Showing posts with label piano. Show all posts

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

Monday Music Quote: Annie Lennox

Cover of Annie Lennox

“Ask yourself: Have you been kind today? Make kindness your daily modus operandi and change your world.” -- Annie Lennox

Maybe you like Annie Lennox music, maybe you don't but I sure do love her quote.

C F C F C F G C F C F C F G
Walking on walking on broken glass (2x)

F C F C F C F G
1. You were the sweetest thing that I ever knew
F C F C F C F G
but I don’t care for sugar honey if I can’t have you.
Am C F C G/Fadd9 Am
Since you’ve abandoned me my whole life has crushed.
Em
Won’t you pick the pieces up
F G C
’cause it feels just like I’m walking on broken glass.


Refrain 1:
C F C F C F G C F C F C F G
Walking on walking on broken glass (2x) [erstes Mal: Oooh!]

Am G/Fadd9
2. The sun’s still shining in the big blue sky
C F C F C F G
but it don’t mean nothing to me.
F F/G C F C F C F G
Oh, let the rain come down, let the wind blow through me!
Am G/H C F C G/Fadd9 Am
I’m living in an empty room with all the windows smashed
C
and I’ve got so little left to lose
C/G G
that it feels just like I’m walking on broken glass.


Refrain 1 (1x)

Bridge:
C/F B Am/F
And if you’re trying to cut me down you know that I might bleed
C/F B Am/F
’cause if you’re trying to cut me down I know that you’ll succeed.
C/F B Am/F
And if you want to hurt me there’s nothing left to fear
C/F B Gsus4 G
’cause if you want to hurt me you’re doing really well my dear.


Zwischenteil: C F C F C F G (2x)

F F/G C F
3. Now everyone of us was made to suffer,
C F C F G
everyone of us was made to weep
F F/G C F
but we’ve been hurting one another


C F C F G Am
And now the pain has cut too deep
C/G
So take me from the wreckage,
F C G/Fadd9 Am
save me from the blast!
G/Fadd9
Lift me up and take me back!
F Gsus4
Don’t let me keep on walking - Don’t let me keep on walking

I can’t keep on walking on - keep on walking on
G
I can’t keep on walking on - Don’t let me Don’t let me
C
broken glass!


Refrain 1 (2x)

Refrain 2:
C F C F C F G C F C F C F G

 
Walking on walking on broken glass

You might be interested in learning about this music resource,

the vocal mastery system.

Vocals

If you sight read music, here's a free download of the song,

Walking On Broken Glass.

Annie Lennox.pdf

Best,

LadyD

I Left My Heart In San Francisco: Tony Bennett

I LEFT MY HEART IN SAN FRANCISCO
(Tony Bennett)

The loveliness of Paris
Seems somehow sadly gay
The glory that was Rome
Is of another day
I've been terribly alone
And forgotten in Manhattan
I'm going home to my city by the bay.
I left my heart in San Francisco
High on a hill, it calls to me.
To be where little cable cars
Climb halfway to the stars!
The morning fog may chill the air
I don't care!
My love waits there in San Francisco
Above the blue and windy sea
When I come home to you, San Francisco,
Your golden sun will shine for me!

S.F. Photos on YouTube

   Bm7           AM7           D      D9    AM7
The loveliness of Paris seems somehow sadly gay;

      Bm7          F#m    Bm7-5      Cdim      E7
The glory that was Rome is  of  an - oth - er day;

           Fdim                   Bm7-5     AM7      F#m7
I've been terribly alone and for - got -ten in Man - hat - ten;

  D        Bm7      Bm7-5 Cdim      E7
I'm going home to my city  by  the bay.


A  Fdim  Cdim  AM7  Cdim AM7     F#m      Bm    Bm+7
I  left  my  heart            in San Francisco;

           E    Bm7-5 E7     Cdim     AM7    Fdim    AM7
High on a hill,           it calls to me

E7 Bm7-5      AM7   Bm7-5  AM7     Cdim   AM7
To  be where little cable cars

 F#m   C#m             G#7
Climb halfway to the stars;

             A       B7        E7
The morning fog may chill the air,

Fdim       E7
I   don't care.



