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What's the song that all your family and friends request you to play when they see you at the piano?
All my cousins ask me to play the MacGyver TV theme song, and my friends the Beverly Hills Cop theme Axel F or James Bond.
I learned these songs in high school for fun and they've stuck with me. Although I never play them for myself anymore. I stick to jazz and improvising.
Funny how people who don't play an instrument seem to gravitate towards the catchy, repeated motif songs. If I played them jazz they all tune out. But this stuff they like.
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The piano arrangement of John Cage's 4'33".
Last edited by John_B; 02/20/10 08:05 AM.
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My family and friends don't ask for one, since I can't sing (trust me, no one will ever request a song from me!)
"And if we look at the works of J.S. Bach — a benevolent god to which all musicians should offer a prayer to defend themselves against mediocrity... -Debussy
"It's ok if you disagree with me. I can't force you to be right."
♪ ≠$
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One of my good friend's always gets me to play Fur Elise. My family like to hear the Chopin Nocturnes and the odd Mozart pieces.
Currently working on... Chopin - Fantasie Impromptu in C sharp minor Op.66 Mozart - Piano Sonata in E flat K.282 Liszt - Romance in E minor "O pourquoi donc" S.196
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Heart and Soul
kidding
Claire De Lune Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
____________________
"... It is a skill you go on learning all your life: the more you write, the more you learn."
Harry Freedman on the craft of composing
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My parents don't ask me to play anything in particular, but when I've been playing Mozart or Beethoven they often ask me not to stop.
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Family = un sospiro Friends = HR 2
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My family and friends don't ask for one, since I can't sing (trust me, no one will ever request a song from me!) Ah ha! A kindred spirit. It drives me nuts when someone calls a piano piece a "song".
Best regards,
Deborah
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My family and friends don't ask for one, since I can't sing (trust me, no one will ever request a song from me!) Ah ha! A kindred spirit. It drives me nuts when someone calls a piano piece a "song". I predict three things : 1) that the tendency to call piano pieces or compositions "songs" will not only continue but also increase 2) that some of us will doggedly continue to try to fight against such incorrect usage 3) that several someones will first, roll their eyes, and, second, jump on us for being pedantic or fussy or too academic, because "it doesn't matter since you know what was meant!" For the record, tired old pedant that I am accused of being, I will continue to fight against such inaccuracies because being precise in talking about art forms where "pieces," "compositions," and "songs" exist, often independent of each other, does matter. Regards,
BruceD - - - - - Estonia 190
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My family and friends don't ask for one, since I can't sing (trust me, no one will ever request a song from me!) Ah ha! A kindred spirit. It drives me nuts when someone calls a piano piece a "song". I use to be that way until I realized that this will continue to trend towards the use of the word song. When you find a way to reduce the number of syllables in "piano piece" to one, you might have a fighting chance, but you will still have to convince media manufacturers (itunes, for example) to cooperate. Still, I can't resist at times to reply for a song request with a sarcastic "songs are sung"!
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Hmmm.... My most requested piece is Tiersen's "Comptine d'un Autre ete." Followed closely by Gary Jules, "Mad World."
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My family and friends don't ask for one, since I can't sing (trust me, no one will ever request a song from me!) Ah ha! A kindred spirit. It drives me nuts when someone calls a piano piece a "song". I use to be that way until I realized that this will continue to trend towards the use of the word song. When you find a way to reduce the number of syllables in "piano piece" to one, you might have a fighting chance, but you will still have to convince media manufacturers (itunes, for example) to cooperate. Still, I can't resist at times to reply for a song request with a sarcastic "songs are sung"! Do you think this ever happened to Beethoven? I wonder what he said if it did.
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Bruce, I agree with you completely especially when it comes to the linguistic inaccuracies that are creeping into the language. Language does evolve, but I see no benefit to using non-specific words when there are so many wonderful and accurate ones that do the job better. I think I hate the word "stuff" almost as much as I hate calling compositions "songs".
