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Free Sheet Music Giveaway, May 2024

"Sweet Georgia Brown" featured image

Free Sheet Music Giveaway, May 2024

“Sweet Georgia Brown” by Ben Bernie, Maceo Pinkard, and Kenneth Casey (1925)

Best known as the Harlem Globetrotter’s theme song, “Sweet Georgia Brown” is a catchy and upbeat jazz standard. The lyrics, inspired by a real person named after the state of Georgia, tell the story of a woman who is admired wherever she goes.

Since its release in 1925, the song has been recorded by various artists, including Bing Crosby, Louie Armstrong, and Tony Sheridan. The most well-known version is the 1949 instrumental by Brother Bones and His Shadows, which features whistling and rhythm bones.

Typically sold for $15.99, the sheet music for “Sweet Georgia Brown” is yours FREE during May 2024. This version, arranged for piano and vocals, is based on this performance by Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington. Grab your copy today!

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"Sweet Georgia Brown" sheet music book

Fun Facts About “Sweet Georgia Brown”

  • In 1952, the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team made the 1949 Brother Bones version their official theme song.
  • The 1962 cover by Tony Sheridan features The Beatles as the backing band, who also recorded “Swanee River” in the same session.
  • Roberta Flack recorded the song in 1994, but with newly added lyrics to portray the character as “strong, sexy, and intelligent” rather than just an object of desire.

This version of “Sweet Georgia Brown” was arranged by Tunescribers team member Gina R.

Tunescribers team member Gina R.

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Free Sheet Music Giveaway, April 2024

"The Old Rugged Cross" by George Bennard

“The Old Rugged Cross” by George Bennard

“The Old Rugged Cross” is a popular gospel hymn written by American evangelist George Bennard between 1912-13. Famed American gospel composer, Charles H. Gabriel, contributed harmonies.

Performed in 6/8 time at a moderately slow tempo, the hymn pays adoration to Christ and his sacrifice at Calvary, where he was crucified. Some of the lyrics are of a dark nature (“the emblem of suffering and shame”), but the uplifting chord structure and later lyrics (“where His glory forever I’ll share”) end the hymn on a positive note.

Typically sold for $9.99, the sheet music for “The Old Rugged Cross” by George Bennard is FREE in April 2024. This arrangement is for solo piano and based on this performance. Grab your free copy today!

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American preacher and hymn composer George Bennard

Fun Facts About “The Old Rugged Cross” by George Bennard:

  • After publication in 1915, the hymn was disregarded by most major hymnals until the 1950s – after American singer and songwriter, Ernest Tubb, published an album of the same name in 1952.
  • The hymn has been covered by a diverse range of recording artists, including Al Green, Chet Atkins, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, John Prine, Ronnie Milsap, and many more.
  • George Bennard sold the rights to the hymn in 1917 for $50 (or $500), receiving a final payment of $5,000 for renewing the copyright 28 years later.

This song was transcribed by Tunescribers team member Ranita B.

Tunescribers team member Ranita B.

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Free Sheet Music Giveaway, March 2024

“I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General” by Gilbert and Sullivan

An iconic patter song written for the 1879 comic opera The Pirates of Penzance, “Major-General’s Song” is one of the most famous (and parodied) pieces by the theatrical partnership of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan.

Sung by the character Major-General Stanley near the end of Act 1, the lyrics fancifully boast about his knowledge in subjects like art, mathematics, and history, while admitting he has scarce military acumen.

The song is notably difficult to perform due to the fast tempo and tongue twisting nature of the lyrics. In rapid succession, singers must string several multi-syllabic words together, with long stretches of no punctuation.

Typically sold for $15.99, the sheet music for “Major-General’s Song” is FREE during March 2024. This arrangement is for piano and vocals. Claim your copy today!

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Promotional art for the 1983 film adaptation of The Pirates of Penzance

Fun facts about “Major-General’s Song” by Gilbert and Sullivan:

  • Biographer Michael Ainger claims the inspiration for the song came from Gilbert’s uncle-in-law, General Henry Turner, who Gilbert disliked.
  • The song has been parodied numerous times in popular culture, from film and television to video games and books. “The Elements” by Tom Lehrer is based on “Major-General’s Song” but the lyrics recite the names of chemical elements.
  • In the 1983 film adaptation of The Pirates of Penzance, the song incorporates contemporary references, where the Major-General sings, “Man, I’m older than The Beatles, but I’m younger than The Rolling Stones.”

This song was transcribed by Tunescribers team member Danisa A.

Tunescribers team member Danisa A.

