Recommended music pieces for self-taught piano/Rhodes
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Recommended music pieces for self-taught piano/Rhodes
Hi guys,
About to receive my Nord Stage 2 in a week and I wanted to get your opinion relative to ACTUAL music making/learning. While I have been playing music for many years, it has mostly been on string instruments (guitar/bass). To really get into keyboards, I am looking to identify a few music pieces that will get me started & on which I can focus. What would be your recommendations?
Perhaps a left field type of question for y'all players, but I want to start on songs that are challenging but not discouraging. For reference, I would classify Tchaikovsky's Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (Nutcracker) as achievable with a little work. In contrast, while I like Tchaikovsky or Cory Henry, I consider those latter completely out of my reach (at least for now).
I can answer my own question when it comes to guitar/bass, but not when it comes to piano/keyboard [some music may sound easy, but actually be very tough & vice versa]. Therefore any advice on the following genre would be awesome!!
- Jazz tune (in this case, which version/artist)
- Classical piece
- Rhodes song/riff
About to receive my Nord Stage 2 in a week and I wanted to get your opinion relative to ACTUAL music making/learning. While I have been playing music for many years, it has mostly been on string instruments (guitar/bass). To really get into keyboards, I am looking to identify a few music pieces that will get me started & on which I can focus. What would be your recommendations?
Perhaps a left field type of question for y'all players, but I want to start on songs that are challenging but not discouraging. For reference, I would classify Tchaikovsky's Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (Nutcracker) as achievable with a little work. In contrast, while I like Tchaikovsky or Cory Henry, I consider those latter completely out of my reach (at least for now).
I can answer my own question when it comes to guitar/bass, but not when it comes to piano/keyboard [some music may sound easy, but actually be very tough & vice versa]. Therefore any advice on the following genre would be awesome!!
- Jazz tune (in this case, which version/artist)
- Classical piece
- Rhodes song/riff
Last edited by cheopsnet on 04 Dec 2014, 03:01, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Recommended music pieces for self-taught piano/Rhodes
I like Take Five (Paul Desmond of Dave Brubeck's band, in E Minor. Do you have a copy of The Real Book?
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Re: Recommended music pieces for self-taught piano/Rhodes
On the "easy" side, I started with John Cage's 4'33'' :
http://www.smartmusic.com/blog/piece-of ... john-cage/
and slowly tried to improve my skills until I could play John Stump's "Faeire's aire and death waltz":
http://lostinthecloudblog.com/2010/03/1 ... ath-waltz/
The "gong duet" was the difficult part!
http://www.smartmusic.com/blog/piece-of ... john-cage/
and slowly tried to improve my skills until I could play John Stump's "Faeire's aire and death waltz":
http://lostinthecloudblog.com/2010/03/1 ... ath-waltz/
The "gong duet" was the difficult part!

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Re: Recommended music pieces for self-taught piano/Rhodes
I studied this piece for years, but I was never able to master it. The closest I ever got was 4'32".Mr_-G- wrote:On the "easy" side, I started with John Cage's 4'33''
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Re: Recommended music pieces for self-taught piano/Rhodes
I'm assuming you can read music. Try:
- Linus & Lucy, Take Five
- Moonlight Sonata, Clair de Lune
- Portishead "Roads" or The Doors "Riders on the Storm"
- elektromin
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Re: Recommended music pieces for self-taught piano/Rhodes
For a kick start on jazz, I would recommend picking up one of the Aebersold play along books (I started with the one called Maiden Voyage). It's a great way to get started with jazz standards and improvisation on any instrument. Then anything by the Beatles and Stevie Wonder to cover some pop/rock/soul basics.
Good luck!
Good luck!
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Re: Recommended music pieces for self-taught piano/Rhodes
You could find scores of these songs (Rhodes):
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life - Stevie Wonder
I Wish - Stevie Wonder
Minute By Minute - Doobie Brothers
Josie - Steely Dan
Heart to Heart - Kenny Loggins
I Can't Tell You Why - The Eagles
Where It's At - Beck
Chameleon - Herbie Hancock
Keep Forgetting - Michael McDonald
Riders On The Storm - The Doors
Just The Way You Are - Billy Joel
I Can't Help It - Michael Jackson
Taxi (Theme Song) - Bob James
Just The Two Of Us - Grover Washington, Jr./Bill Withers
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life - Stevie Wonder
I Wish - Stevie Wonder
Minute By Minute - Doobie Brothers
Josie - Steely Dan
Heart to Heart - Kenny Loggins
I Can't Tell You Why - The Eagles
Where It's At - Beck
Chameleon - Herbie Hancock
Keep Forgetting - Michael McDonald
Riders On The Storm - The Doors
Just The Way You Are - Billy Joel
I Can't Help It - Michael Jackson
Taxi (Theme Song) - Bob James
Just The Two Of Us - Grover Washington, Jr./Bill Withers
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Korg SV1 BK73 - Numa Organ 2 - Nord Lead A1 - Novation Bass Station II - Ibanez SR1005EFN - Armon P300 - FBT ProMaxx 12A - Proel Tube100USB - Ibanez SB7 & AP7 - Boutique Overdrive & Crunch - Reference Laboratory cables
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Re: Recommended music pieces for self-taught piano/Rhodes
Here is my approach..
Take any song.. say something like "I Love Her" by the Beatles... learn the melody, the chords (I typically like to use 7ths and 9ths even if the chords are triads) and bass, now try and fit a melody in there (using tone leading on chords).. you could also try using sixths (top note would be the melody line) as a melody line in order to retain the harmonic content. For bass try root 5th and 9th.
Once you do this for the one you will find you can use this same approach on any tune and build a repertoire...
Take any song.. say something like "I Love Her" by the Beatles... learn the melody, the chords (I typically like to use 7ths and 9ths even if the chords are triads) and bass, now try and fit a melody in there (using tone leading on chords).. you could also try using sixths (top note would be the melody line) as a melody line in order to retain the harmonic content. For bass try root 5th and 9th.
Once you do this for the one you will find you can use this same approach on any tune and build a repertoire...