When you watch a really good movie, the story, the acting, the direction everything stays with you for a long while. Even the soundtrack or background score of a movie, it really sticks with you long after you’ve left the theater. Now as a music enthusiast you’ve obviously tried to copy these tracks on your piano, but it is easier said than done.

The notes might look easy enough but are actually pretty complex and difficult to reproduce on the piano. Also as a musician, playing a wide range of different notes and tunes increases your versatility. But the big question is – what to play? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Given below is a list of soundtracks that would sound magical on the piano:

man playing the grand piano
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia

Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Gregson-Williams, 2005

The movie adaption of the bestseller Narnia series by C.S. Lewis was a super hit at the theatres. A fantasy children film, this was an instant hit among the audience because of its amazing direction and acting, but what stands out even more is the movie’s soundtrack!

Each song was beautifully recorded and can be enjoyed separately as well. It represents hope and imagination in the minds of the audience and is a wonderful mix of classical and contemporary music. The juxtaposition of the slow and fast beats would sound magical on the piano.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Howard Shore

Again a blockbuster movie adaption of the masterpiece by J R R Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings has a hauntingly beautiful background score and soundtrack; the music is so very addictive it plays in your head in an infinite loop!

The iconic scenes and larger than life setting of the story is further enhanced by the magical soundtrack, a mix of folk and classical music. The soundtrack effectively complements the many epic scenes and is in sync with the theme of the movie. It features many songs and tunes that would sound really fabulous on the piano.

Harry Potter series, John Williams

You know you’re a Potterhead when just listening to the theme music is enough to cause Goosebumps all over your body! The Harry Potter movies are instantly recognizable by the classic Hedwig theme at the beginning of the movies. Nominated for a Grammy’s award, the composer Williams of Star Wars fame is a known figure in the music industry.

Girl sitting at the piano playing.
Image Courtesy of Flickr

An adaption from the international bestseller series by J K Rowling by the same name, Harry Potter has become almost symptomatic of our childhood. Recreate the magical world of Hogwarts this Christmas by reproducing the timeless Hedwig theme tune on the piano!

Slumdog Millionaire, A R Rahman, 2008

A movie that efficiently depicts the reality of life and the overall prevailing theme of poverty, where a young boy from the slums finds his own fairy tale, the Slumdog Millionaire is a brilliant story about hope. And the soundtrack does complete justice to the theme of the movie.

Fun, fast, and catchy the songs are essentially Bollywood-ish in nature. The brilliant Oscar wining composition by the world renowned A R Rahman adds on to the charm. A very upbeat and youthful soundtrack, it would sound quite peppy and fun on the piano!

The movie was incredible and real unlike these other fantasy movies and stories such as Harry Potter who really are not that substantial. This movie was real and incredible and brought us a closer look inside India.

The soundtrack was amazing and beautiful. The soundtrack has some astonishing songs on them that can motivate people to work hard and work as a team. A R Rahman’s music correlating with this movie was phenomenal.

My Heart will Go On, Titanic

A masterpiece by James Cameroon but a movie that has declined with time (there are people who say the ship sunk differently as well), the Titanic is a timeless classic among movie lovers around the world! And the soundtrack by James Horner makes it even more memorable!

lady playing the piano
Image Courtesy of Flickr

Performed by Celine Dion, this song has been one of the most romantic and popular numbers among the audience. The tune, the notes, the lyrics and the vocals…everything about this song is just perfect! An amazing piece to play at a party or a get together, it offers the pianist a lot of scope for improvisation.

Celine Dion did a fantastic job but unfortunately Titanic is another anti-business movie by the socialist James Cameroon. We saw the same thing in Avatar which was even anti US military.

Celine Dion’s voice is like hearing an angel sing and her music is amazing when played by a pianist.

The Pink Panther Theme

The Pink Panther movies and animations have a trademark theme music that can be almost instantly recognizable! Originally written by Henry Mancini for the 1963 movie The Pink Panther, it has now become one of the most popular soundtracks among the audience.

Peppy, catchy, and playful, the theme tune has a very unique mix of notes and harmonies that only adds on to the charm. Playing this unconventional musical piece is no piece of cake; it requires a lot of time and effort. But once you’ve perfected it, the soundtrack sounds marvelous on a piano.

Featured Image: Image Credit

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An 80-year-old couple recorded a piano duet version of the ‘Up’ soundtrack to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary and we’re in bits

piano soundtracks 1In case it’s not seared on your memory, here’s the opening sequence of ‘Up’
Sorry for giving you all the emotions.

Michael Giacchino’s music is a large part of the reason our heart is on the floor in tiny little pieces.

And now… meet the grandparents of YouTuber Jason Lyle Black, a YouTuber.
They’ve been together for 60 years

And throughout those six decades, they’ve always played piano duets together
So to mark the occasion Jason arranged Michael Giacchino’s music for ‘Up’ for piano duet and filmed his grandpa and grandma playing it together. Via Classicfm

 

BREATH OF THE WILD’S SOUNDTRACK MAKES HEAVY USE OF PIANO AND ENVIRONMENTAL SOUNDS

piano soundtracks 3Breath of the Wild carries on the Zelda series’ tradition of outstanding music, but with a unique approach. According to the demos we saw from Treehouse Live, Breath of the Wild’s soundtrack will make extensive use of minimalistic piano music and environmental sounds. As Link explores the Great Plateau and beyond, players will hear ambient sounds such as birds, wind, crickets, and the like. But every so often, a soft piano theme may play, soothing players as they leisurely explore the world. Even in more exciting moments, such as when Link first steps out to see the open world, the music escalates only to crescendo into a distinct piano melody. Via Zelderinformer

 

A Harry Potter fan has turned John Williams’ soundtrack into a Chopin-esque piano fantasy

piano soundtracks 2

A YouTuber has created an enchanting piano fantasy on Hedwig’s Theme from the Harry Potter films – and it could have been written by one of the great Romantic composers

YouTuber and Harry Potter fan Marioverehrer has created a set of variations on the now iconic ‘Hedwig’s Theme’ that was first heard in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone .
Here’s the whole beautiful piece:

Via Classicfm