my own "Happy Birthday to You" Theme & Variations (sheetmusic & new recording)

[furiouzpianist]

this piece is now finished, updated the file:

info: from Wikipedia:
The origins of "Happy Birthday To You" date back to the mid-nineteenth century, when two sisters, Patty and Mildred J. Hill, introduced the song "Good Morning to All" to Patty's kindergarten class in Kentucky. In 1893, they published the tune in their songbook Song Stories for the Kindergarten. However, many believe that the Hill sisters most likely copied the tune and lyrical idea from other popular and substantially similar nineteenth-century songs that predated theirs, including Horace Waters' "Happy Greetings to All", "Good Night to You All" also from 1858, "A Happy New Year to All" from 1875, and "A Happy Greeting to All", published 1885.

[furiouzpianist]

more sheets will be posted soon.

[furiouzpianist]

some time I should actually take the time and actually polish the interpretation............

at any rate, any comments would be much appreciated.

[candlelightpiano]

Pretty cool!!  The middle three variations are very Chopinesque and you have a very expressive, beautiful touch.  The last variation was my favorite and I'd love to have the sheet music.  Will you post the two new variations and post the sheet music too?  Thanks for sharing.  It was a lot of fun and really good.

[furiouzpianist]

I have a few more variations written, but I will revise them a few times before I actually record them.
As for the sheet-music, I did write each variation down, but I will have to re-write them very neatly and put in some dynamic markings before I upload them here. I will probably get around to it tomorrow, so check back here then, perhaps.

Many thanks for listening and the feedback, I really do appreciate it.  

P.S. the last variation is a Polonaise.

[furiouzpianist]

hi, I just wrote and uploaded the E-flat minor variation - marked Andante. I also uploaded the sheetmusic for it.
Each new variation will be added as a new file from now on.

Any suggestions for further variations?

[candlelightpiano]

Thanks for uploading the pdf sheet music of the newest variation.  I liked it but I hope you don't mind my saying this but the Andante sounded more like a Funeral March!  No offense intended but the heavy repeated bass chords really do have a funeral ring to it.  Perhaps you could use it for a new variation on a Funeral March.  I love Funeral Marches, by the way.

You're a talented musician to come up with all these variations.  I'll have to think of another variation.  Hope you'll post the sheet music of the Polonaise and the first birthday theme.  Thanks once again.  Your thread is a lot of fun.

[furiouzpianist]

Thanks for uploading the pdf sheet music of the newest variation.  I liked it but I hope you don't mind my saying this but the Andante sounded more like a Funeral March!  No offense intended but the heavy repeated bass chords really do have a funeral ring to it.  Perhaps you could use it for a new variation on a Funeral March.  I love Funeral Marches, by the way.

Indeed! This is a funeral march. Obviously inspired by the Chopin 2nd sonata which I am playing now.........I wrote a staccato leaps variation, but I can't play it cleanly yet.  

P.S. I started a variation for the left hand alone, it will be posted tomorrow (and the sheets too).

[candlelightpiano]

Indeed! This is a funeral march. Obviously inspired by the Chopin 2nd sonata

    I feel a bit better now!  Glad I wasn't hearing things.  You're too funny to compose a birthday variation based on Chopin's Funeral March!

[furiouzpianist]

Hi all,

I wrote 2 new variation - a "Music Box", and also a Variations for the Left Hand Alone. (no cheating hehe).

Best,

TM

[candlelightpiano]

TM, I loved the Music Box variation.  So gay and light!  Could see the ballerina twirling around to the music.  The left hand variation was lovely, too.  Very Saint-Saens. 

When are you going to post the sheet music of all these variations?  I'm love to have them.

Thanks!

[zoecalgary]

Hi. I just listened to all of your variations. Very interesting idea! I like the fast upbeat ones more than the others. On some of them I had trouble hearing the theme. Certainly I can detect a different style but the theme is not prominent.  But then I have no experience with this so I'm not too sure how variations work and how prominent the theme should be. I've seen music for variations in Chopsticks but never played it, but now I wish I had. Have you heard of it?

Anyway, these are all very creative I think. I've been looking for some nice BDay music and haven't found anything I  really like. You've sparked my interest with your pieces. If I could see your music for each one that would be great. Were you still planning on posting the music for all your variations?

I volunteered to play piano in a seniors home and believe it or not I don't have music for Happy Birthday that I like. Are you willing to share? I think it would be fun to learn and play some of these for these folks. (with full credit to you of course!)

[furiouzpianist]

Dear all,

please bear with me, I will make the sheetmusic available in a while. I am constantly revising what I have, and when I finish the last few variations, I will again look all of them over, and then re-write them cleanly, put in the dynamic markings, fingerings, and then post the sheets!!

should the last few variations be more straight-forward with the theme stated clearly? I am thinking of making the last variations all in G-flat major, and perhaps more virtuosic for a good Finale.......

what do you think?


many thanks for the comments and the interest, and sorry for my delay in posting the sheets. They will be up eventually, don't worry!

and yes, please feel free to perform this piece, no worries!

