95.144Mini-project — full recording-to-piano workflow

Choose a song recording of approximately 3–5 minutes.

Create your own solo-piano arrangement entirely from listening.

Your written notes should include:

• formal roadmap
• meter/pulse/subdivision
• tonal center(s)
• structural melody
• melody scale degrees at important points
• structural bass line
• harmonic rhythm
• functional analysis
• chord symbols
• at least one guide-tone line
• at least one important inner/chromatic line
• groove description
• texture map
• register map
• dynamic/density map
• significant transitions
• intro function
• ending strategy
• at least three signature details worth preserving
• at least three details intentionally omitted
• faithful reduction
• final piano arrangement
• one transformed version using a different groove or reharm approach

Do not begin by searching for a lead sheet.

The whole exercise is hearing architecture.