Piano Diana Blog: Henry Mancini

It seems everyone wants to play The Pink Panther! Written in 1964 by Henry Mancini, it remains an all-time great! It should be played moderately slow and mysterious with a swing rhythm. I couldn't find a free piano chord chart online but here are a few resources that may help. I will add my own chords on this post in hopes that it will be somewhat helpful to you.

If you read sheet music, here are a few riffs from the song.

Or if your familiar with finger style on the guitar, here is the guitar tab.

Pink Panther Chords

Em = EB

C7 = CG

Em = EB/E

C7 = CG/Bb

Em = EB?E

F7 = FC/Eb

Em = EB/E

C7 = CG/Bb

Em = EB/G

C = CG/G

Em = EB/G

C9 = EBbD/Bb

Em = E/GBE

F9 = AEbG/Eb

Em = E/GBE

C9 = EBbD/Bb

C9 = EBbD/DEBb

Em = EGB/G

Em6 = EGC#/E

Em = EGB

C = CEG

C6 = A/E

C7 = CEBb

C6 = CEA

C = CEG

Em = EGB

Em6 = EGC#

Em = EGC

G = DGB

Gb = DbGbBb

F = CFA

Gb = DbGbBb

G = DGB

Bass Riffs (L.H.)

C#G# - DA - D#A# - EB (walk up)

EbBb - DA - DbAb - CG (walk down)

Before the F7, play DA - D#A# - EB - FC

R.H. Riffs (single notes)

D#, E, F#, G, A#, B, D#, E, F#, G, A#, B

D#, E, F#, G, A, Bb, D#, E, F#, G, A, Bb

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

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

E, D, B, A, G, E, Bb, A, Bb, A, Bb, A, G, E, D, E

G, E, D, E

Some R.H. Chords

F#A#D#, GBD, A#D#F#, BEG

Triplets (R.H.)

GAB - BbAAb - GEEb - DEbE - GBbD

EGA - A#BE - EbDDb - CAAb - GAbA

BbAAb - GF#F - E

GED - EEE (close the song with)

Have fun!

Ultimate Pink Panther

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All the best,

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

Once again, Henry Mancini has worked his musical magic to bring us this charming instrumental from the TV mini-series The Thorn Birds. His music has enriched TV shows like Peter Gunn, Mr. Lucky, Remington Steele and the Bob Newhart Show, as well as a long list of award-winning films.

The 1983 mini-series is based on the best-selling novel of the same name. It focuses on three generations of an Australian family from 1920-1962. A forbidden romance between a beautiful young woman and a Catholic priest is the heart of the plot.

The song, The thorn Birds Theme, was written by Henry Mancini in 1983. I have the music in the Key of C, then it modulates to F. The time signature is 6/8, Flowing.

The chord chart is as follows:

C

C7

F

Gm/F

F

C/F

F

Gm/F

F

C/F

F

Bb

C/Bb

F/A

Dm

Gm

Gm/C

F

Bb

C/Bb

F/A

Dm

Gm

Gm/C

F

Gm/F

F

C/F

F

Gm/F

F

Bb/F

Bb/C

F

How To Play The Thorn Birds Theme

The first 4 measures is the intro with C5 in the bass; CG with a little C grace note before the chord. In fact there's an A grace note before the chord, BbG in the right hand when you play Gm/F. You'll also find some triplets sprinkled throughout the piece for your right hand. Examples: D-E-D or G-A-G and A-Bb-A.

In the left hand, you have a mixture of blocked chords (played at the same time) and arpeggiated, broken chords. For a great finger exercise and it's what you play for many measures, practice these single notes with your left hand:

F, C, F, C (7 xs), then play F, C, F.

F, C, F, C (6 xs), then F to CC. Last measure, F, A, C, F, A, C, F.

Chord Breakdown

C7 = CBb/CEG

F = F/CA, then C/AF (2 xs)

Gm/F = F/BbG

F = F/ACF

C/F = F/GE, F/AF, C/BbG

F= FCF/AF

Gm/F = F/BbG

F= F/ACF

C/F = F/GE

F/AF

Bb = BbF/DFD

C/Bb = BbG/CEG

F/A = AF/CFA

Dm = DA/FAD

Gm = GBb/DGD

Gm/C = CBb/DG

F = FAC/CA

Bb = BbF/DFD

C/Bb = BbG/EGE

F/A = AF/AG

Dm = DFA/A

Gm = GD/BbDG

Gm/C = C/BbDG

F = FCF/F

Gm/F = F/BbG

F = F/CA

C/F = F/GE

F = FCF/AF

Gm/F = F/DBb

F = F/CA

Bb/F = F/FD

Bb/C = CC/CA

F = FAC/ AF

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