Gazing at the Fire

“Gazing at the Fire” Description:

• Level: Late Elementary
• Mood: Contemplative, Whimsical
• Pages: 4 pages, 2 pages of music, cover included
• Format: Instant PDF download
• Studio Licence Bonus: Cover art, composer notes with mastery tips and “make it your own” suggestions
• Collections: Memories of Summer
• “Gazing at the Fire,” a late elementary piano solo, creates contemplative moments perfect for quiet lesson time. This whimsical piece uses familiar 3/4 time with gentle accents that hint at 6/8 rhythms.

“Gazing at the Fire” Level:

“Gazing at the Fire” offers contemplative and whimsical moods ideal for piano players who appreciate gentle expression and dynamic variety. This late elementary piece highlights accent markings that introduce 6/8 feel and hand position changes across multiple octaves.

• Mode: C Dorian (key signature)
• Time Signature: 3/4
• Concepts: 2 ledger lines, slight syncopation using accent (mimics 6/8 time, which is not used at this level), chord bridges (up to 6th interval), broken chords, eighth note patterns, drop-lift pedal, allegro, dolce, changing clefs, hands in same clef, crescendo, diminuendo, hand over hand, 8va, ritardando, alternate finger numbers, fermata

While 6/8 time isn’t typically introduced at this level, “Gazing at the Fire” cleverly uses accents within familiar 3/4 time.  This gives piano players a taste of a compound metre feel.

The chord bridges require strategic hand shifts, allowing movement across nearly three octaves in the left hand while the right hand explores broken chords and bridges. Piano players transition between playing hands in the same clef to changing clefs, reading up to 2 ledger lines and 8va markings. The piece concludes with a beautiful hand-over-hand arpeggio featuring alternate fingering numbers.

“Gazing at the Fire” Bonus:

All sheet music has original cover art.  “Gazing at the Fire” includes composer notes that include mastery tips and “make it your own” suggestions to develop an individual interpretation.

More About “Memories of Summer”:

“Backyard BBQ Boogie” is part of the “Memories of Summer” late elementary collection.  Children through adults will love bringing beloved summer memories to life through four enchanting pieces perfect for piano players returning after summer break or those who cherish nostalgic music.

Each piano solo captures a unique seasonal moment while building essential skills through engaging melodies and accompaniment patterns.

The “Memories of Summer” collection includes:

• “Backyard BBQ Boogie” – Lively boogie celebrating joyful family gatherings.
• “Gazing at the Fire” – Capturing contemplative evening memories around the fire pit.
• “Fireflies in the Dark” – Playful piece mimicking dancing summer lights
• “Ripples on the Lake” – Graceful waltz inspired by peaceful morning waters

What Is a Studio Licence?

When you purchase “Gazing at the Fire,” you get a studio-licence PDF of the piece.  This piece is sent digitally via an email receipt.  If you have a multi-teacher studio, please contact Rosemarie directly for additional licenses.  Thanks!

A studio licence is a great way to stretch your studio repertoire budget.  Purchase music once and use it for years (even decades) with students you directly teach!  For online teachers, if you share the piece during online lessons, students must print it immediately and not retain an electronic copy of the piece.

For more information on your studio licence, check out the Terms and Conditions page.

When you purchase a collection of piano solos, everything (sheet music, piece descriptions and “Composer notes”) is placed in one PDF for easy access.  As a bonus, you also get each piece in the collection as a separate PDF for students who will only play one piece.

Should I Print All the PDF Pages?

Yes!  Each page is designed with the piano player in mind.

• Cover art
• Music
• Description, composer notes/tips for pianist to make it their own, terms of use

Students love a bit of cover art.  It can help them get into the mood and story of a piece.  I’ve included ways to adapt or play with the music so students become part of the creative process.

Read the copyright and licensing terms included.   Ensure you know the terms of your licence.  Your license means this product can be printed, but not shared.  However, if you are a piano teacher, check the “Shop Terms of Service” for user-specific ways you may use this product.