In the Hall of the Mountain King is Grieg’s tiptoeing troll march, and the interactive player below is the place to start: run it at half speed, watch the notes and keys light up as it plays, and drag the score to loop any measure. The sheet music, fingering, and a free printable PDF come next.
Learn it with the interactive player
- Slow it down: x0.5 or x0.75 while you learn the notes, back to x1 once they flow.
- Pause anywhere: the current keys stay lit so you can find them on your own piano.
- Drag the score left or right, or use the 15s buttons, to replay a phrase.
The sheet music, section by section
Learn Section A at x0.5 on the player: the theme creeps up A4-B4-C5-D5, leaps E5-C5-E5, then slinks onto the black key D sharp 5 - played pianissimo, like footsteps you are not supposed to hear.
Section B is the same theme growing bolder, mezzo-forte and then forte, with an E5-D sharp 5 trill-like exchange before the final cadence. Keep the tempo identical; only the volume grows.
The full score
The original accelerates to a frenzy, but beginners should hold the full score steady at 96 BPM and build the storm with dynamics alone - from pp whispers to a full f ending.
Note by note: keys and fingering
- Right hand: The stalking theme climbs A4 (1), B4 (2), C5 (3), D5 (4) to E5 (5), then creeps back on the chromatic neighbor D#5 under the ring finger (4). In the answering bar the hand shifts briefly so natural D5 takes 3 and B4 the thumb (1).
- Left hand: Stalking single half notes: pinky (5) on A2, ring (4) on B2, thumb (1) on E3 - the same tread in nearly every measure.
| Note | On the Staff | On the Keyboard | Finger |
|---|---|---|---|
| A4 | Second space of treble staff | White key between the last two of three black keys | RH Thumb (1) |
| B4 | Third line of treble staff | White key right of the three black keys | RH Index (2) |
| C5 | Third space of treble staff | White key left of the two black keys above middle C | RH Middle (3) |
| D5 | Fourth line of treble staff | White key between the two black keys above C5 | RH Ring (4) |
| E5 | Fourth space of treble staff | White key right of the two black keys above C5 | RH Pinky (5) |
| D#5 | Fourth line of treble staff, with a sharp sign | Black key right of D5 | RH Ring (4) |
| A2 | First space of bass staff | White key between the last two of three black keys, two octaves down | LH Pinky (5) |
| B2 | Second line of bass staff | White key right of the three black keys, two octaves down | LH Ring (4) |
| E3 | Third space of bass staff | White key right of the two black keys below middle C | LH Thumb (1) |
Prefer a video? Watch the keys light up
Same color code as the player: green marks the right hand, blue the left hand, with the score and keyboard in one vertical video.
The story behind the Mountain King theme
Edvard Grieg wrote In the Hall of the Mountain King in 1875 as incidental music for Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt, where Peer sneaks into the underground hall of the troll king and is chased by his court. Grieg begins the theme at a whisper in the low strings and repeats it faster and louder until the orchestra erupts - a crescendo he privately joked reeked of cow pies and Norwegian-ness, though audiences adored it. Published in the first Peer Gynt Suite in 1888, it became one of the most recognized minor-key themes ever written, endlessly borrowed by films and cartoons. Our A minor arrangement keeps the tempo steady and lets dynamics build the chase.
Get the printable PDF
The printable PDF of this easy Mountain King theme - full score, hand positions, and a step-by-step practice guide - ships inside our free Halloween pack together with fourteen other spooky pieces.
A crescendo this long is easier to control from a solid base, and an Adjustable Piano Bench with Back Support keeps you planted as the troll march grows louder.
FAQ
How hard is In the Hall of the Mountain King on piano?
The famous accelerating original is a real workout, but this steady-tempo arrangement opens Level 3 of our Halloween collection. The theme uses one five-finger position plus the chromatic black key D sharp 5, quarters only, over a two-note stalking bass.
How long does it take to learn In the Hall of the Mountain King?
One to two weeks for the notes, since the same four-measure theme repeats four times. The real practice goes into dynamics: playing the identical notes pianissimo, then mezzo-forte, then forte without rushing is the skill this piece teaches.
What level is In the Hall of the Mountain King?
Level 3 of our Halloween collection, the Midnight Classics. It earns that placement with the chromatic D sharp 5 neighbor note, a brief hand shift in the answering bar, and the discipline of a long written crescendo at a fixed 96 BPM.
What are the notes for In the Hall of the Mountain King?
The theme climbs A4, B4, C5, D5, then E5, C5, E5. The creeping answer is D sharp 5, B4, D sharp 5, then D5, B4, D5. The final phrase alternates E5 and D sharp 5 before closing E5, C5, A4, then B4, A4, B4, A4. The left hand treads A2, B2, and E3. Full table above.