Free Classical Sheet Music
Egyptian Dance
Free classical sheet music, Egyptian Dance, arranged for elementary and beginner piano... now with a LEAD SHEET arrangement!
Please scroll down the page for the download links.
Except for the expanded chords in lines 1 and 5, it truly is a lead sheet.
Egyptian Dance, from the Bacchanale of "Samson and Delilah" by Saint-Saens, has a beautiful eastern-sounding melody. It is likely quite different from the music your student usually plays - but if they've watched "The Mummy" or other movies set in desert countries, they have heard this evocative kind of sound.
Em? or E?
So the chord in this lead sheet isn't truly "Em..." The chord "E" would be more accurate, but my students only use an open chord when playing this piece anyway (see the full arrangements below).
How often to strike the chord?
Ordinarily, a lead sheet places the chord symbol over the appropriate measure, then no more chords are shown until it's time for a different chord. Here, for beginner students, I've placed the left hand chord symbol each time the hand strikes. I have found this works very well with piano students who are just venturing into lead sheets!
Take a look at a "helper" version. This arrangement also has larger note heads, and some of them also have note names inside:
Please scroll down the page for the download links.
Now add energy in the left hand:
Please scroll down the page for the download links.
A mysterious sound, from the Orient
One of the things that make this free classical sheet music so mesmerizing is the lowered 2nd step of the scale that first occurs in measure 7.
After playing a bit of the melody for my piano student, I then play the pentatonic scale E-F-G#-A-B up and back down, lingering for a moment on the F before resolving onto the E again. That is almost a "shiver" moment!
So much mystery is hinted at in this suggestive melody, that some students will almost catch their breath, eyes wide, as you play it for them.
A version without AlphaNotes
Here is the same music, but without the "helper" notes, and with a smaller size staff:
Please scroll down the page for the download links.
Don't believe me about the "shiver" moment?
Try it - there is something about that neither-major-nor-minor collection of notes that evokes faraway, mysterious lands... camel caravans, and desert sands.
Engage students' imaginations
Being carried off into the imagination is one of the reasons young kids desire to start music lessons in the first place!
So... having begun with easy open 5ths on page 1, the LH (left hand) then breaks away into a 5-1-5-1 pattern on page 2, which gives an exciting feeling of movement and urgency to the repeated melody.
Please scroll down the page for the download links.
The biggest difficulty in this piece
Measures 9-12 seem problematical for some students... the timing throws them off. I've found it's no good pressing on to page 2 until the rhythm of page 1 is thoroughly mastered.
Use conducting gestures along with the power of your voice to HOLD or move the rhythm along; whatever it takes to make the rhythm feel natural to your student.
The first measure of line 2 always baffles students as well: What is finger FOUR doing there? Lots of drawing of note names, and circling of finger numbers ensues. That's why I finally made the HELPER version of this song with a few lettered notes.
Help students add mystery
Though I haven't put any expression markings in this classical sheet music, there's lots of room for nuance and passion! The pedal can add a mysterious flavor, but is easy to overdo when the LH is moving every beat.
I hope you and your elementary level students enjoy Saint-Saens' Egyptian Dance!
The pdf links for the piano music:
Download lead sheet pdf of Saint-Saens music
Download Egyptian Dance with helper notes
Download free classical sheet music Egyptian Dance
Check out more easy free songs with a reach of just 6 or 7 notes:
Egyptian Dance - not as hard as it sounds! Very mysterious & beautiful.
I'm a Pirate - a good song for imaginative young kids! Several settings.
Indian Dance - one of the most popular & accessible songs for beginners here
Irish Wedding (easy version) - all my students want to play this high-energy song!
Kum Ba Yah - very pretty and easy - just 6 notes.
Lavender's Blue - young girls love this music, especially if they have seen Lily James' Cinderella!
Winds in the Willow - scale practice disguised as a mysterious, pretty minor melody.
Interested in songs from the Bible for your students or church? Check out my other website, SingTheBibleStory.com!
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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.
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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...
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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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Thanksgiving song lyrics & sheet music for Over the River & Through the Woods, an old-fashioned song kids will love to play & sing! EASY solos & duets. -
Song of the Beatitudes - Matthew 5:3-12: All the Beatitudes!
This song, the Beatitudes, Matthew 5:3-12 in the KJV Bible, is not paraphrased, but composed to include ALL the beatitudes. Sheets for voice, piano, guitar.