The Billy Joel Keyboard Book: Note-for-Note Keyboard Transcriptions
- 160 Pages
- Published by HL
Product Description
15 keyboard transcriptions from the piano man himself, including: And So It Goes * Honesty * Just the Way You Are * My Life * Piano Man * and more…. More >>
The Billy Joel Keyboard Book: Note-for-Note Keyboard Transcriptions
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Overall, my cursory experience with this book is great; if I could play the songs (I’m only “early intermediate”), it seems that the transcriptions mostly sound pretty good.
However, as one other reviewer said, it seems that “the editors got a little lazy in parts” (although that reviewer did not pick up on the problem I’ve found). Basically, in the first song I started working on (“Just the Way You Are”), I immediately found at least one error in use of “accidentals.” A sharp is (seemingly) incorrectly added (4th measure on p. 45); if the sharp were to be added at all, it should have been as a “reminder” (in parentheses). (The same note (F [in the key of D]) was set as an accidental to “natural” in the previous measure.) As it’s written–with a sharp–technically it’s a double sharp (because in the key of D, F is automatically sharp, and–as I understand it–accidentals are automatically “reset” to the “default” at the onset of the next measure). It’s possible this is correct (as a double sharp), but I really don’t think so).
Granted, “one song” is a small sample size; but finding this editorial error in the first song I tried will make me wary during my adventure with these pieces. However, because of this, I can only give the book “four stars” (“five stars”–to me–represents flawlessness).
Meanwhile, I’ll continue to enjoy this otherwise excellent book!
Rating: 4 / 5
If you want to be able to play some of what you “hear” (which is not always necessarily what you “see”), then this is a good place to start. The only problem is that what you “hear” is not always full-sounding enough to be played on solo piano. (NOW I see why he draws the ire of so many critics.)
It is probably better to get some arrangements of the songs in other books and merge them with parts that aren’t in the songs as played.
One good thing is that this book is complete with all the solos and intros (like in “Piano Man,” which a person would have to try to figure out for a LONG time to get it right– not many people use Dm7 and Ddim7 chords with such so many grace notes.)
But, with a little imagination, this book will give you lots of fun practice.
Rating: 5 / 5
How all music books should be,…..best seen to date!!!!!
Rating: 5 / 5
This book is great! The authentic keyboard transcriptions allow you to play just like Billy.
Want to play the REAL stuff in Piano Man? Get this book!
Rating: 5 / 5
This is by far the best keyboard book I own. Being an avid Billy Joel fan it’s wonderful to actually play what I’ve been hearing all of these years, and if you have a band or group of friends that can jam, it even has some musical notation for the other required instruments. I’m hoping for another volume!
Rating: 5 / 5