“River Flows In You.” “Heart and Soul.” “Für Elise.” We all recognize those songs. But while overplayed piano songs have a bad rap for being boring or “basic,” some of them are actually quite musically interesting. With cool backstories.
Get a kick out of watching Lord Vinheteiro play these songs and explore their stories.
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The sonata we know and love (or hate?) as “Moonlight” was not named as such by its composer. For most of its life, the piece was simply Piano Sonata No. 14, Op. 27 with the subtitle sonata quasi una fantasia or “sonata like a fantasia.” The nickname “Moonlight” was given by another Ludwig, the music critic Ludwig Rellstab, because the song reminded him of the glittering moonlight above Lake Lucerne.
> How to Play “Moonlight” Sonata (With Sheet Music)
“A Thousand Miles” was an anthem during its heyday in the 2000s, and the song still has loyal fans today. Originally titled “Interlude,” the song was in the middle of Vanessa Carlton’s demo CD, which was destined for the slush pile until producer Ron Fair heard it at the last minute. The rest is history. The song peaked at #5 on Billboard and was part of an iconic scene in the movie White Chicks. In 2021, VICE made a short documentary on the song that later got nominated for an Emmy.
> Iconic Piano Intros You Have To Know
If this song makes you instantly think of the ice cream truck, you’re not alone. The reason why children across North America recognize the same few songs as ice cream truck music is because nearly every ice cream truck uses a music box by Nichols Electronics. Mark Nichols still runs his father’s company today.
> How to Play “The Entertainer” (With Sheet Music)
Beethoven’s Bagatelle No. 25, commonly known as “Für Elise,” is considered a rite of passage for many piano players. And while we’re not sure who Elise was, we have a few contenders: 1) Therese Malfatti, Beethoven’s love interest and in whose belongings the piece was found; 2) Elizabeth Röckel, an opera singer who refused to marry Beethoven; and 3) Elise Barensfield, a piano student of Therese’s.
> The Best “Für Elise” Tutorial on the Internet
Along with “Chopsticks” and “Heart and Soul,” this is one of the first piano songs people learn. And it’s a neat one, making use of the knuckles to roll an F# major pentatonic scale. The origins of this song are blurry, but it’s been attributed to the music comedy group Barry & the Bookbinders. Here’s a neat duet version of the song with a catchy melody.
Beloved at weddings and bemoaned by cellists (who play the same eight notes throughout the entire song), Pachelbel’s “Canon” is one of those classical tunes nearly everybody knows. Yet despite its blatant popularity, not much is known about the piece. We’re not even sure in what year it was written! We do know that composers like Mozart and Beethoven used Pachelbel’s bassline, and that the song exploded in popularity after a recording conducted by Jean-François Paillard.
> How to Play Canon in D (With Sheet Music)
Several things make “River Flows In You” such a viral success: the longing melody (eerily similar to “Für Elise”), the tried-and-true vi-IV-I-V progression, the open voicings of the left-hand arpeggios… The song has received multiple blips of fame: it was first released in 2001, then it became associated with the Twilight franchise, and then it received another surge of popularity during the coronavirus pandemic when new pianists started learning during lockdown.
> Why “River Flows In You” Is So Popular
The story behind “Rush E” is a little convoluted, but it was originally inspired by the Lord Marquaad E meme. Created by Sheet Music Boss, it’s designed to be unplayable by humans. Humans have, nevertheless, created their own playable versions. Most recently, we got Sangah Noona to figure the song out by ear in our studio.
> Pro Pianist Learns “Rush E” By Ear
Bach’s ethereal first prelude is a beginner-friendly piece that sounds delicate yet sophisticated. It’s also the first of 48 preludes in fugues in all major and minor keys. The piece may look intimidating on paper, but it’s actually quite accessible, consisting mostly of broken, arpeggiated chords in a simple C major progression.
> 3 Easy Classical Piano Pieces
“Heart and Soul” is a catchy melody beloved by duos. It may sound musically simple, but the original jazz standard can be quite complex (see Charles Cornell demo in this video). The song was written in 1938 by Hoagy Carmichael with lyrics by Frank Loesser, and first came into the public eye through a film called A Song Is Born, where it was performed by Bea Wain and Larry Clinton and His Orchestra.
We hope you learned something new about these overplayed piano songs! More song lists to check out:
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