July 13

0 comments

Imagine by John Lennon Arranged for Solo Piano

By Thomas Gunther

July 13, 2019

classic pop piano

You can buy the beautifully written sheet music that includes also chord symbols, fingering, and sustain pedal markings at Sheet Music Direct.

Why I arranged this song

"Imagine" by John Lennon is one of my favorite songs. It shows the genius of John Lennon in every way. Although the lyrics are incredibly deep and important (Lennon actually said that much of the song's lyrics came from his wife, Yoko Ono) , I specifically like his genius use of simple diatonic harmony as the bases of this unforgettable song. Did you know that soon after it was released in 1971, it became one of the most performed songs of the 20th century? It seems like I am not the only one loving it!

Perfect for classically trained Pianists

This solo piano version is perfect for classically trained pianists!
"Imagine" has always been one of my favorite pop ballads. I know classical pianists that would love to play it too. So I decided to write a piano arrangement of it that is tailored specifically towards pianists that are looking for challenging arrangements of famous pop songs notated in great detail.
Although the arrangement does not look or sound very difficult at first glance, to perform it beautifully, I would expect that even more advanced pianists will have to practice it quite a bit.
 I can tell you that I had to put in hours of practicing before I was able to record it to my liking. Of course, I am not specialist in sight-reading music, nor am I performing classical concerts.

Bottom line, should you be a pianist who would like to add a beautiful pop song to your repertory, you may want to give this arrangement a closer look.

Thomas Gunther

About the author

Born and raised in Germany, Thomas Gunther (in Germany known as Thommy Günther) is a versatile internationally active jazz pianist/keyboardist, music producer, and music educator.

Thomas holds a Master’s Degree in Teaching and Performing Jazz and Popular Music from the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart/Germany.
After moving to Chicago, he soon becomes the principal pianist with the Chicago Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Stan Kenton's music arranger/composer William Russo. With this group he had the pleasure of performing with world renown guest artists such as Randy Brecker, Body DiFranco, Archie Sheep, Jon Faddis, Cassandra Wilson, Orbert Davis, etc.
Today he is an integrated part of the Chicago music scene performing with different groups as sideman and leader. He leads the Thomas Gunther Trio Plus, and toured Germany with the Thomas Gunther’s Taste Of Chicago Band. 
He has produced, arranged, and recorded lots of music as a leader and sideman. He also offers music arranging and orchestration services for groups of all sizes, including the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic. Thomas currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at Columbia College Chicago. Find out more about Thomas at https://www.ThomasGunther.com

{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}
>