McBroom's The Rose, not to be confused with our prior ensemble, Rose, is an optional song appropriate for Project 3.
Rosy Musings
The Rose, written by Amanda McBroom and popularized by singer Bette Midler, is associated with the iconic movie about Janis Joplin entitled The Rose. Midler's recording of The Rose hit number 1 on the Cashbox Top 100 and earned her a Grammy for best female pop vocal performance in 1981.
This piece is a slow and lyrical ballad with a well-formed melody and simple chords. Here's the first verse:
Some say love, it is a river That drowns the tender reed Some say love, it is a razor That leaves your soul to bleed
Actor and singer Bette Midler grew up on Oahu, attending Radford High School and UH Manoa.
Study Tips
Melody
The melody of The Rose is mechanically straightforward, but pay attention to counting the rhythm of the tied notes and phrase pickups. Aim for a mellow andante tempo.
Chords
The chord changes are slow-moving and relatively undemanding. In the audio track, I use the down 2x strum, thus leaving ample space for the melody to shine. The p-i-m-a 2X arpeggio also works well by itself or together with the down 2x strum.
Rosy Musings
Study Tips
Melody
Listen to the Track
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