Tuesday, December 31
Happy New Year 2014: Ode to Joy
Check this out-- a version of ODE TO JOY, complete with English translation-- which I myself read here for the very first time. I didn't particularly like the male operetic vocals in this piece mainly because I thought they were overdone and furthemore they were in German. However, now that the translation is provided in English, I was able to enjoy it for the first time. And look at how this is presented with the color bars, translating sound into color through computerized "synesthesia"-- ! Fairly amazing and entertaining. It occurred to me to create a better lesson out of this song today because it's the final day of 2013-- which gives rise to spiritual reflection as that presented in the lyrics and conveyed through the majesty of this timeless piece. To boot, it was a favorite of my dad, Roy F. Potvin, who moved into the spirit realm n 1994.
Here's my dad around 1978-1980... about 14 years of life ahead of him... contemplating something as he completes carpentery work in the house he designed and had built. My mom took this photo. I like it because he seems to be looking ahead--- and upward-- as if in a spiritually contemplative moment. So few photos of my family-of-origin members are "genuine" like this-- most are "set-ups" with pasted on smiles and standard poses. That earlier age of photography was mostly like that. Now we have more opportunities to catch situations in their dynamic spontaneous mode what-with video, cell phone cams and the the like. He's not on the physical plane to wish his family a happy new year but for some strange reason, I felt compelled-- possibly by his spiritual-in-between-existent-self-- to post this this morning-- and as it turns out the song that inspired this occurred to me "out of nowhere" this morning. Amazing.
Discussion and more
Monday, December 30
Auld Lang Sang video lesson might work for you.
Here's a video lesson for playing Auld Lang Sang on the piano in preparation for New Year's Eve. This type of video that we've seen more and more of on Youtube might be useful-- I'm still not sure. It's interesting. It offers insight into how the sound relates to the keys and notes-- and chords. It's not a great arrangement-- we'll save that for the second video below. Watch the instruction first.
Now here's Rod Stewart in concert...
Now here's Rod Stewart in concert...
Robert Reich parodies Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody line.
I love it when I TV commercials, Youtube ads, radio jingles and other advertising uses music familiar to me. As a musician, I like it because it refreshes, renews and recontextualizes songs for younger generations who may never even have heard the song before. It gives me something new to play for restraurant crowds or other private party or corporate party audiences that has currency. This morning, I was amused to find Robert Reich's latest pitch beginning with his short parody of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody line "nothing really matters, to me".... with reference to the do-nothing Congress. Take a look...
Here's the original. Please note the piano in the background--- in the introduction. Then the bass joins in. This is a song I really should consider adding to my own repertoire. As I do, maybe I'll show you readers of this blog what the chords are and how to adapt your voice to do the tune without ruining yourself. Note too that the Youtube views are more than 60 million. That's a significant audience for this song still. My only problem with the song are the depressing lyrics-- which I've not really considered before. Note the guitar solo into the song-- important to piano players interested in guitar (as cross training). The vocals are impeccable of course, too.
Discussion, more video examples on piano and solo performances, paradies, chords etc. No login required.
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY - Robert Reich parodies Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody line.
Here's the original. Please note the piano in the background--- in the introduction. Then the bass joins in. This is a song I really should consider adding to my own repertoire. As I do, maybe I'll show you readers of this blog what the chords are and how to adapt your voice to do the tune without ruining yourself. Note too that the Youtube views are more than 60 million. That's a significant audience for this song still. My only problem with the song are the depressing lyrics-- which I've not really considered before. Note the guitar solo into the song-- important to piano players interested in guitar (as cross training). The vocals are impeccable of course, too.
Discussion, more video examples on piano and solo performances, paradies, chords etc. No login required.
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY - Robert Reich parodies Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody line.
Sunday, December 29
Mozart's "First Minuet" on keyboard ensemble.
If you're reading this in your email, click on the title above or the "posted by Rick to PianoLessonsEtc.com" line at the bottom to view the video.
Observing-- has to be a crucial element in piano "lessons". Not enough of it is done in the standard teaching approach-- but with Youtube we have the ability to watch anything at all being played. Youtube watching is an important part of my piano teaching philosophy. In fact, I've mused that one could build a piano lesson program based exclusively on watching piano and piano with other instruments being played. There's a lot to be gained even without trying it yourself... and merely watching and listening. Let's look at Mozart's "First Minuet"-- composed *they say* when he was 6 years old. (My latest theory on Mozart is that he was a front for many ghost writers but I'll examine that further in other posts). Notice that this is first being played using the "piano+strings voice" on the portable keyboard. Consider the several other voices I'm using to make it more interesting. The Yamaha keyboard is the E433 and cost around $300.
