Parachutes

Limited Edition. Contains a Bonus CD that Includes 'help is Round the Corner,' 'for You (B-side)' and 'careful Where You Stand (B-side).'
Customer Review: Umpteenth Import "Parachutes" CD: Bonus Tracks Deliver!
Hard to believe, but it's been a good four years since the original release of Coldplay's debut album in the UK (the US release would follow in Nov. 2000), and as the phenom called Coldplay is getting bigger and bigger, it's now clear that "Parachutes" is a classic, in every sense of the word. By now, the original 10 tracks of the album all have become so instantly familiar, yet never tiresome. There is of course "Yellow", the US break-through single but for me probably the weakest track on the set. Check out instead "Shiver", "Don't Panic" (with the immortal line "We Live in a Beautiful World"), "Trouble" and Sparks", 4 other singles from the album (all of them still available on Amazon). This import version of "Parachutes" (13 tracks, 49 min.) comes with 3 additional tracks on a separate CD: "Help is 'Round the Corner", which is a b-side from the "Yellow" single, and then also "Careful Where You Stand" and "For You", both of which are the b-sides from the "Shiver" single. All the bonus tracks are from around the same time as the "Parachutes" recording sessions, and are a great fit with the original tracks of the album. Who knows whether the next Coldplay album (rumored for Sprong 2005) will be any good, but for sure it's gonna be a monster, and Coldplay is well on its way to be the next U2. Meanwhile, enjoy the humble and intimate debut album which I dare say Chris and the boys will never surpass.
Customer Review: Parachutes lands with out a hitch
The new found sons of Brit Pop have come up with a gem of a debut album with Parachutes. From the moment the album is placed in the stereo it seems to flow timelessly from great track to great track. Parachutes has a great slow melodic feel to it that can just set you into a really good mood, but on occasion it ups the pace and you find yourself unkowingly bobbing your head and humming in time. I originally owned the regular Parachutes album but I gave it to my girlfriend as I had no money and I needed a good gift for her. A friend of mine knowing I really liked the album found the box set and ordered it for me. The Box set is by far the best album purchase I have made since Pinkfloyds Shine On Box set. The little extras that it contains just serve to make an already complete album brilliant. I would recommend this album to any one who hasn't yet experienced Coldplay or even if you own Parachutes, the singles in the Box set still make it a worthy buy.

Ah… the arpeggio. A miracle of cascading notes that produces a beautiful sound on the piano. To most it's a mystery how it's created. But to those who understand chords, it's just a matter of practicing until the pattern is mastered.

Now, the arpeggio can be used either in the right or left hand (or both together) but it's usually the left-hand that takes up this amazing technique. Let's look at how one might use an extended arpeggio pattern to create an improvisation.

The first thing you need to know about most left-hand arpeggios is that they usually start below the middle of the keyboard. Most pianists begin their run below middle C and there's a good reason for this - bass notes!

Those thunderous resonant bass sounds that reverberate in the body are hit and the piano comes alive!

Now, you have to be careful here because if you hit too many bass notes together the effect can end up sounding "muddy." That is, you won't be able to differentiate the notes and you'll end up having sonic sludge. But, if you spread out the first few notes this won't happen. That's why the open position chord is perfect to begin your left-hand arpeggio. For example, let's say you want to play a C Major 9 arpeggio.

Of course, you'll begin with the C note (which is also the root note.) Now, we could play the third (e) but if we do, chances are we'll end up with that "muddy" effect. No, A better way is to play the fifth followed by either the octave or the seventh tone.

What I like to do is play a pattern that looks like this: 1-5-8-9-3 - which means I'm playing these notes: c-g-c-d-e. This pattern produces a beautiful "new age" sound and is used frequently in New Age piano playing.

For example, look at the lesson "Coming Home." Here we play an extended arpeggio in the left hand and use over 2 octaves of the keyboard. It's quite an exercise and is a good one to get your left hand moving!

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Visit http://www.quiescencemusic.com now and get a FREE piano lesson!

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