Gershwin at the Keyboard : 18 Song Hits Arranged by The Composer for Piano [Paperback] Review

As George Gershwin writes in the introduction, "Sheet music, as ordinarily printed for mass sales, is arranged with an eye to simplicity."In this collection of 18 Gershwin songs, which includes Fascinating Rhythm, Somebody Loves Me, Strike Up the Band, and I Got Rhythm, he presents his music in a way that reflects his "desire for complication and variety that every composer feels when he manipulates the same material over and over again."

Though not for the beginner, these pieces will reward the more advanced pianists who love the Gershwin style.He even supplies a hint about how to play them - keep your foot off the sustaining pedal.American popular music (in the early twentieth century, at least) "asks for staccato effects, for almost a stenciled style."

If you've been at the piano for a few years and love his music, you'll enjoy this collection.If you prefer simpler arrangements with lyrics, try "50 Gershwin Classics," also available through Amazon.

P.S. A note to sheet music publishers: Why not include a few sample pages so web users can judge for themselves whether the arrangements are appealing?

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Product Description:
Eighteen song hits arranged by the composer. Includes: The Man I Love * 'S Wonderful * Who Cares? plus 15 more.

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Famous & Fun Pop, Book 5 (Intermediate): 11 Appealing Piano Arrangements [Paperback] Review

I love Carol Matz' arrangements in the Famous and Fun Pop series, especially Books 2, 3 and 4.We got 5 because of the Pink Panther song but it has a good smattering of Broadway and older classic songs.The kids often like the Harry Potter as well because it's more recent.Ms. Matz's strength is her arrangements are fun, and even at the earlier levels where duets are employed (student-teacher), the student enjoys playing even the more basic arrangements and they sound good.Carol Matz apparently has more pop arrangements so searching under her name may be best if you're trying to get more variety (the Famous and Fun Pop can get a bit repetitious if the same student does the whole series).

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Product Description:
Arranged by Carol Matz. Contents: Across The Stars, Beauty And The Beast, Double Trouble, Hogwarts' March, The Imperial March, Over The Rainbow, The Pink Panther, Summertime, Theme From New York New York, Under The Sea, When A Man Loves A Woman

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Great Piano Solos - The Red Book: Showtunes, Jazz and Blues, Film Themes, Pop Songs and Classical (Piano Solo Songbook) [Paperback] Review

This is an enjoyable selection of music of various types, from popular classics to easy listening.The level of play was a little easier than I expected, but still fun to play.

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Product Description:
A diverse collection of music designed to give pianists hours of enjoyment. 45 pieces, including: Adagio for Strings * Ain't Misbehavin' * Bluesette * Canon in D * Clair de Lune * Come Fly with Me * Do-Re-Mi * Don't Know Why * The Entertainer * Fields of Gold * Fur Elise * Have I Told You Lately * Memory * Misty * My Heart Will Go On * My Way * Unchained Melody * When I Fall in Love * Your Song * and more.

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Simply Elegant Piano, Vol. 1 (The Steinway Library of Piano Music) [Paperback] Review

The book is delightful, easy enough to sit down and immediatly enjoy.The chords are beautiful.

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Product Description:
Arranged for Piano. It takes a special talent to write piano arrangements that are easy to play, yet sound elegant and sophisticated. For this new series in the Steinway Library of Piano Music, we have tapped the abilities of two outstanding arrangers, Preston Keys and Noreen Lienhard, to create beautiful, unique and playable settings of some of our favorite songs!
Sound Elegant... Sound Professional
This is a collection players of all levels can love, with gorgeous (and painless) piano renditions of such perennials as: Misty, Star Dust,The Shadow Of Your Smile, On A Clear Day, Somebody Loves Me, Sweet Lorraine,At Last,What A Wonderful World, Memories Of You, Bewitched, I Can't Get Started, On Green Dolphin Street, I'm Always Chasing Rainbows, Shenandoah, and How Sensitive (based on a Chopin melody).You'll be thrilled at how these 15 arrangements make you sound... how much fun they are to play... and how quickly you'll get them under your fingers!

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COCKTAIL PIANO STYLES - VOLUME ONE [Paperback] Review

This is a good book for those who are intermediate and higher. Many of the songs are well known and the arranger has added jazz chords to provide a very rich sound. I am a professional pianist who uses this book at weddings, parties and receptions.

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Product Description:
27 favorites as arranged by Bill Irwin for piano solo with lyrics and chords, including: April in Paris * Can't Take My Eyes off of You * Candy * Dream a Little Dream of Me * A Good Man Is Hard to Find * I've Got the World on a String * It Had to Be You * Paper Doll * They Didn't Believe Me * You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It) * and more.

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Dan Coates Complete / Advanced Piano Solos (The Professional Touch Series) [Paperback] Review

This book contains some of the most beautiful arrangements of popular music I have ever heard. Many of the pieces were unfamiliar to me when I bought the book, and others were songs I didn't particularly like. But Coates's arrangements are so beautiful that I love almost all of these songs now. This book is honestly titled: it is for advanced players. This does not mean that it is Rachmaninoff, but most pianists will find it challenging. Determined intermediate pianists can reasonably expect to memorize, play, and enjoy many of these pieces...but it will take some serious practice. Many of the arrangements make extensive use of the keyboard's higher registers -- where many pianists have limited experience.And some songs contain multi-measure passages where 3 are played against 2. Large leaps are common (including in some arpeggiated chords), as are chords with 6 or more notes.The book is well bound (so that it lays fairly flat), and the printing is generally clear and well formatted.Most of the pieces are 3 to 5 pages long.These pieces are worth the extra effort they require, and once the skills are learned, they'll be available forever.

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Product Description:
Arranged by Dan Coates for solo piano.Intermediate to advanced arrangements. A collection of great songs for all occasions, Includes:love and wedding favorites, Broadway standards, pop and country ballads, movie and TV hits. 79 Songs!

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