Route 66 American history embedded in this tune.

[My version played at Golden Buddha, April 2012] No vocals on this one. Includes bass on left hand and original instrumental solo part.

Piano lessons is a bit of strange idea when teaching piano since we're not really involved in the piano as much as, in this case, American history. The story of the highway that stretched from New York to LA is forever preserved in the song made famous by Nat King Cole, Route 66. [Wikipedia article] Here's Nat King Cole's 1946 version with pictures of the old route today.



I find that singing along helps learn to play it on the piano-- that multi sensory exercise obviously has an impact on memory and enjoyment. That's why I encourage students of all ages to sing the song to learn it. Play it again and sing along as follows. You'll notice the chords are embedded below. We'll consider that next, in the discussion.


Intro: F-F-F-F...etc



F A# F
If you ever plan to motor west
A# F
Travel my way, take the highway that's the best
C A# F
Get your kicks on Route 66

F A# F
It winds from Chicago to L.A.
A# F
More than 2000 miles all the way
C A# F
Get your kicks on Route 66



BRIDGE:
G (then no chord)
Now you go through St. Louie
A# (n.A#.)
Joplin, Missori
F
Oklahoma City looks mighty pretty
A#
You'll see Amarillo
F
Gallop, New Mexico
C A#
Flagstaff, Arizona (Don't forget Winona)
F C
Kingman, Barstow, San Bernadino


F A# F
Won't you get hip to this timely tip
A# F
When you take that California trip
C A# F
Get your kicks on Route 66
C A# F
Get your kicks on Route 66.


Solo-

Just solo on the Blues and Pentatonic scales in the Key of G.
(I may tab it out later)

BRIDGE:
G (then no chord)
Now you go through St. Louie
A# (n.A#.)
Joplin, Missori
F
Oklahoma City looks mighty pretty
A#
You'll see Amarillo
F
Gallop, New Mexico
C A#
Flagstaff, Arizona (Don't forget Winona)
F C
Kingman, Barstow, San Bernadino


F A# F
Won't you get hip to this timely tip
A# F
When you take that California trip
C A# F
Get your kicks on Route 66
C A# F
Get your kicks on Route 66.
C A# F
Get your kicks on Route 66.
C A# F
Get your kicks on Route 66.

Continue with a solo on the high notes in the key of G. then end on a G5 chord.

Enjoy ^_^
Can't play "Route 66"? Improve your playing via easy step-by-step video lessons!

[Discussion and updates] We'll look at the roman numeral chords and various piano versions.

Piano sound track for cartoon is delightful.

As I widen out what we do here for online piano lessons under the "etcetera" portion of the program, I'll likely include "name that tune" excercises as well as ideas about how to apply your piano lesson knowledge to the real world. In this following video, we see a demonstration of both. The piano track is a suitable and delightful background for a cartoon. I would ask you the student to name the tune that the backtrack is based on. I'll answer my own question in a week and prove it. Enjoy today's "lesson"!

Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head played by Oliver Lallement.

There is some garden party noise in the background on this next track but it's not too bad and Oliver's playing of this tune is better than most uploads. I wish he would have played through it a few more times as well. You can use the lyrics below this video to sing along. Then I'll look at the actual harmonic progression which I view as the really interesting part of any music and is the basis for how I like to teach piano lessons-- by harmonic progression.





Intro: F-C-Bb-C

F Fmaj7
Raindrops keep falling on my head
F7 Bb Am
and just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed,
D7 Am D7 Gm7
nothing seems to fit, Those raindrops are fallin' on my head they keep fallin'

C7 F Fmaj7
So I just did me some talkin' to the sun,
F7 Bb Am
and I said I didn't like the way he got things done
D7 Am D7 Gm7
Sleepin' on the job, Those raindrops are fallin' on my head they keep fallin'

C7 F Fmaj7
But there's one thing I know,
Bb C Am
the blues they send to meet me, won't defeat me
D7 Gm7 Bb C Bb C
It won't be long till happiness steps up to greet me

F Fmaj7
Raindrops keep fallin' on my head,
F7 Bb Am
but that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turnin' red,
D7 Am D7 Gm7
Cryin's not for me, cause I'm never gonna stop the rain by complainin'
C7 F C7
because I'm free, nothings worryin' me

(instrumental) F-Fmaj7-Bb-C-Am

D7 Gm7 Bb C Bb C
It won't be long till happiness steps up to greet me

(Repeat last verse)

Harmonic progression

I - IM7 - I7
IV- iii - VI - iii
VI- ii -V

I - IM7 -IV -V -iii
VI 7 - ii7 - IV - V - IV - V

If you learn how this harmonic progression sounds and feels in several keys, you'll go very long way to understanding this song and how it was designed. To get a look at how others are doing harmonic progression lessons on the internet, take a look at the following.

