Since purchasing my Yamaha YPT-200 keyboard on Monday and not a day’s playing of the keyboard since Year 9 in Music, I have managed to learn some chords and catchy melodies. I listened to the songs carefully and worked out the chords and notes myself, because no song book will give you any great songs to practice and then I started playing.

Amazingly, I can now play a few tunes, well some quite well and others needing a little tweaking.

But: I can play some of the following, some near-perfect, others with the odd mistake in the note.

I’ll be honest, I need to work on all of them! But, it’s the taking part that counts, so I’m told haha. To be honest I need to work on my Shorthand really haha.  

The first three I can play the best:

The Associates – Party Fears Two (the instrumental melody just after the chorus)

Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams (the melodic synth hook)

The Cars – Strap Me In (the melodic intro instrumental) Here’s the original video, but not great quality.

Supertramp – Crime Of The Century (I can play the closing melody best, after the vocals have ended, but the opening part isn’t too bad) 

Razorlight – Wire To Wire (the piano hook)

Eric Prydz – Pjanoo (the piano hook)

Coldplay – Viva La Vida (the bassy string hook)

Coldplay – Talk/Kraftwerk – Computer Love (I can play the opening hooks to a fashion)

Genesis – Invisible Touch (the opening synth hook) – apologies for Phil Collins’ cringe laden role in the opening to the video

Van Halen – Jump (haha you knew I would practice this, I can nearly do the synth hook)

Van Halen – Dreams (the opening synth hook I can half do, though it is very complicated!) 

Foreigner – I Want To Know What Love Is (well, if I refer to my chord notes)

Foreigner – I Don’t Want To Live Without You (again, as above)

Chicago – If You Leave Me Now (the first couple of notes at the opening of the song)

Phil Collins – Against All Odds (the opening piano melody, nothing else)

Human League – Don’t You Want Me (the opening synth hooks, but have to refer to my chord notes to help me)

Cyndi Lauper – Time After Time (some of it anyway, even though it is an embarrassing choice – just it’s reasonably easy to play)

New Order – Bizarre Love Triangle (the bassy opening chords)

Fiction Factory – Feels Like Heaven (the first part of the chorus melody)

…and a few other less well known tracks which are nowhere near perfection yet. To be honest, this is an excuse to just post about some good music! haha :).

Anyway happy New Year all! 🙂