Knock Knock

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The song starts with a solo melody line that is answered with a short bass riff. Things get going at measure 10 with some harmony and a steady beat in the left hand. The bass riff should be loud each time, but you can back off for the low quarter notes in the left hand. Measure 22-29 is a handful. Practice each hand separately and then combine them at a slow tempo. The next new section begins at measure 58. Emphasize the right hand melody, while keeping the left hand soft and bouncy. Back to the chorus at measure 72 with the right hand taking it up an octave at measure 76.

From Words To Worlds

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This song has some unique chord progressions that I’ve never tried before. Sometimes shuffling chords around, or throwing in unrelated chords, can lead to new compositional ideas. The form of this song is AABA, so once you learn measures 1-24, you’ll have 75% of the song learned. Measure 25 should be noticeably louder to help this second A section stand out. The left hand notes in measures 49-58 should be played short. Also, you should not use the sustain pedal for this section. Finally, watch out for the left hand changing to treble clef at measure 66.

One Thing Leads To Another

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This song is in the key of G-major, with one sharp in the key signature. The beginning should be played softly using the sustain pedal. A simple melody is introduced at measure 10 and then harmonized at measure 18 along with a jumping pattern in the left hand. The chorus at measure 26 puts the right hand in octaves with a driving left hand bass. The downbeat of each measure is emphasized with a heavy, full chord. For this section, focus on the accuracy of the right hand as it jumps between registers as well as the accent marks of the left hand to lay the proper rhythmic foundation.

The Way Back

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This song is in the key of B-flat with a moderately slow tempo. I came up with the music for measures 5-8 a few months ago, but I was having trouble figuring out what to write next. It took several attempts to finally expand this into a full song. It’s a very smooth piece with lots of arpeggios. You’ll probably want to use the sustain pedal for most of it. And feel free to vary the tempo a little bit to make it sound more artistic.

Shadow Of A Doubt

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This song is in the key of G-minor with two flats in the key signature: Bb and Eb. Make sure you pay attention to all of the clef changes in the left hand. For example, the left hand starts in treble clef and switches to bass clef at measure 8. The section at measure 18 should be played very expressively using subtle adjustments in tempo. Measure 40-50 is a handful. The left hand plays the bass notes and then jumps up to the right hand staff to play more chords. Pay attention to the direction of the stems to figure out what each hand should play. Measure 45-47 is particularly difficult because the left hand plays the bass notes a split-second before the downbeat and then immediately plays with the right hand directly on the downbeat.

Act One

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I was in the mood for writing a fast song with a busy right hand part. This is in the key of A-major and has three sharps in the key signature. There are a bunch of sixteenth notes in this song, but if you look closely, you’ll find that many of the sections are made up of patterns that are repeated again and again with different chords. Many people make the mistake of trying to learn fast songs at their full tempo. It takes discipline, but try to learn the various sections of this song at a very slow tempo, and then gradually work them up to performance speed.

Lead You Home

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The opening measures have a lot of fast sixteenth notes and this is probably the most difficult section in this song. I recommend slowing this part way down to figure out exactly how the hands work together. At measure 11 we get a simple verse with a single note bass. The chorus at measure 19 continues with the same left hand rhythm, but we add some chord tones in both hands to fill out the sound. I decided to take the song in a completely different direction at measure 42. I changed to a faster tempo and introduced a new melody that would remain for the rest of the song. This dramatic change of tempo is not something I do very often, but I think it’s effective here.

Soda Shop

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I tried to write this song with a 50’s rock feel. The left hand has a classic bass line at measure 25 and you should really hammer this out. The right hand melody is played in octaves here with some “filler chord tones” like the F’s in measure 25 and the G’s in measure 27. I wrote a contrasting section starting at measure 57, which should be played softly. I used some different chord flavors to set this section apart along with a new accompaniment style. Then it’s back to rock ‘n’ roll at measure 73.

Keep It To Myself

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This is an easygoing tune with a simple melody. The eighth notes are played unevenly because of the “Swing” style. Since the intro tag is played twice, you can play the second one much softer so it sounds like an echo. I was looking for a way to make the final section more interesting and decided to move everything up to the key of D. Watch out for the two sharps in the key signature: F# and C#. When you get to measure 51, start gradually fading out and keep getting softer until the end.

Let’s Pretend

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The main melody is introduced at the beginning with some simple chords. Make sure the left hand doesn’t cover up the melody. The melody is repeated in measures 10-17 with a more complex accompaniment. Pay attention to which way the stems are pointing. This will help you understand how all the parts work together. Measure 44-51 is the same as the beginning, but everything has been moved up one octave. Also, the left hand changes to treble clef for this section.

Sidewalk Cafe

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This song is in 3/4 and has a bit of a waltz feel to it. It makes me think of a street scene in Paris. The left hand should emphasize the downbeat of each measure, and then play beats 2 and 3 slightly softer. Make sure the left hand doesn’t cover up the right hand melody.

