful, mature sounding music that doesn’t sound like it comes from a child’s method book.

The collections in this series include:

• Finding Beautiful Places 1 – EE (Early Elementary) Music on the black keys; For those with no prior piano experience
• Finding Beautiful Places 2 – EE (Early Elementary) More of the same kind of music as above. Bittersweet Creek is part of this set.
• Entering Beautiful Places 1 – E (Elementary) Music for those who are transitioning to the white keys or who need to review their white key note names
• Entering Beautiful Places 2 – E (Elementary) More music for those transitioning from black to white keys.
• In Beautiful Places – E (Elementary) Music for mid elementary students containing some across the bar line syncopation, but music that is still quite achievable and beautiful at this level
• Exploring Beautiful Places – LE (Late Elementary) Music for the late elementary pianist that contains eighth notes that are easy to feel and play.

What is the Studio License?

Bittersweet Creek is delivered digitally (through your email receipt) and is studio licensed. This means that you can print and use this for any student that you directly teach for your entire lifetime of teaching.