A  Fdim  Cdim  AM7  Cdim AM7   F#m      Bm   Bm+7
My love waits there,        in San Francisco,

Bm7  D9       E7  Bm7-5  E7      Bm7-5  F#7   Gdim   F#7
A - bove the blue            and windy sea;

F7  F#7      Bm7   Fdim          A       AM7    F#m
When I come home to you, San Francisco,

    F#m/E D  D9        E6  E7/6  A    Cdim   Fdim   AM7
Your golden sun will shine  on  me

5 Music Apps for Kids

http://creativemamma.com

Here is a list of some favorite music apps. These apps work with both iPhones and iPads.

Baa Baa Black Sheep by Duck Duck Moose ($1.99 – iphone) – Explore the island of Baa Baa, where you can row-row your boat, see Baa Baa and his friends, explore 3 underwater worlds, all while looking for matching puzzle pieces hidden throughout the island! – This app combines two songs and it’s fun and interactive – Music plus puzzles equals lots of fun!

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star by Kiboomu ($.99 – iphone) – Aspiring toddler & preschool pianists now have a new way to take piano lessons. Kids will love the song and they will love to “play” the piano along with the song.

Kids Song Machine by Genera Kids ($1.99 – iphone, there’s a free version to try) – Kids Song Machine is specially designed for young children, where they can sing and learn the song lyrics, with interactive animations by simply touching the screen. This is a fun app that has 10 songs included! There is also cute characters that the kids can interact with.

Ocarina by Smule ($.99 – iphone) - One of Apple’s All-Time Top 20 Apps, Smule’s Ocarina turns your iPhone into an ancient flute. With no musical training required, you’ll blow away your friends and family with your new talent.

GarageBand by apple ($4.99 – ipad) – GarageBand turns your iPad into a collection of Touch Instruments and a full-featured recording studio — so you can make music anywhere you go. Use Multi-Touch gestures to play pianos, organs, guitars, drums, and basses on your iPad. They sound and play like their counterparts, but let you do things you could never do on a real instrument. I love how this app is perfect for any age group! Jude loves playing with the piano and the drum kits and I love the bass guitar! The app is great because it introduces the kids to different instruments and they learn how to use them – a plus, if you are planning on having them take actual music lessons. Do you have any favorite music apps for kids?

Monday Music Quote: Vladimir Horowitz

"Perfection itself is imperfection."

"Played percussively, the piano is a bore. If I go to a concert and someone plays like that I have two choices: go home or go to sleep. The goal is to make the piano sing, sing, sing."

-- Vladimir Horowitz

Horowitz's performing style frequently involved vast dynamic contrasts, with overwhelming double-fortissimos followed by sudden delicate pianissimos. He was able to produce an extraordinary volume of sound from the piano, without producing a harsh tone. Horowitz could also elicit an exceptionally wide range of tonal color from the piano, and his taut, precise attack was noticeable even in his renditions of technically undemanding pieces such as the Chopin Mazurkas. He is also famous for his octave technique; he could play precise passages in octaves extraordinarily fast.

Did You Know?

Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa is the official march of the United States of America. the famous Russian pianist Vladimir Horowitz transcribed (rewrote) the piece for piano to celebrate when he became a U.S. citizen.

From this Monday's Music Quote, I thought of this song:

"Sing, Sing, Sing"

"Sing, Sing, Sing" is probably the most famous tune associated with Goodman, if not the entire Swing Era. However, it was originally a tune written by Louis Prima.

You'll find a lead sheet that you can transpose and it's free here

Did you know Hear and Play offers a dvd course for drummers? If you're interested, visit
Hear and Pay Drums Collection
"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

Monday Music Quote: Oscar Hammerstein

"A bell is no bell 'til you ring it,
A song is no song 'til you sing it,
And love in your heart
Wasn’t put there to stay -
Love isn’t love
'Til you give it away."
~Oscar Hammerstein, Sound of Music, "You Are Sixteen (Reprise)"

All the Things You Are

* You will find a great breakdown of the song at http://www.jazzguitar.be/all_the_things_you_are.html

* Chord structures can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_the_Things_You_Are

* Free Pdf Lead Sheet Download http://www.jazzguitarlessons.net/all-the-things-you-are.html

* Free Midi http://www.songtrellis.com/sounds/viewer$528

(Title: All The Things You Are)
(Music by Jerome Kern)
(Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II)
(1939)


Fm7  Bbm7     Eb7                       Abmaj7
You are the promised kiss of springtime 
         Dbmaj7                G7            Cmaj7
That makes the lonely winter seem long.
Cm7  Fm7     Bb7                     Ebmaj7 
You are the breathless hush of evening
        Abmaj7             Am7b5      D7
That trembles on the brink of a lovely
 Gmaj7
 song.

