Forbidden Forest

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

For those students who want something that sounds cinematic in its intensity, Forbidden Forest is the perfect piece. The low E flat throughout acts as a sort of pedal tone that adds a “creepiness” to the entire piece – a reminder that there’s something lurking just out of sight. Thanks to shifting dynamics, you can clearly imagine the quiet tiptoe and then sudden jump of something – or someone – in the shadows.

What level is Forbidden Forest?

Forbidden Forest is an early elementary piece on the black keys, and incorporating some white keys as well. The students read by finger number and direction of notes. The smallest note value is a quarter note, and the damper pedal is held throughout. The right hand moves only in steps (no skips at all), allowing there to be more focus on the left hand playing thirds and octave jumps between Ebs. The Eb octave is always played using finger 2, making it easier for students to play without worrying about fingering.

Dynamics are written in throughout the piece, and the large shifts are what allow the piece to have the feeling of a “jump scare” throughout. Repeated patterns allow the focus to be on creating these intense feelings.

Bonus recording included!

Forbidden Forest 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:

Forbidden Forest is a 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. Forbidden Forest 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?

Forbidden Forest 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.