Piano Diana Blog: February 2014

Monday Music Quote: Scott Joplin

portrait of Scott Joplin (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Don't play this piece fast. It is never right to play ragtime fast.”
-- Scott Joplin

Monday Music Quote: Scott Joplin

Turn the other way and do the "Slow drag"/ Now take your lady to the world's fair . . ./ And do the "rag time dance."”

Joplin sure could play a mean piano! He influenced the world with the ragtime genre.

Important Facts to Know About Scott Joplin

Born: 1868 in the U.S.

Died : 1917

Period of Music: Contemporary

Instruments He Played: piano, guitar, bugle

Major Compositions:

Piano - Maple Leaf Rag, The Entertainer, The Easy Winners, The Cascades

Opera - Treemonisha

Interesting facts: Scott Joplin was given free piano lessons by his first teacher. He is considered the greatest ragtime composer.

It is never right to play ragtime fast.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/s/scott_joplin.html#2VO4l7tz7TdU4iA5.99

Chords to The Entertainer

D          D7    G
Now the curtain is going up,
          D          A7     D
The entertainer is taking a bow,
                        D7         G
Does his dance step and sings his song,
      E7                       A7  G  A7
Even gets all the audience to sing along,
         D              D7      G
Yes, he knows just what he must do,
              D              A7             D
Knows how to bring down the house when he’s through,
                   D7                  G           Gm
Snappy patter and jokes, he knows what pleases the folks,
          D           A7          D
The entertainer, the star of the show.



                                D7
It was in vaudeville and he was on the bill,
              G                 Gm           D
With all the singers, dancers, acrobats and clowns,

There was a dancing bear, even a dog act there,
         A          E7            A
And a comedian who never let ‘em down,
          D                     D7
But, when he came on to do his fav’rite song,
          G                Gm              D  D7
He really wowed ‘em in the cities and the towns,
                G        Ab              D
They came from near and far, to see the vaudeville star,
    E7   A7  D
The entertainer!

http://www.azchords.com

"The Entertainer" sheet music cover (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Right Hand Single Notes

Key of C, 4/4 Time Signature

Measure 1 2 3 4

D, D# E, C, E, C, E, C C, D, D# E, C, D, E, B, D

Measure 5 6 7 8

C, D, D#    E, C, E, C, E, C C, A, G    F#, A, C, E, D, C, A

Measure 9 10 11    12
D, D, D#    E, C, E, C, E, C    C, D, D# E, C, D, E, B, D

Measure 13 14 15 16
C, C, D E, C, D, E, C, D, C    E, C, D, E, C, D, C    E, C, D, E, B, D

Measure 17
C

Free Download:
http://www.score-on-line.com
Free Sheet Music
http://www.911tabs.com

18 Rags in Easier Versions: Piano Solo
A First Book of Ragtime: 24 Arrangements for the Beginning Pianist
American Classics: Scott Joplin - Rags & Waltzes

Have you played Joplin's waltzes and ragtime piano piece?

*some affiliate links in this post*

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"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

Neil Diamond: Song Sung Blue

Neil Diamond (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Monday Music Quote

"Funny thing but you can sing it with a cry in your voice....
and before you know it start to feeling good, you simply got no choice"

Neil Diamond wrote the words and music to Song Sung Blue in 1972. For more information regarding the song, visit http://en.wikipedia.org

It's a great song played with a swing feel, 4/4 time signature in the Key of C. I have always loved Neil's voice and his style. I got the chords online but the only thing I would add or change is the intro. Try playing:

C
C/Bb
Am
Fmaj7
G7

A Tribute To Neil Diamond - His Greatest Hits

Chords to Neil Diamond's Song Sung Blue

C C7 C . . .

