Piano Diana Blog: October 2015

We Just Disagree: Jim Krueger

Hear Krueger’s crackling guitar and melodious voice awaken the beauty of a mountain. -- Jay Ungar (noted American fiddler, composer and folklorist)

We Just Disagree

Written by Jim Krueger
Performed by Bob Dylan during the 1980-1981 tour

Key of E

4/4 Time with a steady beat

E A/E B/E (4x)

     B/E E            A/C#        B(add4)
Been away, haven't seen you in a while
           A(add9)         Am7      B    C#m
How've you been, have you changed your style?
 B/C#         E              A/C#           B(add4)
And do you think, that we've grown up differently?
   E/D             A(add9)           Amaj7  B   C#m  B/C#
It don't seem the same, seems you've lost your feel
    E
for me.

         Amaj7  B   E
So let's leave it alone
         Anaj7       E/B    E
Cause we can't see eye to eye
      A      B  E/G#  A
There ain't no good guy
             B/A  E/G# A
There ain't no bad guy
        B    C#m         E/G#   Am7  B    E
There's only you and me and we just disagree.

E/G#  A

Amaj7  B7  C#m7 B7  Amaj7 B6 (E Amaj7/E  B/E) 4x

OOh________         Oh,

                    A/C#            B(add4)

I'm goin back to a place that's far away

         A(add9)        Amaj7  B       C#m
How 'bout you? Have you got a place to stay?

B/C#          E                  A/C#           B(add4)

Why should I care, when I'm just tryin' to get along?

E/B      A(add9)                  Amaj7 B C#m  B/C# E

We were friends, But now it's the end of our love song.

So let's leave it alone...

There ain't no good guy
There ain't no bad guy
There's only you and me and we just disagree.

Amaj7  B  E

Chord Breakdown

Intro

E = E/G#BE
A/E = E/C#EA
B = E/D#F#B

L.H. / R.H

A/C# = C#/EAC#
A = A/EAC#
A(add9) = A/BC#E
Amaj7 = A/EG#C#
Amaj7/E = E/EG#C#

B = B/D#F#B
B(add4) = B/D#EC#
B(add4) = B/D#EB
B/A = A/D#F#B
B/C# = C#/D#F#B
B/E = E/BD#
B6 = B/D#G#B
B7 = B/F#A#D#

C#m = C#/EG#C#
C#m7 = C#/G#BE

E = E/EG#B
E/B = B/G#BE
E/G# = G#/BEB

You may be interested in a new resource from HearandPlay called, Song Tutor Software. It's about a Google powered song tutor. Be sure and visit the site for more information.

All the best,

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

How To Play Rocky Raccoon

We recently had a couple of raccoons visit our pond at night and the little darlings destroyed our water lillies. Their little escapade reminded me of a famous Beatle tune called, Rocky Raccoon. Another great song that I like from the 60s... and apparently my readers as well, Let It Be.

Rocky Raccoon

Words and Music by John Lenon and Paul McCartney
© 1968, 1969 Northern Songs
From The White Album

Key: C
Time: Moderately, in two

Intro: Am7

     Am7                                           
Now somewhere in the black mining hills out Dakota 
      D7sus                              D7
There lived a young boy name of Rocky Raccoon 
    G7                              C
And one day his woman ran off with another guy 
C/B
Hit young Rocky in the eye... 
                           Am7                 D7
Rocky didn't like that, he said, "I'm going to get that boy." 
       G7                          G                            C
So one day he walked into town and booked himself a room in the local

saloon. 
[ Tab from: http://www.guitaretab.com/b/beatles/275421.html ]
Am7                  D7sus        D7
Rocky Racoon checked into his room 
G7                   C  C/B
only to find Gideon's Bible 
Am7             D7sus          D7
Rocky had come equipped with a gun 
   G7                       C C/B   
to shoot off the legs of his rival. 
    Am7                   D7sus      D7
His rival, it seems, had broken his dreams 
   G7                       C C/B
by stealing the girl of his fancy 
    Am7                      D7 
Her name was McGill, and she called herself 'Lil' 
    G7                   C C/B
But everyone knew her as Nancy. 

    Am7                  D7sus D7 
Now she and her man (who called himself Dan) 
     G7                      C C/B
Were in the next room at the hoedown 
Am7                 D7sus D7  
Rocky burst in, and grinning a grin, 
          G7                   C C/B
he said, "Danny boy, this is a showdown." 

