Songs to Listen to and Play on Halloween! A Selection of Recommended Piano Pieces
The Halloween season is just around the corner! How about making your costume parties and cozy time at home even more enjoyable with music full of mysterious vibes? We’ll introduce piano pieces that elevate the Halloween mood—from classic piano masterpieces to arrangements of soundtrack theme songs.
Why not savor the uniquely Halloween world—slightly eerie yet somehow charming—through the sound of the piano? It’s great for background music, and if you play the piano, be sure to show off your skills at a Halloween party.
Now, let’s take a look at what pieces are out there together!
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Songs to Listen to and Play on Piano for Halloween! Recommended Picks (21–30)
Lyric Pieces, Book V, Op. 54 – No. 3: March of the DwarfsEdvard Grieg
This piece, with its creeping opening melody and a rhythm that’s both playful and sprightly, is a perfect fit for Halloween, and it’s a piano miniature by the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg.
Depicting a procession of elves in a Nordic forest, its staccato passages laced with dissonance sound just like the mischievous footsteps of little goblins.
In the middle section, the music briefly transforms into a shimmering, beautiful melody, but its dramatic appeal lies in how it returns to the raucous march.
The piece was included in the collection Lyric Pieces, Book V, Op.
54, published around 1891.
It’s ideal for creating that fun yet slightly spooky Halloween mood! If you perform it on the piano, it’s sure to liven up any party, so try playing with crisp rhythms and a strong contrast of tone colors.
Suite ‘The Carnival of the Animals’ No. 7 ‘Aquarium’Camille Saint-Saëns
Aquarium, one of the movements from The Carnival of the Animals composed by Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns.
Captivating for its fantastical, mysterious atmosphere, this piece, true to its title, musically depicts aquatic creatures drifting through an aquarium, the clarity of the water, and shimmering light.
Although composed in 1886, it was released in 1922 after Saint-Saëns’s death.
It was also used in a memorable scene in the anime Nodame Cantabile and is beloved by many.
It’s a perfect piece for the Halloween season if you want to savor a magical, otherworldly mood.
Main Theme from the Musical “The Phantom of the Opera”Andrew Lloyd Webber
The musical The Phantom of the Opera, based on the Gothic novel by French writer Gaston Leroux, is a world-famous work that has been staged many times in Japan by the Shiki Theatre Company.
Among the songs in the show, this theme piece is especially striking.
Beyond conveying the Phantom’s terrifying appearance, the powerful impact of the music also evokes the sorrow and anguish he harbors deep within.
While the story itself doesn’t include Halloween elements, its mournful tone seems perfectly suited to a Halloween night when anything might happen, don’t you think?
Halloween NightAKB48
AKB48’s 2015 track “Halloween Night” is perfect for fully enjoying Halloween night.
It’s all about dressing up and letting loose on this special day—just have as much fun as you can! Of course, it’s also a great fit as background music for a Halloween party.
The melody isn’t too difficult, so it’s recommended to perform it on piano at your party and have a blast.
Use it in various ways—piano performance, singing, or BGM—and make it a fun Halloween night!
Grim Grinning Ghosts (from the Tokyo Disneyland attraction “Haunted Mansion”)Buddy Baker
The Haunted Mansion, an attraction found in many Disney parks around the world and hugely popular in Japan as well.
With a number that combines spookiness and cheerfulness, it’s a perfect piece for Halloween—fun to both listen to and perform.
If you play it in the order of the attraction’s storyline, start slowly with a scary atmosphere, then shift to a lively, danceable mood.
If you’re using it for a Halloween party, you might loop the cheerful section as the focus.
Dress up in your favorite costume and enjoy the music!
Funeral March of the MarionettesCharles Gounod
Just from the title you can sense a somewhat eerie atmosphere, yet there’s a humorous, light touch that makes this piece perfect for Halloween: “Funeral March of a Marionette.” It’s an instrumental work by the 19th-century French composer Charles Gounod, and it’s famous as the theme music for the legendary film director Alfred Hitchcock.
Many people have likely performed it in wind ensembles and similar groups.
It’s also well loved as a piano solo, with many published arrangements at lower difficulty levels, so it’s recommended for beginners as well.
This Is Halloween (from the film The Nightmare Before Christmas)Danny Elfman
A song from the Disney film The Nightmare Before Christmas, which depicts a frantic comedy about trying to bring the splendor of Christmas into the monotonous Halloween that repeats the same way every year.
It proudly introduces the eerie town, making it a perfect track to amp up your Halloween.
With this song, your party and costume preparations are sure to go smoothly! It’s also catchy and easy to play, so be sure to try performing it yourself!