Discussion
FIRST MINUET
Thursday, December 26
Wednesday, December 25
New York State of Mind-- redone by a possible fake Billy Joel-- more blues like
If you're reading this in your email, click on the title above or the "posted by Rick to PianoLessonsEtc.com" line at the bottom to view the video.
Billy Joel has short gray hair and short grey beard-- it was shocking to me when I first found him on Youtube again several years ago. Time keeps on slipping into the future-- I don't even recognize him anymore. It's possible, in my opinion, that he's been replaced. Look at these results from Google picture search and tell me we're looking at the same person. [+] I personally don't think so. In this latest version of New York State of Mind, he puts too far much blues spin on his original tune New York State of Mind. This could very well be a Billy Joel stand-in doing a parody of the original Billy Joel.
Here are the chords... note my comments on the inflections-- the key center changes in the middle of thesong... INTRO: Dm9 Abmaj7 Dm9 Em7 F Dm9 F/G C E7 Am7 Gm7 C F A7 Dm Bb C E7/B Am7 G F C D9 Fmaj7 F/G Am7 D9 Am G F/G C E7 Am7 Gm7 C Some folks like to get away, take a holiday from the neighborhood F A7 Dm Bb Hop a flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood C E7 Am7 Cmaj7 F C D7 But I'm taking a Greyhound on the Hudson River line Fmaj7 F/G Am D7 Am G F/G I'm in a New York state of mind C E7 Am7 Gm7 C I seen all the movie stars in their fancy cars and their limousines F A7 Dm Bb Been high in the Rockies under the evergreens C E7 Am7 Cmaj7 F C D7 But I know what I'm needing and I don't want to waste more time Fmaj7 F/G Am D9 Am G E7 I'm in a New York state of mind
Here's where we have key center changes.... from C to G... then F, then A and then back to G and finally swinging back into C...
Am7 D7 Gmaj7 G It was so easy living day by day ... the Am-D7-G are ii-V-I in G Gm7 C7 Fmaj7 Out of touch with the rhythm and blues ... the Gm- C7 - F are ii-V-I again in F Bm7 E7 Amaj7 Well, now I need a little give and take ...again... ii-V-I in A Am7 D7 The New York Times Gmaj7 Dm7 G7 The Daily News..that was ii-V-I in G again... the Dm-G are ii-V in C... so we had key center
movement all over the place... based on the Vof I , the IVof I , the VI of I , the Vof I and finally the I.
C E7 Am7 Gm7 C It comes down to reality and it's fine with me cause I've let it slide F A7 Dm Bb Don't care if it's Chinatown or on Riverside C E7 Am7 Cmaj7 F C D7 I don't have any reasons, I've left them all behind Fmaj7 F/G Am D9 Am G F/G I'm in a New York state of mind SOLO: C E7 Am7 Gm7 C F A7 Dm Bb C E7 Am7 Cmaj7 F C D7 Fmaj7 F/G Am D7 Am G E7 Am7 D7 Gmaj7 -- G It was so easy living day by day Gm7 C7 Fmaj7 Out of touch with the rhythm and blues Bm7 E7 Amaj7 Well, now I need a little give and take Am7 D7 The New York Times Gmaj7 Dm7 F/G G7 The Daily News C E7 Am7 Gm7 C It comes down to reality and it's fine with me cause I've let it slide F A7 Dm Bb Don't care if it's Chinatown or on Riverside C E7 Am7 Cmaj7 F C D7 I don't have any reasons, I've left them all behind Fmaj7 F/G Am D7 Am G I'm in a New York state of mind C E7 Am7 Cmaj7 F C D7 I'm just taking a Greyhound on the Hudson River line Fmaj7 Cos I'm in a F/G I'm in a New York...state of... C E7 Am7 Bb Mind OUTRO: Eb6 Ab C/D Db13#11 D/C
Finally, here's my version based on the chord chart above obtained from ultimateguitar.com... just
google New York State of Mind.
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND
We Wish You a Merry Christmas on portable keyboard ensemble.
If you're reading this in your email, click on the title above or the "posted by Rick to PianoLessonsEtc.com" line at the bottom to view the video.
