10 Halloween Pieces For Solo Piano

Pianists always spend a lot of time preparing Christmas music, but Halloween often gets overlooked as a musical holiday. It’s not too late to get your piano chops up to speed so that you can provide your own soundtrack to this fun holiday!

For teachers, a Halloween piano recital is always a fun occasion. A lot of recitals happen in December or May. Mix things up with your studio and offer a recital full of fun Halloween music to delight students and families.

Here are ten piano solos that feature this season’s quirkiest and spookiest tunes. When possible, we’ve found easier and more advanced pieces to suit a variety of levels.

1. The Addams Family Theme

We all know and love The Addams Family theme song, and now you can play it on the piano!

You can encourage the audience to join in with the snapping fingers. Composed by Hollywood and TV composer Vic Muzzy, it’s considered a classic example of Golden Age TV themes.

Easy Sheet Music for Solo Piano

Intermediate Sheet Music for Solo Piano

2. The Munsters Theme

But why shouldThe Addams Familyhave all the fun? We had to includeThe Munsters, too!

This jazzy tune owes its style to composer Jack Marshall who was one of the great jazz guitarists. Get this Halloween piano sheet music in easy and intermediate versions.

Easy Sheet Music for Solo Piano

Intermediate Sheet Music for Solo Piano

3. “The Great Pumpkin Waltz” from It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

For something a little less spooky, “The Great Pumpkin Waltz” from It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is one of our favorite songs to play on the piano.

Another jazz great, Vince Guaraldi, gets the composing credit for this song. This tune serves as a calm interlude between the uptempo numbers.

Easy Sheet Music for Solo Piano

Intermediate Sheet Music for Solo Piano

4. “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor” by Johann Sebastian Bach

This iconic piece was originally played on the organ, giving it the ultimate Halloween sound! If you’re up for the challenge, take on this dark Bach classic.

This piece is a nice project for advanced pianists to challenge (and build) your skills. Be sure to learn the hands separately with the correct fingerings before attempting it hands together.

Advanced Sheet Music for Solo Piano

5. Halloween Theme by John Carpenter

Okay, back to spooky! John Carpenter’s Halloween Theme sends shivers down our spine every time! There is an almost Pavlovian response of fear when people hear the opening of this song. Use that to your advantage and play it first on a program of Halloween piano songs.

Intermediate Sheet Music for Solo Piano

6. “Monster Mash” by Bobby Boris Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers

It’s hard not to love this Halloween classic. This is the perfect piece to break out at a party this year!

It’s more lighthearted than others on the list and will be enjoyed by everyone in the room.

Easy Sheet Music for Solo Piano

Intermediate Sheet Music for Solo Piano

7. "Thriller” by Michael Jackson

For another party pleaser, enjoy this incredible piano arrangement of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” by Musicnotes Signature Artist, Karim Kamar.

The choreography to this is legendary. If you’ve got a couple of friends who would like to perform the dance moves while you play, even better.

Easy Sheet Music for Solo Piano

Advanced Sheet Music for Solo Piano

8. Ghostbusters Theme

We ain’t afraid of no ghosts!

Ray Parker, Jr. really delivered with this song, and with these great piano arrangements in two different levels, you can too. This is a true crowd-pleaser.

Easy Sheet Music for Solo Piano

Intermediate Sheet Music for Solo Piano

9. The Exorcist Theme

Also known as “Tubular Bells,” The Exorcist is a must-learn Halloween piece!

This is similar to the theme from “Halloween” mentioned above in that it conjures fear upon listening. Composer Mike Oldfield gets the credit for this movie theme masterpiece.

Easy Sheet Music for Solo Piano

Intermediate Sheet Music for Solo Piano

10. Halloween Medley arranged by Joshua Burniece

This medley from Musicnotes Signature Artist Joshua Burniece features excerpts from “Grim Grinning Ghosts,” Thriller,” The Twilight Zone Theme,” This Is Halloween ,” Halloween Theme, “Monster Mash ,” Ghostbusters Theme, “Hedwig’s Theme,” and “What’s This?”

Play this for a grand finale to cap a fun evening of Halloween piano music.

Intermediate Sheet Music for Solo Piano

Not seeing the piece you want here? Click here to browse our entire library of Halloween sheet music for solo piano!

This post was written by Megan, piano teacher and author of Pianissimo: A Very Piano Blog. Visit her website for more piano related blogs for teachers, parents, students, and all things piano.

FAQ

• What kind of music should I play at a Halloween party? Any of the pieces listed above would be an excellent choice. Consider who is attending the party. If it’s a party for younger children, it would be wise to stay away from the scarier pieces like the themes from “Halloween” and “Exorcist”. Instead, play the more lighthearted songs. If it’s a party for teens or adults, however, any of the songs are appropriate.
• What is the most played song on Halloween? That would be Bobby Pickett’s “Monster Mash.” Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” is number two and “This is Halloween” from The Nightmare Before Christmas is number three. 
• What Halloween songs are copyright free? The short answer is not many, and certainly not most of the ones you know. Copyrighted works from 1926 entered the public domain in 2022. So any Halloween songs written before that year are copyright free. Don’t despair, many excellent classical songs are in the public domain. The Bach Toccata and Fugue mentioned above count as does Danse Macabre by Saint-Saens and Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz. You can also find very early movie soundtracks and scores that are no longer under copyright.