[furiouzpianist]

Hi. I just listened to all of your variations. Very interesting idea! I like the fast upbeat ones more than the others. On some of them I had trouble hearing the theme. Certainly I can detect a different style but the theme is not prominent.

yes, unfortunately the theme is not very prominent in all of them. There exist many types of variations, and some of them only follow the basic harmonic, or even bass line loosely, and the theme is virtually non-existent. This is done for variety. But yes, I already see some changes that can be made to the left hand-variation, for instance, which can make the theme clearer.

at any rate, I will keep revising these with this thought in mind, and we will see what happens!

Many thanks for listening all, as always, more input will be much appreciated.

Best,

TM

[candlelightpiano]

TM:  I agree with Zoe that the theme is not apparent in many of your variations.  In two of them, it's very obvious - the first and last (Polonaise) but not in the others.  Perhaps you could work the birthday theme into those other variations so that when they're played, everyone can make out a birthday theme? 

[zoecalgary]

I should add I wish I could do what you did. I'd love to know how to change a piece into a different style. Neat stuff.

Yes. If you emphasized the theme more or sandwiched the less obvious variations in between the ones with clearer themes it will all hold together as a whole. I am thinking you would play all of them back to back right?

Have you played these for your friend yet? I would be touched if a friend did that for me.

:-)

[furiouzpianist]

TM:  I agree with Zoe that the theme is not apparent in many of your variations.  In two of them, it's very obvious - the first and last (Polonaise) but not in the others.  Perhaps you could work the birthday theme into those other variations so that when they're played, everyone can make out a birthday theme?  

revised the Variation for the Left-Hand alone slightly, and wrote it down cleanly. I think the theme is more prominent now. The pdf is now posted under the recording.

The next variations that I write will have the theme stated clearly, and this should bring the set to a satisfying conclusion. When I look over all the variations again and revise them, I will post another recording of the whole thing (when it is complete).

[sueyin]

These variations are fun and cool!  I really like them and I also wish I knew how to compose variations.  So many years of piano and piano exams and I can't do this!    Why don't they ever teach us this kind of stuff?

Thanks for the sheets for the two variations.  I look forward to the sheets for the others too.  Keep up the good work!

PS  I think it's great you're doing this for a song every one should know how to play!  Your friend is lucky you'd do this for him or her.  What an honour!

[candlelightpiano]

Hey TM:  Thanks for posting the sheet for the left hand variation.  It looks really good!  Looking forward to the other sheets and thanks again for doing all this for us.  This is a piece we all should be able to play and the variations make it so neat!

[furiouzpianist]

ok, I wrote the last 2 variations, they are meant to be played without a big pause............

please let me know what you think about the work as a whole. I will post the sheets soon (there are still some revisions that have to be made). 

Thanks for all the support!!!

the theme all the variations are now in a single mp3 file............

[furiouzpianist]

the sheetmusic for the Music Box Variation has been posted. You will see that it is not as difficult as it sounds.

More will be uploaded tomorrow, I am very close to finishing all the revisions!

[chadbrochill17]

Have you seen Muse Score? It's free software to write music and make it all neat looking. Didn't know if that would help with the writing the music down aspect.

https://musescore.org/

[rachfan]

Hi furiouzpianist

Your variations are clever, colorful, of different styles, contrasting, and interesting.  Great job!

David

[furiouzpianist]

Have you seen Muse Score? It's free software to write music and make it all neat looking. Didn't know if that would help with the writing the music down aspect.

https://musescore.org/

oh wow, that would be great, I will try it!!

Hi furiouzpianist

Your variations are clever, colorful, of different styles, contrasting, and interesting.  Great job!

David

Many thanks for listening, David. I am happy that you liked these variations. Some time I will record a good interpretation of it, with all the revisions........

[furiouzpianist]

update:

dear all, I notated the Music Box variation , and also the Theme and the first 2 variations using MuseScore. The pdf files are now attached.

[candlelightpiano]

Thanks, TM.  I've printed out those sheets and will try them out tonight.  When will you be posting the sheets for the Polonaise and the last variation?  (If I'm right, there were 4 variations initially?)

There are some great video tutorials for using Musescore on youtube, too, if you have questions about it.  It's a great software. 

[furiouzpianist]

Hi. Thank you for the interest, I should finish notating all the variations this week. Really, this is much better than by doing it by hand! And if I want to change a note, I can just correct in the file, and not re-write everything over again, heh.

[furiouzpianist]

everything has been notated, and is now posted in a single file. Thank you for the patience. Please note that my recording does not yet reflect some of the changes........
 

[furiouzpianist]

ok, I recorded the revised version of the variations today. Everything is now up to date. I think this performance is better than the previous one...........the piece holds together well, imo.

at any rate, I will soon play it for my friend.

[candlelightpiano]

WOW!!!  That's absolutely AWESOME, TM!!  I'm blown away!  A lot of hard work went into getting your score into musescore.  Eight sheets!  And your performance was incredible. You are an incredible pianist and I loved every variation.  I think you should record all of it and sell the score!!    Like Jerrod Radnick.  I'm not kidding.

Anyway, this is a perfect virtuoso birthday tribute.

WELL DONE!!!!!!  And thank you for the privilege of sharing your inspiring work!

PS:  I wonder if you know that if you save your musescore work online on the musescore site, there's a play function on it that allows people to listen to it?

[furiouzpianist]

many thanks for listening!
I knew about the function about saving files online, but I prefer the audio performance of myself playing the piece rather than the computerized reproduction.............

I think it is time for me to get back to my regular piano repertoire.