Millions of youngsters and young people got portable keyboards for Christmas. Without some sort of guidance, they won't learn how to play. Here's a playlist from KeyboardKrazy49 on Youtube starting with We Wish You a Merry Christmas. He uses the orchestrations in the left hand and does a fair job of choosing voices.
Further notes.PORTABLE KEYBOARD
Millions of youngsters and young people got portable keyboards for Christmas. Without some sort of guidance, they won't learn how to play. Here's a playlist from KeyboardKrazy49 on Youtube starting with We Wish You a Merry Christmas. He uses the orchestrations in the left hand and does a fair job of choosing voices.
Further notes.PORTABLE KEYBOARD
Movie-- Mr. Holland's Opus
If you're reading this in your email, click on the title above or the "posted by Rick to PianoLessonsEtc.com" line at the bottom to view the video. Here's a 2 hour movie about a music teacher and his students at a high school I thought readers here might enjoy over the Christmas holiday. The segments are 10 minutes long-- just look for the next number in the series at the end of each previous segment. I think it runs about 14 segments.
Tuesday, December 24
Forrest Gump theme-- "Feather"
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discussion
FEATHER
Monday, December 23
Was MUSIC a construction tool for the Giza Pyramid?
Sound and frequency are physical elements. Music is sound and frequency. Thus music can be considered to be a physical tool. Some pyramid theorists are now considering the power of sound and frequency-- in effect, music -- as a construction tool in the building of ancient megaliths. This gives a new meaning to "rock" and "roll".
Short People has unique voicing that gives it its character.
If you're reading this in your email, click on the title above or the "posted by Rick to PianoLessonsEtc.com" line at the bottom to view the video.
Randy Newman's"Short People" uses piano chords with voicing that I really couldn't understand when I began to study it-- and even when I had the chord chart, it took a while. Why? The voicing is peculiar. It starts in A, then the chord chart says F#m but the chart fails to mention there is no 3rd in the F#m. And the Bm7 is actually a B7-- not a minor. There is a descending melody line in the chord comp as you move that's critical. So there are tiny but important harmonic elements like that. Randy Newman knows his music. I'm sure the sheet music notes that-- but sheet music is $5 a song. I work with the lyrics/chords for free. Here's the original song as originally performed by singer-songwriter Randy Newman.
Here are the chords I worked off of obtained freely on Ultimate-Guitar.com
Short People Chords by Randy Newman @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com
Short People - Randy Newman
Randy Newman's"Short People" uses piano chords with voicing that I really couldn't understand when I began to study it-- and even when I had the chord chart, it took a while. Why? The voicing is peculiar. It starts in A, then the chord chart says F#m but the chart fails to mention there is no 3rd in the F#m. And the Bm7 is actually a B7-- not a minor. There is a descending melody line in the chord comp as you move that's critical. So there are tiny but important harmonic elements like that. Randy Newman knows his music. I'm sure the sheet music notes that-- but sheet music is $5 a song. I work with the lyrics/chords for free. Here's the original song as originally performed by singer-songwriter Randy Newman.
Here are the chords I worked off of obtained freely on Ultimate-Guitar.com
Short People Chords by Randy Newman @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com
Short People - Randy Newman
--------------------------- Intro: A | F#m7 | Bm7 | E7sus4 | (x2) A F#m7 Bm7 E7sus4 Short People got no reason. Short people got no reason A F#m7 Bm7 E7sus4 short people got no reason to li - ive. They got A A7/G little hands and little eyes D/F# F7 They walk around tell-in' great big lies. They got A A7/G little noses and tiny little teeth, they wear D/F# F7 platform shoes on their nasty little feet. Well, I ]Chorus] A F#m7 Bm7 E7sus4 Don't want no short people (x2) A F#m7 Bm7 E7sus4 A Don't want no short people 'round here. (Repeat Intro once) and go to Bridge: Dmaj7 A/C# Bm7 D/E Short people are just the same as you and I (A fool such as I) Dmaj7 C#m7 Bm7 All men are brothers until the day they die D/E It's a wonderful world. A F#m7 Bm7 E7sus4 Short People got nobody. Short people got nobody A F#m7 Bm7 E7sus4 short people got nobidy to lo - ove. They got A A7/G little baby legs and they stand so low D/F# F7 You got to pick them up just to say hello. They got A A7/G little cars that go beep beep beep. They got D/F# A7/G little voices going peep peep peep. They got A A7/G grubby little fingers and dirty little minds D/F# F7 They're gonna get you every time, well I A F#m7 Bm7 E7sus4 Don't want no short people (x2) A F#m7 Bm7 E7sus4 A Don't want no short people 'round here. (Repeat Intro and fade)_
Here's what I was able to do with it, initially. I find Randy Newman interesting because he showed us what one man/ one piano can do, in pop culture again. He puts the so-called "duelling piano" acts to shame.