C
Song sung blue
          G
Everybody knows one
G7
Song sung blue
             C
Every garden grows one

C7                              F
Me and you, are subject to, the blues now and then
    G
But when you take the blues and make a song
              C
You sing them out again
          Dm       G7
Sing them out again

C
Song sung blue
               G
Weeping like a willow
G7
Song sung blue
               C
Sleeping on my pillow

C7                                      F                 F C G F G
Funny thing, but you can sing it with a cry in your voice
G                      
And before you know it, start to feeling good
           C           G7
You simply got no choice

C  G  G7  C

C7                              F
Me and you, are subject to, the blues now and then
    G
But when you take the blues and make a song
              C
You sing them out again
          Dm       G7
Sing them out again

C
Song sung blue
               G
Weeping like a willow
G7
Song sung blue
               C
Sleeping on my pillow

C7                                      F                F C G F G
Funny thing, but you can sing it with a cry in your voice
G                      
And before you know it, start to feeling good
           C           G7
You simply got no choice

C              G
Song sung blue
G7             C
Song sung blue

http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com

Tips

1. Play the C7 chord using C/CEGBb

2. When you get to "Funny thing but you can sing it with a cry in your voice, rhythm changes to 2/4

3. Bass line: F/FA, E/EA, F/DA and F#/CA

A Tribute to Neil Diamond Vol 2
A Tribute to the Best of Neil Diamond, Vol. 3

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Warmly,

"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

Eddie Espinosa: Change My Heart Oh God (chords)

Listen to Eddie Espinosa sing Change My Heart, O God at http://www.jango.com

Eddie has had a rich experience in worship leading, songwriting and recording with the Maranatha Praise Bands and with the Anaheim Vineyard.

"Change My Heart Oh God is a heart cry song that came to me after a time of being in the presence of God during a private time of worship. The experience that I had was very similar to that of Isaiah, chapter 6. During my time of being in God’s presence, sin and attitudes of the heart were suddenly glaring me in the face. I realized that in order for me to walk uprightly before the Lord, I needed a heart transplant. I desperately needed for God to change my heart in order to love the things that He loves and to hate the things that He hates. I also was aware that only He could change my heart. I began to sing without paying attention to the melody, it just flowed from the depths of my being." Eddie Espinosa

Listen to Eddie sing the song Change My Heart, O God at http://www.jango.com

Chord Chart in Key of C

Cmaj7     Em7      Dm7 
Change my heart oh God, 
G             C 
make it ever true. 
Cmaj7     Em7      Dm7     F/G 
Change my heart oh God, 
      G        C 
may I be like You. 
 
Esus    E             Am 
        You are the potter, 
Dm7       G       C 
        I am the clay, 
Esus    E           Am   Am/G 
        mold me and make me, 
        D               G 
        this is what I pray.

-----------Version 2:----------------
C           Em7       Dm7
  Change my heart, O God,
G                   C2 C
  Make it ever true.
Am7                   Dm7     
  Change my heart, O God,
 G              C
  May I be like You. (end second time)


Esus  E    Esus  E   Am
      You  are   the potter,
Dm7  G       C
   I am the clay,
Esus  E     Esus  E   Am   
      Mold  me    and make me,
C6             D7  G
  This is what I   pray.

Chord Chart in Key of Bb

Change My Heart, O God (Psalm 51:10)

Bb     Dm7      Cm7 
Change my heart oh God, 
F7sus     F7 Cm7/Bb 
make it ever true. 
Bb2     Gm7      Cm7    F7sus 
Change my heart oh God, 
      F7        Bb 
may I be like You. 
 
D7    Am7   D7       Gm 
        You are the potter, 
Cm7       F7      Bb  D7
        I am the clay, 
        Am7   D7    Gm7     Bb/C 
        mold me and make me, 
                     C7  F7sus F7 Bb2 
        this is what I pray.

Bb2            Dm7    Cm7
Change my heart oh God,
F7sus    F7     Bb Cm7/Bb
make it ever true.
Bb2           Gm7 Cm7    F7sus
Change my heart oh God,
F7      Bb        Bb2
may I be like You.

Here are a few of the chords to the song just in case you need them. They're not in any order but it gives you a feel for the song... you know, where to place your hands.

L.H. / R.H.