   Gmaj7         Am7
   You are the angel glow 
    D7              Gmaj7   
   That lights a star.
    Cmaj7        F#m7b
   The dearest things I know 
    B7                 E         C+
    Are what you are.

Fm7  Bbm7            Eb7           Abmaj7 
One day my happy arms will hold you
    Dbmaj7  Dbm7   Abmaj7           Bdim7  
And someday I'll know that moment divine
        Bbm7                      Eb7      Abmaj7
When All The Things You Are are mine.

Happy Valentine's Day!

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

Virtual Keyboard: New Software Tool

Dear Readers,

I always blog about a music dvd I've just discovered or a piano dvd that works for us musicians.

I recently received this bit of news launching a new virtual keyboard. When I watched the video, what caught my eye was the fact that you could learn new jazz songs, plus adding free midis. Here's the note:
What if a robot could teach you songs?

Sounds crazy but with the power of technology,
there's now a way to turn your computer into a
song-teaching machine... that never sleeps,
never charges by the hour... doesn't get
frustrated... and repeats as much as you want!

My friends over at Hear & Play Music are the ones
behind it and just created a video demonstration
at:

Virtual Keyboard

(I only wish I had this little magic tool when
I was young!)

They call it the "Song Robot!" You simply load
song files into it and it shows you, on demand,
how to play them on a big virtual keyboard.

There's a full video demonstration at:
Song Robot

Here's what it does:

* It can slow down songs, "turtle speed."

* It transposes songs to all 12 keys so you're
not stuck in ONE key.

* You have the choice of learning with huge, red
colored notes that light up or a real-looking
3d version of a piano.

* You can stop, pause, rewind, fast forward.

* You can even load your favorite audio files
and have it remove vocals so you can practice
(they can even be slowed down and put in all
12 keys... real albums!)

Visit:
Piano Robot

For a limited time, they're making you an
unbeatable deal on the song files... and
throwing the song robot in at no cost!

Once you get your hands on this, you'll see
why so many are excited about it.

Visit:
Check Out Song Robot

I just might jump on this great deal myself!

All the best,
D.

P.S. Drop me a line regarding chord charts to jazz songs from the 20's, 30's and 40's. Have a favorite?

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

How To Play The Piano Without Music

Art Blakey with the Original Jazz Messengers

Image via Wikipedia If you're looking for tips on how to memorize music, then take a look at my latest article:
http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Play-Piano-Without-Sheet-Music&id=5861178

There was a time when the great pianists would appear on stage without music in front of them. Clara Schumann seems to have been the first to perform from memory, and for this she was considered "insufferable," pretentious, and disrespectful toward the composers who wrote the works she played. Today though, many consider memorization one of the most important aspects of piano playing.

Most books will discuss the how-to of memorizing stress the importance of understanding the intricacies of musical form. When you approach a piece you want to learn, the suggested practice is to break it down into various components, so you can see the exposition of the theme, the introduction of other themes, a development section, key relationships, modulatory passages, and so on. Of course, we can get even more complex about it. With the advent of home computers, it won't be long before every piano student is required to analyze all pitch series permutations and rhythmic stratifications on every page of an assigned piece!

I'm kidding of course. But it is easy to get carried away with theoretical detail, and the dryness of an approach such as this cna betray the initial thrill which brought us to the keyboard in the first place.

In order to memorize a piece, it helps to analyze the music in a tactile, practical sort of way. Here's what I mean. Take a work you wish to memorize. Start with the opening phrase, and learn to play it without the music. Then, pause for a moment, to consider this: If you were a composer, how would you continue? You might, for example, repeat the original idea starting on a different pitch; or turn it upside down; or embellish it. There are, of course, countless possibilities.