[R. Scott]

[Google search]

My final comment for now: You do not have to play well to appreciate what I mean by harmonic progression. It's simply a matter of starting with the chords and chord changes FIRST rather than simply the notes. Most piano lessons, to my way of thinking, are backwards. By listening to complete song FIRST and playing ONLY the chords, you can then lay that foundation of "hearing" what's going on so that by the time you learn the notes, you already understand what you're trying to achieve.

[Further discussion]

Rick Potvin plays piano at Golden Buddha restaurant.

Visit Golden Buddha Restaurant in Phoenix 5-9 pm nightly on 44th St. S. of 202 for great food and piano entertainment by Rick Potvin and Dorothy Motto.

Don't Get Around Much Anymore played by PMat1000

One is the Lonliest Number

discussion]

Harmonic analysis of the C Major scale.

Alan Dale

[Alan Dale

Five Foot Two played by Alan Dale

Tea for Two played by Art Tatum

Fly me to the Moon

Moondance (VanMorrison) played by WillMason

New York, New York

Send "New York, New York" Ringtone to your Cell

New york, new york

Start spreading the news, I’m leaving today
I want to be a part of it - new york, new york
These vagabond shoes, are longing to stray
Right through the very heart of it - new york,
new york

I wanna wake up in a city, that doesn’t sleep
And find I’m king of the hill - top of the heap

These little town blues, are melting away
I’ll make a brand new start of it - in old new
york
If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere
It’s up to you - new york, new york

New york, new york
I want to wake up in a city, that never sleeps
And find I’m a number one top of the list, king
of the hill
A number one

These little town blues, are melting away
I’m gonna make a brand new start of it - in old
new york
And if I can make it there, I’m gonna make it
anywhere

It up to you - new york new york

New york

Rhapsody in Blue

As Time Goes By

[This day and age we're living in
Gives cause for apprehension
With speed and new invention
And things like fourth dimension.
Yet we get a trifle weary
With Mr. Einstein's theory.
So we must get down to earth at times
Relax relieve the tension

And no matter what the progress
Or what may yet be proved
The simple facts of life are such
They cannot be removed.]

You must remember this
A kiss is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh.
The fundamental things apply
As time goes by.

And when two lovers woo
They still say, "I love you."
On that you can rely
No matter what the future brings
As time goes by.

Moonlight and love songs
Never out of date.
Hearts full of passion
Jealousy and hate.
Woman needs man
And man must have his mate
That no one can deny.

It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die.
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by.

Oh yes, the world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by

[Discussion]

Moon River

Moon River, wider than a mile,
I'm crossing you in style some day.
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker,
wherever you're going I'm going your way.
Two drifters off to see the world.
There's such a lot of world to see.
We're after the same rainbow's end--
waiting 'round the bend,
my huckleberry friend,
Moon River and me.

My One and Only Love

The Summer Knows

Bumble Boogie piano solo

Maple Leaf Rag

Tears in Heaven

Hotel California.

Send "Hotel California" Ringtone to your Cell

On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night
There she stood in the doorway;
I heard the mission bell
And I was thinking to myself,
�this could be heaven or this could be hell�
Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor,
I thought I heard them say...

Welcome to the hotel california
Such a lovely place
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the hotel california
Any time of year, you can find it here

Her mind is tiffany-twisted, she got the mercedes bends
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, that she calls friends
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat.
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget

So I called up the captain,
�please bring me my wine�
He said, �we haven�t had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine�
And still those voices are calling from far away,
Wake you up in the middle of the night
Just to hear them say...

Welcome to the hotel california
Such a lovely place
Such a lovely face
They livin� it up at the hotel california
What a nice surprise, bring your alibis

Mirrors on the ceiling,
The pink champagne on ice
And she said �we are all just prisoners here, of our own device�
And in the master�s chambers,
They gathered for the feast
The stab it with their steely knives,
But they just can�t kill the beast

Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
�relax,� said the night man,
We are programmed to receive.
You can checkout any time you like,
But you can never leave!

David Osborne's official channel

[Homepage]

Looks like Osborne has covered a lot of ground. He works at the Bellagio in Vegas. [+]

[Petrossian Lounge at Bellagio]

[+] Live youtube clip at Bellagio with David Osborne playing.

