After Year One:
Piano Music Downloads, Free!
These piano music downloads for your young students who are moving from primer music to levels 1 & 2 involve both hands, or add chord symbols for a made-up left hand.
Most of these pieces will fit inside a 5-finger position. Left hand parts are fairly slow-moving, or repetitive. However, new challenges arise - sharps! and flats! Rests, and unexpected rhythms!
See examples in the song below, "The Little Man Who Wasn't There."
Ants Go Marching lyrics, chords, & melody
This is a song all your students may know!
The fingering is tricky, but if they really like this song, they'll get it.
There are just a handful of lettered notes in this very easy arrangement of Baby Shark.
Familiar and fun!
An old song about sailing, and whaling.
You will probably recognize this tune!
On this page are several versions, and I admit that the one shown here is too hard for younger students "After Year One," but not a problem for older beginners.
Can-Can uses a full C scale.
The left hand is easy, with just two blocked chords.
A famous and energetic piece!
Canoe Song simple piano sheet music
This fun melody uses a simple repetitious left hand, but has the added complication of a right hand fingering that tucks under!
Perfect for learning along with the full scale pattern.
Cat Came Back lyrics and sheet music
This fun song with silly lyrics has a repetitious bass line. I like to start this song like a duet, with students playing just the descending bass note.
Some kids are initially dismayed at the words, which are over-the-top exaggeration.
Several arrangements (with more to come eventually) - the one shown is a duet primo, for students with small hands.
Cowboy Song free beginner sheet music
You may think your second-year students can't do this left hand pattern, but the repetition of the same pattern over and over will eventually kick in!
The only tricky place is where right hand half notes must coordinate with left hand quarter notes.
Darth Vader's Theme, Imperial March
This is the exciting music that almost every little boy wants to play - and a lot of little girls, too!
Deep in the Heart of Texas sheet music
What a fun duet this is!
A very short melody, with lots of energy, make this song a blast to play.
Deep Inside the Mountains beginner sheet music for piano
A mostly-5-notes melody, and a simple alternating octaves bass part make this piece easier to play than it looks!
Mysterious lyrics go well with the tune's minor feeling.
Desert Sounds free kids sheet music
This interesting piece is for IMPROVISING.
With a lowered second interval (Db), these little patterns have an eastern, exotic sound.
No name on the page - students can add their own title!
Eensy Weensy Spider, or "Itsy Bitsy Spider"
Just two chords in the left hand to accompany this well-known melody!
Hopefully your student has already been prepared by playing Mary Had a Little Lamb with the C and "pinch G" chords.
This song is still popular with kids!
On this page you'll find the Erie Canal in the key of Am (shown here), and Dm, and several arrangements.
With lyrics both in English and French.
This is an excellent piece both for sight-reading and for transposing from one key into another.
This song is also very sweet as a round!
Funeral March, scary Halloween music
Those left hand chords look a bit intimidating - but they are the same two chords over and over again.
There is also a Middle-C version of the Funeral March on this page, and a big-sounding arrangement as well.
This is ALMOST the Fur Elise theme; near enough to make it recognizable to your young students.
There are also more difficult arrangements of the Part 1 theme on this page, as well as an alphanote (letters-in-the-notes) version!
God is So Good or God is Good lyrics
This is a super-easy arrangement; see the page for other and harder arrangements of this sweet song.
How Doth the Little Crocodile, easy piano songs for beginners
This may be TOO EASY for second year students (in which case, check out the harder arrangements on this page), or it may be JUST RIGHT, for little ones.
Featured as lyrics is the creepy little poem by Lewis Carroll, from "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland".
Hungarian Dance, one of Brahms' famous duets
Depending upon the skill level of your student, either the Primo or the Secondo of this duet might be just right for them!
Irish Wedding free printable sheet music
This is the easiest arrangement of Irish Wedding.
There are harder versions on this page, too!
This piece is a GREAT FAVORITE. Don't miss it.
With some helpful fingering suggestions from their teacher, this song is do-able for kids after year one.
On this page is a harder version, in which I did place right-hand fingering, if you want to see my opinion!
Easy left hand chords and inversions make this a good chord study and transposing song.
Very familiar.
This is arrangement #2 of this popular piece - very simple, until page 2, when suddenly the left hand chords jump an octave, back and forth, creating much excitement!
See this arrangement plus one that is easier (with pirate lyrics) and one a bit harder, in the key of Cm.
This song is a favorite at my studio!
Lavender's Blue, with the Cinderella song lyrics
Several different arrangements of this pretty song, from solid chords to elaborate broken chords, and arrangements for accompanying vocalists!
This is the song Cinderella was singing from the attic that helped the prince find her - at least in the Lily James' movie!