More discussion....
SHORT PEOPLE
Sunday, December 22
Midnight Special -- CCR then one piano/vocalist.
If you're reading this in your email, click on the title above or the "posted by Rick to PianoLessonsEtc.com" line at the bottom to view the video.
We'll compare the original band version of Midnight Special done by CCR with a single piano/vocal by "Bertling88". First... CCR....(I still consider music videos widely available on Youtube to be a novelty and I'm amazed seeing these old tunes I grew up, rather than just hearing them. It's incredible not to mention useful and fun.) I'm not an expert on blues but it seems to me that a lot of these types of earlier rock songs are simply 16 bar conversions of blues songs originally done with 12 bars. More on that soon-- look it up in the index below under... B for Blues. In the discussion, I'll do a version using a Yamaha keyboard with one of the 200 rhythms on the E433-- to show you how it's done that way. Let's start...
Berling88 does a good job on vocals here and the piano is okay but I would have liked more left hand rhythmic patterns going on.
THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL Traditional; arranged by by John Fogerty performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival tab transcribed by Collins Crapo (initially, single, slow strums of each chord) D G Well, you wake up in the mornin' D You hear the work bell ring A7 And they march you to the table D You see the same old thing G Ain't no food upon the table D And no fork up in the pan A7 But you'd better not complain, boy D You'll get in trouble with the man (now speed up tempo and strum continuously; all subsequent verses have same pattern as chorus) CHORUS: G Let the midnight special D Shine the light on me A7 Let the midnight special D Shine the light on me G Let the midnight special D Shine the light on me A7 Let the midnight special D Shine the ever-lovin' light on me Verse 2: Yonder come Miss Rosie How in the world did you know By the way she wears her apron And the clothes she wore Umbrella on her shoulder Piece of paper in her hand She come to see the gov'nor She wanna free her man (chorus) Verse 3: If you're ever in Houston Ooh, you'd better do right You'd better not gamble And you'd better not fight Or the sheriff will grab ya And the boys'll bring you down The next thing you know, boy Ooh, you're prison-bound (chorus twice; 2nd time, at last line, decelerate, with break at "light on me," to final strum of D)
Discussion--
MIDNIGHT SPECIAL
Saturday, December 21
Tush, on guitar by ZZtop then piano by me.
If you're reading this in your email, click on the title above or the "posted by Rick to PianoLessonsEtc.com" line at the bottom to view the video.
It's interesting to compare the original versions of songs with a piano rendition. Here's Tush by ZZ top.
Now here's a piano version by me.
There's a duelling piano artist in Vegas, Kim Pinegar. I can't tell if she's got a laptop on the piano and is using a backtrax or not. I think she is. I can't even tell if she's really playing or not or just doing karoeke and pretending to play. It's mostly piano anyway-- so it's a close enough version. It's missing the bVII to VII to I lick however... which is odd. And a few chords are wrong, yet she hang with it which means, to me, that the entire instrumental including piano is prerecorded and Kim just sings along looking at lyrics on the laptop on the piano... which has, in fact, a dead keyboard.
Discussion...Does she play or -- is it mostly backtrax with her chords hammered out... with a karoeke screen in front of her? ... plus-- more on Tush replaced by Lunch.
KIM PINEGARand more on Tush
Friday, December 20
Rick Plays Yiddish "Vos Geven Iz Geven"
I used the Sepia setting on my Canon video camera along with a LOW LIGHT setting because I'm under a 40W bulb. The Sepia gives the picture a nice yellowish old fashioned look consistent with the old Yiddish folk tune. Piano students will note that I'm playing cautiously and carefully. The reason is that I only rehearsed it once and the 3/4 time, although easy, involves some novel melody that's a little bit syncopated. You'll note that I don't know that song well enough yet-- since I'm not quite as accurate as the singer above who has the advantage of the Kareoke machine. Here goes...
Discussion.
Rick Potvin | Piano Lessons in Phoenix, Arizona: Vos Given Iz Given
Piano-synth can be used to create songs based on video games.
