A Tribute to George and Ira Gershwin (Piano Solo Arrangements) [Paperback] Review

I am a professional accompanist and piano teacher.This collection of Gershwin is not for those who are below Advanced level, and still the selections will require a good deal of practice for those who are accomplished pianists.This is not just a "hobby" book which one can pick up and sightread, but the "real deal" of Gershwin's own arrangements.

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Product Description:
Contains: 'S Wonderful * Strike Up the Band * The Man I Love * My One and Only * Embraceable You and more classics, including 18 original Gershwin arrangements.

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How to Play from a Fake Book [Paperback] Review

I took classical piano lessons growing up, which is a very rote way to learn.I didn't particularly like it and I didn't particularly get good at understanding music -- I got good at fingering specific pieces.

I would have, in retrospect, preferred the method of learning and understanding the chords so I could pick up pieces on my own.The idea of "fake" books is to improvise the harmony based on the chords and play the to melody line along with it.By learning the chords and some ways of stringing them together, you can master just about anything.

It's not that simple -- it's a lot of practice to be able to turn chords on the sheet into realtime music.But it's a lot of fun, and I actually "get it" now on how music is put together.

This book in particular is well written, bringing you quickly to understand how to do this.It assumes basic ability to read music.And it is slightly corny in parts.But aside from that, its a nice self-paced tutorial into playing from "fake" books or other sheet music that includes chord information.

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Product Description:
For musicians of all levels, this book teaches how to use bass lines, countermelodies, introductions and endings, rhythmic patterns, embellish a melody and how to accompany. All the techniques needed to 'fake' a great-sounding accompaniment from just melody, lyrics and chord symbols.

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The Library of Children's Song Classics [Paperback] Review

This collection is a mainstay of my collection of teaching materials.There are many classic tunes as well as some lesser known gems.The collection is organized into songs by category. Some of the tunes are different, but it is a great resource for lyrics alone.My children love this book as well!!!

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Product Description:
An illustrated volume of storybook, and holiday songs, lullabies, marches, and rounds. Easy-to-read lyrics, piano arrangements, and guitar chords. Includes Simple Simon, This Old Man, and Take Me Out To The Ballgame.

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Famous & Fun Pop, Book 5 (Intermediate): 11 Appealing Piano Arrangements [Paperback] Review

I love Carol Matz' arrangements in the Famous and Fun Pop series, especially Books 2, 3 and 4.We got 5 because of the Pink Panther song but it has a good smattering of Broadway and older classic songs.The kids often like the Harry Potter as well because it's more recent.Ms. Matz's strength is her arrangements are fun, and even at the earlier levels where duets are employed (student-teacher), the student enjoys playing even the more basic arrangements and they sound good.Carol Matz apparently has more pop arrangements so searching under her name may be best if you're trying to get more variety (the Famous and Fun Pop can get a bit repetitious if the same student does the whole series).

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Product Description:
Arranged by Carol Matz. Contents: Across The Stars, Beauty And The Beast, Double Trouble, Hogwarts' March, The Imperial March, Over The Rainbow, The Pink Panther, Summertime, Theme From New York New York, Under The Sea, When A Man Loves A Woman

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Ben Folds - Rockin' the Suburbs: Piano/Vocal Transcriptions (Transcribed) [Paperback] Review

Accurate transcription of piano music as played in Rockin the Suburbs CD. Keep in mind that this is not a transcription of a live performance, and so songs such as "Rockin the Suburbs" might be a little sparse on notes since little piano is used on the CD. Songs with less accompanyment by other instruments, such as "The Luckiest" sound more complete when played only with a piano.

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Product Description:
Our matching folio to Ben Folds' first official solo release - which the All Music Guide deems only a half-star short of five-star perfection - features piano/vocal transcriptions for all 13 songs: Annie Waits * The Ascent of Stan * Carrying Cathy * Fired * Fred Jones Part 2 * Gone * Hiro's Song * Losing Lisa * The Luckiest * Not the Same * Rockin' the Suburbs * Still Fighting It * Zak and Sara.

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Famous & Fun Pop, Book 2 (Early Elementary/Elementary): 12 Appealing Piano Arrangements [Paperback] Review

My son uses this for extra pieces to play on his level.He enjoys these books, and his teacher is assigning some of them, because he likes the extra variety.It is great to find books that have elementary piano pieces for new students.