Lily Maid, one of several Halloween songs for piano
Two pages long, this song about the Lady of Shalott has several arrangements.
Shown here is a lead sheet, which invites students to add plain open chords (to give a medieval sound) to the melody.
This song is part of a Halloween Song Collection for late elementary and intermediate students.
Little Man Who Wasn't There jazzy piano music
This fun jazzy piece has kooky words, but is irresistible!
Several versions, including a duet arrangement.
Louie Louie sheet music for piano
If this version looks too hard, check out the AlphaNotes version, which is larger and has letters inside the note-heads.
This "song" is something I use as a way to get very familiar with the I, IV, and V chords in each key.
When students have learned the original, they begin transposing it into other keys.
Medieval Bells, free sheet music to print
In this piece, the hands alternate and copy-cat.
After several phrases of alternating hands, the hands play chords together.
With added pedal, this music has a mysterious, medieval sound.
Good chord practice!
There are a couple of arrangements easier than this one, and a couple arrangements that are harder!
Take a look at the page...
This is a very famous symphonic theme from the classical repertoire.
A well-known and pretty melody, from the Peer Gynt Suite.
There is a span of an octave in the melody; your students may need help reading some of the notes.
Mozart alla turca pdf - the first movement!
This lovely melody from the famous sonata fits beautifully into each hand.
Both left and right hands require just five fingers, with no stretching.
The reading, all around Middle C, is easy too!
My Heart Will Go On (Titanic Music)
An easy version for younger students, with the timing doubled for simple counting!
Still pretty.
Numerous arrangements of Ode to Joy on this page, but the version shown here might be just right for your second-year student!
A pretty round that makes a nice piano solo, this song also is good chord practice!
A little bit of harmony is what this version of Old Joe Clark is all about.
See the page to look at different arrangements.
Over the River & Through the Wood Thanksgiving Song Lyrics
This is a VERY EASY SONG after the first year, but it will be very fun for your students to pick it up almost instantly.
A duet secondo makes this a satisfying song.
The famous canon by Pachelbel, with some broken chords to make it fancy.
Chord symbols over the melody line make it easier to read.
Pachelbel Canon in D sheet music, long & fancy for early readers
There are AlphaNotes - letters inside the note-heads - inside some of the versions on this page of music.
You are looking at page 3 of a simplified arrangement for music readers whose love for this piece exceeds their note-reading ability!
Rain, Rain, Go Away beginner keyboard music sheets, free
Several arrangements of this song from childhood.
Check them out!
This is an elegant arrangement of the Japanese song about "Cherry blossoms."
Another harder and fuller version of this song can be found on this page, but it is more well-suited to a stronger piano player.
Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God
A very pretty Bible verse song in 3 pages. You may know this song.
The main melody uses just 5 notes, making this an easy conquest!
Snake Charmer easy piano sheet music, free
Kids love this serpentine melody.
I have updated it with polite lyrics about a snake in a basket and a man with a pipe.
Just one chord in the left hand to worry about! Don't miss this one - it also makes a great transposing song.
This is an easy arrangement, which is also available with lettered notes.
An additional arrangement on the page features more of the melody.
Streets of Laredo free piano sheets online
This piece may be a bit of a stretch for your young second-year student; there are many tricky elements.
However, the story about the young cowboy is sad and draws children in. I myself spent many hours playing this doleful but sweet tune as a young girl.
Three piano arrangements (& one guitar version) of this lovely old hymn, from easy to late elementary.
The melody of Tarantelle is outside the ordinary reading range of many second-year students, but not all.
An inviting feature of this fun piece is that the entire right hand stays in the same Am scale hand position.
Another nice thing is the new lyrics, all about a tarantula!
The B-I-B-L-E - yes, the famous Sunday School song
The left hand split chords of the accompaniment don't go far away; they are just chord inversions.
Pretty easy!
Titanic music "My Heart Will Go On"
A simple arrangement that still manages to be pretty! With slow-moving chords in the left hand.
This is the famous "scary organ piece" that most kids have heard somewhere-or-other at least once.
There are three different arrangements on this page.
Toccata from "L'Orfeo" by Monteverdi, a 4-part keyboard ensemble
This is an arrangement that sounds rather splendid on keyboards, with a small ensemble of students!
The trick is to get them counting together. Each part is easy in itself; it is putting them together that poses the challenge.
Yes, your students need this simple song, for chord & transposition work!
This is a great song for figuring out by ear, and also for changing to minor.
This song may be a stretch for a younger beginner, but an older student who loves this sea shanty (which went viral not too long ago) may push hard and learn the melody well enough to add simple left hand bass notes.
What Do You Do With a Drunken Sailor printable piano music
Or, with a GRUMPY sailor!
This tiny change in the lyrics might make this song more acceptable to your students' families.
