Looking for Linus and Lucy

[JimDunlop]

How's that for alliteration?  :-)

Well, since I've started playing again on a regular basis, I've been trying to hunt down some of the "quintesential" pieces needed in every pianist's repretoire for all those times (most often drunk in a place where there's a piano) where a gang of drooling and inebriated buddies who inevitably  slur: "Hey.  You can play.  Play us a song."  This is usually followed by a dozen ridiculous requests, including "anything by AC/DC" or "Freebird."  But in the end, you always get asked the same bunch... "Piano Man" by Billy Joel or "Entertainer" by Scott Joplin, notably due to its Hollywood fame...  But Linus and Lucy also seems to often make the Top 10.

"Hey!  Can you play that.... Charlie Brown song?"

Especially here in Japan -- where people go so nuts over Peanuts, there is an entire department store dedicated to it in Tokyo: "SnoopyTown."  Here you can buy ANYTHING Peanuts -- from salad forks to underwear...  So, knowing "Linus and Lucy" would definitely score a few points.

Now, I'm not so interested in ordering an entire book which contains the song (the most common incarnation of it) but as seperate sheet music.  I highly doubt I could obtain it free over the net (though I wouldn't compain if it were out there somewhere) -- so I would gladly settle for paying for the privilege of downloading and printing it as a PDF or similar.  Especially here in Japan where ordering books & stuff gets annoying fast...  And expensive.

1.  Can anyone point me in the right direction as to where I might get my hands on this song?

2.  What other "favorites" do you have (any genre) that you know for the purpose of entertaining others if (WHEN) you get requested to "play a song?"

Thanks everyone!

JD

[jazzyprof]

You can go to sheetmusicplus.com for example and look for Vince Guaraldi: Charlie Brown's Greatest Hits.  Vince Guaraldi was the great jazz pianist who played all those wonderful Charlie Brown tunes.

[Brian Healey]

I've been asked to play the theme from "Cheers" on more than a few occasions. That might be a good little piece to learn.

[cziffra777]

You can find this in the 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' book.  I know you want to get the piece by itself, but this book has a lot of great music in it. All of the Christmas music from the cartoon can be found in the book. This includes my favorite 'Christmas Time is Here'. The book doesn't cost much more than a single sheet would, assuming you could even find one.

[kaff]

I think this is a fabulous post, Jim!  I have also recently come back to piano after a long absence.  This "oh, go on, play something for us" thing has bugged me ever since I was a child and my Dad would say "well, go on, play something for your auntie" (or whoever).  I would play whatever classical piece I was working on at the time, and after 3 bars he would say "no, not that - play something that everyone knows" - and I'd be stuck, and would feel like such an idiot.  So here I am now, 30-odd years later, polishing up Maple Leaf Rag for my office Christmas party.  I've just ordered the Charlie Brown book, and Tom Roed's Advanced Christmas Piano solos, and I have made up my mind to have up my sleeve a repertoire of such"easy listening" stuff so that I always have something to play, even if my audience doesn't appreciate Bach.  And maybe this will appease my husband, who hankers after living with someone who plays jazz and blues instead of the Italian Concerto for hours on end.

Kathryn

[Daniel_piano]

I love Vince Guaraldi, I love Peanuts and Peanuts Holiday specials cartoons and I've all Peanuts CDs such as A Charlie Brown Christmas and Charlie Brown Holiday Hits

I was wondering
The pieces in the Cds, the show and  sheet music books, what level are they
I mean, what grade you're supposed to be to read, understand and play properly pieces like Linus and Lucy, Christmas Time is Here, Christmas is Here, She's A Good Skater, Race for your life, Joe Cool, Little Birdie, Bread Line Blues and others ?

Daniel 

[JimDunlop]

kaff: <laugh>.  Good one.  "Play us something..... No.  Not THAT..."  Precicely... :-)

Daniel:  It's tough to say.... But Linus and Lucy, if you want a rough gues....  is quite easy.  The only "tricky" thing about it is the syncopated rhythm and playing it in A maj.    I found a "school band" transcription of the piece -- and orchestral arangement, and it was re-written into C maj.  That version I could pretty much sight-read and play quite fluently within a couple hours...

As for the others who've responded to my post -- perhaps getting the entire book is NOT a bad idea.... I was just hoping I wouldn't have to do ANOTHER mail order to Japan....

Actually.. I've got a GREAT idea.... Can anyone give me the ISBN# to the Charlie Brown Christmas book?  My mom in Canada wants ideas as to what she can send me over for Chritmas in the way of a "care package."  That would be a dandy one to have! :-)

[Brian Healey]

It's tough to say.... But Linus and Lucy, if you want a rough gues....  is quite easy.  The only "tricky" thing about it is the syncopated rhythm and playing it in A maj.

A major? That would be tough. As far as I know, it's supposed to be in A-flat major.

[xvimbi]

A major? That would be tough. As far as I know, it's supposed to be in A-flat major.

Who would be able to tell the difference? Most people don't have perfect pitch.

[JimDunlop]

Aflat vs A?  I'm not sure -- you may be right... But as I don't have the original score (yet) I was merely judging "A" from what I heard on the recording I have of it.

[Brian Healey]

Who would be able to tell the difference? Most people don't have perfect pitch.

I suppose no listeners could tell the difference, but it would unnecessarily hard to play in the key of A. The notes fall under the fingers pretty easily in A-flat, but it would be awkward in A. I haven't heard the recording in a while, but I learned it directly from the sheet music in A-flat.

[rlefebvr]

I have a copy in A flat major

[jazzyprof]

Here's part of the score, in A flat:
https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/store/smp_inside.html?cart=33111537171771822&sku=HL.352295&page=01

[lau]

I can play that song  I just found the music for it in schmitt music stores. But it still doesn't sound the same as the cartoon 

[folkert]

you can find some of Guraraldi's work here: https://www.geocities.com/mytranscribe/