 

 

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Free Sheet Music Giveaway, February 2024

“Tea for Two” (1924) by Vincent Youmans and Irving Caesar

“Tea for Two” is a song composed by Vincent Youmans, with lyrics by Irving Caesar.

Youmans wrote the basic melody for the song while he was in the navy during World War I. But he didn’t finish it until 1924, when he was asked to provide additional songs to help revitalize the failing musical comedy, No, No, Nanette. The show then became the biggest musical comedy of the 1920’s.

“Tea for Two” is one of Youmans’s most popular songs, appearing in every live production and film adaptation of No, No, Nanette. It has been covered by artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, and Frank Sinatra. Chinese pianist, Yuja Wang, often plays it as an encore during her live performances.

Typically sold for $15.99, the sheet music for “Tea for Two” is yours FREE during February 2024. This arrangement is for solo piano and based on this performance. Grab your copy today!

When you place an order, you will get two versions of “Tea for Two”: a full transcription, and a slightly simplified version. 

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"Tea for Two" by Vincent Youmans and Irving Caesar

Fun Facts About “Tea for Two”:

  • Tea for Two” is sung by the romantic lead in No, No, Nanette. The lyrics are about two lovers who envision being married together.
  • Russian composer, Dmitri Shostakovich, won a bet by arranging the orchestration for “Tea for Two” by memory in under an hour. His exact time was 45 minutes.
  • Irving Caesar wrote the lyrics in a hurry, intending to change them later. But Youmans loved the first draft so much, he kept them for the final version.

The sheet music for “Tea for Two” was transcribed by Tunescribers team member Wei Fung F.

Tunescribesr team member Wei F.

 

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Free Sheet Music Giveaway, January 2024

‘Wade In The Water,’ traditional, performed by Hannah Robinson

‘Wade In The Water’ is a traditional spiritual folk song of unknown origin but was performed by the African American jubilee during the mid-to-late 19th century. While the timing and origin of the song is unknown, the lyrics for it were published in 1901 in a book called New Jubilee Songs as Sung by the Fisk Jubilee Singers. The book was published by Frederick J. Work and his brother John Wesley Work Jr., a musicologist at the historically black college, Fisk University, Nashville, Tennessee.

The Fisk Jubilee singers were established in 1871 at Fisk University. At first, they toured and performed to raise funds for the university, but soon began incorporating traditional slave songs into their repertoire. It is believed the group became associated with the Underground Railroad, a secret network of routes and safe houses to help slaves escape captivity, but this has never been proven.

Typically sold for $12.95, the sheet music for ‘Wade In The Water’ as performed by Hannah Robinson is FREE for the month of January 2024. This version is arranged for solo piano and vocals. It is based on this performance and is a cover of the Eve Cassidy version. Download your copy today!

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'Wade in the Water' by Eva Cassidy

Here Are Some Fun Facts About ‘Wade In The Water’:

  • It is believed that Harriett Tubman sung this song to African American slaves escaping captivity, instructing them off the trail and into the water to avoid their pursuers.[1]
  • The first commercial recording of the song was performed by the Sunset Four Jubilee Singers and published by Paramount Records in 1925.
  • The song has been covered by numerous artists over the years, including Bob Dylan, Eve Cassidy, The Staple Singers, and more. It is also a standard among the current-day Fisk Jubilee Singers formation.
  • Since the original publication of the lyrics in 1901, which included just a few lines, subsequent publications have added variations to the lyrics, with new lines such as “Wade in de water, children” and “I’m er wading, I’m er wading in the water, chillun.”

This version of ‘Wade In The Water’ was transcribed by Tunescribers team member Michael F.

Tunescribers team member Michael F.

[1] http://www.harriet-tubman.org/songs-of-the-underground-railroad/

 

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Free Sheet Music Giveaway, December 2023: “River” by Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell's 1971 album Blue

Free Sheet Music Giveaway, December 2023

“River” by Joni Mitchell

Inspired by her recent breakup with singer-songwriter Graham Nash and new relationship with James Taylor, Joni Mitchell’s “River” is a solo piano ballad that first appeared on her landmark 1971 album Blue.

While performing the song live in London in 1971, Mitchell described the song as, “… very sad. It gets you in a kind of melancholy before the Christmas spirit.” Indeed, the song was many connections to the holiday season; Mitchell wrote it just before Christmas in 1970, and the lyrics reference people gearing up to celebrate (“They’re cutting down trees/putting up reindeer/singing songs of joy and peace”). Even the piano accompaniment closely follows the 19th century Christmas song “Jingle Bells.”

