The Diary of Alicia Keys [Paperback]

Alicia Keys (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2004

Alicia's Diary, the sophomore follow-up to her red hot Songs in A Minor, features 16 stunningly crafted neo-soul numbers: Diary * Dragon Days * Feeling U, Feeling Me (Interlude) * Harlem's Nocturne * Heartburn * If I Ain't Got You * If I Were Your Woman/Walk on By * Karma * Nobody Not Really * Samsonite Man * Slow Down * So Simple * Wake Up * When You Really Love Someone * You Don't Know My Name.

Product Details

Sample Music Notation [24kb PDF]

• Paperback: 114 pages
• Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation (March 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0634077643
• ISBN-13: 978-0634077647
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #878,999 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I Had High Hopes, May 14, 2007

By 

Kaitlin Blank "Katie" (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Diary of Alicia Keys (Paperback)

I'd purchased this songbook with high hopes based on the only reviews I could find (on the UK version of Amazon). I love Alicia Keys, and based on her wonderful piano accomplishments, I was eager to get this songbook. I am a vocalist and novice piano player, and there's nothing I love more than a challenging accompaniment to sing along to. Unfortunately, a majority of the songs have the melody written for the Treble Clef (right hand). I understand that it is most likely that way for singability, but I would find the piano part much more pleasurable in its original form. It is my pet peeve among common music songbooks.

Luckily, when there are no singing bits, take "Harlem's Nocturne" for example, you will find that the piano part is rather close to the original. I am also pleased with the guitar chords written in addition to a separate staff for vocal parts. Everything was clear and easy to read/comprehend.

One note! Several of these songs have been transposed for easier playability. I personally tend to prefer the original key, but that usually doesn't stop me. The changes include:

-Harlem's Nocturne (G# minor transposed down half-step)
-If I Was Your Woman (Eb minor transposed up half-step)
-Diary (G# minor transposed up half-step)
-Feeling U, Feeling Me (G# minor transposed up half-step)
-Samsonite Man (G# minor transposed up half-step)

Maybe this songbook needs time to grow on me, or maybe my expectations are too high. I'll continue to love Alicia Keys, regardless that this songbook isn't one that stands out the most to me.