There is a video game from the early days of video gaming called Pong. It goes back to about 1977 I think. I believe Artari created it. It's very basic but conceptually exciting. It simply simulated a Ping Pong game on TV screens back then which predate digital TV's and were called Cathode Ray Tubes or CRT's. Enjoy the 30 second sample, then scroll down to my rough-draft of a song based on those sounds using my Korg Piano-Synth and Technics KN 1000 keyboard. The point I make here is that creating any coherent music-- even based on sound effects from video games-- requires piano lessons. Here's Pong...If you're reading this in your email, click on the title above or the "posted by Rick to PianoLessonsEtc.com" line at the bottom to view the video.
Now here's a quick sketch of what a song based on those sounds might sound like. We'll use the Wood Block sound on the Korg T1, and the Saxaphone on the KN1000 keyboard. My chord changes are Dm - C - Bb which correspond to your Roman Numeral notation as i - bvii - bvi. If we started on Cm, we would use Cm- Bb and Ab.
Discussion
Thursday, December 19
Piano-synth can be used to create meditation tapes.
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A vintage synthesize with a PIANO keyboard...
it pays to learn piano to operate one of these or the modern
digital form of it.
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Tuesday, December 17
Dorothy plays Yiddish love song "Tumbalalaika"
We're in the process of going through over 100 Yiddish tunes in our new Yiddish Fake Book having fun looking at them on Youtube first-- then trying the on the piano using the Fake Book music. A fake book is a collection of music written only with the melody line, the lyrics and the chord above the melody line. Once you know how to play piano, you simply add in your arrangement of the chords and melody. That takes at least a hearing of the original song so you know what type of musical situation you're dealing with. Here's the original Tumbalalaika by the Barry Sisters who seem to have a lot of Yiddish tunes posted to Youtube. Both Dorothy and me enjoy how the Barry Sisters do their songs.
Now, here's Dorothy on the Korg piano with rhythm on the Yamaha E433 which is always to the left of our piano. The tunes are relatively easy to learn and read. Many of these Yiddish tunes lend themselves to folk dances and sing alongs too, so we're trying to get a handle on the best ones to do that way.
Now, here's Dorothy on the Korg piano with rhythm on the Yamaha E433 which is always to the left of our piano. The tunes are relatively easy to learn and read. Many of these Yiddish tunes lend themselves to folk dances and sing alongs too, so we're trying to get a handle on the best ones to do that way.
Rick's tribute to the $650 MEGA MILLION lottery winner tonite.
In keeping with a tradition of using the piano to comment on the news-- a Mark Russell PBS tradition that is-- I thought I would find a song that roughly corresponded to and celebrates the huge $650 million dollar lottery ticket being drawn by Mega Millions on Tuesday night. The only thing I could come with real quick was Kenny Rogers' The Gambler. It's not about a lottery-- but a poker game-- but either way, its gambling and the advice fits the lottery player too. Here he is...
Before you view my rendition, note that the paper flapping off my gold hat is OUR lottery ticket-- I bought it for Dorothy to cheer her up after a rough day promoting piano. It worked! Amazing! Once that worked, I thought I'd try doing this song for my first time. Piano students will note the easy chord structure I'm using-- an octave base on the 1 and 5 of the I, IV, and V chords with the odd II chord in there. Once you listen to it, observe my chart below the video, then play it again and sing along.
The Gambler
Before you view my rendition, note that the paper flapping off my gold hat is OUR lottery ticket-- I bought it for Dorothy to cheer her up after a rough day promoting piano. It worked! Amazing! Once that worked, I thought I'd try doing this song for my first time. Piano students will note the easy chord structure I'm using-- an octave base on the 1 and 5 of the I, IV, and V chords with the odd II chord in there. Once you listen to it, observe my chart below the video, then play it again and sing along.
The Gambler
G C G On a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound for nowhere, C G C D I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep. G C G So we took turns a starin' out the window at the darkness C G D G 'til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak. G C G He said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces, C G C D and knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes. G C G And if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces. C G D G For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice." G C G So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow. C G C D Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light. G C G And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression. C G D G Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right. CHORUS: G C G You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, C G C D know when to walk away and know when to run. G C G You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table. C G D G There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done. D C G Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin' C G C D is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep. G C G 'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser, C G D G and the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep." G C G And when he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window, C G C D crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep. G C G And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even. C G D G But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.--- chorus again.
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