Three popular pieces.

[lostinidlewonder]

Here is a recording of three quite popular pieces in my own style. I consider this style of playing more background music, sorta stuff you would hear in a restaraunt. Nothing that interfers with conversation. Gold star for anyone who can name the three

The recording was done with my mini disc recorder with a Yamaha C5

[bananafish]

Hmmm... these are so nice. I love these kinds of music.

Thanks!

[franz_]

Can't open the file 
Next month I'll have to play in a restaurant, which pieces do you play?

[ted]

Good on you ! A new and interesting side to you ! Versatility is becoming a rare treat in a classical musician these days. Perhaps you've started a trend here. Let's hope so. There are people where I live nowhere near as good as you who earn pretty good money for doing that for a couple of hours.

[lostinidlewonder]

Thankyou for your comments. I agree with you Ted, a lot of classical pianists do not have interest in this relaxed style of music. I find the simplicity of music always amazing, playing the right chords/fill ins etc. I think it is a life long search for the right sound.

The first two pieces might be hard for those who are not Latin music lovers,

Sabor Ami
La puerta

The third one is Misty by Erroll Garner

[pianistimo]

i would have gotten misty.  i saw this thread last night and have the same problem this morning.  no player on my computer.   have to wait for my daughter to get off hers.

[arensky]

Thankyou for your comments. I agree with you Ted, a lot of classical pianists do not have interest in this relaxed style of music. I find the simplicity of music always amazing, playing the right chords/fill ins etc. I think it is a life long search for the right sound.

The first two pieces might be hard for those who are not Latin music lovers,

Sabor Ami
La puerta

The third one is Misty by Erroll Garner

I recognized Sabor Ami and La Puerta but could not recall the names. Misty is a no-brainer.

BTW "cocktail piano" is a big part of my life and career. Been doing it for over 20 years now. This is really good playing. Yes it's ambient but someone like me could pay attention and get into it, and the uninterested will have their elegant atmosphere and not have the flow of their conversation or wine interrupted. That's the trick to being good at this kind of playing, and you've got it down pat.

You're excellent, I'd come hear you if you had a gig nearby. A couple tips; you could pedal a bit more to connect the phrases seamlessly, sometimes your lovely phrasing ends abruptly with a slight bump. Some florid filigree would be nice too, although I can tell that your focus is on the melody, it's what you love. Also, move out of the key of C occasionally. I understand, it's my default key for tricky requests I'm not sure that I know..    part of the job though.

Get a gig and keep doing this; we must keep it alive! 

[franz_]

I recognized Sabor Ami and La Puerta but could not recall the names. Misty is a no-brainer.

BTW "cocktail piano" is a big part of my life and career. Been doing it for over 20 years now. This is really good playing. Yes it's ambient but someone like me could pay attention and get into it, and the uninterested will have their elegant atmosphere and not have the flow of their conversation or wine interrupted. That's the trick to being good at this kind of playing, and you've got it down pat.

You're excellent, I'd come hear you if you had a gig nearby. A couple tips; you could pedal a bit more to connect the phrases seamlessly, sometimes your lovely phrasing ends abruptly with a slight bump. Some florid filigree would be nice too, although I can tell that your focus is on the melody, it's what you love. Also, move out of the key of C occasionally. I understand, it's my default key for tricky requests I'm not sure that I know..    part of the job though.

Get a gig and keep doing this; we must keep it alive! 

I have to play next month in a restaurant. Could you give me some good pieces to play?

[arensky]

I have to play next month in a restaurant. Could you give me some good pieces to play?

Here are some of the "must know" songs and pieces for restaurant/lounge playing in the USA.

Songs from...

Phantom of the Opera
Evita
Les Miserables

As Time Goes By
Misty
Memory
Moon River
The Rose
Satin Doll
The Shadow of Your Smile
Music Box Dancer
Harbor Lights
Linus and Lucy ( da Snoopy Dance)
Yesterday (Beatles)
Raindrops Keep Fallin' on my Head
Always and Forever
Beauty and the Beast
Chances Are
My Heart Will Go Under    (Titanic theme)
Mandy
Unchained Melody (theme from "Ghost")
Send in da Clownz

That should get you started. You never know what people are going to ask for, but if you learn these pop songs you'll have a good foundation. BTW to be successful at this you MUST play requests, to the best of your ability. And when the manager tells you you are playing too loud, pipe down. You'll figure out how to play the room after a couple times, how to play in such a way that you are not obtrusive. At my current gig ( six years and five months) I leave the lid on the piano (Kawai 6' 00") completely closed, so I can play normally without being too loud, laying the music (when I need it) flat. The music stand is bad if you're using music, you don't want to look like you're practicing. Also, people want to see you (whether they're looking or not). You are part of the decor, so dress nice and smile  . Welcome to "furniture music", as Satie called it.

Make sure you have a mix of styles to play, although you will evantually find your own balance, and select a default. Mine is jazz, I play a lot of jazz standards and modern jazz pieces, but I can play the show schlock,  post 1964 pop and classical pieces (of course). When people request something you don't know, learn it, it will probably come up again. Happened to me tonight, a man asked me if I could play anything from the Broadway show "Wicked" for his daughter. I apologized and said I didn't know the show, and asked him if there was anything else the little girl might enjoy (always do this when you can't play a request). He said "Disney tunes" and now I have $30 I didn't have five hours ago.

For classical rep, look at one of those "favorite Classical Piano Pieces" albums and start with those pieces. My most requested classical piece is "Clair de Lune", followed by Fur Elise (kids like it). People usually just ask "can you play any classical?", which puts that ball in your court.

You will need to build up selections of songwriters, often people ask "play some Cole Porter" or "play some Gershwin" and I am happy to oblige, as this is the music that I enjoy the most in this situation. To get you started...

Gershwin: The Man I Love, Someone to Watch Over Me, Embraceable You, They Can't Take that Away From Me, Summertime (this one comes up a lot), A Foggy Day, I Got Rythym.

Cole Porter: Begin the Beguiine, Night and Day, I Concentrate on You, Easy to Love, I Get a Kick Out of You, It's Delovely.

Jerome Kern ( perhaps the greatest of these composers): All the Things You Are, Old Man River, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, I Won't Dance, Yesterdays.

Don't know how applicable my rep suggestions are outside of the USA but  this is what I know works here. You'l find that my basic principles will work for you, you may have to tailor them geographically. Let us know how this works out!

[lostinidlewonder]

Just all these recordings mentioning 3 pieces made me think of my old post.