Strange reading this thread as I've had a recent urge to play some of my favourite records on the piano. Downloaded the sheet music for a Sparks song just now and the other day on Ebay "won" the rare music books for Bowie's Lodger and Low albums (was a nice surprise to have the Station To Station songs at the back of the latter).

 

The Mile End sheet music is available, I guess cos it featured in a successful film. I find that a lot of sheet music can be hit and miss but often that's because the song recording has no or little actual piano playing and so it's an interpretation based on the instruments used (although even when you buy sheet music for an actual piano-performed song, it can also be lacking. A few years ago I was so pissed off after downloading the piano sheets for Old Town by Phil Lynnott which features an incendiary piano solo yet is "watered down" in the sheet notation). I think as a player you just have to mix-up the manuscript available with your own ear, not something I'm great at. There's an app called Jellynote that has a huge catalogue of songs and music notation. I've not checked it out fully but might be worth investigation.

I would highly recommend the piano sheet music for Tearjerker, it is spot-on (really hoping Chilly makes all the Room 29 songs available on sheet, he's quite progressive in encouraging people to try and play his (and other piano composers)' pieces). Dishes from the TIH book is also well-notated - the bridge part sounds lush when perfected ...). Although I guess they're both a bit too obscure/downbeat to play to the uninitiated!

Sometimes doing it by ear works out better in the long run, I suppose as you start to do it as your own.

Aye, Superchob... We got there in the end, thanks! ;)


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