Archive for 2022
Music for DECEMBER 2022! "Bright Are the Leaves of Autumn" from Japan
in Intermediate Level 2 
The forests of Miyajima Island, Japan | To the left is a picture I took on my recent trip to Japan. The leaves were just turning wonderful shades of red and orange, and when I saw a Japanese song on Mama Lisa's site about colorful autumn leaves, I thought this would be the perfect song to arrange for piano. Called "Momiji" ("Autumn Leaves" in Japanese), it is taught in many elementary schools. "Everybody knows it," my tour guide said.
This same tune is sung in a video spinoff of a Japanese manga series (comics and graphic novels) with the English title, "Who's in the Forest Strolling." The English words to this version have nothing to do with the original lyrics praising autumn foliage, so I wrote English words based on two literal translations of the original Japanese on Mama Lisa's site. (Thank you, Mama Lisa.)
"Bright Are the Leaves" is more advanced than most pieces I post here, and it took me a good while to arrange it (which is why I am posting one piece instead of two this month). I hope my intermediate level visitors like their new music.
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| Here's Your NEW November Music! "The Second Story Window"
(or "Threw it Out the Window") in Level 1B What a fun, silly song! Take the first few lines of any nursery rhyme and follow them with "And threw it (or them) out the window." Hilarious results ensue! Like:
Old king Cole was a merry old soul,
A merry old soul was he,
He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl,
And THREW THEM OUT THE WINDOW!
The window, the second story window... If you are at about Level 1 you will definitely want to play this silly song!
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ALSO for November! A new version of "Gilly, Gilly Good Morning" in Level 2A  | Now a student at a slightly higher level than Level 1 can enjoy playing a complete version of "Gilly, Gilly Good Morning." This version differs from the one you got last month: - in the use of three-note chords (both hands)
- in stretches down to F# (for a D7 chord)
- in a shift of hand position in the right hand, and
- in the addition of a new section (Minnie mack, Minnie mack...)
Enjoy!
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| YOUR NEW OCTOBER MUSIC! Gilly, Gilly Good Morning in Level 1C A great song for beginning any morning activity, "Gilly, Gilly Good Morning" adds a bit of sunshine to a student's sometimes dreary practice time. Play it quickly and have fun!
"Gilly, Gilly Good Morning" is the perfect introduction to G position. There are no finger stretches, no shifts in hand position and no 3-note chords. Just keep your fingers on the keys and play!
Write your comments at the facebook group. |  | AND ALSO FOR OCTOBER: Wade in the Water in Level 3B  | "Wade inthe Water" is an African-American spiritual first performed in the late 1800's by the Fisk Jubilee Singers. This choir belonged to the Fisk School, now Fisk University, one of the first historically black colleges in the United States.
It is believed that Harriet Tubman used this song to warn slaves to get off the trail and into the water to prevent dogs, used by the slavers, from finding them. See also my arrangement of "Follow the Drinking Gourd."
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| YOUR SEPTEMBER MUSIC IS UP! Two versions of "House of the Rising Sun",
one in Level 2 and one in Level 4"House of the Rising Sun" is an American folk song dating back several centuries and possibly originating in England. Those who are only familiar with the version recorded by the English group, The Animals, may be surprised that many folk and blues artists preceded them, including Jean Richie, Woodie Guthrie, Josh White, Lead Belly, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan... the list goes on. The lyrics, omitted in my versions, decribe the regret of a woman working in a house of ill-repute or of a man who frequents the house. While I have omitted the words, the serious tone is clearly reflected in the minor key.
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Here's your NEW music for August! A Level 2 arrangement of Sibelius's "Finlandia"  | Finlandia was composed by Jean Sibelius during the Russian occupation of Finland. It is a patriotic Finnish piece whose sentiment was not tolerated by the Russians. "In order to avoid Russian censorship, Finlandia had to be performed under alternative names at various musical concerts. Titles under which the piece masqueraded were numerous and often confusing--famous examples include Happy Feelings at the awakening of Finnish Spring, and A Scandinavian Choral March." (Wikipedia)
How appropriate this piece is given today's international news!
