Hello Merry Christmas, I am looking to get the score to the Peanuts theme song, dont know the official name, but you all hear it , the jazzy piano tune by that jazz composer forgot his name. Vince G or something.

Is this public domain or do I have to pay for it? thanks.

It's called "Linus and Lucy" by Vince Guaraldi, and I do not believe it public domain at this point - you'll probably have to pay for it. There's a decent arrangement by Hal Leonard (I think - I'll have to double-check that).

Hi briiian13, the name of the piece is "Linus and Lucy." There are several arrangements floating around, but the original is in A-flat. It's still copyright protected, but you can buy the single piece at places like SheetMusicPlus for only $3.95. Not a bad price for a classic to add to your repertoire.

I tried to learn it myself a while back, but never really got the first part smooth and fell to pieces on the discordant jazzy bridge. But it's in my "I'll learn this one of these days" pile.

thank you everyone and thanks for the link.

yes, this tune seems simple enough but i think i am forseeing a difficulty in timing the left and right hands as they go by different rythyms.


i am very interested in playing this as i have an interest now to add some lively fun songs to entertain my little nephews with. i want to be their favorite uncle when they grow up saying, "my uncle always played the piano for us, especially that peanuts song, WHY??"

Link to a video of the original song.. L&L by V.G ; Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTTrgENXHQA

Hey...that's my line...when ever I play it, kids ALWAYS comment...'hey, that's Charlie Brown'

I have the first part down pretty good, but like Monica, I just haven't spent the time to nail the jazzy parts. Good Luck

that is when you slam your fists down onto the keys and yell at the kids, "NO! Linus and Lucy! git it right!!"

just kidding.

i checked out that sheetsmusic site and it seems like even though the score is cheap (3.95) they want me to pay shipping which will in that case dont make it worth while.
is there a site where i can pay online and then they can just email me the score? thanks.

You can get a digital version here:

digital version of linus and lucy

I've used them before and it works well. Only thing is you have to download something called Scorch first to let you see and print the music. It's not a big deal (it's free, and they tell you how to do it on the site), but it's just an extra step.

as a matter of fact...I just stopped last week to get a copy of sheet music at our local Pieanny store ... they didn't have it, but could order on-line for me, print it and there would ONLY BE a $1.00 surcharge...-said to self, you gotta be kiddin' me- ya know, I find myself talking to myself far to often as of late...mmmmm

wow, thanks Monica.
i just bought it and now i have downloaded and printed it out.

I cannot wait until i get home to play this!!!
plus i have a couple of pairs of shoes fedexed to me today from a dept. store, so i am doubly anxious to leave work now.

i am looking over the score and it looks to be so far as close as to the original Vince score as possible. i hope it is, i dont want an abridged or simplified version.

i can foresee myself staying up all night playing this, thanks again!

wow,
yeah i agree.

i mean, either pay 3 dollars for ground shipping which you will have to wait a week or so,

OR

pay 1 extra dollar and you get it in your hands now!

this is great!
i mean, i know i dont get the extra book binding and such, but i dont care about that , just give me the score.

It's only when you start talking back that it's a problem.

Speaking from personal experience, you are halfway down the treacherous road to Sheet Music Addiction.

Hope to hear a recording of your Linus & Lucy soon, Brian!

briiian13, A few days ago we exchanged thoughts on "Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata". I believe that I had not yet received my recorder so had not recorded it (Duh!). If you'd like to hear my version, I just posted a link on the thread of the same name that you started. G-luck.


Monica, You are a hoot, trip, delight...whatever.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

ok i will listen to that , thanks Lisztener

I think it may be a problem then

Not really sure what happened here but Linus and Lucy get a little funky!! :p


www.pinnaclepeakllamaranch.com/LinusandLucy.mp3

That has to be one of the greatest songs ever. I just odered Winstons Linus and Lucy Album and it is excellent.

Mr. Hunky, is that you playing? Sounds nice.

Yes.

