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Thought I'd go ahead and start the Piano bar this month
I did my own arrangement of This is Love from Disney's Cinderella. I also have written out the sheet music for this one so if you would like it, send me a pm with your email

So This is Love (Piano Only)
https://app.box.com/s/0nxnqxyhwl02rbj1otfr

So This is Love (with Cello, used my music program for this)
https://app.box.com/s/bwpxfc1bt7xiq62k314p

That was great Ladypayne, you really get around on the keyboard. I am not that good, so I have relegated myself to writing and recording. Here is one that is ready for final mix down:

https://app.box.com/s/ckzxa8rq0tramhyoluyd

I was hoping to open the June piano bar... aww shucks......
Here's my contribute.. first practice. but anyway I'm movin on to something else.,.....

Swiss Air 6 1 14 First rendition from Piano Primo 1 on Vimeo.

Really it's not the first but like the 100 th ....lol and still needs work... yeah .....

Hey guys, sorry for the random question, but how do these piano bars work? I've seen a couple of them, but I keep assuming that these are only for non-classical pieces, right? Can someone give me a brief intro to how these usually go down, and if classical pieces (not compositions) are eligible for submissions? Thanks

Hi Pover:

Pretty much anyone with any style of a keyboard arrangement (including Classical), whether performed or written by the members and rendered partly with a music program is welcome here. I arrange most of my own and until recently was pretty much self-taught, and they even let me sing along with mine!!

So go for it. Can't wait to hear what you are up to.:)

First, thanks for the introduction :P and secondly, I have to say that I'm pretty sure I can't write music, hahaha. I barely scrape along just playing what the greats have already written. So is it okay if I play something like Bach or Chopin and post a recording/video here? I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "rendered partly with a music program".

By the way, good for you for singing and playing at the same time!! I can't multi-task on a much simpler level unless I know the piece really really well. Maybe then I can speak to my friends telling them what to look for (in the music, of course :P) but it ends there/

"

Well I'm not sure I know exactly what it means either, but LadyPayne who opened the Bar this month does it well and no one seems to mind. As far as playing classical music in the Bar threads, I'd wager that more people in this forum play classical than play anything else and Bach is a big favorite around here. It is customary, however, to give feedback to other players if you participate yourself.

LadyPayne - Wow, how far you've come since I've been away. You sound like you've been taking some lessons from Elssa. I think she does this song in one of her video tutorials.

Swiss Air - Pretty piece. You have a nice touch and I like the sweet voice you chose to play this in. Good luck with Rendition 2.

Ladypayne, very nice, very full arrangement, complete with lots of big runs, and played well. Curious - how did you do the cello part?

Gaffner, very easy to listen to, I liked it. Can you fill us in re how you created it?

Piano primo, don't be too hard on yourself, we've all been there - playing something over and over, trying to get a good take. You've got most of it down pat now, and sounding good.

My piece this month is 500 Miles High, a beautiful song written by jazz pianist Chick Corea.

There has been much debate about the meaning of the title, and about the unusual harmonies, which I find quite intriguing.

I don't remember ever hearing the song till I worked on it for the Gary Burton Coursera course. (Thanks, Gary!)

I am playing my own arrangement and solo, but the drums and bass are courtesy of a backing track provided for the course.

Ed

500 Miles High

My understanding it that anything goes in the piano bar as far as the material or the recording method goes. Singing, multi tracking, editing are all acceptable. We have quarterly recitals as well where again any material is welcome but it is preferred if there is no or minimum editing. Heck, I would even listen to someone doing scales here it is that open, so love to hear some Bach or Chopin.

Gaffner: yes, please do! How empowering it must be to produce something yourself people used to sell their soul to an evil corporate master to achieve. Very cool!

Ed I've never seen you work ensemble style before. You are becoming quite the all around musician and could probably get paid for it if you wanted to. Well Done!

Gaffner: wow, loved it, why don't you have a record deal?

Riddler outstanding: so glad we get to hear works with backing tracks so we get the complete immersion

piano primo 1 very nice, sounds like you have a nice light touch which is so important for a piece like this

ladypayne gorgeous arrangement, you have a gift there.

Ladypayne - Great job! There is so much great music in the classic Disney movies.

Gaffster - That was incredible! How did you create that? Is that you playing all instruments and singing?

Piano Primo - I really liked it. I think most of us think that our pieces need more work… Great job!

Pover - Like the others have said; anything goes here. Just join in on the fun!

Ed - What a treat!! It sounds very professional!! Your arrangement fits really well with the drum and bass tracks they gave you.


My entry this month is a short piece by Howard Shore called The Eagles. It is yet another song from the soundtrack to the movie The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. I really like the melody in this song so I wanted to turn it into a piano solo piece. Here is the arrangement I came up with:

[video:youtube]Qc5p8PVIUQE[/video]

I noticed on my piece “Swiss Air” toward the middle tempo change and after, the strength of the melody is lost and the phrases goes "loose", through til the end.
I am going to redo this, but it is it a combination of the lack of practice, or is it the song? I’ve never actually heard this song, and couldn’t find it on youtube.
Silly of me but.....
is this the waltz song titled "The Lendler" in the Sound of Music?

Thanks Star keys and earofmar for all the info and help. Much appreciated!

