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How To Play: Hall Of Fame by The Script
Background Info
“Hall Of Fame” is a great pop/piano rock song, co-written by The Script and
Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas. It was released on 19 August 2012.
How To Play The Chords
The song is in the key of Bb Major / G Minor, and played in common meter.
The tempo of the song is 85 bpm.
The chord progression of the song is Gm-Eb-Bb-F.
There is a slight variation in the verse, leaving out the Bb chord in the last
progression approaching the chorus.
In our video lesson, you can see that the right hand plays the chords around
the same region so as to avoid unnecessary movement. This concept is
known as economy of movement.
Also, you will notice that the left hand plays one bass note at a time. This is a
great tip for playing in a band situation. As there are other instruments like the
bass playing the low notes, you do not want to play octaves. arpeggios or
even full chords with your left hand, as this might muddy up the overall sound.
When playing the chords, take note of the anticipation of the Eb and the F
chord. (see diagram 1 below) Instead of being played on beat 3, the chords
are played on the ‘+’ of 2.
Diagram 1
1
Gm
+
2
+
Eb
3
+
4
+
1
Bb
+
2
+
F
3
+
4
+
How To Play The Main Riff
The main riff is the instrumental hook of the song. Without it, the song might
never have been a hit. Let’s take a look at what makes it work.
The riff is based off the Gm chord in 2nd inversion (i.e. [D G Bb]), Eb chord in
1st position (i.e. [G Bb Eb]), Bb chord in root position (i.e. [Bb D F]), F chord in
root position (i.e. [F A C]). The riff also makes clever use of arpeggios (the
notes of a chord played individually) and pedal tones (repeated use of notes).
When playing the riff, keep the left hand playing the bass note.
Below is the sheet music for the main riff:
For those of you who are not inclined to reading musical notation, you may play this
series of notes in sixteenths:
|| Bb-A-Bb-G-Bb-D-Bb-G-Bb-G-Eb-G-Bb-G-Eb-Bb | D-Bb-Eb-Bb-F-Bb-C-A-C-F-F’-Bb-C-A-F-C ||
Be sure to reference the video lesson closely to figure out how the series of notes are
played,
How To Play Riff #2
This riff is a simple riff that acts as a counter melody in the 2nd verse and bridge of the
song. In the original, a delay effect is added, giving a sense of echos ringing in the
background as the riff is played.
Below is the sheet music for the main riff:
For those of you who are not inclined to reading musical notation, you may play this
series of notes in octaves:
Bb-A-G, G-A-G, F-F-G-F
Again, be sure to reference the video lesson closely to figure out how the series of notes are
played.
Conclusion
I hope this lesson has helped you to successfully learn the song. It is to be used in conjunction
with the video lesson. The lesson is designed to help you learn to play the riffs in a band setting.
One should adapt it for solo piano if desired.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email us at [email protected]
Thank you!
- Sleeping Ostrich Music