Simpedia

Cate R., Western Australia

Australian “Waterfall Song”; also known as the Chocolate Song by the original composer.

It was taught here in Perth as the “Waterfall Song” but it is actually called “the Chocolate song” by the gentleman who pieced it together. Gary Bailey – A Perth piano tuner and owner of a Piano retail store here in Perth came up with the idea with the help of another piano teacher. His daughter came home from school with the melody which was meant to be the tune from a Ferro Rocher chocolate add at the time. He put the chords to it and came up with three parts – accompaniment, melody and a third countermelody (which I haven’t been able to get from him yet). His piano teacher friend had some of her students perform it as a trio at an eisteddfod with one performer entering and playing the accompaniment, the next entering and throwing some chocolates out to the audience and then joining in with the melody and then the third entering and playing the countermelody (and throwing out some chocolates:) Gary plays the piece with multiple improvised variations when he tunes people’s pianos.

Most people play it as a duet – Gary’s original accompaniment was LH bass note on beat 1 and RH chord broken up on +2+ – played two times on each chord and 4 times on E. (Just like Heart and Soul)

I teach my students the accompaniment, then the melody in just their RH and then get them to put it hands together with varying degrees of difficulty.

Judy M., Arizona

Here is the YouTube link.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=symposium+dinner+at+cosmopolitan+hotel&aq=f
It is titled Symposium Dinner at Cosmopolitan Hotel. Enjoy.

Marty S., Missouri

Jana and any other teachers interested,
I attempted to create a “reading based” version of Australian Waterfall last year after the International Symposium in San Diego. Here is my version! Hope you can understand it. Anyone is welcome to email me off the ECL if you have any questions.

A Thai N., California

My students and I did our version of “Australian Waterfall” this past summer. I wanted to put this out a while back but was reluctant because the tempo was faster than I had in mind and I wasn’t happy with my guitar sound. Oh well… hopefully it’ll spark some ideas for you.
http://dancingkeys.com/australian-waterfall.html