New Easy Original

Piano / Keyboard

Music Beginners - Intermediate

(2nd Edition)

Martin Woodward

ISBN: 978-1-326-96527-3

Copyright © Martin Woodward 2017

All rights reserved

Enquires: http://learn-keybaord.co.uk

Acknowledgements

To all the fantastic musicians who I‟ve had the privilege of working with back in the

1960s / 70s including: Pip Williams (guitarist / record producer); Tex Marsh (drums); Roger

Flavell (bassist / songwriter); Kevan Fogarty (guitarist); Ralph Denyer (singer / songwriter);

Phil Childs (bassist); Jim Smith (drums); George Lee (saxophonist); Emile Ford (UK No. 1

singer / songwriter).

To my early mentors: Alan Simonds (guitarist / vocalist); big bruv Steve (guitarist) and

Mr. Henley (my inspirational music teacher at Warlingham School 1960 - 65).

And to Myriad Software: http://www.myriad-online.com for the Melody Assistant music

notation software which was used for the production of this book. - Thanks!

Contents

Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 6

Overview of Content ........................................................................................................ 7

Falora ............................................................................................................................. 16

The Last Flight .............................................................................................................. 20

The Mermaid ................................................................................................................. 23

Three Pussy Feet .................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

A Country Stroll .................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Flo ......................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Ludwig Fudge ...................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Crystal Maze ........................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

First Love ............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Memories of Wales .............................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Tranquil Waters .................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Wayward Fox Version 2 ...................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Cascade ................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

Lullaby ................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Beary Glen ........................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Leap Frog ............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Download Link & Further Reading .................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Introduction

The object of this book has been to produce a collection of original pieces which are both

reasonably easy and enjoyable to play. I hope I‟ve succeeded. I certainly enjoy playing all of

them.

The 16 original compositions in this collection range from moderately easy to

intermediate, but certainly not difficult. Although I have indicated this in the overview they

are not featured in any particular order of how difficult they are. In relation to the Associated

Board grades, I would rate these pieces at between grades 1 to 5.

All except one have been written with a „chord line‟ so that they can alternatively be

played easily using an electronic keyboard with auto accompaniment. Additionally, many of

the pieces can be played on a four or five octave keyboard.

All of the compositions featured in this book can be heard on the web link at http://learn-

keyboard.co.uk/sheet_music.html or on the individual links at the end of each piece. If you

are looking at a preview of this book, please listen to these before purchasing. If copying any

of the links herein, be sure to include the underscore between the words!

Whether you have the kindle or eBook version or even the printed version, any or all of

the pages can be printed out as required by downloading the pdf version link at the end of the

book. This will enable you to avoid any irritating page turns and / or to make notes as you

require. The printable pdf version is for the use of anyone who has legitimately purchased the

book only and not for free distribution. Please honour my copyright - thank you.

Note that if using an e-reader, you will find the pdf version much more readable as

creating suitable music graphics for ePub formats is nigh on impossible!

Use of Damper Pedal & other Expressions

I have not included any pedal or expression information for any of the pieces as this is left

to individual interpretation. As a general guide, the damper (sustain) pedal can be used at the

beginning of each bar unless there is more than one chord used in a bar when it should

generally be avoided.

Martin Woodward

Overview of Content

Falora

I originally wrote this piece for my sister in law Laura (hence Falora) to help her get back

into playing the piano after a long illness.

Although this sounds great, it‟s also very simple to play. The left hand may look

complicated at first, but on close inspection you'll see that it mainly consists of only a few

simple wide span broken chords (as shown above each bar). Once this left hand pattern is

learnt, you‟ll find it very easy and useful as it occurs in many of my pieces. There‟s also a

nice little bit of syncopation at one point.

This works well as a standalone piano piece or as a keyboard piece using the auto

accompaniment (and the chords as shown). This can be played on a 49 note C - C (4 octaves)

keyboard. I would rate this piece as EASY but very satisfying - I love it!

In all cases (for every piece herein) if you are aware of what chord you are playing, the

process becomes much easier.

The Last Flight

This composition is about the last flight of a dying eagle.

Aware of his condition he flies high above his natural habitat and takes in a last view of

the beautiful crags, hills and valleys. Then he flies out across the ocean and climbs as high as

his strength permits before plummeting into the sea to find his final resting place - to the

sound of the descending E harmonic minor scale (starting on D#) over the F# diminished

chord.

The chord sequence towards the end while the eagle is ascending is truly magnificent.

This piece requires a 76 note (6 octaves) keyboard. I would rate this as MODERATELY

EASY.

Flo

This great but easy little tune is was written for a friend of mine called Flo on her passing

into the next life.

Interestingly this is constructed entirely of arpeggios all of which are diatonic in the key of

A minor except for the Bb which occurs regularly.

Don‟t be put off by all the augmented and diminished chords - most of these require only

one note change from the previous chord.

This piece can be played on a 49 note C - C (4 octaves) keyboard. I would rate this as

MODERATELY EASY.

