Short Description: The sheet music is an arrangement of "Summertime" (George Gershwin) for simplified piano solo, with fingerings
Licensed Territory: worldwide
Instrumentation: Piano solo, simplified
Music by: George Gershwin
Level: 1 (of 5)
Pages: 2
Order No. 101-375-8006d
Guarantee: yes
Video: Please click on the video icon above!
Songfacts:
The piano notes are easy to play. Fingerings are included. Listen to the audio file above.
What you can learn by using these notes:
- to play a simple single-line melody in the right hand and to accompany it in two patterns in the left hand: 1. two-part "lullaby motif", 2. eighth-note accompaniment motif ("Alberti bass").
Since its composition in 1935, Summertime has become the most covered jazz and pop standard. Why? The song thrives on the contrast between its carefree lyrics (a lullaby describing the lighthearted world of summer) and its rather sad and wistful melody. Originally, the song was part of the musical *Porgy and Bess*, where it is sung four times, always shortly before a death. Also noteworthy is the simple, largely pentatonic melody, which is well-suited to a lullaby. In several ways, the song caters to the longing for a better, more perfect world. As of 2012, 32,385 recordings of cover versions of this song had been documented. The first version to reach the charts was Billie Holiday's from 1936. Almost all the jazz greats (e.g., Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Sidney Bechet, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson, whose version is also available at jazzinotes, etc.), but also The Beatles, Sam Cooke, Billy Stewart (scat version!), Booker T., Janis Joplin, Tori Amos, and Gene Harris (the latter also available at jazzinotes) have covered the song. In short: Summertime is the most interpreted song of all time.
A brief word about the composer: George Gershwin (1898–1937) lived between the worlds of popular song (he worked as a pianist for a publishing house, where he had to promote its pieces to bandleaders and theater agents, after which he began composing for Broadway himself), the symphony orchestra (initially, partners orchestrated his pieces, later he increasingly did this himself and also began composing for symphony orchestras), and jazz combos and big bands. Particularly with regard to Porgy and Bess, he engaged intensively with the musical world of African Americans and even stipulated contractually that his major work could only be performed on stage by Black singers.
Transposition:
We can transpose this score for you. This is how it works:
1. Order it in the original version.
2. Order our article Transposition A.
3. Send an informal email to info@jazzinotes.com (subject: “Transposition”). In the text of the email please indicate the title of the original as well as the key desired.
You’ll receive the transposition within a couple of days as a pdf-file you can open using your password for the original version.