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Thought I would start the piano bar a few days early.. It actually snowed up here in Alaska last night. It was quite depressing to see it on the ground this morning ;( But the sun came up and it all melted away.. Suppose to be in the mid 40s all week. Fun times :P The picture below is of Hatcher's Pass which is one of my fav spots to go. It's only about 40 minutes away and the colors are really pretty right now because of fall =)

Here's another song I wrote. Not sure what to title this one

https://www.box.com/s/zurbccuxd5iip6mzr4d2

Ladypayne
Your latest piece was nothing short of amazing. I loved it. You play it very well as it seems to be quite a challenging piece to play. If you ever transcribe it please let us know as it might be a great piece to try out. I have listened to it a few times already and I can't get enough of it. By the way, is that your smoke detector beeping quietly in the background asking for a new battery? Or are your piano keys smoking hot perhaps...

The picture you shared is stunning. What a beautiful landscape!!

Here is my contribution for this month. It is the last of the six Amelie pieces in Yann Tiersen's sheet music collection "Six pieces pour piano, vol. 2". I love this piece and I hope it shows.

[video:youtube]CnxXrT6E96U[/video]


Since I have enjoyed these six Amelie pieces so much I decided to order another of Yann Tiersen's sheet music collections.

lol the smoke detector is in the apartment hallway.. been beeping for like a month now =) sighs :P

Very nice playing Lady Payne and pretty landscape.

Really like that music Amuruk. You play very smoothly. Your keyboard has a nice sound. Is this from the film Amelie?

ladypayne...that was great...some parts had a familiar ring. Its seems you could divide the pieces into sections and have multiple compositions. I wish I could ad lib like that...

Amaruk...nicely done, love the Amelie pieces. Also great production in the video...were you using a red filter?

Here is a small piece I recently recorded.
Short classical piece from 25 progressive pieces Opus 100
Played on an Estonia L190, recorded on a Flip camera, Audio on a Zoom 2 and rendered using Sony Vegas 10 Thanks for listening.

Pardon me. I have been a member here for a while and have seen these "Piano Bar" threads fairly regularly. Can someone please explain to me exacly what the Piano Bar is?
I'm self taught and have little understanding of the language used. I understand "recital", but what is a piano bar, and specifically as relates to this thread/forum. Thanks in advance.

Think of the piano bar as an informal place to show pieces you are playing. Just like a real drinking establishment, there really are no rules, just post a piece or song. Stuff need not be perfect, just have fun.

In honor of October, I submit my one and only original titled "October's Lament". I did this one now two years ago. It amazes me how some of you guys can just knock out originals at the drop of a hat. This is really just a Cm blues but it took me quite a while (and a lot of help from my teacher) to get the sound that I was after.

It is supposed to be evocative of dark cafes where people are wearing berets, smoking unfiltered cigarettes, arguing about existential philosophy, and lamenting love gone wrong - as though there are such places :-)

https://www.box.com/s/f0u9wpwfyi78px67ywku

Here is the blog entry for October's Lament

http://kenblog05.blogspot.com/2011/02/octobers-lament.html

I'm seein' it Ken! Ah there were those places in the 1950s and 60s....
You have created a very atmospheric peice.

Amaruk: a really pretty piece. Love the video effects !
Mark: I like the piece. It sounded perfect to me. Has kind of a bounce to it =)
Kenjazz. Nice soothing piece. I like the different instrument sounds too.

Mark, thanks for the explanation. I have a song I may submit. I don't think it would be appropriate for a bar/club setting since it is gospel. But gospel is what I play, so it depends on everyone else's opinion.

ladypayne~ Very pretty piece. There is a very nice development to a climax, then a sweet calming ending. One of your best by far! Nice image too.

Amaruk~ great multimedia presentation and a very sensitively played Amelie piece. You certainly do connect with Tiersen's style. I think laydpayne's own style is similar in intent. Great work.

Mark,,,~ Burgmuller is a joy to play, for sure. He offers so many challenges in that compilation of 25 progressive pieces. Your technique is improving by leaps and bounds - such an entertaining piece. Thanks so much.

Ken~ A very silky bluesy sounding, dark piece. You put me right there. That sax player's got to tone it down a bit. I was busy listening to the vibe player with multiple mallets! Quite nice.

Pianonewb - I for one would love to hear your gospel piece.

Pianoewb, it's share and share alike here. I second Bill's recommendation

Along with Ken's piece, here is a short/quick improvisation to a drum and bass track (still working on the bass volume) - my first one like this called, Early October

https://www.box.com/s/cqths8aodbh3ysaidz5r

Glen

Great picture Ladypayne. Can I visit? Is that the Rockies ??? Spectacular, I want to visit. This is the real truth. I will someday. So far I haven't made it past Jasper . Love your piece, especially 2:05 - 2:40 mark. It is very nice sound. Good job

Amaruk, yes it shows. Great expression with this and nice playing. Very cool video effects. We need to talk about this. I would like to get a video set up. Know ZERO about it.

Mark, nicely executed and nice playing. Is that your piano? Fabulous.

Hey Ken, I didn't know you played vibes too? You're good. How do you play all those lovely chords though? I can sometimes handle four mallets at a time, but that's my limit.

Always fun when a new month rolls around and a new bar opens up. Means I need to get busy. Here is a little tune I am fond of called:

Autumn in New York

Jeff~ fantastic Autumn in New York! The fact you don't read music and can glean these arrangements from already recorded pieces is amazing. You've got some serious skills, indeed - love those walking tenths!

Glen

Thanks so much Glen. Although it is not entirely the case that I am gleaning these arrangements on my own. This was my Dad's arrangement -- he did a far better job then I am doing with it -- and at one time or another he charted it for me. He was a whiz at charting a lead sheet. Actually, most of my better arrangements came directly from Dad, only my more recent stuff has not.

At any rate, thanks for the nice comments, Glen

Oh, lastly: I can read, just poorly. But, getting better all the time

Mark
Great playing on a great little piece! I like that you play it so lightly. You managed to capture the positive energy in this piece very well. Great job! And what a nice piano you have!!

Kenjazz
Is that you playing all that? Amazing… What a great piece this is. I simply loved it. It reminded me of the good old TV series Twin Peaks for some reason… It goes well with the picture that Ladypayne posted here too!

Inlanding
Yes, your piece goes very well with Kennjazz piece. It is excellent too! You two amaze me to no end. It seems that music comes so easy to you and then you perform it with these advanced arrangements too!! Keep it flowing as it is so great to listen to it here on PW! Thanks for sharing!

Greener
More lovely jazz!! Great performance!! You also seem to play very gently which makes your music very soothing. Thanks for sharing!!

Thanks for the nice words regarding my performance. Yes, this piece is from the French movie Amelie (but for some reason it is not included on the Amelie soundtrack CD). It is used as background music in a scene in the beginning of the movie where Amelie and her mother release their gold fish Blubber into the river after it was driving them crazy… The redness in my video is simply a digital effect in my video editor (FCPX).

Here is an acoustic version of my favorite Bruce Springsteen song. It is a little longer than my usual fare, but I love the lyrics and didn't want to cut out any of the verses. I hope you like this gentle version of Thunder Road.