I might post a recording this week, but you have to excuse the (really bad :P) quality, since the only recording device I have is my phone, and I don't have mic's or what have you. I felt I needed to apologize for this in advance, since it's gonna be less appealing to listen to (if the playing sounded good in the first place ), and I'm gonna have to convert it to mp3.

Anyway, I'm excited and looking forward to submitting something, and I'll make sure to get back to you guys and comment on the great recordings!

P.S: I think it's bach for this month.
P.P.S: I just remembered! I'm going to go on vacation to "Sharm el Sheikh - Concorde el Salam" hotel (check it out if you want). I was first dismayed that I'm gonna be left without a piano for 5 days, UNTIL I SAW A PIANO BAR WITH A GRAND PIANO THERE! hahaha so I'm very excited and I've gotta get some pieces ready to play and provide a little romantic mood in the evenings :P

Profiled for later viewing with speakers.

(note to self: also check out what jazz sounds like to get an idea

Not sure why, but when I set a topic to be "Watched" it simply states that I have nothing in my watch list when I go to have a look.

Ladypayne - Very neat sound, I love that "jazz-ish" piano type playing that I can just keep on in the background and chill out to :-)

gaffster - wow, I was not expecting voice! I have to say that woke me up. Are there multiple voices singing, or was it just you recorded a few times or with some effects? VERY professional.

piano_primo - great sound. I've personally always hated playing dances, I just don't have the tempo control for it :-( Nice job! Don't worry if it's not perfect, just wait until you hear mine :-P I can hear ALL of my mistakes haha.

Amaruk - Very nice piece. I've always love LOTR soundtracks.

My entry is J.S. Bach's Prelude No. 1 in C Major from the Well Tempered Clavier. I'm not gonna lie, I chose this one because it's the simplest piece that I have at reasonable quality :-P I also use it as a "sight-reading primer" piece, so I don't memorize it. This creates a somewhat awkward page turn about 2/3 of the way through, but just think of that as "fun with rubato" and you're all set haha.

Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6EPU7bb8ak Sorry for the quality, I only have my phone.

Mike

Amaruk, That is sweet from my favorite movie series...cool video fades...! I am gonna get the Blu-Ray trilogy extended box set just because the music is supposed to sound awesome on surround. Riddler, Primo and mstachowsky; Great work. I remember fellow Floridian Riddler from a few years ago.

I write songs on a plain old upright piano. As for recording I use Fl Studios software on my laptop and any midi-capable keyboard to "Play-In" as much as I can. Keyboard players have a real advantage over other or non-musicians. You can fix and repeat sections to your heart's desire, so "red-dot" syndrome is not an issue. You get to select the best samples/patches for the part (1000's of possibilities) and add effects. Anything analog such as vocals or bass guitar goes into FL Studios using an Allen Heath USB mixer. Many mixers, even cheap ones have a USB output that can send wave file data to your software. I find that music software at around 300 dollars has about as much capability as a $250 thousand dollar "tape" studio did 30 years ago !

My rule is I try not to record music that is beyond my ability to perform it live with my band.

gaffster, everything you said is true. Those people can edit, fix, and choose the sections they performed best, all at a convenient computer screen. However, I have to say, if someone thinks this is an important part of music-making, then they aren't making any...

You see, I never understood why people spend lots of time editing, and why others spend a lot of time complaining and hating those who edit. For me, at least, music really is an art, and a way to express myself. The moments I feel this most is when I'm home alone, playing a piece I dearly love. Sure, I might not get it note perfect or exactly how I want it to sound - it doesn't always have to be - but I really enjoy the particular experience. I worry about bringing out this melody over the accompaniment in the same hand, or bringing out the bass note more than the harmony filler, but that all happens when I practice. And I spend lots of time getting the sound just as I want it, with as few mistakes as possible, with as much facility as possible. But when I perform, that's the fruit of the labor. Usually by the time I start performing (for myself, 99% of the time), I get to enjoy what I've worked hard on. I stop thinking in terms of note-perfect performances or 100% no-mishaps whatsoever. Instead, I just try to enjoy it!

I hope this is not coming off the wrong way, and I certainly do not mean this as a personal attack on you. This is basically just a general massage/rant/thinking-out-loud that I felt needed to be expressed. When I read in your post the lengths people would go and the details one might spend in order to get a perfect performance, I just felt something was wrong there. It's about being a musician, not a sound engineer. Again, please don't take this the wrong way (anyone)... I'm as much a beginner as most of you are, but I feel very strong about this subject. I invite you to start thinking in terms of musicianship rather than delivery. There is no good or bad musicians. You play piano. You love music. Do what you can to make beautiful music. It need not be difficult or complex, it can be simple and beautiful, and it can be at your level and music that you can enjoy at any given time.

Again, I repeat, I hope no one takes offence from this. This is my point of view but I hope you all consider it, and think in terms of music more than delivery of product

Hi Pover, I have been playing bass guitar in live bands for 30 years, so I know all about what you are saying. The reason I learned piano was mostly to be able to write and record. I consider a "dedicated" recording session to be a different activity than performing and simply capturing that performance.

Ed - 500 Miles High

Really enjoyed your take on this. I've been doing the Gary Burton class too, although with a live recital on my plate at the same time I really couldn't do much more than listen to the lectures and fiddle just a bit with the assignments. Can always do it again later. You really hang with it on 500 Miles...just like a pro...and I like your choices. Nice work.