Now take a look at what the composer of the piece actually did. Is what comes next very ordinary, or is it surprising? Note these first two phrases. Does the second answer the first? Are they short or long? Are they of equal size? Are there rhythmic ideas which repeat? Is there a natural rise and fall in the shape of the phrases, or do they leap and zigzag?

Let's also consider the physical demands this music is making. Is there a tricky fingering that comes up at a certain point? If so, play it over a few times, to remember the feeling. Are the hands playing together, or alternately? Are they moving in opposite directions? On which notes does the thumb go?

Each time you ask one of these questions, play those first phrases over before answering. Then, close the book.

You are ready to try playing without the book. When you hit your first blank moment (which might pop up right away), open the book and find the spot in the music you couldn't remember. Play through it a few times. At the beginning, you might have to play for a while just to memorize the notes. Later, there will be just a spot here and there that will cause problems. In those cases, you might want to imagine a picture which you can associate with each section of the music. It can be anything at all, like ocean waves for arpeggios, or raindrops for staccato passage. Then, close the book again.

You can repeat this process over and over until you are sure of the music. Then, you'll want to move on to the next part of the work, thinking again about how the composer decided to continue, what the shape is, and what configurations you will find your fingers in.

Each time you hit a blind spot, you should refer to the printed page. If you hit the same blind spot over and over, it's important to "analyze it in the context of the phrases which come before and after (including, for example, how your "ocean" becomes a "storm," and so on). By repeatedly closing the book, you are forced to confront any part of the music which is not completely clear to you. each time you forget, you are actually getting an opportunity to deepen your understanding of the piece!

When the entire work is memorized, it will be necessary to test your ability to play it every so often, because some memorization is only short term- and it is only through constant questioning and evaluating that a deeper kind of learning takes place.

-- From Keyboard Tricks Of The Trade

The advantages to following this routine are many. What have you discovered that works for you?
I've used Jermaine Griggs and Yoke Wong's music resources and lots of practice!

Take Your Piano Playing To The Next Level

Learn How To Improvise Using Chords Techniques

30 Day Money Back Guarantee

www.PlayPianoTips.com

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

5 Tips to Moving the Piano

Steinway concert grand piano, model D-274

Image via WikipediaMy favorite instrument to play is the piano. I like the sounds that come from the many different types of pianos that are available. They are such sensitive instruments and just hearing classical music on the piano is so relaxing to me.

As a matter of fact, I love to hear all genres of music on the piano. The instrument is so different than a keyboard. I like them as well but there's something quite special about acoustic instruments.

Now pianos can cost you quite a bit of money these days to own. The simplest piano can be around a few hundred dollars and then the price escalates to thousands of dollars on more complex ones.

So it seems more and more folks are renting pianos first before making the decision to buy one. Whether you own an upright or grand piano, when the time comes to moving your piano to a new location the size and weight become a huge determining factor.

Lightweight pianos are around 300 pounds or so. The heavier ones start at 500 pounds and can easily weigh 1300 pounds depending on the year and the make of the piano. So, if you are thinking that all you need are 2 people to move a spinet piano, perhaps you can get by safely with that.

Piano Moved to the First Floor

But when it came time to moving my 1910 upright piano it took 4 strong guys and lots of wooden planks to roll it through an 8 foot glass slider door.

I've seen 7 guys move a baby grand piano out of a church before. And many folks do not recommend rolling a piano on its metal casters for fear of scratching wooden floors.

Pianos are sensitive to climate/temperature changes such as humidity and movement as well. If you have one stored in a damp garage against a cold wall, I suggest you move it quickly into a warmer dwelling.

Why even bumping a sensitive piano can put it out of sorts, so to speak. Plus, a cracked or damaged part of the wood can affect the overall sound tone as well.

You might want to consider a professional licensed piano mover who has all the right equipment with crates, ramps, blanket coverings, and pads ramps to prevent shock damage if bumped a bit during the move. No slipping and sliding and no runaway pianos allowed!

So the cost of moving a piano varies by:

1. Type of Piano
2. Distance of Move
3. Difficulty of Move
4. Amount of Help
5. Urgency of Move

And the cost can be hourly or just one flat rate price. I would suggest calling around, chat with your local piano tuners in town and get an idea on an estimate.

