- Level: Elementary
- Pages: 4 pages, 2 pages of music, cover included!
- Style: Peppy, then gently
- Series: Pet Shop Pieces 3
- Bonuses: Free mp3 performance
- Format: PDF instant download
Guinea Hugs is a sweet song about the love children feel for their furry friends. It doesn’t matter that the guinea pig is sometimes messy….or chaotic…or in places he definitely shouldn’t be. What does matter is the hugs and cuddles, which are easy to hear thanks to a sudden shift from staccato to legato playing and phrasing.
The shift between the staccatos in section A (characterizing this guinea pig’s tendency for messiness) and the gentle, legato cuddles in section B are a wonderful opportunity for elementary level students to practice both staccato and legato playing and phrasing in one piece.
The level of Guinea Hugs
Guinea Hugs is an elementary level piece written in G Major. A key signature is not used; rather, accidentals are written throughout the piece. Staccatos perfectly mimic the chatter and clutter of a guinea pigs cage. Cute words that young students will find silly make the staccatos easier to play, as students can feel the “lift” of the staccato as each quarter note represents just one syllable from each word. An easy-to-play hand position and repeated patterns make the many registers that are explored accessible for students at this level.
There is no pedaling in Guinea Hugs, and the smallest note is a quarter note. Helpful fingerings are included. The B section does not contain any lyrics, so full focus can be given to legato playing and phrasing. There is one hand position change in the right hand, but it is only up one note and is indicated with a circled finger number so that students have a visual cue for this change.
Bonus included!
In addition to receiving the music and the cover (this is always included for ComposeCreate® pieces), you’ll also receive a free mp3 recording of Guinea Hugs. You are permitted to send this recording to your students who are working on the piece to help them learn it more quickly at home.
Part of the Pet Shop Series
Guinea Hugs is the first of three pieces in the Pet Shop 3 series, a series of piano solos about beloved pets. Each piece contains an adorable cover that comes with your purchase.
The Pet Shop 3 set includes:
- Guinea Hugs
- Reptile Crush
- I Speak for the Birds
The Pet Shop 2 set includes:
- I Would Like a Pet
- Rodents, Rodents
- Ride Like the Wind (a horse piece)
The Pet Shop 1 set includes:
- Fuzzy Facts (a cat piece)
- Go With You (a dog piece)
- Through the Glass (a fish piece)
Valerie –
What a lovable piece! My student instantly bonded with the topic and memorized it, and sings with it joyfully. A memorable melody and the AB form are both key features in this piece. Thank you Wendy!
Jonella –
I have used Guinea Hugs with my 5th grade grandson. He hasn’t been in a consistent practice routine for a couple years. He was at the end of Piano Safari. He really enjoys the Guinea Hugs song, which was what I was looking for. It has variety in the melody and is an interesting song.
Kelly Jenkins –
I have a six year old student who loves this piece!! Excellent skill for her to learn to shift quickly from a staccato section to a legato section
Kay –
I want you to know how much I appreciate your song “Guinea Hugs”! Over the summer, I got a new-to-me transfer student. She was trying to play a Disney princess piece but struggling. After working with her for a few lessons, I learned that she has guinea pigs for pets. It was a natural/happy thing for us to set aside the Disney princess piece so we could have fun working on “Guinea Hugs”! Suddenly, she was enthused again about practicing the piano! Now, we have moved onto “Through the Glass”. Clearly, she loves animals and is enjoying getting to use the sustain pedal to create the distorted effect so necessary for “Through the Glass”! Thanks to your compositional gift, she is practicing again!