Thomas "Fats" Waller : The Great Solos, 1929-1937

Thomas "Fats" Waller : The Great Solos, 1929-1937
by Fats Waller, Paul Posnak

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Book Summary Information

Author: Fats Waller, Paul Posnak
Brand: Hal Leonard
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1998-05-01
ISBN: 0793572797
Number of pages: 128
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation

Book Reviews of Thomas "Fats" Waller : The Great Solos, 1929-1937

Book Review: There's always a catch
Summary: 5 Stars

I have this book, and I have been playing the piano for 45 years. I've always wanted accurate transcriptions of Waller's ingeneous playing, as his published sheet music has been simplified. The good news is that Posnak has obliged us, and he has done a good job.

Now for the bad news. Like I said in the title, there is always a catch. Very few people, especially in an age dominated by downloaded and recorded music, have the pianistic skills that these black men from 1920's Harlem had. Most people would have a very hard time taking Posnak's transcriptions and making them sound anything like Waller's recordings.

Before anyone starts to entertain pipe-dreams of sounding like Waller, make sure you have been gifted by God with hands big enough to play 10th interval chords, as the essence of the "Harlem style" was built around 10th chords. That's two notes beyond the octave. (Waller had hands big enough to play 13th intervals!) This alone would disqualify a great many people, especially women. Few women have hands big enough to play 10th chords. There might as well be a notice on the cover saying "No Girls Allowed"! This is a serious boys club. One can get around this limitation by "flipping back" the chord to a shorter interval, but then you won't sound exactly like Waller if you do that.

Assuming you have the requisite physical qualifications and technical ability, the last hurdle is having a good instrument to play on. An electronic keyboard or synthesizer is not going to produce the percussive and acoustic resonance that thie special kind of piano playing requires. This is especially true for bringing out the rich left hand action. What you will realy need is an excellent acoustic piano with a large soundboard, like an old high, restored upright, or a high quality grand piano. Those of you who have real money, should consider getting a restored 1920's vintage Steinway grand. Waller's music demands a good player, and a good instrument.

I feel the market for this book is necessarily small. That being said, I say good luck and God bless!

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Summary of Thomas "Fats" Waller : The Great Solos, 1929-1937

The 2nd edition now features 16 of Waller's best, including: African Ripples * Ain't Misbehavin' * Alligator Crawl * Clothes Line Ballet * E-Flat Blues * Gladyse * Handful of Keys * Honeysuckle Rose * I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling * Keepin' Out of Mischief Now * My Feelings Are Hurt * Numb Fumblin' * Russian Fantasy * Smashing Thirds * Valentine Stomp * Viper's Drag.

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