Celebrating classical composers should be a part of every piano student’s journey.
But, let’s be honest, teenagers and classical composers don’t have much in common.
That’s why, for years, we have been bridging this gap with teen pop piano solos inspired by classical composers.
In today’s post, we are sharing a Level 2 pop piano solo inspired by Edvard Grieg’s, Peer Gynt – Morning Mood.
With Grieg’s birthday coming up on June 15th this piece can be a jumping-off point for exploring more about this famous composer!
A Pop Piano Solo For Grieg’s Birthday
We love being able to change a teenager’s mind about classical music. Or, at the very least, give them a little food for thought.
Because the piece we’re sharing today has some pop-infused flare, it will be devoured by your students.
But the real fun will come when your tweens and teens realize that the classical piece from which it is inspired is something they recognize from cartoons and movies.
All of a sudden, this “old” composer will gain a little more respect with a teenage audience 🙂
And with that respect, will come learning opportunities.
Today’s pop piano solo is more than just an inspirational piano piece. It can be used to reinforce many pedagogical principles. Specifically, when your students play The Morning Session they will be reinforcing left-hand patterns, one-octave descending scales, eighth notes in 3/4 time, and first and second endings.
When teaching this piece, begin by helping your students gain comfort with the left-hand pattern by practicing the quarter-half rhythm on a single key before moving to the open fifths. Additionally, your students will benefit by first exploring the descending G major, one-octave scale with a focus on swinging the 3 finger over the thumb until this skill can be achieved without hesitation.
You can download today’s piano solo below, but first…
More Pop-Infused Teen Piano Solos
When it comes to teen repertoire, we focus on creating a bridge that connects today’s piano students with the most popular classical pieces from the past.
This classical pop crossover approach is at the heart of our most popular teen books, including titles like The Amadeus Anthems, The Beethoven Sessions, and, of course, the WunderKeys Intermediate Pop Performance books.
You can click on an audio sample below to hear our approach in action.
If you enjoyed the piano pieces above, then your teen piano students will fall in love with our WunderKeys Intermediate Pop Performance books.
1. Click here to purchase An Intermediate Performance Companion For Pop Studies 1.
1. Click here to purchase An Intermediate Performance Companion For Pop Studies 2.
1. Click here to purchase An Intermediate Performance Companion For Pop Studies 3.
Today’s Classical Pop Piano Solo
The music we’re sharing today is a pop-infused teen piano solo for Grieg’s birthday. Composed in the key of G major it can be learned as a study piece for students working in a level 2B book or as a quick-play for students working in a level 3 book.
Click on the image below to download The Morning Session.
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