My Iron Lung: Piano/Vocal/Chords

This collection finally gives pianists direct access to some of Radiohead's most enduring material without having to transcribe or adapt guitar arrangements themselves. The 28-song span captures the full arc of the band's aesthetic, from radio-friendly hooks to intricate layered compositions, offering pianists substantive material that respects both the original emotional weight and the arrangement possibilities of the keyboard. Whether your students are building contemporary repertoire for recitals or exploring how modern songwriting translates across instruments, these transcriptions reward serious musicianship.

These songs carry an intimate quality on piano, stripping away electric production but revealing the core emotional architecture beneath. The arrangements range from sparse, almost bare accompaniments to rich textural passages, often within a single song, creating a sense of vulnerability and introspection that feels natural to the instrument.

This book serves pianists and keyboardists who want to perform contemporary music with sophisticated harmonic content and emotional depth. It also works well for musicians working from lead sheets or chord charts, since the layout includes full lyrics and chord symbols alongside notation. Singers preparing solo or duo arrangements with piano accompaniment will find this especially useful.

• Study the chord symbols alongside the notated melody and accompaniment figures; Radiohead's harmonic language often relies on suspended voicings and modal shifts that read more clearly when you understand the underlying harmony.
• Balance the vocal line against the piano texture rather than treating the vocal as purely foreground. Many of these arrangements distribute the song's emotional content across both hands, making accompaniment choice as interpretive as melody phrasing.
• Lean into dynamic restraint during quieter passages like those in 'Exit Music' and 'Motion Picture Soundtrack.' The impact comes from clarity and space, not volume.
• Use the recorded versions as a reference for phrasing and rubato, but don't feel bound to replicate every electronic texture; piano arrangements invite you to find your own relationship to the material.

Feature individual selections in student recitals or senior showcases to signal that your program values contemporary songwriting alongside classical repertoire. You might also use these as repertoire for student-led collaborative performances, pairing pianists with vocalists or guitarists exploring arrangement variations. Several of these songs work equally well as audition material for jazz or contemporary music programs.

• Interpreting lead sheets with full chord symbols
• Balancing melody and accompaniment texture across both hands
• Understanding modal and suspended harmonic structures
• Adapting electric/electronic arrangements for acoustic keyboard
• Sustaining emotional clarity in sparse textural writing