The Carnival Of The Animals: The Elephant Sheet Music

The Carnival of the Animals: The Elephant is a famous piece composed by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. This song is part of a larger collection titled Le Carnaval des Animaux (The Carnival of the Animals) that Saint-Saëns composed in 1886. Each section of this work is meant to portray different animals and the eccentricities commonly associated with them. The Elephant is one of the more lively and humorous sections.

In creating The Elephant, Saint-Saëns cleverly used a double bass instrument to symbolize the slow-moving, heavy footsteps of the elephant. This musical concept is known as 'program music', where the music is intended to evoke images or portray an event or scene.

Drawing on musical theory, The Carnival of the Animals: The Elephant uses a waltz rhythm to give the piece a dance-like feel, and the interval of a perfect fourth to create the elephant's 'trumpeting'. This use of harmonics and rhythmic playfulness is what gives the song its comical and light-hearted nature.

For piano players wishing to tap into the humor and charm of this piece, we offer an easy version of the piano sheet music of The Carnival of the Animals: The Elephant that you can download following your purchase.