USBORNE V

UStOtNi

ANN ARBOR DISTRICT LIBRARY

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With tunes to listen to on the Internet

in ii in i
 S/nn Arbor
District Library
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 The HF Group
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TG 05 482 1 42 00

6/5/2006
 EASY PIANO
0
-5 -
TUNES
Anthony Marks
Edited by Jenny Tyler
Designed by Doriana Berkovic

Illustrated by Simone Abel

and Kim Blundell

Music selected, arranged and edited by Anthony Marks

New compositions by Anthony Marks
Piano advisor: John York
Music setting: Andrew Jones ANN ARBOR PUBLIC L
Managingdesigner: Russell Punter
ANNA #205
 About this book
You will already know some of these tunes, though others might be less familiar. Three
of them were written specially for this book. If you have a computer, you can listen to all
the tunes on the Usborne Quicklinks Website to hear how they go. Just go to
www.usborne-quicklinks.com and enter the keywords "easy piano tunes", then follow
the simple instructions.

At the top of every piece there is a picture in a circle. Each of these has a sticker to match
in the middle of the book. Use these to show that you have learned the piece. There are
star stickers too, to use if you or your teacher think you play a piece very well.

Contents
Donkey riding 3 Ma oz tsur 18
Land of the silver birch 4 Cockles and mussels 19
Sitting in the sun 5 The Londonderry air 20
Golden slumbers 6 The minstrel boy 21
The ash grove 7 Snake in the grass 22
Oh my darling Clementine 8 Greensleeves 23
Oh Susanna 9 Early one morning 24
Toreador's song 10 Waltzing Matilda 25
The trout 11 Happy birthday to you 26
Muss 1 denn? 12 for he's a jolly good fellow 27
0, du lieber Augustin 13 Tingalayo 28
Daisy, Daisy 14 Yellow bird 29
Ringing out! 15 Wedding march 30
Ding dong merrily on high 16 Hymn to joy 31
Oh little town of Bethlehem 17 Notes for teachers 32
 Donkey riding
Although this tune is most popular in
Canada, it may have first been sung by
French sailors in the 18th century

Allegro

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You could accompany this tune

with a drum or shaker, using the
rhythms on the right. Which one
do you like best? Do you like the
same one all the way through?

3
Land of the silver birch
Play this tune quite lightly. Make
sure you don't rush the short notes.
This is another Canadian tune.

4
 Sitting in the sun
This tune was written specially
for this book. Watch out for the
accidentals and the 2/4 bar.

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5
 Golden slumbers
This old English lullaby was first
sung in the 15th century. Play it very
gently but not too slowly

Andante

You could ask someone else to join in with
this tune. They can play the music below
on the violin, keyboard, guitar, chime bars
or recorder. (You could copy this out to
make it easier to read.)
Someone who plays the cello could
play the same notes as the left hand
the piano. Before you begin playing,
count a few bars together so that
everybody starts at the same time.

Z2I

6
The ash grove
“The ash grove" is a very old Welsh
tune. Watch out for the repeats, and
don't rush the short notes.

7
 Oh my darling Clementine
This American song was written by
Percy Montross around 1880. You can
read some of the words below.

Like a waltz
i
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Here are some of the words to In a cavern, in a canyon Oh my darling, oh my darling

the song. It is about a gold- Excavating for a mine Oh my darling, Clementine
miners family. In the late 1840s, Lived a miner, forty-niner Thou art lost and gone forever
gold was discovered in And his daughter Clementine. Dreadful sorry Clementine.
California. In 1849, thousands of
Americans moved there,
hoping to find gold. They were
called "forty-niners".
 Oh Susanna
An American composer, Stephen
Foster, wrote the words and music
to this song in 1848.

Allegretto

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When you can play the music, try I came from Alabama with my
singing the words to "Oh banjo on my knee
Susanna", or ask someone else to I'm going to Louisiana, my true
sing along with you. love for to see
1 Oh Susanna!
Don't you cry for me
I'm going to Louisiana
With my banjo on my knee.
It rained all night the day I left,
the weather it was dry
The sun so hot, I froze to death,
Susanna don't you cry.
Oh Susanna!
Don't you cry for me
I'm going to Louisiana
With my banjo on my knee.

