No__73A__Diversion - Learning To Read Music

[Peter Anderson]

Here is what I hope will be a useful and helpful diversion.

Below is a link for you to open in a separate window, or to print out, the music score of Whispering:

Whispering by Vincent Rose, Music Score

Whispering was composed by Vincent Rose in 1920, when it was originally recorded by Paul Whiteman and his Ambassador Orchestra.   It was at the No 1 spot in the USA for 11 weeks, but remained in the charts for 20 weeks in total.    This song is now 97 years old!

Although it initially sold over 2 million copies, there have been over 700 different versions of this song.   That is what you call a hit!

It is written in the form of 16 bars, repeated with a slight change at the end.

Notice that a natural symbol is not required at the beginning of bar 7, and bar 23,  as the new bar does not require it.
However, another # sign is required in bar 6, because the effect of the # sign in bar 5, is nullified by the end of that bar.

Comments about this or renditions of you playing it would be most welcome and gratefully received.

Peter


This was posted as a demonstration of accidentals in writing or reading music scores in a series of posts under
Peter Pearls No 73 - Learning To Read Music.
You can open that topic in a new window by clicking this link:

http://www.ar-group.org/smforum/index.php?topic=2647.30

[Hugh Wallington]

Peter,

I have printed out your music to Whispering as I am really interested in the chords that are showing, which are not the ones I normally play.  I hold that first chord for a full two bars; and then I keep the same chord for bars 3 & 4.  Ditto for 5 & 6; and the same chord in 7 & 8 .. and so on with every two bars.  But then I play a minor chord in bar 14 where the music says keep the same chord for bars 13 and 14!  So I shall have a go at playing this piece with the chords you show (but maybe transpose them to another key as I don't find A an easy key to play in).

At the end of the day, I suppose one plays the chords one likes to hear, and there is no such thing as 'right' and 'wrong'.  I have a suspicion I shall be keeping my chords as they are as I really like how that piece sounds.

Mine must be he 701th version of this song.  Click the below to hear the chords I play for Whispering.

Whispering (MP3)

Hugh