Can't you tell?, lots of "pops" and "clicks" and the volume must be turned WAY up just to hear it!

I am the recording anti-genius!!. If theres any way to screw up a recording, rest assured, I'll find it!

great playing mr.
it is a great twist on the theme. very nice though.

The volume came out well on my end.

Naw, that's when you scream "It's SNOOPY!". That's what I would have said when I was a kid.

I'm not one for jazz, but I really do like this tune - I have two versions of it, neither one of which I can play worth a darn!

Four little letters, super-hunky, four little letters: Z-O-O-M.

Yea super-hunky...like Monica said...just shave one of those llamas

i could play the chorus and the bridge part pretty good now, it is just those jazzy in betweens that i just don't get.

either i have to play it with a bass accompaniment or i just dont understand jazz. the jazz is really hard and i am starting to appreciate it as a seperate genre of music apart from classic. classic is all arranged for you but the improvisation of jazz and how it doesnt really follow a beat gets me confused in both hands. wow, i appreciate jazz now. my hands have been classicallly trained thus far.

briian13 - you need to listen to jazz a lot - jazz is not something to be "understood" - its more of a feel - something unique and personal. You have to hear/feel it and it takes time but as you listen to it you will be more comfortable with it. Listen to more Vince Guaraldi and other jazz players you like - maybe some Ahmad Jamal? Just listen and let it sink in for a while.

Welcome aboard to the wonderful world of Jazz and Blues! Your classical chops in the end will be of help to you in playing jazz; many great Jazz players out there who also could do classical music well.

BTW did you know Ellington wrote Sacred Music as well as the Jazz stuff?

You don't really get away from the beat (in most tunes the beat and grove is there... like a heartbeat) , rather you learn who to swing the melody and mix up the tempos and such.

Like having one part do steady quarters while the other part does dotted quarters and and an eight against it. Lots of fun synchropation going on.

I really go for well played walking bass lines.
They grab my ears and I am hooked into hearing the rest of the tune.

Jazz is fun stuff to tackle and there is so much freedom of expression involved when improvising solos, breaks, fills and different voicings.
I love both Classical and Jazz; but play more Jazz because I like to be creative and find new ways for playing the same tune.Plus Jazz and Blues are truly American Art Forms (born from down south in the Missisipi Delta; and migrating and evolvong with the great northern migration when blacks came up north for more opportunities.

If you have never seen the Ken Burns PBS series on Jazz (or read the book that goes with it). Check it out from the local library or watch it when it shows up on PBS).

pianojazz is right on.... listen, listen, listen to lots of Jazz, and blues. Find free internet radio stations, digital cable music channels and satellite stations that play only jazz and blues and listen to them as much as possible.

Here are some of my favorites (I like swingy, and bluesy stuff), and the old vocal standards:

Ella Fitzgerald
Louis Armstrong
Duke Ellington
Ellis Marsalis
Glenn Miller\Hoagy Carmichael
Gershwin
Carl Porter
Nat King Cole
Diana Krall
Jane Monheit
Dizzy Gillespi
Count Basie,
Theolonius Monk
& so many others

Check out the long thread on the non-classical boards; we have so many youtube links to peruse on it. I'll dig up the link and post it.

Check this thread out.... it continues to be growing as we keep adding more songs we all like... from mostly the 30-40's popular era.

http://www.pianoworld.com/ubb/ubb/ultimatebb.php?/topic/37/660.html

Also check the whole non-classical board out...
all levels are welcome there.

wow, thanks for all the tips. i will definitely check out more jazz.

Hi Briian13,
In addition to the excellent above suggestions, be sure to check out Bud Powell, Art Tatum, and Oscar Peterson.
My 3 personal favorites.

Don't forget Bill Evans!!! "Peace Piece" is my all-time favorite jazz piano piece.

Oh Yes, (and) definitely Bill Evans too....can't forget him....thanks Monica

Hello all. Newbie here.

