July 13

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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.

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Thomas Gunther

About the author

Thomas Gunther, also known as Thommy Günther in Germany, is a highly versatile jazz pianist, keyboardist, music producer, and educator with international recognition. He was born and raised in Germany, where he earned a Master’s Degree in Teaching and Performing Jazz and Popular Music from the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart.

After relocating to Chicago, Thomas quickly became the principal pianist for the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, which is directed by the esteemed music arranger and composer William Russo. In this role, he had the opportunity to collaborate with renowned artists such as Randy Brecker, Body DiFranco, Archie Shepp, Jon Faddis, Cassandra Wilson, and Orbert Davis.

Currently, Thomas is an integral part of the Chicago music scene, performing with various groups both as a sideman and as a leader. He heads the Thomas Gunther Trio Plus and has toured Germany with the Thomas Gunther’s Taste Of Chicago Band. In addition to his performance career, he has produced, arranged, and recorded a substantial body of work, serving both in leadership roles and as a collaborator.

Thomas also provides music arranging and orchestration services for ensembles of all sizes, including contributions to the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic. As an educator, he shares his expertise as an Adjunct Professor at Columbia College Chicago. For more information about Thomas, visit https://www.ThomasGunther.com.

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