Reading piano/vocal/guitar sheet music-help please

This is my first actual experience playing something from a piano/vocal/guitar sheet music book and I'm a little confused.

http://s605.photobucket.com/albums/tt134/BeBrave7893/?action=view&current=pictures5-5-09029.jpg

For this measure (5 sharps, btw) do I play the G#, C#, and D# on the right hand at the same time? I don't really understand how to read the notes. I would think I would play the G# and C# followed by the D#, but it doesn't sound right.

And then there are certain measures with the same note right next to each other. Would I play the note twice?? Here are some examples (one flat, btw)

http://s605.photobucket.com/albums/tt134/BeBrave7893/?action=view&current=pictures5-5-09028.jpg
http://s605.photobucket.com/albums/tt134/BeBrave7893/?action=view&current=pictures5-5-09032.jpg
http://s605.photobucket.com/albums/tt134/BeBrave7893/?action=view&current=pictures5-5-09036.jpg


I hope the pictures worked out okay and I hope you can help me in any way possible. Thank you!

Well the picture of the music did not travel well enough to see what you are talking about, but, here goes...... Notice you have melody notes and chord names over the melody notes. Couple of ways to do this - the normal way is to play the melody with your right hand and the chords with your left hand. As you do not have standard notation for the chords you have to know how to make a G#, C#, D# etc. You sound the chord with your left hand as your right hand is playing the melody that is shown under the chord name. Perhaps this will help lets use the lyrics as a guide when to sound the chord. Notice the D#sus chord is over the lyric word "way" and the F#9 chord is over the lyric word "soon". When the music moves to the word "way" you play the D#sus chord and sustain it until the word "soon" comes into the song and here you change to the F#9 chord. etc. etc.


Again the picture did not travel well. But, if the note is listed twice (with out an arch connecting the two notes) yes you sound it twice, however if it has the arch you do not play the note twice - just sustain the first note for another beat. Hope that made since.

Malcolm

Sorry if I was a little confusing. I'll try to clarify a bit.

I play the piano. The first staff should be the vocal line (treble clef only). The next to are connected (bass clef and treble). The key signature has 5 sharps, so this song is in G# minor. My question is: Do I play a B natural on the left hand while playing a G#,C# and D# on the right hand? I don't know if I would play the D# on the right hand at the same time that I play the G# and C#. This is all on the connected staffs (staves?)

For my second question, if you look at any of the 3 bottom links, you'll see some notes that are the same and are right next to each other, with one stem going up and one stem going down. Would I play that note twice? They're not connected with a tie or anything. This is also reading the piano line.

My apologies if you cannot see the pictures. This is my first experience with photobucket, and I don't know any other way to post pictures.

Since the duplicate notes are on the same beat, just different note values, they are a way of indicating two separate voices that are being played at the same time. You would just hold the note for the longest note value.

Rich

I think this will answer your question. You could if you were playing chords piano and not bothering with the melody. With the left hand you could play a G# note then a D# note (1-5) then sound the G#m block chord with the right hand and end the measure with another D# note on the left hand. That would be an acceptable 4/4 accompaniment pattern. G# note on beat 1, D# note on beat 2, Block chord on beat 3 and end the measure with another D# note as the 4th beat. Yes that is classic chord accompaniment. There are probably 100 other left hand, right hand "patterns" you could use. You mentioned using the 3rd - sure - instead of repeating the 1-5 in the next measure start with a 3-5 left hand, right hand block chord, then repeat the 5 with the left hand to end the measure. What ever.

Malcolm

BeBrave,

Yes, if you are playing this arrangement, you would play all the notes you mention in the right hand. The stems are going in different direction to help you distinguish the melody from accompaniment notes that are also played by the right hand.

To post these images in PianoWorld, copy the IMG Code text that photo-bucket displays.

Here are the images you are referring to:

Okay, I understand everything now. Thank you Malcolm and Rich.

Rich: I finally know how to post images.

Malcolm: I did mean the notes, not the chords. I'm basically trying to play the piano line exactly as written. I don't know enough about reading sheet music to try and improvise.