Three Pussy Feet

We have a gorgeous Bengali pussy called Kizzie who wrecks the furniture and ignores us

unless she wants feeding, or doors opening (despite the £300 micro chipped cat flap fitted to

the glass door) or any other tasks performing by her stupid loyal staff!

But despite this we love her to bits!

Unfortunately she suffered a dog attack resulting in her having to have one of her legs

removed. Although this was devastating, she still has a great quality of life and enjoys

chasing the squirrels in our garden and caravanning with us across Europe.

Last year when we were in Spain, she vanished every morning for a few hours. Being

curious, one morning I followed her to discover that she‟d taken herself down to the beach to

sunbathe and was apparently quite a celebrity.

This little tune is for her and in memory of all the local wildlife that she has destroyed

despite her very loud warning bell. Sometimes nature can be cruel!

This piece can be played on a 61 note C - C (5 octaves) keyboard. I would rate this as

MODERATE.

The Mermaid

This great little piece is about a young sailor who‟s ship was anchored in a tropical bay. As

he looked out to the shore he noticed a beautiful Mermaid basking in a rock pool below a

waterfall.

She then began calling out to him tenderly, seductively and repeatedly - “Come to Me!”

At first he ignored her calls,

remembering what his mother told him

about „wicked women‟ but finally when

he thought he was onto a good thing and

he couldn‟t keep his nuts in his pants any

longer - he succumbed.

She then took him down to the murky

depths and enslaved him for eternity! -

Such is life!

See if you can hear all this happen in

the music.

Don‟t be put off by the diminished

chords at the end, they are far simpler than they look - it‟s just a repeated chromatic descent!

This can be played on a 49 note C - C (4 octaves) keyboard except the octave E on the last

note (which could be omitted). I would rate this piece as EASY.

First Love

This simple little ballad is ideal for playing as written or using auto accompaniment.

Do you remember your first love? Your first kiss? That‟s what this piece is all about!

If the octaves are too difficult at first, these can be omitted (just play the lower notes). This

piece can also be great practice for playing triplet quarter notes in the right hand against

straight eighth notes in the left hand, which is easy and natural after a little practice.

This piece can be played on a 61 note C - C (5 octaves) keyboard. I would rate this as

MODERATE with the octaves or EASY without them.

Ludwig Fudge

This simple little composition was inspired by Beethoven‟s „Fir Elise‟ and also a popular

song by the 60‟s Rock group Vanilla Fudge - hence the title „Ludwig Fudge‟.

Although it‟s certainly not „pinched‟ from either, the connection is that they all use the

flattened 5th in the A minor chord!

Be very careful if you use the pedal in this piece - in most cases it should be avoided on

the first beat (due to the dissonance between the E flat and the E natural).

If using auto accompaniment use E7 for the E7b9, as the flattened 9th (F) is played in the

right hand anyway. But I think this piece is best without auto accompaniment.

This can be played on a 49 note C - C (4 octaves) keyboard. I would rate this piece as

MODERATELY EASY but very effective and very satisfying.

Crystal Maze

This tune was composed after I found myself lost in a Crystal world in a dream.

If you can‟t manage the tricky bit in the middle, this section can be omitted, but actually

it‟s not that difficult if you practice slowly at first!

This piece can be played on a 49 note C - C (4 octaves) keyboard. I would rate this as

MODERATELY DIFFICULT.

A Country Stroll

This great little piece has a definite country feel - hence the title. It‟s suitable as a

standalone piano piece or can be played using auto accompaniment.

If I had to pick a favourite here, this would probably be it. I absolutely love this piece. But

I also love the others!

This can be played on a 61 note C - C (5 octaves) keyboard. I would rate this piece as

MODERATE.

The picture above was taken on a recent holiday to Norway.

Wayward Fox (Version 2)

This was composed in just a few minutes at my elder brother Steve‟s home in Surrey after

watching his „pet‟ fox frolicking in the garden. It has nothing to do with foxes other than that,

but I guess it must have inspired me.

There is also a really interesting

chord sequence in the middle, which

may look complicated, but most of the

chord changes are achieved by altering

only one note at a time.

The term „Dal Segno Al Coda‟

means return to the sign (in the first

full bar) and then proceed to the Coda

at the Coda sign, you will see these

signs fairly regularly.

This piece requires a 76 note (6

octaves) keyboard. I would rate this as MODERATE.

Memories of Wales

My mother was from a small village called Llwydcoed (which I can pronounce perfectly)

near Aberdare in South Wales. As a child I spent a great deal of time there and have very

happy memories for which I am so grateful.

Despite having no money, life was free and a great adventure - playing in the parks and on

the slag heaps (tips) created by the coal mines. There was little traffic to worry about and all

the people were kind and friendly. If we did have a few pennies we‟d perhaps share a „Wagon

Wheel‟ which used to be at least three times the size that they are now and cost 3d (just over

1p). If we were really flushed and had 6d (2.5p), we‟d buy a tube of „Smarties‟ and then float

the empty tube down the stream.

This simple little tune is for the memories, and for all my Welsh relations. It‟s both happy

and sad which you may hear when it changes from the major to the minor key and then back

again. Happy for the memories, and sad at not being able to re-create the past.

