Abba's comeback has struck me!

Don't Shut Me Down - my piano version purely by ear... (I know, not specifically fitting the arranger topic)

Yesterday I recorded the other song. a much quieter piano tune…

Well done Rachel !!

Nicely done Keep up the good work !!

I am happy as well to see the comeback of one of my all time favorite bands

Nice, not a favorite group of mine but good job and sometimes its good to go back to just piano.

Thank you both. Voulez-vouz was the first music tape I had as a child in 1979. In the late 80s and early 90s Abba was quite a part of my repertoire when occasionally playing live music on family celebrations. For many years, I haven‘t listened to them any more, and it‘s usually not played in the radio any more, at least not by radio stations playing pop & rock.
But this resurrection of their sound in the form of two new songs is just magical and unreal. 40 years later…

Nice playing, and I'm impressed you did it by ear. I am working both on my piano playing and ear training as well. Hopefully I'll be able to do what you do someday. At least I have fun trying! I enjoy ABBA 's sound and it seems like they have maintained their popularity over these many years. Thanks for sharing.

Way to Go, KIDDO!


R.

Music to see the rest of the world; beautiful.

Feeling --- feeling --- feeling, thank you, John C.

Thank you very much again. I‘ve always liked figuring out harmonies by ear and don‘t have any sheet music for a lot of pop music. Also some soundtrack tunes. But I think it can be trained to a good degree.

I agree that the ear can be trained. Some people just get frustrated thinking you have to have perfect pitch or it's a God given talent. I know my aural skills have gotten much better over the years through some very deliberate practice/ ear-training.

Hi Rachel,


That was an excellent recreation of ABBA's newest hit that you played by the ear!
Very melodious and impressive.

Thanks for sharing!

MIDIspot has just released a MIDI file for the GENOS on Don't Shut Me Down.

ABBA is making a grand comeback. Here is their 1 hour live stream of ABBA Voyage explaining how they would deliver the live experience to their audience with digital avatars.

They are building a special arena in London just for this event.

I saw about the digital avatars… To be honest, I’m rather disappointed. Are we so youth obsessed that we are no longer willing to try making and selling music the way we actually look?

Thank God Keith Richards hasn’t done this yet!

Tapas, thanks a lot.
Diki, I think this is a very special unique case, there has never ever been a legendary band before that had a 40 years break and then released new music. The Stones are not comparable. Under these special circumstances I can understand they are doing it this way. And they don‘t hide what they look like today.

Hi Rachael,

It looks like you may be one of the first few in the world to recreate ABBA's two latest hits on the piano and share your performance on YouTube.

Here is Rico's energetic and highly entertaining cover of Don't Me Shut Down on the Roland G70/Yamaha GENOS.

Here is a another joyful and fantastic vocal cover by Emilia Sjöholm. Her enthusiam and happiness is so infectious.

Here is another wonderful vocal cover by Hannah Goodall.

The messsage is so positive and powerful.

There are 8 billion of us on this planet. What if we could all unite with one voice and share our happiness and joy in all different ways we can through all avenues we excel in? There is so much talent so much potential that lies hidden. If some day by some magical force we get to focus this power we can move mountains, we can bring heaven on earth.

Actually I have not once in my life bought or downloaded any midi file for playing along. If I use sequencer files, I create them myself. I have started creating a sequencer file of Don't Shut Me Down, again by ear. This is a teaser of it, not yet complete nor perfect, just a start... I had to fiddle around editing this lead synth sound so that it has this portato/legato bend effect.

Wow Rachael,

That sounded marvelous!

You are a gifted musician. It requires talent and training to play a song by the ear and then create a MIDI sequence for it fleshing out a multi-track backing accompaniment.

Your performance just brightened up my day.

Looking forward to your finished song.

David

Yes, I agree with David and it sounds like an interesting project doing the music ABBA instrumentally . Learning their music in such detail, especially by ear , will give you greater insight on how they constructed their music. Best wishes to you on this endeavor.

Thank you for your nice words! Yes, it‘s a nice way to learn about arrangements and how a typical sound is created.

I don‘t know when I will continue this. Lots of doctors‘ visits with my 93-y-old mom etc. at the moment, it may take a while…

Crossover, if you are enjoying what you are doing,
nothing else is very important.

