Summertime
Summertime is a song from the opera Porgy and Bess, composed by George Gershwin with libretto by DuBose Heyward. It's been performed by lots of folks, most famously by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. I highly recommend listening to their version, and keep an ear out for other versions of this song in other pop music. Gershwin's goal in composing this opera and his other most famous work Rhapsody in Blue was to take jazz "off the streets" and put it on the traditionally classical stage.
It's a slow summer jazz ballad, in no hurry to get anywhere, with a beautiful bittersweet melody. Here's a spotify link to Louis and Ella's version.
Easy version:
starts in middle A hand position, which means your right hand thumb is on A and your middle finger is on middle C
whole thing
pieces:
horse
donkey
horse
cow
Medium version:
starts in A minor 5 finger scale, LH pinky on bass A and RH thumb on treble A
RH only
both hands
Hard version:
starts in A minor 5 finger scale, LH pinky on bass A and RH thumb on treble A
RH only
both hands
slow cow (last section)
It's a slow summer jazz ballad, in no hurry to get anywhere, with a beautiful bittersweet melody. Here's a spotify link to Louis and Ella's version.
Easy version:
starts in middle A hand position, which means your right hand thumb is on A and your middle finger is on middle C
whole thing
pieces:
horse
donkey
horse
cow
Medium version:
starts in A minor 5 finger scale, LH pinky on bass A and RH thumb on treble A
RH only
both hands
Hard version:
starts in A minor 5 finger scale, LH pinky on bass A and RH thumb on treble A
RH only
both hands
slow cow (last section)