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2.24am
10 April 2020
Offline
There is no substitute for the grand staff…
…unless you have no experience reading the staff.
This method was simply to help me commit the songs to memory. It wasn’t devised to be read while playing. It would be wonderful to be able to read music and play along but then one has to rely on reading the sheets. As a bass player I wouldn’t or couldn’t read from a chart. I would memorize the songs. (It looks cooler on stage. add smiling emoji). I decided that was how I would play songs on the piano. It’s a long, tortuous affair but somehow rewarding – in many ways.
The timing or rhythm comes, for me, by practice and being familiar with the song. The journey can sometimes be as good as the destination.
But you’re right; you won’t see anything like this.
The following people thank Rollo Greb for this post:
sir walter raleigh3.12pm
26 January 2017
Offline rewarding indeed. i’ll definitely be spending some time with your charts and see if I can make good use of them. I’m most interested in If I Fell .
"The pump don't work cause the vandals took the handles!"
-Bob Dylan, Subterranean Homesick Blues
"We could ride and surf together while our love would grow"
-Brian Wilson, Surfer Girl
4.59pm
10 April 2020
Offline I’ll get ‘If I Fell ‘ ready for you Sir Walter. I’ll make a few practical layout changes. Give me a day or so.
I build the charts in Publisher. If you have Publisher you can make your own adjustments in the file. (i.e. moving the dots around to suit you).
Otherwise I’ll post screenshots here.
PM me with your preference if you like.
8.42pm
26 January 2017
Offline posting the screenshots here is good so everyone else can see them. i listening to the intro trying to hear the piano. its pretty well disguised in the background
"The pump don't work cause the vandals took the handles!"
-Bob Dylan, Subterranean Homesick Blues
"We could ride and surf together while our love would grow"
-Brian Wilson, Surfer Girl
8.56pm
10 April 2020
Offline OK. Here’s ‘If I Fell ‘ intro parts 1 and 2.
Hit the keys in sequence of the numbers on the dots.
Dark dots for left hand, light keys for right.
If there are dots with the same number, hit the keys simultaneously.
Take notice of the position of middle ‘C’ for where to play notes on the keyboard.
Learn the first section (1) before moving to (1 plus 2). Get that into your memory before going to (1 plus 2 plus 3). If you know what I mean. Build the song.
It might look strange and complicated (“…and help meeee, un der stand”) but much less than a grand clef in my opinion. After a short while you won’t refer to the chart. It will be in your memory. Remember, if you are in isolation you have all the time in the world.
Have fun.
More later…
I’d like to hear feedback – good or bad. This method was done for me. I’ve never shown it to anyone else before this. I’d be interested to see if it works for others.
The following people thank Rollo Greb for this post:
The Hole Got Fixed10.39pm
10 April 2020
Offline sir walter raleigh said
listening to the intro trying to hear the piano. its pretty well disguised in the background
I wasn’t aware of any piano in the Beatles song. The arrangement I’ve taken the chart from is a Synthesia Youtube video by Roger Strauss. (Just enter ‘If I Fell piano’) It would be his own arrangement and which, I think, is really nice. I was attracted to the arrangement more than the song. Not that I don’t like If I Fell . I’ve played the bass plenty of times and loved it.
It’s basically arpeggio driven and it more or less follows the guitar arpeggios of the Beatles version quite successfully.
12.17am
26 January 2017
Offline ok cool. i didn’t want to offend by saying “i don’t think this song has piano.” i totally see what you’re going for here. btw, If I Fell intro is one of my all time favorite chord progressions and this arrangement is actually really creative.
"The pump don't work cause the vandals took the handles!"
-Bob Dylan, Subterranean Homesick Blues
"We could ride and surf together while our love would grow"
-Brian Wilson, Surfer Girl
12.53am
10 April 2020
Offline I agree. Great fun to play.
6.32pm
8 August 2019
Offline
One of my favourite John Lennon songs (and one of the most overlooked) to me is Cry Baby Cry .
A perfect song to learn on piano, given it is easy to sing, and easy to play, just a bunch of chords, but the chord progression itself sound beautiful now matter how simple you play it. I learned it last week and honestly I couldn’t be more glad. I got it from this page https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.c…..ords-17238
I know it’s for guitar but the chords are very simple so it doesn’t matter.
It even has Can You Take Me Back.
The following people thank Jules for this post:
lovelyritametermaid, Rollo Grebthe watusi
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