Get What You Deserve

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This song is in the key of G-minor and has two flats in the key signature. Remember those flats throughout the piece, but also watch out for all the accidentals. By the way, this song is swung so the eighth notes will not be played evenly. It starts with a walking bass line in the left hand. It’s mostly stepwise and mostly quarter notes. Measure 33-40 has the same bass line with a new right hand riff. Practice this right hand riff at a slow tempo and then gradually add the left hand bass line in.

Figure This Out

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The intro looks a little complicated, but it’s really just the same right hand melody repeated over changing left hand notes. The only change in the right hand is in measures 7-8 and 15-16. Now look at measure 33-38. You can think of all the G notes that the right hand plays as filler notes, because they “fill in” the gaps between the higher note melody.

Moonlight On The Snow

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This song introduces a simple melody and descending bass line, then gradually increases in complexity. The most difficult section is probably measure 81-96. The right hand is played in 3rds. Take some time to decide the best fingers to use, because playing in 3rds can sometimes create difficult fingerings. Also, notice how the left hand switches to treble clef in measure 65-71. These faster eighth notes will also take some practice.

Something To Believe

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This song should be played with a heavy swing. That means, instead of playing the eighth notes evenly, you make the strong beats longer and the weak beats shorter. That might be a little confusing, but listen to the song and you will get a feel for it. The chorus at measure 26-42 is the most difficult section. The left hand plays a few bass runs to give the song momentum, while the right hand fills out the sound with punchy chords.

Another Uncertain Night

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The key to learning this song is to make your left hand very smooth and steady. The right hand melody is fairly simple, so focus on an even left hand. At the same time, don’t let the left hand accompaniment cover up the right hand by being too loud. Finally, use the sustain pedal to help fill out the the sound.

Too Much And Too Soon

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This song is in 6/8 time, which gives it a triplet feel. Remember that there are 6 beats in each measure and every eighth note is one beat. Use the sustain pedal at measure 41 to help connect the left hand chords. Measure 57 should start softly and then gradually crescendo to measure 72.

Something Amazing

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In measures 1-8, the right hand is actually playing in octaves and filling in with chord tones at the same time. This is a common technique in piano, but it can be difficult if your hand isn’t used to stretching like that. Measures 50-57 should be practiced slowly at first and then gradually sped up. For this section, the left hand is written in the treble clef and does a lot of “filling in.” That means it plays mostly on the off beats and “fills in” the gaps of the right hand part.

Blast From The Past

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This song is a combination of a few different rock/blues ideas that I’ve had in my head lately. I put in a “call and response” section at measure 37. I imagine the backup singers echoing the lead singer here. Keep the tempo upbeat throughout this song and pay attention to the articulations to really lock in the groove.

Say Yes

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This is a combination of two songs. I tried to take the best elements of both and put them together. It’s a simple, relaxing song in G major. Things get a little more challenging at measure 33 with the right hand arpeggios. The left hand takes the melody at measure 43 and then passes back to the right hand octaves.

Names In The Stone

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This song uses a very common chord progression called the Circle of Fifths in places like measure 1-8 and measure 9-16. Since the right hand has a single note melody starting at measure 9, focus on a smooth left hand accompaniment with the help of the sustain pedal. The melody is repeated at measure 34 with a few embellishments.

Someday

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I wrote this song back in 2008. Originally, it had lyrics that I would sing as I played an accompaniment. It was difficult to combine everything into one piano part, but I hope you like what I’ve come up with. Use the pedal throughout, especially for the chorus at measure 9. Some of the right hand rhythms in this song might be a little hard to count. When in doubt, listen to the video and play something that sounds similar.

Flip The Switch

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This is actually a combination of two songs. I realized that I had written two separate pieces in a similar tempo and style, but neither one was that great. I took the best parts of both and made it into a single composition. Watch your hand coordination in measure 37-44. Both hands play the exact same thing, but the right hand is two beats behind the left hand. This part sounds even better if you hold the sustain pedal down the entire time and gradually crescendo.

Won’t Go Away

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This song uses a lot of repeated right hand patterns played over a left hand chord progression. Measure 21-27 is a good example. Each measure of the right hand starts with a chord played twice, and then a syncopated chord part that is the same in each measure (except m. 24 has an A-sharp). The fast intro at measure 5 is another example of this pattern technique.

Finally

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I was going to make this song a “vocal” piece, with a main right hand melody, but then I got a few more ideas and it quickly turned into an “instrumental” piece. Hopefully your left hand is pretty strong so you can really hammer the keys at the measure 9 section, which is repeated throughout. The section starting at measure 23 is probably the hardest part. I recommend practicing the right hand first and then add the left hand at a slow tempo.