October is here; and it is time to dig out the Halloween songs!
With many types of arrangements for different skill levels, these Halloween songs are perfect for all piano students willing to practice various types of chord playing and notation reading.
1. Monster Mash - Bobby "Boris" Pickett & The Crypt Kickers
This song is really cool for the beginner piano player to get started with chords. The following chords will be cycled through the entire song for a total of eight beats each.
G Major chord: G, B, D
E minor chord: E, G, B
C Major chord: C, E, G
D Major chord: D, F#, A
2. This Is Halloween - From Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas"
This one is best played in standard sheet music, but if you have a student that loves to sing this song: chord playing can also work.
3. Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Jr.
This song is perfect for the intermediate and advanced students that have more chord playing experience. With fast chord changes from B major - A major - to E major, this Halloween classic will sound really good when students play chords with the track.
4. The Addams Family Theme
Next time you go to your piano, see if you can get a person to snap their fingers when you play the notes: D, E, F#, and G......then E, F#, G# and A in the lower range.
This song is really cool to play in both notation and chord forms. No matter the students' skill level, this one can be customized to fit all skill levels.
5. Hedwig's Theme - From Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
It wasn't until a couple of weeks ago, one of my students suggested this one to play for the Halloween season. I wasn't sure if Harry Potter was considered to be a Halloween themed movie or a Christmas movie; then again, is "Nightmare Before Christmas" a Halloween or Christmas movie?
6. Oogie Boogie Song - From "Nightmare Before Christmas"
Another classic from "Nightmare Before Christmas," The "Oogie Boogie Song" was also suggested by a student not that long ago. This song has a really cool traditional grand staff format, but this song can also work with chords.
7. I Put A Spell On You - From "Hocus Pocus"
This song is perfect for students that are learning the seventh and augmented chords. "I Put A Spell On You" features a few seventh and augmented chords here and there, but not too many to feel overwhelmed.
8. Spooky Scary Skeletons - Andrew Gold
"Spooky Scary Skeletons" is perfect for students practicing quick transitions, but the transitions are not as fast as "Ghostbusters." The chords are very repetitive and overall very fun to put in the repertoire.
9. Grim Grinning Ghosts - From Disneyland's Haunted Mansion
This one maybe the trickiest solo piano Halloween song on this list. For all the Disney fans out there, "Grim Grinning Ghosts" features complex melody patterns that involve quick chord changes and quick left-hand bass patterns. There are numerous versions out there that are arranged in different skill levels.
10. Thriller - Michael Jackson
For the advanced students, this song is a great one to work with all kinds of complex chords. With seventh, ninth, and slash chords. Playing this Michael Jackson classic will be a "Thrill" in itself.
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