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Thanks for the helpful hints, Jazzwee and FogVilleLad. I did try both "noodling" random notes in my LH, as well as random white note chords. It sounded "okay".

Then, what I did was to try it in various ways with chords that I have learned so far, which was easy because I'm using the key of C. So the C chord and the G7 chord sounded good, but I didn't like the F. I made a little "arrangement" using the C and the G7, and adding a couple of RH hand notes to the original melody. I guess mine would have to be called "Mary Had a Little-baby-lamb". Like Riddler said, it would satisfy a 3-year old, which is about where I feel my piano progress is sometimes anyway, so I was pretty proud of myself.

Now, I don't know if you all will let me continue to play with you, because I have no way at the moment to record anything. I have a DP, on which I can record a song, but my DP is on the first floor and my computer is on the second. Not sure if there is any way to get the sound from here to there, and I'm not very techie oriented.

But I will write out the "score" of my "piece" and send it to you. In the meantime, I've really enjoyed hearing what others have come up with.


UPDATE: I've written it out and scanned it. I put it on flickr and tried to upload it here, but it didn't work. I tried to send a link to the flickr page, but that didn't work either. I don't know how to send a pdf file. So if anyone really wants to see it, I could use some suggestions on how to get it on here.

Hi

Just in case we need any more renditions of Mary had a Little Lamb, mine is here:

http://www.box.net/shared/pxjbn009cc

Comments welcome.

Best wishes
Kevin

I got it to work by copying and pasting it in the browser address bar, but I deleted the final slash mark on the end of the link you posted.

Check your score again. I suspect you intended the low note in the RH part in the next to last measure to be C instead of D.

Thanks, Joe, you are right about the C. I will fix it and then add the link without the /.

Okay, another try. Here is the corrected score for my very, very baby step version of "Mary..."

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22966243@N05/4004413989

And WHY doesn't it come up as a click-able link???

Kevin - very interesting, again, I'm wondering what chords you're using there.

Mom3 - You mentioned you got on well with the C and the G7, but not the F chord. I'm wondering where you tried the F chord, because it can be very useful here. So, for example, in the first line 'Mary had', the 'had' is on note C. C is in the chord of F (F, A and C), so this is a good place to put an F chord. You can keep the whole lot with the chord of C, but going from C to F and then back again gives it a little more movement. Just a thought.

I'm also not that technically proficient. One thing I do have is a Zoom H2 for recording music (before that I used my mp3 player). I'm only mentioning this because a lot of people will be buying the new zoom recorder, and selling the old ones, if you're in the market for a recorder.

It's great what everyone is doing here. I guarantee you will learn from this. Now try taking a bit more risk.

Now for those trying this, try this experiment. First of all, play it slowly enough so you can put at least one chord per melody note. You will find a little extra freedome here because there will be less possibility of a "wrong note" as anything can pass for a passing tone.

One the left hand, instead of just triads, or even seventh chords, try a pattern. Here's one to try.

1-3-4. (Example D F G). And move this pattern up and down the white notes. It will sound interesting.

Here's another to mix in a little of the black notes. Now this will not always work so it's a matter of experimentation here.

1-3-4# (Example D F G#).

There are reasons why these work (or not).

Mom3Gram, here it is reposted for you.

Just for educational comparisons, TLT's and Mom3Gram's versions are in the key of C.

My version, Riddler's and KevinB's leave the Key of C.

In my case, I used the keys of F, G, Cm, Ab, D. There's more keys when I do chromatic chords but I can't remember exactly what I did. . I ended mine on a "Tonic" (release chord) though I did it in minor (Cm).

Riddler's was more adventurous as he went for a sound with more "tension", something definitely preferred by Jazz types. I will make a post along those lines too. What was interesting was how Riddler did not end on a tonic but instead did it after the melody was finished (delayed release of tension).

BTW - when you want to leave a key, you use a lot of dominant chords and it sounds good doing it. Riddler posted his chords so you can see that he does do that.

If you listen to these versions, you will notice a sense of "Tension" with some harmonies, and there will be a pull to "Release" that tension. So most of us are drawn to leave the tune in completion with a return to a tonic. In this case some sort of non-dominant C chord. You will notice how this is also the last note of the melody.

Honestly, it's nothing clever. In case you're interested, here is the score:

http://www.box.net/shared/4lm7rhcved

The basic tune in the key of C calls for C, F, and G, and maybe D7. That's all I've used, but I've inverted them and added 6ths and 7ths to thicken up the sound. I've also put in some chromatic passing notes to smooth the transitions between some chords -- I haven't names these on the score because, even if they're real chords, they are harmonically irrelevant.