If this arrangement looks too overwhelming, there is a one-page simplified version you can check out.
A pretty song, with pretty lyrics! See this arrangement and several others, including a lead sheet.
Winds in the Willow kids piano sheet music
Pretty minor scales disguised as a song.
This song requires more work than the young pianist's left hand is accustomed to!
Yo Ho Ho - some arrangements with "made-easy" notes
A song about the hardships of life working at sea. You know - swabbing down the deck, cleaning the slime!
Two pages of big root chords and strong minor melodic phrases.
You are BOUND to find a few songs on this page of selections that will satisfy even the pickiest little boy or girl.
It can be hard to decide, sometimes, if it is best to:
- give them something they can conquer in a week or two - something super easy, in other words - or
- if it's worth taking a chance on giving them a song that will STRETCH them and take them to new heights.
Usually, the best choice is to go with the song they really WANT. Have several choices ready for them!
Dianna:
Your website is a light in the darkness. THANK YOU for all you do in helping to spread the love of music. It matters!
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Christmas Carol Lyrics Song from the Bible: Free SATB and Guitar Tab
Christmas carol lyrics from the Bible and an old-fashioned carol-like tune combine in this free Christmas song for SATB choir or a solo vocalist with guitar.
Interested in songs from the Bible for your students or church? Check out my other website, SingTheBibleStory.com!
All the first-year material I give my beginner students.
Piano keyboard sheets, scales, chords, note-reading exercises, and over 256 pages of music!
This beautiful song book for piano & voice "Esther, For Such a Time as This", available as a digital download, tells the riveting story of the time when Jews in ancient Persia faced a foe named Haman, and how a brave young queen risked her life to save her people.
A good choice for a singing story-teller, an operatic group, a short theater production, or a class of children!
This book is also available from Amazon as a paperback.
This book is available as a digital download from this site. Visit this page to see some free examples from the book.
It is also available from Amazon as a paperback!
This is the perfect easy start for little pianists.
And when they start reading white-key notes on the staff, this is a fun easy resource to say each week, "Choose a new black-key song at home this week and figure it out to show me next lesson!" They will be spending more time at the piano.
A perfect read aloud storybook
for little boys or girls.
The Adventures of Tonsta highlight the travels of a very young boy with a good heart, who goes about helping folk in trouble.
With a red cap on his head and a sack of tools slung over his shoulder, Tonsta seems to meet people in distress wherever he goes.
Lots of trolls in this book - including one who gives him a Christmas gift!
Beth D:
Just wanted to say thank you so much for your huge resource of piano pieces! I greatly appreciate your work! I use your music with my students often. Ode to Joy (alpha note version) helped one of my students who was struggling with reading it. I love seeing them reading/playing something they wouldn't been able to do yet. Thank you for letting me/others have it for free. :) Hope you have a wonderful evening! God bless!
Charlotte:
Thanks for providing such a comprehensive music teaching program with all the relevant tools.
It will make it easy to introduce my 8 g-children and others to music. You are truly a blessing.
Debbie, Nashville, TN:
I have been looking for a very, very long time for a website like this! WOW! I have been teaching for over 20 years and it's nice to have a resource such as this!
John: Hello-
I wish to thank you for this WEB SITE. I know it's for teachers, but there are things here that I can’t find anywhere else. I am a much older beginner and like all the direction you have taken with your students.
All other web sites I have visited like to show you how to do it, but never write it down... Thank you for all the hard work that you put into this. What a nice web site.
Comments: Do you have a story or a question about music teaching? Share it!
Please note that all comments are moderated, and will not appear until I have approved them. Also, IF YOU ARE ASKING FOR MUSIC THAT IS NOT IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN, YOUR REQUEST WILL BE IGNORED. That's pretty much any music written in the last 75 years...
What Other Visitors Have Said
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Do you have a simple solo arrangement of What Child is This for 2 hands 
I need a fairly simple copy of this song for 6th grade piano class Holiday and Christmas recital. This student is beyond beginner and can play somewhat …
About the Author
Hi, I'm Dana! (Say that like "Anna".) I'm the owner of Music-for-Music-Teachers.com, and a newer site, SingTheBibleStory.com.
Like some of you, I've been playing the piano since early childhood, and have added a few other instruments along the way, plus an interest in arranging and composing music.
You can find out more about me and the reason for this website at my About Me page.
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Angels We Have Heard on High - Free Christmas Songs Arrangements
Angels We Have Heard on High: children love the fancy "Gloria" chorus, and you can download multiple arrangements for piano, violin, & guitar! -
Gospel Song Jesus Loves Me: Beginner & Easy Piano, Plus Lead Sheets!
Gospel song "Jesus Loves Me" is well-known to many children. Here are easy arrangements to learn the music & each word to Jesus Loves Me, for early piano.