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But wait, you get MORE in August! The Danish carol, "Now it's Christmas Again /
Nu' det jul igen" also in Level 2This month's pieces were inspired by my recent trip to the Nordic countries. When I asked my tour guide for a well known Danish song, she suggested this Christmas carol. The picture to the right (also on the sheet music) depicts the Danish custom of dancing around a tree adorned with real, lighted(!) candles. Piano teachers who start planning their Christmas recitals in the fall should remember this piece.
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Your NEW Music for JULY! Two versions of "Everywhere We Go", One in First Pieces B
and the other in Level 2A  | Cheer leaders chant it at college games, scout groups sing it around the campfire and drill sargents call it as a cadence for marching soldiers. "Everywhere We Go" is a rhythmic chant which many a piano student will recognize and want to play.
In the First Pieces level it is a two handed piece in a not-quite Thumbs Share C hand position. Unlike in Thumbs Share C, fingers 2 and 3 of the left hand play A and G respectively instead of B and A. This positioning provides more room for the thumbs.
I placed "Everywhere We Go" as the very first piece in Level 2. This placement is because it perfectly introduces second inversion chords, a kind of chord played in many Level 2 pieces, including in the very next piece, "Oh Susanna". (Some Music Theory: In a second inverion chord the note which is usually a fifth above is moved to the bottom. So for an F chord, the C becomes the lowest note.)
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JUNE'S Music! "Seashells by the Shore" from the Ukrainian "You Tricked Me"
in Primer Level AThis popular Ukrainian song has humorous lyrics which sound harsh without the context of its many verses, verses I had no room to include. So instead of the angry-sounding, "You tricked me" (because you didn't show up when you said you would), I substituted the more innocent, "Where are you? I don't see you."
Like the beginning of the Ukrainian National Anthem which is listed just above on the Primer page, this song is in an easy Thumbs Share C arrangement.
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Another June Tune! "Did You Trick Me?" also from the Ukrainian "You Tricked Me"
in Level 3B  | Lyrics for the Level 3 version include the suspicious-sounding "Did you trick me?" rather than the more accusatory Ukrainian, "You tricked me!" In any case regardless of the words, it is the exciting and fun melody which is so attractive in this song.
Technical skills include moving from a D minor hand position to F Major. Be aware that the hand positions change abruptly between the second and third lines.
The periwinkles in the verse can refer to either a flower or a sea snail. Thus the two different pictures and English lyrics associated with the two arrangements.
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NEW Music in May! From England, "The Foggy, Foggy Dew" Level 3CThis month you are getting the English version of "Foggy, Foggy Dew" as popularized by Burl Ives and as set by Benjamin Britten (there is also a very different Irish song by the same name). In your new arrangement--though rhythmically and harmonically straightforward--the hands wander around the middle of the keyboard with no relation to any "hand position" at all. ...and it is this independence from hand positions that places it in a late 3 or early 4 level.
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More Music in May: Invention No. 1 by J.S. Bach, newly edited and now with mp3 playback
in Intermediate Level 4 
Brilliant idea, Herr Bach! | Until now the Bach Inventions in Intermediate Level 4 have had no markings for phrasing, articulation, fingering or dynamics. Using a similar "bare bones" version from Make Music Inc. (developers of Finale notation software), I added these elements and posted a score of Invention No. 1 with more guidance for you.
Some notation deserves a little explanantion here: - The ornaments are mostly lower mordents with the main note dropping down a step and then back to the original note. However there are a few upper or inverted mordents which do not have a slash through them. These should be played rising a step and then back down again.
- Secondly, be sure to play the last note of each phrase short--as if that last note had a dot on it. That will help separate the phrases.
- And lastly the symbol with both a dot and a horizontal line means to play the note detached, but not as short as staccato.
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April's NEW Music! The Ukrainian national anthem in Level 4ASo the Russian invasion of Ukraine grinds on. You or your students will want to play this arrangement of the Ukranian national anthem in sympathy with those who have suffered there.
Your new arrangement is between Levels 3 and 4, beginning in the key of F (played in a traditional F 5-finger position) and ending in D minor (played in D-minor position). Consider playing or assigning this meaningful piece.