[Autumn Leaves] Note the descending chromatic run in single notes while the left hand plays the melody.

Apologize-- played by David Osborne

[Lesson Notes]

Imagine, by John Lennon

Colour My World by Chicago, 1970s

Here's David Osborne again in a really good rendition for piano solo.

Can't take My Eyes Off of You

What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life? - played by Jflore

Wind Beneath My Wings - played by Jflore

Up Where We Belong - played by Jflore

Beauty and the Beast - played by JFlore

Memories - made famous by Streisand - played by JFlore

Phantom of the Opera - Music of the Night

Your Song - composed by Elton John 1970s - played by JFlore

Cry Me a River - played by JFlore

I Dreamed a Dream - from Les Miserables. - played by JFlore

Time After Time - Cindy Lauper - 2000s?

An Affair to Remember - composed by Harry Warren - 1930s

When You Say Nothing At All

After the Lovin - Englebert

St. Elmo's Fire Theme - from the movie St. Elmo's Fire

The Moon Represents My Heart - made famous by Theresa Tang

I Left My Heart in San Franscisto - Played by Allan Dale

Saturday's Alright for Fighting - Elton John

Spyrogyra piano sheet music on my radar screen-- follow me out on this.

The original Spyrogyra tunes were never meant for the piano and their richly textured sounds and complex harmony are probably impossible to replicate on piano-- however they can be played in outline form. That's what I'll explore in this thread.

Spyrogyra sheet music google search [+]

Here's a piano ensemble rendition-- not exactly piano but it shows the player's hands moving on the straight forward chords... -- which proves it's definitely playalble.

Evergreen, made famous by Barbara Streisand.

Beatles "In My Life"

Fire and Rain (James Taylor)

Skating from George Winston used by Guaraldi-- piano only

PianoDJ Use - applause at the end ruins this recording so I'll be looking for a clean copy.

Linus and Lucy piano cover for restaurants.

I'm thinking about a service that can be provided to restaurants like the one I play at that allows the manager to simply create a playlist of tunes by various piano players of various songs that they can then simply choose. It's all piano with no other instruments. First on the list is Linus and Lucy.

Our House, by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

PIano stand up comedy.

Not a bad schtick but I think there is a lot better. Still, start somewhere. Interesting.

PIano Tech/tuner sells a piano... $1300 Spinet.. on Youtube.

The sound that comes across on this youtube video is actually really good. The technician/tuner selling it plays good too. This is a good sales method that I had never really thought of. Many piano stores put up websites but have never featured the tech/tuner who worked on it not to mention demonstrated it... along with a firm price. This is great.



Learning how to buy a piano and what is involved in maintenance should be part of a series of piano lessons... as I'm now including.

Linus and Lucy *Charlie Brown theme-- most popular thing I play.

Every nite at Golden Buddah, I have to play Linus and Lucy because it's the most requested song of all time that I've had. Everyone seems to know it. How is that possible? I'm not sure. Here it is...

Heartaches by the Number played by Allan Dale.

I first found Allan Dale piano playing videos almost 10 years ago but my internet speed wasn't really good enough to enjoy them until recently. He's got a traditional old fashioned style and it's really worthwhile to watch how he does it. Here's Heartaches by the Number.



[Discussion]

Voicings- an elementary explanation.

II-V-I in several keys-- pretty good explanation.

There is an incredible amount of youtube video online on how to think about playing piano. I'm going to take the approach in this blog of just sampling the material I think has merit and value and post it here. Later I'll assemble it in logical order for an actual student. This will comprise the free part of my lessons of course since it's online, free and I don't have a way to charge for it. I will charge for my one on one time however currently at 25 an hour at my place or 35 an hour in Phoenix and greater Phoenix if that can be set up. Otherwise, my advice and online consulation here are free. With that said, try this video on II V I. Even if you're not sure how to do it or what the author talking about it, survey it anyway.

Today, let's look at McArthur Park.

Piano sol [+]

This is almost 8 minutes long. There are various sections to it. It starts out in a minor chord and has unique chords. Then it changes to a major mode. "Someone left the cake out in the rain" comes fairly soon in the song. Sit back and listen to it first. This is a PIANO LESSON-- believe it or not. I don't see any point in playing pieces on the piano that you have never heard.... not with the EDUCATIONAL internet the way it is evolving now. That is (Etc.) if the world doesn't go in to World War III mode.



[DISCUSSION] Learn about the chord changes and how to put this together on piano the way I'm doing it.

Midnight Sun

Blue Bossa best known as a Joe Pass song I think

Hornsby, The Way It Is