Which note to use

[Arnak]

Hi,

I am attempting to make a lead sheet for Blaze Away by Abe Holzman.

I have the sheet music but it uses a lot of right-hand chords si I wondered which right-hand note in the treble clef would be the correct one to use?

For instance, there are some parts that use E-G-B-E which as close as I can see makes an E or Em chord so would I then use the lowest E note to carry the basic tune?

Hopefully I can eventually learn the full right-hand chord but for now, it would help to be able to just play the single notes.

Thanks for any help,

Martin

[panos]

Interesting composition.It teaches how to make an easy tune, complex 
Play the far right note,Martin.
The same pattern (melody) is repeating.It is just changing the key.
E-G-B-E cannot be E major chord.It is Em (E minor).
When you have doubt about the chords just press the keys with your left hand(with accompaniment on) and look at the screen of your keyboard.
It will tell you in which chord these notes are belong.

At measure 21 the melody is played by the left hand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1M90-BgYqpc
https://musescore.com/crono23/blaze-away

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[Arnak]

Hi Panos,

Great, Thanks for the advice.

It certainly is complex for me, I didn't realise that the melody was played in the left hand at certain points!

Martin

[panos]

For playing it on the piano likes it is written in the above sheet music, will be extremely complicated for me also.

In case you are using a 6/8 march style  to play the song and use orchestra sounds, for the second part you can use the Harmony button of your keyboard.
The harmony button add notes to your right hand playing depending by the left hand chords.
For example you play an E note with your right hand and it adds G & B notes because you play the Em chord.
There are several options there.
You just have to try them every time with every new melody line and voice to see which one of these options may sound good.
The volume of the harmony is crucial in case it fits to the sound and melody.
Sometimes needs to be at 70 volume level,sometimes at 30 volume level and sometimes nothing fits nicely to our playing.
But if it fits, it will make the sound a lot richer when we play a melody line just by using one finger each time.

[mikf]

Arnak
If you are making your own lead sheet you need to use your ears to find the melody notes. Not that hard to play a note from the sheet music and decide if it is the right one.
Harmony is easy, look at all the notes on the sheet music to identify the likely chord. Play it and listen to see if it sounds right. Then write it down.
Mike

[Arnak]

Hi Guys,

Thanks very much for the advice.

I will use your suggestions and see what I can come up with.

Thanks to that midi file supplied by Panos I have been able to put that into Notation Composer so it shows the music score in a slightly simpler way.

From that, I hope to be able to switch of notes and see how it all sounds to give me a basis for the lead sheet.

It certainly beats having to type it all in just to see if I have gotten it right.

Think ahead I wonder if it might be possible to change the bass clef to play the left hand and put all the melody onto the right hand then use that as either a midi track to play along to with just the right hand or even as a style?

Martin

[panos]

Notation Composer is a notation program,so you can change whatever you want in the sheet music and make your own arrangement that you can be able to play.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUNjayS5OVg

ps
Your keyboard also can show you the sheet music on your keyboard's screen if you load the midi file on it.

[Arnak]

Hi Panos,

Thanks for the advice.

I have made a start and it appears to be working well by moving the left hand up and deleting the extra chord notes.

Hopefully, it will turn out ok.

Martin