The Great Escape: Piano Sheet

Hartsell writes intermediate solos that actually sound like music rather than technical exercises. The hand-crossing chase and varied touch requirements in this piece give students something genuinely engaging to practice, and the four-page length means it stays interesting without becoming a semester-long commitment.

Breathless and kinetic, like being chased through a familiar space. The relentless eighth notes create momentum while the hand alternations keep the listener's eye (and ear) bouncing side to side, building tension through texture and texture alone.

Intermediate pianists who are comfortable with steady eighth-note patterns and ready to manage hand independence across the keyboard. This solo works well for students developing confidence in coordinating both hands when they're not moving in parallel motion.

• Map out the hand alternations before playing at tempo to avoid fumbling during the chase sections.
• Experiment with the dynamic shifts to shape the narrative; the contrasts between loud and soft passages make the piece theatrical rather than mechanical.
• Use the full keyboard range intentionally; this piece rewards pianists who move with confidence between registers.
• Practice the touch changes separately so transitions feel deliberate, not accidental.

Program this as an energetic contrast piece on a recital alongside slower, lyrical work. It also serves as a solid technical study for the intermediate student who needs evidence that hand coordination and rhythmic precision can be musical, not just mechanical.

• Hand independence and alternation across the keyboard
• Sustaining even eighth-note patterns while managing dynamic and touch changes
• Coordinating right and left hand in non-parallel motion
• Controlling tone across register shifts
• Shaping a piece through dynamic contrast rather than harmonic color