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We are hosting a music trivia party at our house for friends, family, and neighbours. We are loosely basing it on the style of the Australian "Spicks and Specks" tv show... Sort of.

On of the rounds is going to be called "Amateur on an out of tune piano". We have an out of tune piano in the shed which we are going to use.

The idea is that one person, a volunteer from the contestants, plays songs on the piano and the other people have to try to guess what the songs are.

What makes it fun is that the player is not a pianist and the player doesn't know what the song is. The setup is usually an octave on the piano with numbered keys, and a sheet of "music" which is just a row of numbers.

The player will play through this several times, generally getting better at playing the song each time. The player will often be better able to guess the song and will then be able to play the correct rhythm.

My question.... We are struggling with song selections. Everything is to hard. I wrote out the "numbers" to five nursery rhymes and got my husband to play them... I couldn't even guess what he was playing.

Suggestions are welcome.

Eta: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spicks_and_Specks_(TV_series)

Sounds like a fun game, but I'm no where skilled enough to help with the project! You might do better posting in the composers' forum or the teachers' forum.

I guess what I am chasing is ideas for really catchy tunes with strong choruses.

I'm not sure I understand.
So the 'volunteer' might get a paper that says:
33333335123

go to the keyboard and play that sequence without knowing the rhythm

possibly figure out what it is

listeners guess

?

Hmm! That tune rings a bell!

yes, that is how the game works.

On the show the player would generally start to get it and then be able to add rhythm so that his team members could guess it.

On the show they would have a dodgy non-musical comedian playing the song and they would still get it. My husband and I have been trying it with plain old nursery rhyme songs but failing miserably. I shall endure.

You got it - (Jingle bells is a great sample tune too - universally known)

Why not just copy some if the tunes they have used on the tv show? They obviously work well.

That sounds like a hilarious game. I'd pick things that are well known and can be done without sharps or flats. If you have a Key of C Fake Book it might give you some ideas. Here are a few:

Silent Night
Clementine
How much is that doggy in the window
Star Spangled Banner
Holy Holy Holy
Michael Row the Boat Ashore
On Top of old smoky
Red River Valley
Will the Circle be unbroken
Deck the Halls
Eensy Weensy Spider
I've Been working on the railroad
Kum Bay Yah
On Top of Old Smokey
Shall we gather at the river
Dixie
God Bless America
Yellow Rose of Texas
Battle Hymn of the Republic
Three Blind Mice
Turkey in the Straw
Old Mac Donald
If you're happy and you know it



Members from the Piano Magic site will recognize this list...

If you stick a "0" on the B before middle C

1231 43432 012 332321 repeat