Today, “River” is one of Joni Mitchell’s most popular and celebrated songs. It is her second-most recorded song (behind “Both Sides, Now”). And in 2021, it was ranked No.247 in Rolling Stone’s “Top 500 Best Songs of All Time” list.

Typically sold for $12.95, this song is yours FREE during December 2023. It is arranged for solo piano and based on this performance. Download your free copy of the sheet music for Joni Mitchell’s “Blue” today!

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Album artwork for Joni Mitchell's 1971 album 'Blue'
Joni Mitchell’s 1971 album ‘Blue’

Fun Facts About “River” By Joni Mitchell:

  • There are 432 recordings of the song by various performing artists, with covers by Barry Manilow, James Taylor, Sam Smith, and Ellie Goulding.
  • While the song is not directly about Christmas (the events of which merely take place at the same time), it has nonetheless become a popular Christmas standard, appearing on various Christmas music compilation albums.
  • The song was never officially released as a single, but it did appear on the 1971 album Blue, which is widely regarded as Mitchell’s finest album and one of the greatest albums all of time.

This song was transcribed for solo piano by Tunescribers team member Joanne V.

Tunescribers team member Joanne V.
Tunescribers team member Joanne V.
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Free Sheet Music Giveaway, November 2023: ‘The Girl From Ipanema’

Single artwork 'Girl From Ipanema' Featured

Free Sheet Music Giveaway: November, 2023

‘The Girl from Ipanema’ (1964) by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes

Originally composed for Blimp, an incomplete musical comedy about a Martian who visits Rio de Janeiro during the Carnival of Brazil, ‘Garota de Ipanema’ (‘The Girl from Ipanema’) was written by Antônio Carlos Jobim (with Portuguese lyrics by Vinícius de Moraes). The first commercial recording was in 1962 by Brazilian singer Pery Ribeiro. The main source of inspiration for the lyrics was Heloísa Eneida Menezes Paes Pinto, a then-seventeen-year-old girl living in Ipanema. While visiting the Veloso bar-café, Jobim and Moraes would often see her stroll down the street, as well as enter the bar to purchase cigarettes for her mother.

Following the success of the Brazilian release, an English-speaking version of the song was recorded by Jobim, João Gilberto (Brazilian guitarist, singer, composer), and Stan Getz (American jazz saxophonist). João’s wife, Astrud Gilberto, volunteered to sing, on the account of her being a fluent English-speaking Brazilian. Despite not being a professional singer, her soft, breathy vocals gave the song a unique flavour. Her singing style would later influence artists such as Suzanne Vega (particularly the 1996 song ‘Caramel’) and Sade.

Originally sold for $9.95, the sheet music for ‘The Girl from Ipanema’ by Antônio Carlos Jobim is yours free this month. This transcription music is for solo piano and based on this performance. Download your free copy today!

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Single artwork for 'The Girl From Ipanema'

Fun facts about ‘The Girl from Ipanema’ by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes:

  • It is one of the most recorded popular songs in history, behind ‘Yesterday’ by the Beatles and ‘Summertime’ by George Gershwin.
  • Astrud Gilberto never received credit or royalties for her part, but she did enjoy a 40-year career as a singer and songwriter.
  • Artists that have covered the song include Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Elaine Elias, and the Oscar Peterson Trio.
  • In 2004, the Library of Congress added it and fifty other songs to the National Recording Registry.

Tunescribers team member Wei Fung F transcribed this song for solo piano. 

Tunescribesr team member Wei F.

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Free Sheet Music Giveaway, October 2023

Cover art for "All of Me" feature image.

Free Sheet Music Giveaway, October 2023

“All of Me” by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons

While the west was experiencing the worst economic downturn of the 20th century, two Michigan-born natives – Gerald Marks (composer) and Seymour Simons (former-research-engineer-turned-pianist, composer, orchestra leader, and radio producer) – were tearing up the charts, with the now-classic song and jazz standard, “All of Me.”

Written and released in 1931, “All of Me” is an upbeat, medium-tempo tune written in B-flat major. American singer and actor Belle Baker introduced the song to the public during a radio broadcast in 1931. Since then, artists as diverse as Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, and Willie Armstrong have covered it. It is a common jazz standard, as it is easy to play and great for practicing improvising.

Download your digital copy of the sheet music for “All of Me” by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons today. Typically sold for $9.95, it’s yours free during October 2023. It is based on this performance and arranged for solo piano.