9
 Toreador's song
This music is from "Carmen", an opera by a
French composer named Georges Bizet.
It was first performed in 1875. It is about a
woman who falls in love with a bullfighter.

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To make Toreadors song" sound When you know the piece, try it
very proud and dignified, play a little faster or a bit slower.
the dotted notes very strictly Does the mood change when
and don't rush them. you change the speed?

10
The trout
The Austrian composer Franz
Schubert wrote this tune around 1817.
Later he used it in a larger piece for
piano and stringed instruments.
 Muss i' denn?
The title of this German folk song means "Do I
have to?" It is about a man who has to leave his
home town. The tune was also used for “Wooden
heart", which was sung by Elvis Presley in 1960.

12
 0, du lieber Augustin
This is a very old German folk tune.
Its title means "My dear Augustin". In
English it is sometimes known as
"Buy a broom".

Some friends could help you make upper or lower note). An accordion
this music sound like a German or keyboard can play both notes at
folk band, with the music below. once. Before you begin playing,
Use recorders, chime bars, or violins count a few bars together so that
(each player should choose the everybody starts at the same time.
w~w
£ £ £ £ m z \i

13
 Daisy, Daisy
Harry Dacre, an English songwriter, wrote this in
1892. It is about a couple being married and riding
away on a tandem (a bicycle for two people).

Happily

You could accompany this tune with

a drum, shaker or cowbell, using the
rhythms on the right. Which one do 7—7
you like best? Do you like the same
one all the way through? K [S
-If § Jh1 7V J|S |•—7
S .
7 | J■7 J L-7—7—II

14
Ringing out!
This tune was written specially for this book. When
you play it, make a big, confident sound. Someone
could play a triangle in time with the long notes.

15
 Ding dong merrily on high
Although this tune is best known
as a Christmas carol, it is a French
dance from the 16th century.

Try playing the repeated section a few different

ways. You could play it quietly the first time then
loudly the second. Or begin it quietly and gradually
get louder. Can you think of other ways? Which do
you like best?

16
 Oh little town of Bethlehem
Nobody knows who wrote this English
Christinas carol, but it is hundreds of
years old. Play it quietly like a lullaby

Add the music below on a violin or recorder. (On Before you begin playing, count a few bars together
the violin, it will sound good an octave lower, too.) so that everybody starts at the same time.
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fr\ P—r I—I. S'
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17
 Ma oz tsur
Jewish people sing this during
Hanukkah, a winter festival. The title
means "Rock that shelters me".

There are signs in the music above to tell

you to get louder and quieter hit by bit.
The word forgetting louder is "crescendo",
and the word forgetting quieter is
"diminuendo". You could try using this
effect in other pieces in this book, too.

18
Cockles and mussels
This was written in the 1880s by James Yorkston.
It is about Dublin, the capital city of Ireland, and is
sometimes known as "Molly Malone".

19
The Londonderry air
An Irish woman named Jane Ross first
wrote this tune down in the 1850s after
she heard it played by a local musician.

20
The minstrel boy
Nobody knows who wrote this Irish tune, which
is also called "The Moreen". It was first published
in the 19th century with words by Thomas Moore

21
 Snake in the grass
This tune was written specially for this
book. Can you make it sound very
smooth and a little scary? Be careful not
to rush the shorter notes.

Slower

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22
 Greensleeves
"Greensleeves" was first printed in the
16th century. Some people say King
Henry VIII of England wrote it, but this
is probablyjust a legend.

"Greensleeves" is a very old tune,
so nobody knows exactly how it
sounded when it was written.
Once you have learned the
music, you can change some of
the notes to make other
versions. Above the music, you will When you have decided which
see some note names in circles. of them to use, write
Try playing these instead of the
written notes. (You don’t have to
use all of them. You may like some
and not others.)

23
Early one morning
"Early one morning" is an old English
folk tune. Play the left hand part
very smoothly and gently.

24
 Waltzing Matilda
"Waltzing Matilda" is an Australian song. It was
written in 1895 by Banjo Patterson, though it is
based on an older Scottish tune called "Craigielee".

Allegro

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25
 Happy birthday to you
The tune to "Happy birthday to you was written
by an American schoolteacher, Mildred Hill, and
first published in the 1890s.