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Product Description:
Arranged by Carol Matz for early elementary/elementary piano. 12 well-graded arrangements of popular, TV and movie songs. With optional duet parts. Contents: The Chicken Dance, Great Balls Of Fire, If I Only Had A Brain (From The Wizard Of Oz),It's My Party,James Bond Theme, (Meet) The Flintstones (TV Theme), Merrily We Roll Along, Star Wars (Main Theme), Talk To The Animals (From Dr. Dolittle), We're Off To See The Wizard (From The Wizard Of Oz), A Whole New World (From Aladdin), Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah (From Song Of The South)

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MARIAH CAREY ANTHOLOGY (Piano/Vocal/Guitar) [Paperback] Review

Clearly written and great selection of songs. The addition of Vocal and Guitar to the Piano is well-appreciated. Definitely worth the buy for Mariah fans!

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Product Description:
40 of the pop diva's biggest smash hits, including: Always Be My Baby * Can't Let Go * Dreamlover * Emotions * Hero * Love Takes Time * Loverboy * One Sweet Day * Vision of Love * Whenever You Call * and more!

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Contemporary Disney: E-Z Play Today Volume 3 (book 3) [Paperback] Review

What could be better than a book containing 50 of the best songs from Disney's best period? Included in this collection are tracks from the Oscar winning scores by Alan Menken(The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and Pocahontas), Stephen Shwartz(Pocahontas) and Hans Zimmer(The Lion King). All my favorites are in here and the music is easy enough for most occasional players to follow.
The only dissapointing thing is that the book only covers Disney's contemporary films. Music from such classics as The Jungle Book and The Aristocats is sadley left out. A must have for any fan of the music of perhaps the greatest film company in history!

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Product Description:
This exciting collection features 32 songs from Disney's most recent movies (from The Little Mermaid to The Emperor's New Groove), arranged in our famous easy-to-play notation. Includes: Be Our Guest * Beauty and the Beast * Can You Feel the Love Tonight * Circle of Life * Colors of the Wind * Friend like Me * Go the Distance * Hakuna Matata * Kiss the Girl * My Funny Friend and Me * Out There * Reflection * Someday * Under the Sea * When She Loved Me * A Whole New World * You'll Be in My Heart * You've Got a Friend in Me * and more!

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Simply Beautiful Piano (Ekay Edition) [Paperback] Review

This book fully deserves its subtitle "easy to play arrangements that make you sound great". The chords are sophisticated but easy on the ear, and the songs are standards usable in many cocktail piano settings. I bought a beat-up used version that had somebody else's (very helpful) notes in it; grab your copy while Amazon still has them.

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Product Description:
Here's a wonderful collection of some of the most beautiful pop standards ever written. Preston Keys has written easy arrangements that sound lush, elegant, and sophisticated, yet are surprisingly playable. Titles include: As Time Goes By * Days of Wine and Roses * Fly Me to the Moon * Love Is Here to Stay * More Than You Know * Someone to Watch Over Me * Taking a Chance on Love * Waltz for Debby * When I Fall in Love and many more.

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Dan Coates Complete / Advanced Piano Solos (The Professional Touch Series) [Paperback] Review

This book contains some of the most beautiful arrangements of popular music I have ever heard. Many of the pieces were unfamiliar to me when I bought the book, and others were songs I didn't particularly like. But Coates's arrangements are so beautiful that I love almost all of these songs now. This book is honestly titled: it is for advanced players. This does not mean that it is Rachmaninoff, but most pianists will find it challenging. Determined intermediate pianists can reasonably expect to memorize, play, and enjoy many of these pieces...but it will take some serious practice. Many of the arrangements make extensive use of the keyboard's higher registers -- where many pianists have limited experience.And some songs contain multi-measure passages where 3 are played against 2. Large leaps are common (including in some arpeggiated chords), as are chords with 6 or more notes.The book is well bound (so that it lays fairly flat), and the printing is generally clear and well formatted.Most of the pieces are 3 to 5 pages long.These pieces are worth the extra effort they require, and once the skills are learned, they'll be available forever.

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Product Description:
Arranged by Dan Coates for solo piano.Intermediate to advanced arrangements. A collection of great songs for all occasions, Includes:love and wedding favorites, Broadway standards, pop and country ballads, movie and TV hits. 79 Songs!

