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How to play music box dancer


Music Box Dancer Tutorial | PIanote Free Online Piano Lessons

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Music Box Dancer is one of those classic songs you know as soon as you hear it. It’s an instrumental earworm that you’ll be humming for days, and we’ve got a short and sweet arrangement to teach you, step-by-step.

This is a more intermediate song to learn, but if you take your time and practice with proper technique– you will be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Download the full score here.

Your History Lesson 👩🏼‍🏫

Written and recorded by Canadian musician Frank Mills, Music Box Dancer was an international hit in the late Seventies featuring an arpeggiated piano melody made to sound like, well, a music box! 🩰

The song was originally recorded in 1974, but it wasn’t initially a hit. Years later in 1978, Frank’s label released a different song of his as a single, with “Music Box Dancer” on the B-side. The single was sent to easy-listening stations, but one copy was mistakenly sent to a pop station. The program director played the track and could not figure out why it had been sent to his station, so he played the B-side to see if the record label had been mistakenly marked. He liked “Music Box Dancer” and added it to his radio playlist.

In only a few weeks it was the #1 song on the station and its popularity spread rapidly from there, ultimately reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. It was Frank Mill’s only top 40 pop hit.
[read more at wikipedia]

🤔🤔 That’s Interesting: A few notes are missing in the repeated introduction of the main melody. This could not be corrected, as Mills did not have the money to record another take!

Getting Started

Today we’re playing in the key of C (All the white keys!), but don’t let that fool you- there is a lot going on here. It may seem intimidating, but don’t hesitate to give it a try if you are a beginner who understands the basics of reading music!

Let’s check it out.

Follow along on the video, and If it looks a little complicated to start– don’t worry. I’ll walk you through the melody, and how it’s essentially chords broken up into repeating patterns (arpeggios), so you might be able to wrap your head around it a little easier.

🎹📝 Take note: If you see a symbol like this, know that you are supposed to one octave higher than what is written on the page. This just keeps the two sides of the Grand Staff from getting tangled up in each other and makes things much easier to read on the page.

Extra tip! Your piano can’t adjust to your playing position, but your bench can! It may sound like simple advice, but sliding your bench to center yourself on what your playing will make performing a lot easier.

Watch for Patterns

Music is built on patterns! As you play through songs you’ll notice repeating melodies and chord progressions. Songs can be broken down into these repeating sections and will be more manageable to learn. Watch for these patterns in your sheet music to simplify your sight-reading:

🎹📝 Take note: Once you reach the end of the first 12 bars, loop back to the beginning and play through a second time, but be ready to skip to the second ending, making a jump from measure 11 to measure 13.

Tips and Tricks

Because of the higher-placed bass notes in the song, you will have to share the space between your left and right hands. I’ll show you where each finger fits along the way, but keep in mind the treble clef instructs your right hand and the bass clef handles your right.

Work through this song in small sections and you’ll find it eventually all comes together. Take time with each part. Go slowly. Go slower! If you start at a pace you can manage and work up your speed it is going to set up your muscle memory for success and you’ll be playing like a pro in no time!

One More Thing!

The rolling chords in Music Box Dancer are the signature hooks of the song and they are so fun to play. Feel free to skip this part of the song if you think it’s above your skill level, but don’t be afraid to give it a try, because it is very rewarding and easy enough to wrap your head around once you see it’s just playing through a chord quickly instead of playing it in a block.

For those signature rolls in Music Box Dancer, the first one is the F Major chord in its second inversion:

 

C F A C

 


Set your hand up with the right shape and roll it over the keys quickly from left to right, finishing on the high ‘C’ note. The same goes for the G7 chord (or any chord you might want to apply this to). The G7 roll goes like this:

 

G B D G

 


It’s simple in theory but it will take some practice to get right. Once you’ve got it mastered though, that’s one extra flourish you can add to your playing, and apply to whatever you see fit in your musical explorations. 🙌

Practice Makes Progress

Now that you’ve got all the skills you need to learn, play, and perform Music Box Dancer, it’s just a matter of taking the time to apply that knowledge with your best practicing technique. Be patient, practice with purpose, and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone!

Enjoy your time and the piano, and happy practicing

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Lisa Witt has been teaching piano for 19 years and in that time has helped hundreds of students learn to play the songs they love. Lisa received classical piano training through the Royal Conservatory of Music, but she has since embraced popular music and playing by ear in order to accompany herself and others.

