Morning Sounds

Night Sounds is an easy lyrical solo for beginners composed by Sarah Reaser O’Brien that includes lyrics. This piece serves as a great introduction to ties and easy position shifts.

Adrift is a pensive lyrical solo full of unique jazz harmonies, but easy enough for beginners and late-beginners. The sophisticated harmonies, and free-floating rubato form using multiple octaves, will make students of all ages feel successful in the early stages of lessons!

Cherry Blossoms, composed by Kevin Costley, is an ambient lyrical solo for late beginners. This piece serves as a great opportunity for students to work on shifting fifths in the left hand and melodic phrasing.

Japanese Rose, composed by Kevin Costley, is an elegant easy lyrical solo for late beginners of all ages.

Backyard Bash is a collection of solos written for beginning pianists who enjoy playing music with lyrics. With the exception of three pieces, Crazy Cat, Old Dog, and Tree Swallow, these songs describe actual events that have happened in my suburban backyard in Southwest Virginia. Crazy Cat combines the personalities of two of our family cats, Calhoun and Casper, into one. Old Dog is about our Golden Retriever, Clyde, who lived with us when we started our family and was the kindest and most gentle dog I’ve ever known. Tree Swallow is about a male tree swallow who behaved exactly as described in the lyrics, but in my father’s backyard rather than in mine. I have found that my students love playing these songs because they sound more difficult than they are, and they are fun to sing along with! I hope you enjoy these musical nature studies and learn to play them all! - Sarah O’Brien

Just Passing By, is an easy ambient multi-level solo by Jennifer Eklund for beginners and late beginners of all ages. This piece is part of the Level Up! songbook.

Water Lillies, composed by Kevin Costley, is an easy elegant lyrical solo that will delight late beginners of all ages.

Sunny Day is a delightful, lyrical solo written at three different levels by Robyn Fehrenbacher. Includes two beginner versions with optional teacher duet, as well as a solo version for late beginners of all ages.

Nightscape is an easy, minor-key, lyrical solo for late beginners of all ages. This showcase piece serves as a great introduction to legato and expressive phrasing techniques. Part of the Easy Spotlight Solos songbook. This piece has been selected for the NFMC Festivals Bulletin, 2020-2024.

Simple Serenity is a collection of fifteen easy lyrical solos composed by Jennifer Eklund. These calming pieces offer a great opportunity for beginners and late beginners to explore lyrical playing, rubato, octave shifts, and pedal work.

Groundhog Day is a showcase solo for late beginners that includes lyrics. This piece composed by Sarah Reaser O’Brien is part of the Backyard Bash Volume 2 songbook.

Windy Trees is a beautiful lyrical showcase piece for the elementary level student of any age, composed by Lisa Donovan Lukas. It also has an accompanying teacher duet part and lyrics which can be sung, as well as a play-along track for at-home duet practice.

Blue Jay Blues is an easy bluesy solo for beginners composed by Sarah Reaser O’Brien that includes lyrics. This piece serves as a great introduction to 12-bar blues, easy position shifts, and swing-style eighth notes.

By the Breezy Bay is a multi-level lyrical solo by Jennifer Eklund for beginners and late beginners of all ages. This piece is part of the Level Up! songbook.

Little Serenade is an elegant ambient solo for late beginners by Jennifer Eklund. This piece offers students ample opportunity to work on interpretation, rubato, and lyrical artistry and is part of the Simple Serenity: Volume Two songbook.

The Calm, from the Fired Up! Level Two method book, is a pattern-based easy lyrical solo for late beginners. A great opportunity to work on pedaling, easy position shifts, and left-hand crossovers. Includes a teacher accompaniment part.

The Invisible Kingdom, composed by Lisa Donovan Lukas, is an easy elegant ambient solo for late beginners and up. This piece is part of the Fantasies & Fairy Tales Volume Two songbook.

On My Way is an easy lyrical pop-style solo for beginners and late-beginners. Includes two versions allowing students to “level-up” and challenge themselves. Music composed by Jennifer Eklund.