Young Chang Piano: Monty Python's Spamalot (Vocal Selections) [Paperback] Review

I decided to take a chance with this piano/vocal/guitar collection since I had already read a review warning that it was a fairly simplistic arrangement.It is indeed very basic; someone with four years of piano experience could handle just about every piece.

All that was taken from the actual score was the melody and the chords.Songs that had clear baselines, such as You Won't Succeed on Broadway's descending octaves at the end of each couplet, simply don't have them in these book.Typical left-hand arrangements are a series of eighth notes pairs with bass-root, inverted chord, over and over again no matter what sort of mood the piece should set.Given the range of tempos and their amusing descriptions, (where else would you find the term "Jaunty Madrigal"?), having identical left-hand arrangements is ridiculous. Right hand arrangements tend to double the melody with chords filling them out below.Most songs are cut down to a bare minimum, leaving out parts that could easily have been included such as accents, grace notes, and the like.

Most frustrating of all is missing lyrics for subsequent verses, which is absolutely unforgiveable."Knights of the Round Table" only has 2 verses.Yes, you can pull the lines off the internet, but why should you have to?

Probably the best arrangement of the whole book is "You Won't Succeed on Broadway" which does include all the lyrics but inexplicably cut the piano solo!So when I say it's the best, that's where "best" gets a 7 out of 10.The Act II Finale does not appear, either.However, the book does include most all the other songs from the musical.Many sheet music books from musicals omit more.I am looking forward to a vocal score being offered as these are a reduction rather than an arrangement and offer all the incidental music as well as instrumental and lead-in sections.

Hal Leonard often rates their arrangements on a difficulty scale but I can't find one on this book.I would give it a "2" on their 6 point scale where 6 is the hardest.

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Product Description:
Vocal selections from the uproarious Broadway production that won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2005. Songs include: All for One * Always Look on the Bright Side of Life * Brave Sir Robin * Come with Me * Find Your Grail * Fisch Schlapping Dance * He Is Not Dead Yet * His Name Is Lancelot * I'm All Alone * King Arthur's Song * Knights of the Round Table * Laker Girls Cheer * Monks Chant * Run Away! * The Song That Goes Like This * Whatever Happened to My Part? * Where Are You? * You Won't Succeed on Broadway. Includes five pages of color photos.