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If you are singing this song, you need to work out

the rhythm of your name in 3/4 time to fit it in to An - tho - ny
the music. Can you write down the rhythm of your
name, or your friends' names?
It may help to clap a steady 3/4 beat and say your
name over the top a few times to work out where
each part of your name fits.
Jen - ni - fer

26
 For he's a jolly good fellow
This is an American tune from the
19th century. It is sometimes called
"The bear went over the mountain".

If you play this at a birthday party, people can join

in. Get them to clap in time with the accented
notes in the second and third lines. Are there
other noises people could make for the accents?
How long do you think you should hold the pause
in the last line? If you hold it for too long, people
who are singing will run out of breath.

27
Tingalayo
This tune comes from the Caribbean.
Play the rhythms carefully to make
them neat and precise.

28
 Yellow bird
"Yellow bird" is a Jamaican tune. Count
the rhythms very carefully and make
sure you don't rush the short notes.

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——w—^ jP 7 p
p J Li HJ—
-y- 1

29
Wedding march
A German composer, Felix
Mendelssohn, wrote this tune in
1843. Watch out for the repeat.

30
 Hymn to joy
A German composer, Ludwig van
Beethoven, wrote this tune in 1827. It is
now the anthem of the European Union.

Organize a concert for your friends or family.

Decide which pieces to play and in what order. Set a
date and a time, and write a list of the music.
Maybe you will want some other musicians to
help, either by playing the extra parts that go with
some of the pieces, or playing pieces of their own.

31
 Notes for teachers

Easy Piano Tunes is an ideal repertoire book for young pianists. It can either be
used along with a primer or - with a little explanation from a teacher on its own.
For more advanced pupils, it is an ideal sight-reading resource - it is designed for
browsing and entertainment. As well as being fun, the stickers can be used as a
progress record and to promote self-assessment.

The pieces are not arranged in strict order of difficulty in the hope that users who
browse will find pieces suited to their ability throughout the book. Nevertheless
musical and technical concepts are introduced progressively so that as players
work through the pieces they will gradually acquire new skills and develop ones
they already have. In particular the pieces are intended to equip young players with
the confidence to try new things and to interpret more than just the notes.

Markings such as dynamics are kept to a minimum, and fingerings only inserted
where necessary. This is partly to respect the technical abilities of young players,
partly to leave room for the teacher's own comments and preferences, and partly to
encourage readers to make interpretative decisions of their own.

The book contains three new compositions which explore techniques, sonorities
and harmonies that young pupils may not otherwise encounter. On some of the
pages there are extra activities which are designed to develop musicianship, to
encourage pianists to [day with other people and to provide opportunities for
transferring skills learned in the piano lesson into the classroom. They also explore
some of the challenges pupils will meet both in the aural and musicianship sections
of music exams, and in the requirements for music in the school curriculum.

You can listen to all the tunes in this book on the Usborne Quicklinks Website. Go to
www.usborne-quicklinks.com and enter the keywords "easy piano tunes", then
follow the instructions.

Ui'st published in 2003 by Usborne Publishing l id. Usborne I louse. 83 8S Saff ron I lill London f C IN HR I. Lngland.
www.usborne.eom
Copyright ©2003 Usborne Publishing I Id.The name Usborne and the devices _ ~ are Trade Marks
of Usborne Publishing I Id. All rights reserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or t ransmitted in any form or by any means elect ionic mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise.
without prior permission of the publisher. Printed in Spain. UK.
 USBORNE

This lively book will keep young pianists happily entertained as

they develop their skills during the early grades. A fascinating
mix of well-known and less familiar, old and new, the pieces
in this book have been carefully selected, graded and edited
to develop all aspects of piano technique.

The book contains information about the music, additional

activities and optional parts for other instruments which
help young players to enjoy more than just the notes as they
explore the delights of musicianship and music-making.
In addition, the tunes are available to listen to on the Internet.

Brightly illustrated and fun to use, this book also contains

over 60 reward stickers.
For more information on Usborne books visit
www.edcpub.com or www.ubah.com

Published in the USA by

din
KOUCATIONAi.
COftPOflATION
EDC PUBLISHING, 10302 E. 55th Place,
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Not suitable for children
under 36 months,
NOT FOR SALE IN CANADA
because of the size
$8.95 of the stickers.

ISBN 0 7945 0474 4

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