Handful of Keys, by Fats Waller

This piece, like much of Fats' work, is a testament to his compositional and technical brilliance in the stride genre. I learned it from both sheet music (transcribed by pianist Paul Posnak) and by listening to the various versions he recorded, but I could practice it for another year and still not play it as effortlessly as he did. I hope you enjoy.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Fats
• Waller
• Handful
• of
• Keys
• Kylan
• stride
• piano
• jazz
• ragtime
• art
• tatum
• foundring
• oscar
• peterson
• keith
• jarrett
• bud
• powell
• dick
• hyman
• ahmad
• jamal
• bill
• evans
• scott
• joplin
• jelly
• rolly
• morton
• earl
• hines
• eddie
• heywood
• billy
• taylor
• teddy
• wilson
• albert
• ammons
• meade
• lux
• lewis
• duke
• ellington
• count
• basie
• james
• johnson
• herbie
• hancock
• chick
• corea
• bernard
• peiffer

[ZingZee123456789]

interesting interpretation. But I dont think it holds a candle to the original.Left hand was kind of mushy in the beginning. Couldn't make out the notes in some places. And I see you didn't play a single tenth......They're tough, I know. But overall this was good.

[foundring]

@ZingZee123456789 no one can come close to playing this the way the composer did, and yep my left hand is weak (had been playing stride for only about a year or two when I recorded this).

But I'm *definitely* playing 10ths throughout this, you can see them in the video and hear them as well, not sure how you missed them.

[ZingZee123456789]

@foundring

Ok..but you were definitely rolling ur tenths, (I could see and hear them being rolled) so I don't think that counts. But ,to ur credit, your left hand was very clean when the melody went up an octave and when u were playing the collapsing thirds. You should check out my recording of Fat's "California Here I Come". Im working on the "Handful" now and will probly have it posted in a couple months.

[foundring]

@ZingZee123456789 Ok yes I didn't realize you meant that, yeah I do roll some of the 10ths (not all of them!). Part of the reason was I was still new to this type of music, and part is because my hands simply aren't big enough for some of the 10ths, like the Eb to G in this song.

So yeah, thanks for your comments and send me a link of your video when you post it.

[ehfuckit]

good stuff. and nice nick drake shirt.

[foundring]

@ehfuckit good eye! nick drake is amazing.

[SuburbanDon]

I wish I could do that. What else would matter ?

[davidjohan99]

Great..really loved it !!!...maybe not quite the most accurate fingering but played with energy feel & enthusiasm.....unlike Stephanie Keys version which no doubt is more technically accurate but sounds dull & soulless, rather like a player piano in fact!....Keep rolling those tenths...I have to do that too...same prob...need longer fingers! :-)

[GABYCONSTANZA]

Bravo !! You must live a fun life!!! :)

[MrJeaye]

Ostracize the nay-sayers and enjoy the music. I think you did a great job, sir. There's always room for improvement, but it looks like you had fun. Well done.

[JohnBiz1992]

@foundring Good! Very good man!!!! :)

This is a very difficult piano music... you're great!!! :)

[thespianalb]

Good God I love you more every time I watch this!! Will you marry me? I am gay so we would have to get married in NY

[drashfield]

MAAA-CHIIINNNEE