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Popular Sheet Music Hits: Easy Piano [Paperback] Review

Like the songs in many other piano books Dan Coates has arranged and edited the pieces included here are easy to play.The book has twenty-five compositions all with complete lyrics which makes it a good book for a beginning voice student as well.Some of my favorite standards are in this book including THE WIND BENEATH MY WINGS, SOMEWHERE OUT THERE, THE ROSE, THEME FROM NEW YORK, NEW YORK and MY WAY. Country hits like GOD BLESS THE USA are here as well as Elton John's 70's hit YOUR SONG plus many other well loved songs to make a total of twenty-five selections.Great collection that is fun to play and not too difficult.

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Product Description:
Easy Piano Arrangemnts. Titles include: Foolish Games * The Greatest Love of All * I Will Always Love You * My Way * Over the Rainbow * The Prayer * There You'll Be * A Thousand Miles * Time to Say Goodbye * Your Song and more.

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Gershwin at the Keyboard : 18 Song Hits Arranged by The Composer for Piano [Paperback] Review

As George Gershwin writes in the introduction, "Sheet music, as ordinarily printed for mass sales, is arranged with an eye to simplicity."In this collection of 18 Gershwin songs, which includes Fascinating Rhythm, Somebody Loves Me, Strike Up the Band, and I Got Rhythm, he presents his music in a way that reflects his "desire for complication and variety that every composer feels when he manipulates the same material over and over again."

Though not for the beginner, these pieces will reward the more advanced pianists who love the Gershwin style.He even supplies a hint about how to play them - keep your foot off the sustaining pedal.American popular music (in the early twentieth century, at least) "asks for staccato effects, for almost a stenciled style."

If you've been at the piano for a few years and love his music, you'll enjoy this collection.If you prefer simpler arrangements with lyrics, try "50 Gershwin Classics," also available through Amazon.

P.S. A note to sheet music publishers: Why not include a few sample pages so web users can judge for themselves whether the arrangements are appealing?

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Product Description:
Eighteen song hits arranged by the composer. Includes: The Man I Love * 'S Wonderful * Who Cares? plus 15 more.

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Jazz-Blues Piano: The Complete Guide with CD! Hal Leonard Keyboard Style Series [Paperback] Review

I've been playing jazz piano for about two years now, and have had great success with The Jazz Piano Book (as one might imagine). The next book that has served me well is Post-Bop Jazz Piano - The Complete Guide with CD!: Hal Leonard Keyboard Style Series, which is from the same series as the Jazz Blues Piano book under review. So, when I began looking for a book to help me sound bluesy, something noticeably lacking from my skill set, I gravitated toward this book for that reason and because my piano instructor didn't have this book (although he had many others in the same series). I have to say, that overnight, this became my favorite book to work from. There are a lot of reasons for that. First is that this book contains a good dose of easy-to-digest jazz music theory and explanation. The student can choose to skip over this and concentrate on playing the exercises, but I chose to read everything carefully and to try and understand and apply it, and I found it very useful. I was also quite pleasantly surprised when I found myself playing a ii-V-I progression (the backbone of jazz music) in a fashion I had never been shown before (with a moving bass note changing the mode of the chord). I was fascinated, and it made it easy for me to work on doing it in all twelve keys (which is normally drudgery), and to quickly press on in the book. As I played through the exercises, read through the material, then reached the exercises that are on the CD, I kept working on the suggested chords. Because I'm not a raw beginner, the first twenty pages went very quickly, and all of a sudden I found myself at about twenty pages in on exercise 9practicing a straight up blues lick. That's right: two hours and I was playing blues. Very, very exciting. Like all piano books, including a number I have reviewed, this still requires practice and stick-to-itive-ness, but this book provides some small rewards on every page, which I find quite motivational and desirable. I can easily picture myself working through this entire book in a relatively short period of time. Beginning piano students will still need to work on some of this material with an instructor, but anybody with a good technical foundation in piano and at least a small amount of jazz knowledge should be able to work through most of this by themselves, thanks to the useful and well executed CD. Although there are many options and levels available, if you want to sound jazzy or bluesy, without a lot of fuss and without spending a lot of money or time, I really think this book is the best and simplest place to start.

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Product Description:
This comprehensive book/CD pack will teach you the basic skills needed to play jazz-blues piano. From comping to soloing, you'll learn the theory, the tools, and the tricks used by the pros. The accompanying CD features many of the examples in the book performed either solo, or with a full band, including a full chapter of complete songs. Topics covered include: scales and chords * harmony and voicings * progressions and comping * melodies and soloing * characteristic stylings.

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