John C.

Finally, after a medical prodecure in Belgium and lots of other business, I'm having time for Abba again.
Just recorded the second fast strings track to my by-ear sequencer version:

Glad you’re getting back you’re project . Sounds really good, but personally I’d like more volume on the drums.

Thank you. You‘re right, it‘s not well balanced yet, I deliberately highlighted the strings part in this recording, it has to be adjusted.

Here's one of the newest songs, Keep an Eye on Dan, just released a few days ago. I took notes by ear today and recorded a spontaneous piano version. I like the end, innuendo to "SOS"

Also not the biggest fan of Abba, but Rachel, your piano playing performance was amazing on songs that are not that easy. Good job.

Very talented with the extraordinary ability to play by ear - from me an ex Abba Tribute Band keyboard player.

Crossover is a talent to herself. I am not familiar with ABBA, but her playing and her posts are unique. They add flavor to our forum.

Memorizing songs for me is a must. You can’t read and play your best until the song becomes part of you. That means memorizing; the same with the lyrics.

Crossover, please to post and play.

Oh, and yes, add a smile on occasions, John C. (smile)

Once again, thanks a lot for your very kind and motivating words.
John, you're certainly right about the importance of memorizing songs.

Hard to imagine how anyone could have missed them in the 70’s! Yes, this go round seems to mostly enthuse old fans, but once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, they really were the biggest band in the universe! ♥️🎹😎

Diki, when you reach 90, there many things you do not remember. During the 70's my band was booked at weddings and parties -- three to four jobs each week. Big band, Latin, sing-a-long, and some disco and some rock.

As one of our members said: "I did not know how good I was until I got older."
John C.

Maybe it’s a US thing, but if you didn’t play some ABBA in the UK in the 70’s, you didn’t get a gig!

They are my guilty pleasure, and I still think Dancing Queen is arguably the most perfectly crafted pop tune of all time… ♥️🎹😎

„When you danced with me“ is arranged in Irish folk style. Some say it‘s a bit „generic“ - maybe, I‘d say it‘s typical of 1970s Abba. Probably too simple for listeners who are used to today‘s pop music.
I made a simple cover without automatic rhythm or sequencer tracks, but preferred to reduce it to 100% live playing.
The bagpipes and Celtic flute are from Roland SRX 06 Complete Orchestra expansion (via SonicCell).

Nice flow and solid LH.

Thanks, but it was too fast and the rhythm really missing.
I made another version, creating some sequencer tracks. I'm at least happy with the bagpipes part now.

It’s nice to have this opportunity to watch you playing here, you’re doing it very well. I’m yet to listen carefully these new songs by ABBA, so far I only know them by your covers :-)

“The winners takes it all”, “Fernando”, “Happy New Year”, “Money, money”, “Gimme, gimme” are the songs I count on when I’m to entertain the crowd, I also like very much “If I thought you’d ever change your mind” covered by Agnetha Fältskog; perhaps I’m not ready to compare what ABBA offers today with these well-known songs, but once I’m open minded enough I’ll give it a try.

I’d say it is precious that these new songs inspire you to record your own renditions so quickly, in my case it’s been a while since I was to motivated by some new music.

Thanks! I guess instrumental covers like these mostly make sense to the listener only when they know the original. Recognition and imagination of the original vocals play a big role.
I didn't know the cover song by Agnetha you mentioned.
Regarding the question of comparing the old classical Abba songs with the new ones, I think a comparison is difficult. Some critics wrote the new album was "ghost music" like coming from 1983 - but others say, no, it actually does NOT sound like Abba 1983, and I think they are right. Not just due to the riper voices, also the arrangements and melodies of most songs are somehow a bit more abstract, less simple and straight-forward than those classics. But I think this is a natural consequence of the 40 years that passed. The typical Abba sound, especially in the segments of multi-voice overdubbed vocals, is there, and it's still a miracle to me.

You really nailed it!!!! (Perfect) I love when someone desires Improvement and perfection in one's talents. Your Hard work and Love of Music stands out. It Inspires others. Thank You Harold USA (Pennsylvania). Plus I love Irish Music....

Thanks a lot, I‘m happy you find it inspiring!