New Elementary Piano Solo of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

It’s that time of year! My students have started playing Christmas music over the last couple of weeks in preparation for our annual WinterFest community event. One of the aspects of piano teaching that I love is trying to find special music for each student that will appeal to them and that they will be excited to play. I take into consideration the pieces that they enjoy the most from their regular repertoire books and then tap into those same characteristics when looking for additional solos for special events.

Adah is one of my precocious second year students who plays with a naturally beautiful technique and gravitates toward flowing pieces that move around on the keys. She also loves playing hands together. She’s getting toward the end of Piano Safari Level 1, so is comfortable with eighth note rhythms, reading simple note patterns, and following dynamic markings in her music. In light of all that, I wrote this arrangement of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel with her in mind. It’s so fun to watch the delight in students’ eyes when they hear themselves playing music that sounds beautiful and makes them feel like an accomplished pianist!