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Cover art of "All of Me"

Here are four fun facts about “All of Me” by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons:

  • In 2000, the Songwriters Hall of Fame awarded “All of Me” the Towering Song Award. Previous award recipients include “Moon River,” “Fly Me To The Moon,” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water?”
  • The original version of “All of Me” has a 20-bar introductory verse but is frequently omitted.
  • “All of Me” is a great introductory song for jazz students, as it contains frequently used chord progressions in the jazz language.
  • Frank Sinatra recorded “All of Me” on four separate occasions, where each recording had a unique interpretation.

This song was transcribed by Tunescribers team member Wei F.

Tunescribesr team member Wei F.

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Your Free Sheet Music For September 2023 is Here!

Single artwork for "Leaving on a Jet Plane"

Your Free Sheet Music For September 2023 is Here

Download your copy of the sheet music for “Leaving on a Jet Plane” by John Denver today.

Originally written and recorded as “Babe I Hate to Go” by American singer-songwriter John Denver, for his 1966 debut demo album John Denver Sings, which the singer gave copies of to his friends and family for Christmas that year, the song was renamed to “Leaving on a Jet Plane” the following year at the request of Denver’s then producer Milt Okun.

Two years later, “Leaving on a Jet Plane” would be immortalized in popular music history when American folk group Peter, Paul and Mary released their version as a single. It was the group’s biggest and final hit, reaching No.1 on the Billboard Top 100 chart in the United States.

Following this, Denver re-recorded the song for his 1969 debut studio album Rhymes & Reasons, and then re-recorded it once more for 1973’s John Denver’s Greatest Hits. This has since become the version that appears on most of his compilation albums.

Typically sold for $12.95, the sheet music for “Leaving on a Jet Plane” by John Denver is available for FREE during September 2023. This version, transcribed for piano and vocals, is based on this performance. Grab your copy today!

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Single artwork for "Leaving on a Jet Plane"

Fun facts about “Leaving on a Jet Plane” by John Denver:

  • Despite being one of John Denver’s most well-known songs, neither his 1969 nor 1973 recordings ever made the charts.
  • “Leaving on a Jet Plane” was inspired by Denver’s childhood growing up in a traveling military family, and the struggles of leaving behind the people you love to earn a living as a touring musician.
  • Peter, Paul and Mary’s version of the song was featured in various United Airlines commercials during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
  • The song was featured in the first episode of the American musical-comedy drama, Glee. The fictional character, Will Schuester, sings it in the auditorium when he decides to leave his job as a teacher and become an accountant to better provide for his wife and child.

This version of “Leaving on a Jet Plane” by John Denver was transcribed by Tunescribers team member Gatot A.

Tunescribers team member Gatot A.

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Your Free Sheet Music Giveaway for August 2023 is Here

Your Free Sheet Music Giveaway for August 2023 is Here!

“Life on Mars” by David Bowie

Written and recorded by David Bowie for his 1971 album Hunky Dory, “Life on Mars” is a glam rock ballad about a young girl who visits a cinema to escape reality, only to be disappointed by the experience and longing for a better life. The song’s surreal lyrics blur the lines between fact and fiction, with commentary about the film in the song and real-life issues (e.g., police brutality, Hollywood commercialization, mass tourism) being intertwined together. The main character’s daydreaming leads her to ponder the existence of life on other planets.

Widely considered to be David Bowie’s best song, “Life on Mars” has been praised for its surreal lyrics, complex chord structure, and soaring contributions by Mick Ronson (string arrangements, guitar) and Rick Wakeman (piano). Following Bowie’s death in 2016, the song was chosen for several tribute performances, with Lorde’s rendition at the 2016 Brit Awards being one of the most celebrated.

Typically sold for $12.95, the sheet music for “Life on Mars” by David Bowie is free during August 2023. This version is arranged for solo piano and based on this performance by Owain Jones.

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Fun facts about “Life on Mars” by David Bowie

  • Bowie originally wrote the song as a satire of “My Way” as performed by Frank Sinatra. “My Way” is an English reworking of the French song “Comme d’habitude”, a song that Bowie (pre-fame) had previously tried to rework into English but had been rejected by the French publisher.
  • The sound of a telephone ring, which had appeared in an earlier, unused take, can be heard at the end of the song.
  • Despite appearing on the 1971 album Hunky Dory, the song wasn’t released as a single for another eighteen months, during the height of Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust era.
  • In 2021 Rolling Stone magazine listed the song number 105 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

This performance of “Life on Mars” by David Bowie was transcribed by Tunescribers team member Gatot A.