Simple Solutions Volume 3: Nights & Dreams

Twelve Easy Arrangements for the Intermediate Pianist

PDF Sheet music
Piano solo arrangements by Henrik Kilhamn

CONTENTS

Brahms: Lullaby
Brahms: Intermezzo Op. 117 no. 1
Schumann: Child Falling Asleep
Schumann: Träumerei
Chopin: Nocturne in B-flat minor, Op. 9 no. 1
Chopin: Nocturne in F minor, Op. 55 no. 1
Liszt: Liebestraum No. 3
Liszt: Consolation No. 3
Debussy: Reverie
Debussy: Arabesque No. 1
Rachmaninoff: Elegie
Rachmaninoff: Prelude in C-sharp minor, Op. 3 no. 2

Approximate Grade: 5
Scale 1 - 8: Beginner - Advanced

After the initial two volumes covering “low hanging fruit” of famous slow-paced piano melodies that were ripe for compressing into a Simple Solution, this third volume is more ambitious with a collection of quite substantial pieces! Some of them requires a little bit more movement, especially the Debussy Arabesque and the Rachmaninoff Prelude, but they are still worth making easier by shaving down the top challenges to a much more comfortable piano experience. To balance this up, there are a handful of short and very accessible pieces included in the Brahms Lullaby and the two Schumann movements from Kinderszenen (the Träumerei making an appearance here as well as in Volume 1). After confirming a couple of core pieces, the theme of Nights & Dreams made itself known and I completed the collection choosing two pieces for every represented composer. Brahms and Schumann sings you to sleep with their lullabies; Chopin lingers on the nightly mood in two Nocturnes; Liszt and Debussy have dreams of both tranquil and vivid characters; and finally Rachmaninoff closes the volume with his famous Prelude that is actually inspired by a dream in the first place, and a Nocturne-like mourning Elegie.

Overall, I have aimed for the equivalence of Grade 5 in this volume and have chosen suitable pieces for this level; on a scale of 1 to 8 where 1 is suitable for a beginner and 8 for conservatory level and beyond. However, this is only a reference point and no official grading, and pieces may be experienced subjectively as easier or harder.

PLAYLIST of videos of all arrangements:

ABOUT SIMPLE SOLUTIONS

This is for everyone who loves the great piano repertoire but haven’t (yet) developed the skill required to master it. After all, Beethoven, Chopin, and Debussy wrote music for professional musicians, and it takes many years of studies to achieve a level sufficient to play their pieces as written. However, the musical material can be separated into melody, harmony, rhythms, and textures, and in some cases simplified while preserving the core ideas. This is what I have done in these arrangements of some of the most beloved piano melodies by the great composers. In this easier setting, you will instead have enough time on your hands (literally!) to bring the music to life and care about those aspects that often otherwise come second: phrasing, articulation, dynamics, and balance. This will help you develop your over-all musicality, which will be of great value in all other pieces as well.

I believe you have the right to enjoy playing this great music with your own hands, even when the original writing is beyond your present level or would require too much time and effort. In the end, if you feel ready for a challenge and want to go forward with proper piano studies that require years of practice—the originals are always there. In the meantime, these arrangements will bring you close to the same enjoyment, because all musical ideas are carefully conserved.

They are just a little bit easier.

KEY SIGNATURES

The whole volume comes in two versions: with arrangements both transposed to easier key signatures as well as kept in their the original keys. The "Easy Keys" transposed version is recommended for the most comfortable Simple Solutions experience. It's much easier to read notes without many sharps or flats, which frees up a lot of attention for all other musical aspects only at a cost if you have perfect pitch. The version in original key serves the purpose of constituting a proper stepping stone if you wish to continue with the full original later on, whithout having to unlearn all harmony because it was in the wrong key.

Also, check out:
Simple Solutions Volume 1 (Elementary ~ Grade 3): https://sonatasecrets.gumroad.com/l/SSE-vol1
Simple Solutions Volume 2 (Intermediate ~ Grade 5): https://sonatasecrets.gumroad.com/l/SSE-vol2