# Rock piano music ... just parts of songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 31, 2006, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-piano-music-just-parts-of-songs/370915 "2006-08-31T13:48:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-piano-music-just-parts-of-songs/370915/1 "2006-08-31T13:48:25Z")
A lot of great rock and roll has a little bit of piano featured in it. I’m looking for a source so that my daughter can lear to play some of them. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-piano-music-just-parts-of-songs/370915/2 "2006-08-31T13:53:37Z")
Can’t go wrong with anything by Ben Folds (or Ben Folds Five.) Just make sure you listen to it first, depending on your daughter’s age (Ben tends to curse a bit in some of the somes.) Billy Joel Elton John There are literally hundreds of others, but this is a good start. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-piano-music-just-parts-of-songs/370915/3 "2006-08-31T15:14:28Z")
Check out Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen. In fact, go to [this page](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE4781CDF49A97620C8852D1599E620D210DF4BF58150234558C0B73844810473FD04BADACCAEF875B47FE3FE2FAE5A0ED9CFEA468DA1&sql=10:jq6ktr59kl2x) and listen to the sound clip for “Boogie Man Boogie.” Or [here](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE4781CDF49A97620C8852D1599E620D210DF4BF58150234558C0B73844810473FD04BADACCAEF875B47FE3FE2FAE5A0ED9CFEA468DA1&sql=10:rm6atr29klmx) and listen to “Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar.” The ole Commander (George Frayne) put together what was maybe the ultimate bar band, with his piano at the heart of it. Great stuff! ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-piano-music-just-parts-of-songs/370915/4 "2006-08-31T16:15:17Z")
Here’s [100+ riffs](http://www.8notes.com/school/scores.asp?instId=1&type_id=12&level=0&pageA=1) to play around with. These aren’t whole songs, but they step you through the “signature” bits. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-piano-music-just-parts-of-songs/370915/5 "2006-08-31T16:16:24Z")
[QUOTE=Sean Factotum] Can’t go wrong with anything by Ben Folds (or Ben Folds Five.) Just make sure you listen to it first, depending on your daughter’s age (Ben tends to curse a bit in some of the somes.) Billy Joel Elton John There are literally hundreds of others, but this is a good start. [/QUOTE] The three people I came in here to suggest. 🙂 Also have her check out Bob Seger and some Lynyrd Skynyrd, if she doesn’t mind “older” stuff. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-piano-music-just-parts-of-songs/370915/6 "2006-08-31T22:17:22Z")
The ending of “Epic” by Faith No More has a small piano piece. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-piano-music-just-parts-of-songs/370915/7 "2006-09-01T00:21:57Z")
The piano work in _Telegraph Road_ by Dire Straits is very evocative. Knopfler writes work that paints pictures. Billy Joel’s _Baby Grand_ is a duet with Ray Charles, and of course, it’s delightful. ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-piano-music-just-parts-of-songs/370915/8 "2006-09-01T00:35:32Z")
Coldplay John Legend ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-piano-music-just-parts-of-songs/370915/9 "2006-09-01T01:39:09Z")
The second part of Derek and the Dominos’ _Layla_ is quite easy to figure out (I transpose it to C) and fun to play. ---
**Author:** ![audiobottle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@audiobottle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audiobottle)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-piano-music-just-parts-of-songs/370915/10 "2006-09-01T03:41:13Z")
I love the piano part about 2/3s of the way through on “Dead Wrong” by the Fray. It’s kind of short, unfortunately, but it’s pretty rockin’. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-piano-music-just-parts-of-songs/370915/11 "2006-09-01T04:57:36Z")
[Elton John’s Music Cafe](http://www.eltonscafe.com./) has, uh, Elton John piano scores. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-piano-music-just-parts-of-songs/370915/12 "2006-09-01T05:00:58Z")
Unless I’m mistaken, the piano was common in early rock and roll. For example, the song “Tutti Frutti” by Little Richard. The other one off the top of my head isn’t so early, but “Personality Crisis” by the New York Dolls has piano in it. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-piano-music-just-parts-of-songs/370915/13 "2006-09-01T05:05:04Z")
[QUOTE=DooWahDiddy] Also have her check out Bob Seger and some Lynyrd Skynyrd, if she doesn’t mind “older” stuff. [/QUOTE] Especially _Free Bird_, the perfect song for any occasion. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-piano-music-just-parts-of-songs/370915/14 "2006-09-01T05:08:08Z")
Phish’s “Squirming Coil” has an incredable coda piano section, but the really subtle piano part of “Sympathy for the Devil” gets me every single time. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-piano-music-just-parts-of-songs/370915/15 "2006-09-01T05:43:00Z")
The entire back catqalogue of Rick Wakeman, both as a member of Yes and a solo artist, should provide hours of worthy study and fun. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-piano-music-just-parts-of-songs/370915/16 "2006-09-01T14:25:17Z")
[QUOTE=Talon Karrde] Unless I’m mistaken, the piano was common in early rock and roll. For example, the song “Tutti Frutti” by Little Richard. [/QUOTE] And “Great Balls of Fire” or anything by Jerry Lee Lewis. And second to “Layla”; that’s so pretty. I came in to mention Roy Bittan, either as part of the E Street Band or behind Meat Loaf. “Jungleland” has violins but also building of piano sections. I’m pretty sure “Bat Out of Hell” has a good tune in it too. ---
**Author:** ![MagicEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@MagicEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicEyes)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-piano-music-just-parts-of-songs/370915/17 "2006-09-01T16:42:50Z")
[QUOTE=audiobottle] I love the piano part about 2/3s of the way through on “Dead Wrong” by the Fray. It’s kind of short, unfortunately, but it’s pretty rockin’. [/QUOTE] The Fray has good piano bits. I was thinking about buying the sheet music for “Over My Head,” but then I thought maybe I’ll just wait until they have a whole book. It looks like a good arrangement (I just got “Soul Meets Body,” and the arrangement isn’t so great–I need to start trying things out before I buy them). **What the … !!!** , tell us a little more about your daughter. Is she just learning to play, or is she more advanced? Can she play by ear or read music? Is she taking lessons now? If not, maybe you could find a teacher that does rock-style music. Are there any good music stores where you live? If you know what songs you want and it’s not at the store, they might be able to order it for you if it’s available. Or you could try something like [this](http://www.amazon.com/Best-Rock-Roll-Piano-Techniques/dp/0634029606/sr=1-2/qid=1157128775/ref=pd_bbs_2/104-8063601-4206355?ie=UTF8&s=books). I just did a quick search on Amazon and found a few books on rock piano–if you look at a real music store, you could probably find more. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-piano-music-just-parts-of-songs/370915/18 "2006-09-01T16:47:33Z")
All of _Hopes and Fears_ by Keane – it’s like Coldplay, only good 🙂 (Their followup album is less piano-driven but still has some.) ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-piano-music-just-parts-of-songs/370915/19 "2006-09-01T17:46:56Z")
Jackson Browne’s got some nice pieces, starting with “The Load Out/Stay”. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-piano-music-just-parts-of-songs/370915/20 "2006-09-01T20:40:19Z")
A lot of Bruce Springsteen’s stuff, but particularly the album **Born to Run** … a great album for rock piano. His pianist, Roy Bittan, also has recorded with Dire Straits on a number of albums, as well as Meatloaf. Speaking of, a good deal of his catalogue has some great piano as well.