Fortunately for me the moving distance wasn’t too far. I would say the travel time was a half hour. It took 4 guys to load my old upright piano on ramps (wish we had a hydraulic lift) and onto the truck bed. No, we didn't have a piano dolly and that would have been another nice tool to have. Then we securely tied the piano down.

Taking it out of the truck was a little scary but once we landed we were so thankful to be on the driveway. I’ve heard others tell that pushing a piano through grass is as difficult as pushing a piano up a flight of stairs. It's the heavy metal castings that add to the weight of the piano, too.

The rule of suggestion is to move a piano with the front side facing forward and walk directly keeping it balanced. Fortunately for us, there were no tight turns in the process and no stairs to climb. We set the planks down on concrete to roll the old upright indoors and our mission was successfully accomplished with no hurt backs in the process.

Be sure and wait a couple of weeks for your piano to acclimate to its new climate surroundings before giving your local piano tuner a call.

Whether you move a piano by yourself with a little help from your friends or pay piano movers, I hope you only have to do it once!

Tips to Finding Free Piano Tabs

Sheet Music for Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

Image via WikipediaMany piano players, especially those who are good at improvising, as well as pianists who prefer to develop their own style of playing prefer to use piano tabs (chord charts) instead of sheet music.

Piano tabs offer great flexibility and versatility while reading sheet music, although able to improve your technical proficiency, limits you to a technical style of just reading the notes. The Internet has a huge selection of free piano tabs available and they’re quite easy to find when you consider the tips below.

Places to Find Free Piano Tabs

Piano tab databases allow you to copy, save, or download their piano tabs. Sometimes, their entire database is free to access. Other times, you need to pay a membership fee or per tab. With tab search engines, you need to specify the piece you require piano tabs for and they’ll produce a list of websites that have them.

Piano Tutorial Websites and Forums

Websites and forums that teach or help you to play the piano for free usually have free piano tabs as well.

Pentatonic Scale in Oriental Video

Hendrix chord, F7#9, as an uncommon pentatonic...

Image via WikipediaPentatonoic is a scale that consists of 5 notes,
namely, I-II-III-V-VI. C pentatonic scale
comes with C, D, E, G, and A.
You can create all kinds of beautiful music using
pentatonic scale.

oriental moods

Frédéric Chopin wrote the right hand piano part of
his Etude Op. 10 no. 5 in the major G-flat
pentatonic scale, and therefore, the melody is
played using only the black keys. Antonín Dvoøák,
inspired by the native American music and
African-American spirituals he heard in America,
made extensive use of pentatonic themes in his
"New World" Symphony and his "American" Quartet.
Are you finding the pentatonic scale interesting
now?

In fact, you can take a look at the
video that highlights the usage of pentatonic
scale. This video is put together by one of Yoke Wong's
customers, Miriam.

She started composing using pentatonic scale after
learning this technique from Yoke Wong's definitive piano
improvisation course. With her permission, Yoke Wong is
sharing her first music video that makes use of
pentatonic notes blended with open chord voicing.

I am enjoying the video a lot as she puts real
effort in combining her music with beautiful
pictures of the nature. Furthermore, she is making
use of music synthesizer to highlight certain
instrumental effect. Kudos to Miriam.

Improve Your Piano Playing
Access Free Piano Tutorials Here

Piano Playing Cat: Nora

A two-year-old seal point "traditional&qu...

Image via Wikipedia
I have a Siamese cat and you can read more about "Jazz" at: http://www.qondio.com/the-cat-who-walked-across-france

Oh how I wish I had thought of this earlier. If you're familiar with Nora, the piano playing cat, then take a look at her sequel.

Nora The Piano Cat: The Sequel - Better than the original!

Jazz Piano Tutorial-Easy Does It

Teaching music with a steady beat:

Standardized testing shows that children with steady beat independence are better readers and more successful in mathematics. STEADY BEAT seems to help in areas of concentration, to understand space and distance and to have better control of physical movements. Here is a website for using a free metronome to help with your child's practicing a STEADY BEAT.
www.freemetronome.com