Crazy Compos!
Crazy Compos!
These compositions are free for you to printout and perform.Don't forget to read these instructions.
All these piano compos (both midi and noteworthy composer files) are available together in a zip file by clicking here (54kb). If you have a basic sound card (less than a sound blaster) then you may prefer these versions.
Piano Joke
- Style - Short and "angular"
- Standard - Grade 6
I just wrote this for a laugh, and it reminds me of the cartoon "Rhubarb & Custard" for some reason...
See if you can spot the 5/8 bar!
Bagatelle
- Style - Short and serious;
- Standard - Grade 6
I quite like this one. It is very short and has some nice scrunches and crossing over of hands.
TTLS variations - 8 Variations on "Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman", better known as "twinkle, twinkle little star" (ahem...).
- Style - Theme: (Start tarting it up) - Variation 1: (Twee) - Variation 2: (Wilder) - Variation 3: (Scrunchy) - Variation 4: (Um-cha) - Variation 5: (Laid back) - Variation 6: (Fugue...ish) - Variation 7: (Repose) - Variation 8: (More and more Jazzy).
- Standard - Grade 8
No, I don't apologise for writing this... strangely, it has been quite popular with my friends. One couple asked if I would play it at their wedding (!) but I said no way and wrote something more appropriate.
Once upon a time, when I was still at school, I heard a colleague's attempt at variations on "Teddy Bear's Picnic". I tried to have a stab myself, but didn't get anywhere with it other than an arrangement of the TBpicnic. So, after some struggling at a set of variations I ended up with this set of "TTLS" variations instead.
Nicci & Tony's Wedding piece
- Style - romantic and dreamy;
- Standard - Grade 4
I wrote this as one of the pieces to be played during the signing of the register. I kept it simple as I wasn't too used to playing infront of a posh gathering and I didn't want to fluff it up! A few years later I arranged this for piano and violin.
- Style - mysterious & cheeky.
- Standard - Grade 8
This is the one I mentioned above - i.e. Once upon a time, when I was still at school, I heard a colleague's attempt at variations on "Teddy Bear's Picnic". I tried to have a stab myself, but didn't get anywhere with it other than an arrangement of the "TB" picnic. I have tried to experiment here with some chromaticisms, spanning the keyboard as much as possible and arpeggios that go up, down and inwards!
Andy & Sara's Wedding piece
- Style - romantic and dreamy;
- Standard - Grade 8
This is the more appropriate piece I mentioned above (TTLS variations). I was more confident playing in front of people by this stage, so I wrote this longer more difficult piece. Nevertheless, I kept it in the style of a flowing improvisation (so I could always start arpeggioing around if I came unstuck) and even wrote in easy bits at page turns (spot the single E = page turn there!) There is no time signature and the bars are of sometimes unusual and largely unequal lengths. I thought I was being novel and "free" in my use of timing, but maybe I was just being lazy??? Nevertheless, I do mean for the sense of pulse to pretty much disappear for much of the piece.
Serious Nocturne
- Style - Serious!
- Standard - Grade 5
This is one of my early shots at a compo. I have always liked it, but it is terribly serious (teenage angst and all that...)
Rag
- Style - It's ragtime....
- Standard - Grade 7
Watch out for the end....
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