I believe the use of the word "song" comes from radio broadcasters of popular music. Everything in that genre is a song. It seems it is only classically trained musicians or academics, (I am both), who insist on labeling music with accuracy.
There is a radio ad I've heard that states the size of one's vocabulary is indicative of one's education and intelligence. I think people get lazy with language and they don't realize how it makes them sound. I keep lecturing my students about the use of the words "like" and "you know" and "stuff" and how it will hurt them in a job search.
I'll stand beside you and continue to be fussy and academic. Language is too much fun to abandon to carelessness.
Best regards,
Deborah
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My family members all run for well-insulated rooms when I have my practice. I'm not kidding. They'll stay there for usually the entire duration of my 2 hour practice. I have to feel sorry for them!
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My family and friends don't ask for one, since I can't sing (trust me, no one will ever request a song from me!) Ah ha! A kindred spirit. It drives me nuts when someone calls a piano piece a "song". I predict three things : 1) that the tendency to call piano pieces or compositions "songs" will not only continue but also increase 2) that some of us will doggedly continue to try to fight against such incorrect usage 3) that several someones will first, roll their eyes, and, second, jump on us for being pedantic or fussy or too academic, because "it doesn't matter since you know what was meant!" For the record, tired old pedant that I am accused of being, I will continue to fight against such inaccuracies because being precise in talking about art forms where "pieces," "compositions," and "songs" exist, often independent of each other, does matter. Regards, I'm entirely in your corner. If being correct is viewed as elitist, pedantic, fussy, etc., then I'm guilty of all of the above and will continue to be so. Why, in the minds of some, is the aim to be correct even viewed as being fussy? Is it that difficult to call it what it is? If the term is interchangeable, then there's no need for such terms as prelude, fugue, sonata, toccata, intermezzo, etc., etc.
"And if we look at the works of J.S. Bach — a benevolent god to which all musicians should offer a prayer to defend themselves against mediocrity... -Debussy
"It's ok if you disagree with me. I can't force you to be right."
♪ ≠$
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If you counter the anti-pedants who say "it doesn't matter" with a statement about that great goal that was scored in the seventh period of the baseball game you'd probably get more flack than the uninitiated who call pieces "songs".
It's not that we intend or even want to ridicule those who misuse musical terminology, but it does seem important that they know that the lack of precision in such usage can be misleading, even if the intended meaning is understood. "Do you know any Schubert songs?" absolutely needs clarification, depending upon the source of the question.
Regards,
BruceD - - - - - Estonia 190
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Is it that difficult to call it what it is? If the term is interchangeable, then there's no need for such terms as prelude, fugue, sonata, toccata, intermezzo, etc., etc. The same people already don't use those terms.
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My family and friends don't ask for one, since I can't sing (trust me, no one will ever request a song from me!) Ah ha! A kindred spirit. It drives me nuts when someone calls a piano piece a "song". I agree. I don't know why, but musical ignorance really gets under my skin. The term "piece" can hardly be used to describe anything anymore because of the prevalence of lyrics in all almost all music, thus making them songs.
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The only pieces of music I call songs are ... err ... songs (except Austro/German Lieder).
But I think it is all too 'precious' and patronising to make a [edit] big issue about other people who haven't had much general involvement with classical music calling pieces 'songs'.
Last edited by John_B; 02/20/10 03:55 PM.
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Is it that difficult to call it what it is? If the term is interchangeable, then there's no need for such terms as prelude, fugue, sonata, toccata, intermezzo, etc., etc. The same people already don't use those terms. Which "same people"? The last two recitals I attended (Emanuel Ax and Angela Hewitt) listed at least three of those terms on the programme.
"And if we look at the works of J.S. Bach — a benevolent god to which all musicians should offer a prayer to defend themselves against mediocrity... -Debussy
"It's ok if you disagree with me. I can't force you to be right."
♪ ≠$
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Piano
by Gino2 - 04/17/24 02:34 PM
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Piano
by Gino2 - 04/17/24 02:23 PM
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