NOTE: For the moment, all downloads are "pay what you choose". You are welcome to download them for free, and you are even more welcome to pay me what you think fair, if you like the music.
Here's an assorted collection of piano pieces composed over a good few years. The styles vary quite a lot, so I hope you enjoy exploring, and that you find something you like.
Some are designed for near-beginners, some are rather harder, and there's one that I haven't mastered myself yet . . .
(If you're a teacher, or even if you aren't, do also check out my little book, Let's Improvise, here.)
The thumbnail (and description) for each piece should give you an idea. If you buy the sheet music you get a midi file thrown in, because I'm feeling generous. Please note that midi files are basically just your computer playing the notes - they won't have much expression/dynamics/tempo changes etc. You should play them with much more feeling!
(And on the subject of expression: I'm not precious about things like tempo and dynamics. Feel free to play differently from how I've suggested in the score.)
There are a couple of freebies: Backstreet Blues (both versions) and the easiest piece of all, The Old Rocking Horse I (the other two horses are a little harder to ride).
Some of them you can buy as collections. The first ten pieces were intended as a group, which I've called On the Move. The next twelve can be bought as a group too, under the title Moods and Moves (I know, 'moves' again. Sorry, I just like it). Both groups include some pretty easy pieces and some rather more difficult ones - so they might be collections that you could enjoy and come back to over some years, as your playing develops.
The last few pieces are mostly longer and are stand-alone, at the moment.
You can find performances of some of the pieces on my YouTube channel (a couple of them under different names - see if you can find them - though one I'm not happy with and might replace):
https://www.youtube.com/@captaincatchy/videos
It would be good to have some feedback, so do get in touch if you like.
A simple, catchy little tune for an early-grade player. The melody is played in both hands at different points, so the left hand gets a good workout. Small hands might find part of this tricky, so check out the easier version as well. Both are free, with my compliments! Hope you enjoy.
If I remember correctly, this was partly inspired by Peter Maxwell Davies' piece, 'Farewell to Stromness'.
Someone told me they didn't find this sad, but mysterious. See what you think. Unlike most of the pieces, you can be a bit free with the timing in this one.
Longer, and perhaps harder, than the others in this group - but satisfying to play when you get it right! Careful with the timing.
OK, maybe they're not all about moving - some are about sitting still!
This includes all the above ten pieces. They are quite varied but I composed them as a group so here you are. Sad Serenade was composed in 1994, the others in 1997 (the easy version of Backstreet Blues is much more recent).
Hope you enjoy - let me know!
I'd got into the rocking horse mood, so composed another one. Not quite so easy.
This was written for students, partly as a vehicle for improvisation, though it can simply be played as a tune without improvising. It's featured in my booklet 'Let's Improvise' (see below). It's not for beginners, but I've found that even fairly early-years students can master it with enough practice - and they usually like the tune so are motivated to do so! Included in the download are two versions: the simple score, and the score with explanatory notes (taken from 'Let's Improvise').
This is also from 'Let's Improvise', and again is intended as a basis for improvisation, though you can play it just as written. If improvising, feel free to change anything! It's another popular one with students.