Arabian Dance, from The Nutcracker
Arabian Dance, for elementary piano players. (See another page, Arab Dance, for the same piece arranged for Intermediate students!)
It's that season of the year again, when the thoughts of little dancers (and big!) turn lightly toward -- The Nutcracker!
What - time for the Nutcracker, AGAIN?
Here in my town it seems that no sooner has a dance performance of Tchaikovsky's most famous ballet music wound down, but it's time to plan the next one.
In reality, it is only every two years. For my husband, it's too often. But I love love LOVE the music of The Nutcracker!
A slow Nutcracker piece
Of all Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker pieces most familiar to young kids, "Coffee" or "Arab Dance" is the one most approachable for young pianists.
Yes, it's repetitious. Mesmerizing. It may even put listeners to sleep.
But for some musicians, it's the kind of music that winds its way around your imagination and carries you to far-off lands.
Scroll down the page for the link to the printable PDF.
I've never been happy yet with any of the arrangements available for students of Arab Dance, so I finally decided to arrange my own.
This is the first of two versions: a "Middle C"-type arrangement (though it is far more difficult than those kind of pieces generally are).
Fun Italian words your students can learn to say
I did a bit of extra notation work in this "Middle C" version as far as details go. I carried over from the Schirmer arrangement many of the dynamic markings just for those younger students, to help them DREAM as they are playing this evocative piece.
You have the opportunity to pronounce the deliciously fun Italian words "MOL-to espres-SIV-o, e can-TA-bi-le", which of course means "very expressive and singing!"
"Dol - CIS - simo", as you may know, means "sweet, very!" and at the end, you have the fun of encouraging students to say "mor-EN-do sin' al fine," which means "Dying until the end."
Then you can talk to them about the Latin root word of morendo: morte, or death. Words give kids power.
A tricky shared-hands melody
When this was a new song in my studio, initially I didn't know how students would do with the odd hand coordination. (That's one reason for the excessive amount of fingering throughout this easy version, but especially in the first couple of lines. )
Now I can report that one young girl had no issues with the notes and fingering, but the timing was a bit of a challenge at first.
This piece will be REWARDING, but perhaps a bit of a struggle for some, even if the notes are familiar. I'm interested to hear how your students do with it.
The pedal is essential
One thing I advocate: LOTS OF PEDAL! That will create atmosphere, even if the right notes aren't always there!
And don't forget to check out the intermediate arrangement of Arabian Dance!
The printable PDF link for this Christmas music:
Download Arabian Dance for elementary piano players
FOR A BEAUTIFUL SONG & MUSIC THEORY LESSON ALL IN ONE, CHECK OUT "O HOLY NIGHT"!
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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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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