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Musical and educational game "Music box" for senior preschool age | Methodical development (senior group):

State budgetary educational institution

Samara region A. I. Kuznetsova p. Kurumoch

municipal district Volzhsky, Samara region

structural subdivision "Kindergarten "Squirrel"


Musical and educational game

for older children

“Music box”

using ICT.

amounted to:

Musical Director

Kulag T.A.

Purpose: to introduce children to musical culture, to cultivate artistic and aesthetic taste.

Tasks:

  1. Enrich the musical impressions of children, evoke a vivid emotional response when perceiving music of a different nature.
  2. Form musical taste.
  3. Contribute to the development of thinking, fantasy, musical memory, hearing and creative activity of children.
  4. Creation of conditions for collective creativity.

Progress of the event

Slide 1

Against the background of cheerful music The host meets the children with a box in their hands.:
Host: Hello, my friends. I am glad to see you! Do you know what is in my hands?
Children respond.
Presenter:
There must be something important in the box,
Or maybe the musician is sitting in the box,
And looking at the magical world through the crack.
He dragged a piano, button accordion and saxophone into it,
And he composes music and writes notes.
Casket, we need a casket today.
So, friends, attention, the game begins.
Guys, the music box has prepared a lot of interesting tasks and surprises for us. Let's play? For each correct answer, you will receive a musical note, and today your beloved (acting teacher) will evaluate you. The most attentive music connoisseur will receive a reward at the end of the game.

So, attention, I open the box and take out the first task.

Slide 2

Presenter pulls out a question mark.
1. The competition "Musical riddles" is announced
After the correct answer, a picture appears on the screen

Three strings, playing loudly
That instrument is a "cocked hat".
Find out as soon as possible,
What is it?

Slide 3 - Balalaika

You will take it in your hands,
You will stretch it, then you will squeeze it!
Ringing, elegant,
Russian, two-row.
Will play, just touch,
What is her name?

Slide 4 - Accordion.
It's easy to go on a hike with me,
It's fun on the road with me,
I'm a screamer, and I'm a brawler,
I'm sonorous, round ...
Slide 5 - Drum

I stand on three legs,
Legs in black boots.
White teeth, pedal.
What is my name? ...
Slide 6 - Piano

As if the girl sang,
And the hall seemed to light up.
Melody slides so flexibly.
Everything is quiet: playing ...
Slide 7 - Violin

Well done, they did a good job. Let's see what else the box has prepared for us.

The presenter takes out a card with a picture of musical instruments from the box.

Slide 8
2. Musical instruments.
Guys, do you know that all musical instruments have voices.

In the second task you have to guess the voices of musical instruments. There are cards on the screen, behind which the instruments are hidden, you listen to all 4 cards and then give an answer.

Slides 9-12
Well done, they did a good job. Let's see what else the box has prepared for us.

The presenter takes a note out of the box.


3. Guess.

Slide 13
Now familiar melodies of songs and musical works will sound, and you must name them correctly. (folder "Guess")

And again, you successfully completed the task, well done. Let's take another look at our music box.
The presenter takes a painted ball out of the box.


4. Musical ball.
The kids stayed too long, the game came to visit us.
Stand in a circle, guys, hold hands together.
Let's firmly shake the neighbor's hand and start playing as soon as possible.
The next game is called Music Ball. To cheerful music, you pass the ball in a circle. When the music stops, the one who has the ball in his hands goes to the middle of the circle and dances.
The best dancer will receive a note.

Host: Again the box is calling us, what is waiting for us this time.

The presenter opens the box and takes out a tambourine.
5. “Tambourine”

Well, knock on the tambourine,

Repeat the rhythmic pattern.

Who is the bravest, come out.

Children are invited to play and sing the proposed rhythmic pattern on “Ti-ti-ta”.

Host: I thank all the participants and continue the game.
Our box has not yet run out of surprises. Let's see what awaits us. The presenter takes out a musical pause from the box.

6. "Musical break"
Guys, this is a musical break. Now it's time for a musical break. I invite you to dance. We carefully listen to the song and perform the movements.

Slide 14 - Dance "Move - freeze"

And now it's time to sum up.

Stand up, who scored 3 notes, let's clap them.

Stand up, who scored 4 (5-10) - clap.

The presenter with the tutor help the children to count the notes, who scored the most, is awarded a diploma.

7. "Surprise"

Somehow our box got bored. Maybe there is another surprise there? The host takes out candy from the box. That's a surprise, I think the guys have earned it. They solved all the riddles, the box and I was pleased.

The host distributes sweets.

Presenter: It cheers us all up,
Music is always good.
We are looking forward to meeting her,
We need music like air.
Our musical game has come to an end. Goodbye, see you again.

Children dance freely to the soundtrack of children's songs.

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