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MORE NEW music for April! "Follow the Drinking Gourd" in Level 2C  | Legend has it that in this song the drinking gourd refers to the constellation of the Big Dipper. Two stars in the Big Dipper point to the North Star, and in this song it is the North Star which guides runaway slaves to freedom.
This new piece is in a D minor hand position with the exception of a B-natural on the very first chord and third finger crossing over the thumb at the end of some phrases. As in many Level 2 pieces, these are gentle tugs leading students away from strict hand positions. At this point, to help break away from reliance on hand positions and finger numbers, I have found that my students benefit from letter name drills.
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A Bonus piece for March: The Ukrainian national anthem (beginning) in Primer Level AThis arrangement of the beginning of the Ukranian national anthem is a tribute to the brave citizens of Ukraine who are doing their best to defend themselves against Russian aggression. The piece is accessible to beginning pianists familiar with thumbs-share-C position.
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MUSIC for MARCH! A Prelude by me, Gilbert DeBenedetti, in Intermediate Level 4  | If you are an advanced pianist you will enjoy playing this Debussy inspired prelude.
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MORE for March: Last month's pieces in lead sheet notaion in Levels 1C and 4A  | New Chords: "Oats, Peas Beans and Barley Grow" in Level 1 gives you the option of playing I and V7 chords with just two notes. "Oh Mommy, Oh Mommy" in Level 4 introduces you to the A minor chord in the key of C.
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NEW in FEBRUARY! "Oats, Peas, Beans and Barley Grow" in First Pieces A  | "Oats, Peas, Beans and Barley Grow" sings the praises of a farmer working the land to plant our food ...And it does so with just five notes played with just one hand. Not only is this the perfect piece for introducing the piano keyboard and musical notation, it is also a satisfyingly familiar song--see how many YouTube videos I found!
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ALSO for February: "Oh Mommy, Oh Mommy" composed by me in Level 3CIf you have ever cared for a baby or a young child, I wrote this song for you. While the melody, inspired by "Hush Little Baby", is childlike and while the words are from the perspective of a child, the harmonies and skill level are more sophisticated than in most children's songs. So it is really an older child or an adult who will appreciate this piece. I hope you enjoy my latest original gift to you.
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HAPPY NEW YEAR 2022 and CONGRATULATIONS
You are finally bringing back the sun!
Imagine the power you must have when you can play "Oh Mr Sun" and
"Keep on the Sunny Side" (from October and November) and there is actually
an affect on the sun! Just think, today--New Years Eve day--in my home town
there were two more minutes of daylight than on December 21. Good job!
NEW music for JANUARY 2022: Two pieces in lead sheet notation
 | You can use lead sheets as learning tools for students at any level; their use should not be limited to playing jazz and pop music. Lead sheets add intellectual and tactile/motor dimensions to learning to play piano--intellectual in the recognition of chord names and tactile/motor in relying on the feel of chords. Lead sheet notation emphasizes these dimensions by eliminating the usual visual cues of notes on the page.
Your new pages are unusual for lead sheets in that, while the melody at first appears in treble clef (as is usual), the melody then moves to bass clef for the left hand. This reversal in the roles of the hands provides excellent and often neglected practice.
You can find more practice with the feel for chords in my "Five Finger Patterns and Chords", available on my exercises page. |
1. "A-Tisket A-Tasket" with I and V7 chords in C, F, G and D in Level 2A...| "A-Tisket A-Tasket" is the easier of the two pieces in lead sheet notation. There are only two chords to choose from in each key and the chord changes are less frequent than in "Good Morning." |  |
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2. "Good Morning" with I, IV & V7 chords in C, F, G, D, A & E in Level 2C  | In "Good Morning" the student plays three chords for each key and the changes of chord are more frequent than in "A-Tisket A-Tasket". There are also small stretches beyond the five-finger position in the melody hand. The versions in the keys C, F and G are appropriate for Level 2C while the other keys are meant for students at Levels 3 and 4.
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See other postings of sheet music in the archives for 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013,
2014, 2015-2019, 2020-2021, and on the current home page. | |
