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Halloween is a great time to add seasonal music to piano lessons. Many beginning students love getting a break from their usual repertoire to play something a little spooky, mysterious, or silly.
The pieces below are some of my favorite Halloween piano music for beginners, organized by level from pre-reading through elementary. I’ve included both individual solos and collections so you can find something that works for students at different stages of their first few years of piano lessons.
Before Choosing Halloween Music
Before assigning Halloween music, I like to make sure the student and family are comfortable with the theme. Some students absolutely love spooky music, witches, ghosts, and all things Halloween, while others may not celebrate Halloween or simply don’t enjoy scary themes.
It doesn’t have to be a big conversation—just knowing your student can help you choose music they’ll actually be excited to play. For students who would rather skip the spooky themes, I have a separate list of Autumn Piano Music for Beginners with pieces about pumpkins, leaves, turkeys, and other fall themes.
Pre-Reading
Leaf – It’s Halloween
It’s Halloween is a great option for students who are still working with pre-reading notation. This gives very young beginners the chance to play something specifically for Halloween even before they’re ready to read notes on the staff.
McArthur – Let’s Celebrate Halloween! Pre-Reading
This 8-page book includes two Halloween-themed pre-reading solos for beginning piano students. Each piece is paired with simple theory activities, making it a nice seasonal option for students who are just getting started at the piano.
Beginner
Faber – Zoom, Zoom, Witch’s Broom
Zoom, Zoom, Witch’s Broom is a fun early beginner piece. It is sold as a sheet and can also be found in the Primer Gold Star Performance Book. This is one of my favorite pieces to teach beginners. The piece starts in Middle C position and uses thirds throughout, making it a great piece for reinforcing skips on the keyboard. Students will especially enjoy the sections that have them move to different octaves of the piano, adding a fun sense of movement to the piece.
Gillock – Halloween Witch
Halloween Witch is a wonderful introduction to William Gillock’s music for younger students. Written in Middle C position, the piece uses both steps and skips, making it approachable for early beginners while still giving them a chance to work on musical character.
It’s included in Accent on Solos, Book 1, which is one of my favorite supplementary books for first-year piano students. You can find more of my recommendations in my favorite piano books for beginning students.
Bastien – Halloween Treats, Primer Level
A collection of Halloween pieces written specifically for students around the primer level. This is a handy book to have in a teaching library because you can pull it out each October and find something appropriate for newer students.
Bober – Black Cat Waltz and A Frightful Night
Both pieces can be found in Grand Solos for Piano, Book 1. They’re good choices when you want seasonal music that still feels like traditional piano repertoire rather than a novelty Halloween song. The teacher duet accompaniments bring these early solos to life, giving beginning students the experience of playing music that sounds much bigger and more exciting than their individual part.
Elementary
Halloween at Its Best, Book 1
One of my favorites! This is a great collection for students who love Halloween music. The pieces range from early elementary to elementary levels, so I can often use this collection throughout both the first and second years of piano lessons.
Halloween Favorites, Book 1
Halloween Favorites, Book 1 includes a variety of Halloween solos by popular educational piano composers. The pieces range from early elementary to elementary, with a limited reading range and simple coordination between the hands, making the collection approachable for beginning students.
Bastien – Halloween Treats, Level 1
The next level of the Halloween Treats series works well for students who have moved beyond primer-level repertoire but still need approachable elementary music.
Klose – Things That Go Bump in the Night
Another favorite of mine. This is a great choice for an elementary student who wants something with plenty of Halloween character. It works especially well as an October recital or performance piece.
McArthur – Let’s Celebrate Halloween! Book 1
This collection continues the Let’s Celebrate Halloween! series for students who are now reading elementary-level music. It is an 8-page book with two original Halloween solos for early elementary students. The pieces are paired with related theory activities, giving students a fun way to reinforce musical concepts while enjoying seasonal music.
🍁 More Fall Piano Music & Activities
Looking for more seasonal repertoire? Check out Autumn Piano Music for Beginners if you have students who would rather play fall-themed music without the spooky Halloween themes. I also have a list of favorite Halloween music for intermediate students.
You can also bring Halloween and autumn themes into the off-the-bench portion of a lesson:
Candy Jar Contest – Free Download
A simple, fun incentive for your studio.
Halloween Fortune Tellers – Set 1
Reviews white key names, steps and skips, and musical symbols.
Halloween Fortune Tellers – Set 2
Reviews black key names using sharps and flats, intervals from 2nds through 5ths, and dynamics.
Autumn Fortune Tellers
Reviews space notes, the musical alphabet, and music math.
Ready to Put It All Together?
Most of my blog posts explore one teaching topic at a time. If you’re looking for a complete first-year teaching roadmap, my course, Beyond the Lesson Book, shows how these concepts fit together across an entire year of beginner piano lessons.
🎹 Explore Beyond the Lesson Book
Lauren teaches piano to students of all ages. She enjoys creating resources for her students and teachers. She is the author of Ready for Theory®. For personalized help, check out the consultations page for teachers.
