Funerals represent a difficult and emotional time however music can be a great comfort. It is also a wonderful way to honour a person and help towards the grieving process. In classical music, funeral marches were very common as a genre – they are generally in a minor key and have a slow tempo. One such example is the first movement of Beethoven’s Sonata No. 12 in A-flat Major, Opus 26. Funeral marches also exist in modern music, with examples by Queen and Duke Ellington.
There are also other works that are specifically written for somebody, often royalty, such as Purcell’s Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary, Z. 860. Some composers have also written funeral music that is less sombre, such as Funeral March of a Marionette by Charles Gounod.
Tomplay has a selection of funeral sheet music, including classical works and modern songs. Funeral music from films is also available, such as Hokage’s Funeral from Naruto. These pieces are available for many instruments and levels, with audio accompaniments.