Bb = BbFBb/D

Dm7 = DA/CF

Cm7 = CGBb/Eb

F7sus = FEbF/BbC or FEbF/BbEbF

F7 = F/AEbF or FEb/AC

Bb = BbFBb/D

Cm7/Bb = BbG/CEbBb

Bb2 = BbFBb/CF or BbFBb/CD or Bb/CDFBb

Gm7 = GF/BbF or GDG/DGBb

Cm7 = CGBb/Eb or C/BbEb

D7 = DAD/CDF#A or D/CF#A

Am7 = A/CEG

Gm = GDG/DGBb

Bb/C = C/BbDF

You may be interested in these additional music resources for your enjoyment:

The Best Of Acoustic Worship
You Are the Mighty King

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Warmest regards,

"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

Monday Music Quote: The Beatles

Monday Music Quote

"Have you seen the little piggies crawling in the dirt?" -- George Harrison

My grandson doing a little children's theater with the piggy mask! :=)

"Piggies" is a song by the Beatles, released in 1968 on their eponymous double album (commonly known as The White Album). It was written by George Harrison as social commentary.^[1]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piggies

Piggies Chords ( Beatles )

                                 Piggies
                       by George Harrison  (Beatles)

     F                 C7             F               C
     Have you seen the little piggies crawling in the dirt
     F               C7            Dm              G
     And for all the little pigies life is getting worse
     Dm7           G7      C7  Bb Cdim C
     Always having dirt to play around in

     F                 C7             F                       C
     Have you seen the bigger piggies in their starched white shirts
     F                 C7             Dm              G
     You will find the bigger piggies stirring up the dirt
     Dm7               G7        C7  Bb Cdim C
     Always have clean shirts to play around in

              Gm                  A7
     BRIDGE:  In their styes with all their backing
              Bb                   C
              They don't care what goes on around
              Gm                    A7
              In their eyes there's something lacking
              Bb                 C
              what they need's a damn good whacking

     F                 C7               F            C
     Everywhere there's lots of piggies living piggy lives
     F                C7             Dm              G
     You can see them out for dinner with their piggy wives
     Dm7                 G7         C7  Bb Cdim C
     Clutching forks and knives to eat their bacon


 From: Harlan L Thompson 



PIGGIES- The Beatles

G                 D7             G               D
Have you seen the little piggies crawling in the dirt
G               D7            Em              A
And for all the little piggies life is getting worse
Em7           A7      D   Em7 Fdim D/F# G D G D 
Always having dirt to play around in

G                 D7             G                       D
Have you seen the bigger piggies in their starched white shirts
G                 D7             Em              A
You will find the bigger piggies stirring up the dirt
Em7               A7        D    Em7 Fdim D/F# G D G B
Always have clean shirts to play around in


BRIDGE:  
Am                  B7
In their styes with all their backing
C                    D
They don't care what goes on around
Am                    B7
In their eyes there's something lacking
C                  D                  D7
What they need's a damn good whacking!

G                 D7               G            D
Everywhere there's lots of piggies living piggy lives
G                D7             Em              A
You can see them out for dinner with their piggy wives
Em7                 A7         D   Em7  Fdim D/F# 
Clutching forks and knives to eat their bacon

G D Gm D Gm D A7 D
          Ab   Eb
One more time

Music Theory from Wikipedia

"Piggies" features a Baroque-style harpsichord and string quartet — which take an unexpected turn at one point playing a blues riff (0:56). Chris Thomas (producing in George Martin's absence on some of the White Album sessions) played the harpsichord part. The song is in the key of A♭ and the verses (such as "Have you seen the little piggies in their starched white shirts?") open with a I-V-I-V (A♭ to E♭, A♭ to E♭) chord alternation. The expected cycle of fifth notes in the scale is thwarted by means of a III⁷ on the way to the IV (subdominant) chord, the III⁷ (C⁷), pointedly accentuating, for example, the lyrics on "damn good whacking." The unusual III⁷ (C⁷) move also appears just before the characteristically jarring shift down a tone to the minor ii (B♭m) on "In their sties". The song is also notable for its subtle closing instance of the parallel minor/major principle as the harpsichord's C note (the major 3rd of the A♭ tonic key chord) shifts (at 1.44 s) to a darker C♭, creating a more "classical sounding" A♭m. Harrison's vocals in the song notably range from a low E♭ bass note (at 1.28s) to a descant falsetto B♭₂ (at 1.41 s) Further notable features include the implied but unfulfilled tonicization of VI in the bridge and a change of mode on the tonic in the coda in harpsichord and strings.

Chord Charts to More Beatles Songs

Hey Jude

Do you have a favorite Beatles tune?

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