The `(G7)' in the score is the chord that `should' go in that position, since it leads from the D7 to the C. But I thought a rest sounded nicer than a wholly predictable progression

I'm greatly enjoying this. Wonderful thread!

Thanks, Jazzwee, for posting my score.

You are all more advanced than I am, and I'm enjoying the different versions you've come up with. I will have to re-read this thread after I learn some more chords and some more theory. Looking forward to seeing what else you come up with.

In the meantime, I'm going to work on more variations with the little knowledge that I have. I probably won't post them unless I come up with something really interesting. I'm just going to play around with the three chords I know in each of the C, G, F, and A minor keys, and I may or may not change the basic melody, keeping it more or less recognizeable. I can have a lot of fun just doing that. I'm going to try it with some other nursery rhymes too.

Now I'm neglecting to practice my regular Alfred pieces to play around with "Mary Had a Little Lamb". And I thought I was way beyond that little tune. Go figure!

Oh, and Ten Left Thumbs, thanks. I have heard of the Zoom H2 from reading the threads about the recitals. That is on my ever growing wish list.

Just keep going until that's what you wake up in the morning wanting to do. At that moment you will have entered the creative state of mind.

Re practicing, creativity and knowledge are both necessary. There will be times when you don't feel like doing any more variations or new rhymes. That's the time to get back into Alfred's. But if you feel a creative impulse when practicing, immediately go with it.

Ultimately the goal is to play you.

TLT - I liked your "random notes in the bass" version - just goes to show that if you're moving the bass there aren't any wrong notes

kevinb - I liked this, too

mom3gram - that is so cool that you could write out what you were doing. I couldn't have done that until I'd been playing, oh, 30 years :\

Cathy

Thanks Cathy. I had to really try to disengage my brain, and not think 'theory' or 'chords' but just random notes. Even so, I think I finished up on C!

You joining in Cathy?

Now jazzwee, I've been trying out some different chords, but I'm a bit puzzled by your next guidance. As a rule, I don't put triads in the LH - I was taught just to put a bass note, with the chord in the RH. Not saying that's the only way to do it, just that that's my 'default' setting, and I don't like hearing chords low down.

Thinking about the pattern you give (1, 3, 4) is taking me away from what I was about to do, which is to change chords more often, and make them more 'exciting'. Hopefully I'll post soon.

Hey TLT, the "shape" I gave you is made to be played like a rootless LH voicing. Meaning it's played near middle C somewhere. All I'm trying to get everyone to do here is relax and have fun and bend the ear a little bit to thinking that there isn't a wrong note or a wrong chord.

This is actually something we're discussing in the Non-Classical section. You could move this pattern around in the LH almost as a counter melody. Again there are reasons why these work but here, we follow Gyro's advice and just play.

There's a time to learn the "why's" but only after we hear the effect. I'm giving everyone a set limit here since you're playing in the key of C on one pattern, and the other pattern, you're playing one note away from the key of C.

I could come up with some interesting stuff just with this, and there's nothing to be concerned about. There's a physicality to the instrument and this gives a little confidence beyond just following a score.

When I played what I played, I really had little idea what would come out other than the fact that I recognized common tones so I knew "safe havens", like staying away from the F# scale... or B scale. How did I know that? Simple. C,D and E are going to be in conflict with 2 or 3 of the melody notes. Other than that, you really have free rein.

Er - I'm afraid, the more you say, the less I understand.

Except that we're following Gyro's advice...

Tell you what, if my husband ever gets off the TV, I'll post something. If it's too late, I'll need to wait until tomorrow.

Now, if I'd followed Gyro's advice and got a digital piano, I wouldn't be in this fix...

Don't take this too seriously Mom3Gram There's no test or recital here. I'm just having everyone give it a try and experiment. It's a little bit of a confidence builder. I'm hoping you discover something and then we can discuss and hopefully learn.

Maybe I'll just have to make more examples.

I know you're surprised to hear me follow advice from Gyro but everyone hesitates like this is some complex thing. It's a nursery rhyme. We can't mess up. This is not a jazz standard So in this particular case, he's right. A rare moment.

Gyro, why don't you post something and join us here?

Another recording:

http://www.box.net/shared/6ch79vbm0i

Apologies for the sound quality, I had to play quietly.

Perhaps, jazzwee, you could explain a little more what you mean by this:



Do you mean that we play D F and G together or one-after-the-other, and what is the relationship with the chord in the RH? Or are there no chords in the RH?