• Pianist Zone

  • You're stranded on an island with a piano and one book of scores....

Did you say book? They're printed on paper and don't usually last very well when wet. Some of my books were water damaged. A copy of the Bach Italian Concerto in F got partly soaked in the rain.

I'd play the pieces I remember by ear as much as possible and get into improvisations. There is no guarantee the piano on the island is in good condition with few or no broken key(s) and has been tuned recently. I came acoss old pianos that people gave away that hasn't been tuned for a few years. Even a piano that was played before it was given away the owner didn't spend money for a technician to tune the instrument.

The 2 books that I'd take to the island are the 2 that has many pieces I can play for fun without hours of practice:

  1. The first is Reader's Digest "100 Favorite Songs of Faith, Friendship & Love". These are old songs from before the 1970s. The pieces have simple LH accompaniment and chords on top that can be read as lead sheets.
  2. "The Big Book of Classical Music: 100 of the World's Favorite Pieces". These are Classical pieces. Not all were originally for piano such as "In the Hall of the Mountain King" from Peer Gynt Suite by Grieg somewhere in the book.

I like both of these equally well.

Animisha you have a much better memory than I do!!!

No, my crossing out means I’m embarrassed to admit that I haven’t played anything in it yet! 😅😅😅

    Animisha Essential keyboard repertoire, volume 3 or 4. Or another collection of graded pieces from all eras - that is, there should be pieces that are a bit too easy for me, pieces at exact my level, and pieces that are a bit too difficult; pieces from baroque to modern.

    The Essential Keyboard series would be a decent choice! You would get to sample different composers from different periods. Looks like they go through Vol. 8, but that after Vol. 4 or 5, the books specialize in various things but stay in the early to advanced intermediate level.

      Complete piano works of Claude Debussy. They range in difficulty from intermediate level to virtuosic. But I would inevitably rely on improv skills (pastiche) for other styles.
      Oh, and since this is a fantasy, the piano would always remain in perfect tune and regulation. 😉

      • Stub replied to this.

        pseudonym58 Complete piano works of Claude Debussy.

        Cheater! 😜 😄 That would be a very large tome!

        And that tome would be my second choice after the Chopin mega-tome!

          ShiroKuro

          Wait! Are you saying that your floated ashore iPad didn't come rubber banded and strapped to a solar cell recharger inside a water proof bag?

          What kinda fantasy dream slash nightmare are you foisting off on us here?

              For me, I'd choose a book on composing music because you know that one music book isn't going to cut it for very long before you've played everything in it so many times you're sick of hearing yourself play.

              At which point the piano will make a good bonfire to signal passing ships with.

                Player1 At which point the piano will make a good bonfire to signal passing ships with.

                You see, this is where having the paper copy of the book of music is clearly a better choice than an iPad. You can use the paper book as starter for setting the piano on fire. 🔥

                  Player1 For me, I'd choose a book on composing music because you know that one music book isn't going to cut it for very long before you've played everything in it so many times you're sick of hearing yourself play.

                  A compromise would be the Sher Standard Real Book. Almost 600 pages of melodies and chord symbols to arrange to my heart's content.

                      lilypad

                      More fodder for the inevitable bonfire?

                      Because you know that piano is going to need tuning at some point.