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Hey, I do not really post on the non classical forum. But I need a bit of help. Mother's Day is coming up and there is one thing my mom loves more then anything and that is amazing grace. I am trying to find a nice advanced arrangement of the piece. I could make my own, but with my current schedule with teaching and playing I do not that the time to write one. So if any of you know of any good ones please let me know and send me a private message. I just know I will forget I posted this here... Thanks in advance
Jeffrey

I really enjoy a lot of David Nevue's music. He has great phrasing when he plays. His arrangement of Amazing Grace has a very soft, solitary feel to it. You can listen to a sample on his website davidnevue.com. His music is downloadable too.

I apologize I forgot to clarify, I wish to play it.

I also meant his sheet music is downloadable.

If you are in a hurry, David Nevue's arrangement is sight-readable. Or do you want something more complicated?

I heard an "Amazing Grace" in a minor key presentation last Friday night at a "Jazz and Big Band Concert" of community musicians.

It really caught my attention. I wish I could have seen a copy of the music written for 4 part chorus with a band accompaniment.

You might hold out for finding one that does both major and minor.

The professional hymn books at the music store would probably have a great musical copy - I'll look through my collection from when I was a church musician and see if there is something to recommend.

What a good and significant thought in behalf of your mother!

Betty

One common "trick" when one is bored or stuck for ideas is to play a song in its relative minor. It opens up new possibilities.

A very cool arranging trick to get Amazing Grace into a minor key is to sing it over the chord changes to House of The Rising Sun. Try it! You can hear an example on the Blind Boys of Alabama CD "Spirit of the Century".

We used to do it that way when I played in a praise band. Playing "The Saints Go Marching In" minor to major sounds good, too.

Jeffrey Hampton,

I searched for a few minutes in SheetMusicPlus site (Search: Bottom of left column of PWF). I did not get a chance to pull out my hymn - church musician file and look through all those books. Good luck on finding the arrangement you like the most and completing it by your goal date!

Amazing Grace (Piano Solo Sheet) 4 pages
Arranged by Margaret Goldston
Level 5 Intermediate
Published by Alfred Publishing (14251)

Hymns with Style Arranged by Jerry Ray
Amazing Grace (Book - One of 10 Hymn Arrangements)
Level 6 Late Intermediate
Songbook for solo piano. 32 pages
Published by Alfred Publishing (AP.6049)

Lee Evans Arranges Beautiful Hymns and Spirituals
Amazing Grace (Book - Songbook (no lyrics) for solo piano)
Level 6 Late Intermediate
Series: Hal Leonard Lee Evans Piano Education 32 pages.
Published by Hal Leonard (HL.9635)

Amazing Victor Wooten's Amazing Grace:

http://www.youtube.com/results?sear...zing+grace&aq=0&oq=Victor+Wooten

1st video link on the page. Like no Amazing Grace I've ever heard.

Glad you posted that video. Simply an amazing version of it on bass. Of course Bela Fleck's entire band is amazing but this one is particularly good.

Speaking of Bela Fleck, another recommendation to check out is the show he did in Kalamazoo Michigan with Bruce Hornsby. It was just piano and banjo and they sound amazing together...

I like Hornsby, and Bela! Hornsby's Jarrett influence is very very evident in alot of his playing, yet not just a carbon copy. Of course Bruce doesn't have the facility that Jarrett once had, but for what he plays, he doesn't need to have that much technical headroom.
best thing about Hornsby is that he's one of the very few pianists that are easily recognizable within his first several strokes of the keys.

"best thing about Hornsby is that he's one of the very few pianists that are easily recognizable within his first several strokes of the keys."

Very true. Also quite an incredible song writer and singer. If I can dig up a download spot for that show I'm referring to I'll post it here...

Nah, check out his dates with Chick Corea. I saw the East Lansing, MI show. Incredible.

I saw a recent tv special (PBS?) on the making of the album with Corea and Fleck though I haven't seen any live performances. The tv interview was very cool though and interesting to hear each talk about how they worked around each other's styles. Chick saying he had trouble with certain traditional songs of Bela's and vis versa...

Where did they play in East Lansing?

I have an " Amazing Grace" from Virginia Harmony; arr.Victor Labenske
"Sunday Morning Companion-Alfred's Sacred Performer Collections( 28315). It goes from gospel style to Jazz waltz.
ISBN-10: 0-7390-4855-4 or ISBN-13: 978-0-7390-4855-9.
Hope this is some help.

Wharton Center at Michigan State University.

From Michigan myself which is why I ask. Well hopefully I'll be able to catch them next time if they tour again...