Ben Folds Five - Keyboard Signature Licks [Paperback]

Todd Lowry (Author), Ben Five Folds (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2001 | Series: Signature Licks

This exceptional book/CD pack teaches pianists the techniques and style of this popular piano-based band. It breaks down the trademark riffs and licks for 16 songs from four albums by Ben Folds Five: Alice Childress * Battle of Who Could Care Less * Boxing * Brick * Don't Change Your Plans * Eddie Walker * Evaporated * Kate * The Last Polka * Lullabye * Magic * Mess * Narcolepsy * Philosophy * Song for the Dumped * Underground.

Product Details

• Paperback: 72 pages
• Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0634021478
• ISBN-13: 978-0634021473
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 8.7 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #784,935 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid collection, but a few flaws, December 27, 2002

By 

Mark Lee (New Haven, CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ben Folds Five - Keyboard Signature Licks (Paperback)

First, a warning: the songs in this book are NOT COMPLETELY TRANSCRIBED. Looking for the bridge to "Eddie Walker?" Not in the book; better be able to learn it from ear.

That being said, what is in the book is of high quality. The transcriptions are dead on, and the CD helps get you through the tougher passages like the end of "Philosophy" and the piano solo from "Song For the Dumped." The song selection, while questionable at times ("Mess" but no "Army?" "Evaporated" but no "One Angry Dwarf?" C'mon!), is overall quite good and will satisfy most Ben Folds Five.

But if you're HARD CORE into BFF, you may be better off with album folios, which have complete transcriptions. Still, this is a great book and will occupy hours of piano time. Play like Ben. Impress your friends. Have fun.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An informative introduction to the Ben Folds Five style, September 14, 2005

By 

J. Blackburn (Peterborough, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ben Folds Five - Keyboard Signature Licks (Paperback)

The Signature Licks features songs from all the studio-recorded Ben Folds Five albums, as well as a number which appear on Naked Baby Photos. The contents represent the material well, encompassing the range of musical styles the band has used but focusing on songs in which the piano is the dominant musical elemets. Inevitably, there are omissions, even of songs which showcase Folds' pianistic talents to the full, and as such would merit inclusion, ('Uncle Walter' from the self-titled 'Ben Folds Five', for example).

As its title suggests, the book is more than just a transcription of the piano scores; the major sections of each song are prefaced by commentary outlining musical influences, explanations of lyrical intentions, and technical details regarding performance, including useful and illuminating quotes from Folds. The transcriptions appear to be accurate to the letter, apart from of sections which cannot be easily nor indeed usefully transcribed, such as the end of Philosophy, when Folds is 'striking large clusters of notes'. In suggesting how to play this section, the book suggests 'the palm or side of the hand..an elbow or both elbows. Some pianists have been known to even sit on the keyboard! Hey, whatever works...'

The cd which comes with the book contains recordings of all the material in the book, as 'Full Band' with piano, drums and bass guitar, usefully split across the stereo channels with piano on the right, and drums and bass on the left channel, permitting 'band-style' accompaniment to the piano parts. There are also piano-only slow tempo recordings of notable parts.

Presumably because the book aims to give exposure to techniques and the style of playing, many of the songs do not contain full transcriptions, often merely the first verse, chorus and coda, despite the fact that the piano parts differ substantially in later verses of the song. As such, transcriptions are incomplete at best. One is left wondering quite what the point of learning to play half a song to performance standard is when the rest of the song remains an unexplained mystery. Perhaps you're supposed to work it out for yourself at this stage, which is possible to a degree, but undermines the point of the book, which is to explain these things for you. The separately released piano scores of the individual albums contain the full songs, but this book can only take you the first stage of the way to being able to perform these songs.

That said, the book excels in achieving this less ambitious aim, with useful explanations and crystal-clear transcription. Many of the songs featured are surprisingly playable, indicating that their attractions are often more the result of the enthusiasm of performance than technical complexity, and in encouraging the irreverent attitude to the instrument which Folds embodies, this book is a great aid to those wishing to emulate his unique style.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!, November 3, 2008

By 

Mai A. Koren (Norway) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ben Folds Five - Keyboard Signature Licks (Paperback)

Finally sheet music on popular music that are actually like the original songs! With some practise, you too might sound like the Ben Folds Five. A CD with only the piano parts from the songs is included, and some of the songs have helpful commentaries on how to play them. A very good buy!