The picture above shows the Gorsedd Circle in Aberdare park constructed in 1956 for the

National Eisteddfod of Wales which I remember being dragged to against my will. And

below is the beautiful Gower Peninsula where I‟ve enjoyed many holidays.

This can be played on a 49 note C - C (4 octaves) keyboard. I would rate this piece as

MODERATELY EASY.

Tranquil Waters

This piece was inspired by photos taken by my brother Glyn and his wife Anna on their

recent holiday to Canada. Maybe one day I‟ll get there myself.

The photo below shows what appears to be Canada‟s answer to the Loch Ness Monster

emerging from the murky depths, but it is in fact Glyn trying to escape from a pending duck

attack!

This is certainly one of my favourite pieces, and it‟s so easy to play. If the octaves prove

too difficult at first, simply play the lower notes until you can manage it as written.

This piece can be played on a 61 note C - C (5 octaves) keyboard. I would rate this as

MODERATELY EASY.

Lullaby

Most of my pet Gonks settle down at night fairly easily but Filo and Pastry the Gonkling

twins can be a problem as they tend to be a bit hyper active and bounce around all over the

place; so this little lullaby was written especially for them.

This piece starts in G major but changes to G minor for the Coda. It also contains one or

two interesting chords - F#dim - D13, Daug7 - Gm and GmM7 at the very end.

If you don't want to tie your fingers in knots, be sure to use the 3rd finger of your left hand

on the Bb in bar 10 and the subsequent repeats (as indicated).

This can be played on a 61 note C - C (5 octaves) keyboard or a 49 note (4 octaves) board

if the last note bottom octave G is omitted. I would rate this piece as MODERATELY

EASY.

Beary Glen

This is certainly one of my favourite pieces and I think it‟s best performed with auto

accompaniment using a 6/8 or 12/8 style. Starting in G major, it transposes halfway through

up one tone to A major where there are three sharps, but the piece is still very simple, yet

affective - well I think so anyway!

Beary Glen is a fictional mystical

and magical place from my book

‘The Golden Sphere’ where Bonjo

the Clown glues Busby the Bear to a

rock after discreetly feeding him a

strong laxative. Bonjo later returns

to face Busby‟s revenge!

This piece can be played on a 61

note C - C (5 octaves) keyboard. I

would rate this as MODERATELY

DIFFICULT if played as written or

EASY if using auto accompaniment.

Cascade

This tune was inspired by a recent trip to

Norway where I had the privilege of travelling

along the Flam Railway past some magnificent

scenery and also visiting Briksdal Glacier.

I have not included the chord line for this piece,

as you will not find a suitable backing

accompaniment due to the timing variations.

However the left hand is very, very easy and

although it changes between 4/4, 3/4 and 7/4 - it

flows - like a cascade!

This can be played on a 61 note C - C (5

octaves) keyboard. I would rate this piece as

MODERATELY DIFFICULT.

Leap Frog

This is called Leap Frog because it leaps around a fair bit and should be played in a sort of

‘leapy froggy’ sort of way. Although in mainly 3/4 timing, this is far from a waltz as it‟s

fairly upbeat and there are many accents across the beats which are marked throughout. And

there‟s also a couple of 4/4 bars, so watch for them.

This composition is a good example of the use of

„diatonic chords‟ (all the chords found naturally within

the scale of C major). And also a great finger exercise

although perhaps a little tricky especially towards the

end where the theme is played in thirds. This is probably

the most difficult piece in the collection.

Although I‟ve included the chord symbols, you will

not find a suitable auto accompaniment due to the 4/4

bars and the accents. But these four bars could easily be

omitted if you want to.

Eventually (as I get time), I will be adding suitable mp3 accompaniment files to my

website for this and some of the other tunes, so watch out for these if you are interested.

This piece can be played on a 49 note C - C (4 octaves) keyboard. I would rate this as

MODERATELY DIFFICULT.

Falora

W = 75 Martin Woodward

Am Am G

G Am Am

G Dsus4 D G C D

G G

G G

C Bm

Bm

C

Am D Em D7 G Am D7

G C D G G

Audio link - http://www.learn-keyboard.co.uk/falora.mp3

rall.

G G

G Am

Am

Am

Am G Dsus4 D

G C D G C D G C D G

The Last Flight

W = 80 - 85 Martin Woodward

Em Em

Em Am Em

Am D Em

D Em D

Em D Em

Em Am

Em

D Em

Em D

Em

B

B

Em Em

Em

Audio link - http://learn-keyboard.co.uk/lastflight.mp3

rall. freely

Am F

Fo7 Bbm F# Ebm B7

F#o7

No Chord

Em Em9

Em F#o

The Mermaid

W = 75 Martin Woodward

Em Eo

CM7 Bsus4 B Em

Em Em Em

D D Em

Em Em Am

freely....

a tempo

G D Em

B B

Am G D

Em B

Em Co7

Audio link - http://learn-keyboard.co.uk/mermaid.mp3

END OF PREVIEW

rall.

Em Bo7 Ebm

Bbo7 Dm Ao7

Ao7 Em