    Am7                D7sus D7 
But Daniel was hot. He drew first and shot 
    G7       G             C C/B
and Rocky collapsed in the corner. 
 
Da-n-da da da-n-da da da... Am7  D7  G7  C  3x

        Am7            D7sus     D7
Now the doctor came in stinking of gin 
    G7                      C C/B
and proceeded to lie on the table. 
 
          Am7
He said, "Rocky, you met your match." 
                  D7sus D7 
But Rockey said, "Doc, it's only a scratch. 
            G7                              G            C C/B
And I'll be better... I'll be better Doc as soon as I am able." 

    Am7                    D7
Now Rocky Raccoon, he fell back in his room 
G7                    C C/B
only to find Gideon's bible. 
Am7                        D7sus D7 
Gideon checked out, and he left it no dobt 
   G7                       C C/B
to help with good Rocky's revival. 
 
Oh yeah, yeah 
Da-n-da da da-n-da da da... Am7  D7  G7  C

How To Play Rocky Raccoon

Intro: A/GCG

Am7: A/GCG

D7sus: D/ACG

D7: D/ACF#

G7: G/GBF

C: GCE

C/B: B/GCE

Bridge:

AEGC/ D, C, E, Eb, D, C, A, C

DF#C/ D, C, E, Eb, D, C, A, C

GDFB/ D, C, E, Eb, D, B, G, F#

GDFB/ F, D, B, A, G, A, B, G

Outro:

C/ CC
EGC/ EE, then Eb
G/ DD, then CC
EGC/ A
CC/ CC

Have fun playing this fairly easy piece, whether on the piano or the guitar. There's a lot of block chording throughout the song and some fun riffs for the r.h. in the bridge. If you happen to be a guitar player, too... be sure and visit Hear and Play's music resource, Advanced Guitar 301

photo credit: whats up? :) via photopin (license)
*affiliate links in post*

Blessings,

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

Music Memory

Back in 2012 Rick Kessel wrote an article on Music Memory. I have blogged about this before because I am a believer that music, as with having many other hobbies, actually stimulates the brain.

"There is now evidence that suggests that passive musical listening may indeed actually have significant benefits to the brain."

Music Memory by Rick Kessel

A few years ago, there was a huge publicity campaign when it was (mis)reported that students listening to Mozart prior to taking standardized tests would show a marked improvement in their exam scores. The idea that passively listening to music would actually make a person "smarter," while a nice thought, has been largely refuted. Conversely, there has been far more evidence to support the benefits of learning to play a musical instrument, especially with respect to jazz improvisation.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University discovered the following while having musicians improvise within a functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI) machine (that's got to be some trick!): "When you're telling your own musical story, you're shutting down impulses that might impede the flow of novel ideas." Basically, the brain creates the connections that allow greater freedom of expression - another benefit of playing music.

Going one step further, however, there is now evidence that suggests that passive musical listening may indeed actually have significant benefits to the brain. We've all had the experience of hearing a tune that brought us back to a specific place and time, immediately giving us a vision in our mind of surroundings, people, and perhaps events.

It's a powerful feeling, it's extremely personal, and it's mostly related to music that we have grown up with. Evidently, the neurological pathways in our brains become almost "hard wired" when we listen to music, and music elicits a powerful response in people, even those suffering debilitating mental conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. A recent documentary, Alive Inside, suggests,

"Even though Alzheimer's and various forms of dementia will ravage many parts of the brain, long-term memory of music from when one was young very often remains. So if you tap that, you really get that kind of awakening response. It's pretty exciting to see."

Dan Cohen, the author of Alive Inside, took an unusual approach to his studies, and rather than simply playing music for all of the patients in his test groups, he developed a plan to "create personalized iPod playlists." The idea was that certain people react to "their" music in much more significant ways. after all, some folks would rather hear Duke Ellington or Ella Fitzgerald, while others may prefer a variety of other artists. Obviously, the cost to implement a personalized plan for these patients is costly. Cohen has attempted to take advantage of the rapidly changing technology and get folks to donate old iPods and MP3 players that can then be utilized in nursing homes and care facilities to help elderly patients.

As musicians and educators, it is certainly another positive benefit to music making, and we should all consider going to a local retirement or nursing home to perform for a very appreciative audience. If you have the opportunity, take a look at this important documentary that adds even more evidence of the power of music...

As a piano teacher for over 20 years now, I am excited to support nursing homes in bringing my students to perform for them several times a year. It's a win-win experience for everyone.

Here's some additional writing on this subject: