PIYW #6 — Meta Feedback

rsl12 · 2026-01-16T11:14:29+00:00

March 15, 2026 EDIT: "Play 'Lean On Me' Your Way" is now live! Click to listen. You can continue to use this thread to discuss your preparation of the piece, or to discuss any other matters regarding Play It Your Way. PIYW #6: Play "Lean On Me" Your Way Play It Your Way is a quasi-monthly event for beginners, professionals, classical, jazz, or pop pianists and everyone in between! We are starting work on "Lean On Me" by Bill Withers. Use the links below to find the sheet music you like, and when you are ready, post your performance in the submission thread. Perfection is not expected! Previous PIYWs: PIYW #3: Play "Autumn Leaves" Your Way PIYW #4: Play "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" Your Way (as part of the Winter Holiday Recital) PIYW #5: Play Haydn's "Divertimento in G Major" Your Way Full List of Previous PIYWs Thanks to WieWaldi for this month's selection! Please suggest pieces for future "Play It Your Way" events by using the suggestion box. The theme of the upcoming PIYW (to be announced in February) is "TV, Movie, or Showtune", but feel free to submit good ideas across all genres. Guidelines This is not a contest! It is meant to be a casual and fun event. You can use this thread to discuss your preparation of the piece, or anything else related to PIYW. To submit a recording of your performance, go to the submission thread. All PIYW submissions will remain hidden from public view until March 15. However, there is no deadline for when you need to submit your performance. Although most participants submit their recording before that date, you may submit at any time. Use the recital schedule to plan your participation in future recitals! "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers (1972) From Wikipedia: ["Lean On Me"] was ranked No. 208 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2010. Numerous other versions have been recorded, and it is one of only nine songs to have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with versions recorded by two different artists with a 1987 cover by Club Nouveau also reaching No. 1. In 2007, the 1972 recording of the song by Bill Withers on Sussex Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Bill Withers's childhood in the coal mining town of Slab Fork, West Virginia, was the inspiration for "Lean on Me", which he wrote for his album Still Bill after he had moved to Los Angeles, and found himself missing the strong community ethic of his hometown. He had lived in a decrepit house in the poor section of his town. Links to Sheet Music / Lead Sheet You are not limited to only the music linked below. Feel free to find or create your own version. You do not have to complete or perfect the piece to submit it, and don't be afraid to simplify or shorten the piece. Improvisation, backing tracks, and backing humans are all allowed. Sheet music (Listed easiest to hardest): Free PDF Musescore Musescore

WieWaldi

Sophia Good point, Sophia. It is okay to participate even without voting. Ehrm... In which post did you commit to participate in LoM? I can't find it anymore, the thread history is too long, now.

Sophia

WieWaldi In which post did you commit to participate in LoM?

I didn't 😃 That's not saying too much though, because I haven't committed to any of the PYOW recitals and participated in... three... I think?

rsl12

WieWaldi I'm the same. If my suggestion or vote wins, the joy is tainted by the obligation to actually work on it.

For that reason, one can view PIYW as a Monkey's Paw. But maybe it's better to think of them as a puppy that we adopted rashly, but we never regret taking in..?

But really it's a little of both. A puppy with monkey paws.

rsl12

Now that I've submitted the quarterly recital piece, I can focus on this! The plan is simple:

Practice singing in the car (already in progress, it's coming along). My goal now is to replicate everything Bill Withers does on his recording--enunciation, glisses, rhythm, etc. This is my first time singing something soul, and I feel like copying is the first step to unlocking the style. I'm using the isolated vocal track I linked a few posts above this one, and I'm using Amazing Slow Downer to drop the pitch to "Lean on Bb".
Come up with a basic piano part, but practice it until I don't even have to think about it (so I can concentrate on singing). So far so good. I want to develop a nice baseline for the "You just call on me brother" section, but otherwise I think it's already coming together.
Put the two together and record!

WieWaldi

Congrats for submitting your quarterly. Feels like freedom, now, does it?
I've been practicing LOM for a few days, now. But something tells me you are already further ahead with yours.

rsl12

That could be true, particularly since you tend to choose pretty ambitious versions!

I feel a little unsatisfied about the quarterly recital submission. It's not as polished as I had hoped. But I'm looking forward to Lean On Me, because I think it will be pretty simple!

twocats

Reminder that there's one month left!

diretonic

twocats How are you getting on? - you mentioned perhaps wanting some guidance for some written music in a suitable key?

twocats

diretonic I'm in Europe and not thinking about this until I'm back next week! I think Eb was a good key for me if you're still willing to help me with sheet music. I'm not entirely sure if I'm brave enough to sing and publish it though 😆

Sophia

Well, I am officially backing out of this one
I tried to like it, and I actually spent some time with the sheet music (it's in my 50 Songs book). But... the more I play it, the more I hate playing it. I didn't even get through 4 bars without falling asleep...

diretonic

twocats Hope this is readable...

The chordless break "..you just call on me brother.." I'll leave to you! It's not so easy to fill out in a piano solo version but if you're singing it, maybe more approachable?

diretonic

Sophia Well, I am officially backing out of this one
I tried to like it, and I actually spent some time with the sheet music (it's in my 50 Songs book). But... the more I play it, the more I hate playing it. I didn't even get through 4 bars without falling asleep...

Shame! Will this prove to be the least participated-in PIYW in history? True to say it doesn't easily lend itself to piano solo.

twocats

diretonic thank you! I'll let you know when I get home next week 🙂

WieWaldi

Sophia I tried to like it, and I actually spent some time with the sheet music (it's in my 50 Songs book). But... the more I play it, the more I hate playing it.

diretonic Shame! Will this prove to be the least participated-in PIYW in history?

Same here, the more I play it, the more boring it gets. There is a long part only played with C on left hand... 🥱 What douche did nominate this this? 👊 Huh? Huh? 😡

Sophia I didn't even get through 4 bars without falling asleep...

Best cure for insomnia...

Sophia

WieWaldi Best cure for insomnia...

Haha yeah, but then I won't sleep at night 😂 But seriously, I feel bad about it... but I promised myself that this year will be devoted to stuff I actually enjoy playing (and then focus on playing them well) - unlike the first two years struggling through Alfred 1, 2 and 3 😃

rsl12

diretonic ! Will this prove to be the least participated-in PIYW in history?

Well, as long as at least one person keeps me company on this, I am content. I'm learning a lot from analyzing Bill Wither's vocals.

Nightowl

Sophia Well, I've been playing it as a contrast to the normal melancholy stuff I favour, so if you're not taking part perhaps I will submit a recording of the version in the 50 songs book (if I manage to master the large jumps involved).

It's not super hard but mistakes would be glaringly obvious so precision is required. I'm sure that @WieWaldi and @rsl12 will submit more advanced versions than the one I'm learning, but this piece is a good exercise for me.

Sophia

Oh that's fantastic news Nightowl!!! I think that version is lovely to listen to - I just can't face learning it. I'm excited you want to though 👍👍👍

Nightowl

Sophia I'm not making any promises, it's only a "maybe" at this stage. One good thing about this piece is that my husband doesn't mind the tune, so maybe it won't irritate him too much when he hears me trying to get a recording.

twocats

rsl12 Well, as long as at least one person keeps me company on this, I am content. I'm learning a lot from analyzing Bill Wither's vocals.

I don't know if I'm brave enough to publish my singing 😂

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