So...what is the latest on Linus and Lucy? I did a search for this song as we just bought our first piano (Kawai Digital CA5) a few weeks ago and my wife and I are learning. I have ALWAYS wanted to learn this song and in the original A Flat. The first song I learned was part of Piano Man by Billy Joel and was happy to find out both hands can do different things! My wife found that out also. The sheet music didn't have the solo, so I said...ON TO Vince!! I bought it online like suggested here. Probably a stupid move for the 2nd song ever played on a piano, but I played organ from 6-11 yrs old or so, and even in competition, so I have a little background. I am 38 now so very rusty.

I about have the beginning down. Still weak in the fingers, which throws the timing off easily, but I am happy with my progress and it is fun to try and play. I am just wondering if anyone was successful with this and has kept up with it after the holidays? I am sure I have several weeks before I tackle those jazzy parts on and who knows how long before it sounds OK.

Don

Oh, we're much too nice to say it's "stupid," but the words "brave" and "ambitious" certainly come to mind.

I'm a firm believer in pursuing one's dream piece, even if strictly speaking it is too advanced for you. (I started working on Winston's "Longing/Love" long before I should've myself.) Just make sure you're working on other stuff that you can make faster progress on; otherwise you'll start to get too discouraged.

I am embarrassed to admit that I put "Linus and Lucy" away for a while. Okay, a very long while. I realized I had no shot of getting the jazzy part down in the near future, and the "easy" part was still sounding too clunky to my ears. But it is definitely a piece I want to learn well sometime in the next year. Or two.

btw, welcome to the forum, Don!

Welcome Don!!

I have been playing for a little over 7 months now. It's funny, about once a month, my (non-musician) friends ask, "So, can you play 'The Peanuts song' yet!?".
It cracks me up every time!!

Currently I am still struggling with a watered down version of Christmas Time is Here.

Thank you.

Well, I will keep at it, as I am making progress. Progress for me, that is. I remember a friend of mine playing it and having a lot of those fancy hard parts down but the timing was a little stiff. I really want to focus on keeping everything smooth, even if I get out of time a little.

Christmas Time is Here is a GREAT song! I have that on my list to learn for next Christmas. I don't listen to jazz much, and a lot of it is beyond me, but I love all the Peanuts music by V.G. and would love to be able to play them.

Every year I listen to that Christmas CD and say, I really should try to learn the piano. Finally, this year I am!

Don

KBBit:

I've completed Linus and Lucy a long time ago. However, while I can play along with the original recording, I am not at the level of Vince.

What I did on the 'jazzy' verse is I play the bass guitar part (the little notes on the bass clef, if you have the same sheet music #HL00352295) instead of the left-hand chords.

I'd say you're stupid to learn Linus and Lucy at this early stage. But I know that won't stop you!

Welcome and good luck!

Here's a really good version of the song from the dreaded YouTube...(I say dreaded because it always raises the mods attantion )

YouTube

Dang YouTube...I got addicted and listened/watched about 15 videos last night. Some were good, some made me feel better about my progress.

I made more progress on the song today!

Thanks for posting that link, Mr. Joshua... I'm enjoying learning Linus & Lucy and can play the main part just fine, but the bridge and the jazzy part are still way beyond me. I'd been thinking I'd like to hear Vince play it so I could at least hear how it's supposed to sound! (Speaking of getting addicted to YouTube, my son came along and made me watch a whole bunch of those other clips of Peanuts specials!)

I have been so slammed at work, I have been too tired to hit the computer at night so I haven't been up on the forum much, but am still working on this piece! I don't have the timing quite right on the last part of both solos and have to learn the bass line on the solos as well. Still deciding on whether to do the small guitar notes, or the left piano notes.

It has been fun and I am happy to be as far as I am in the song. I make a little progress every time I play it. At least I can play the whole thing now, although sometimes with the left hand resting.

Thank God for electronics. My 3 year old son came down the stairs one night to tell me to turn if off! hahahhahaha I thought it would be the other way around. Nice to be able to slap on the headphones.