It might be impossible to watch Jurassic Park and not have the “Jurassic Park Main Theme” by John Williams stuck in your head. I grew up with the original Jurassic Park movie and I would whistle this theme all the time. I have such powerful feelings of nostalgia surrounding the song and movie in general. That’s why it was a blast to tackle this one! But beyond the fond memories, the song itself, with its melody and harmonic progression, is so beautiful and timeless. Here are a few musical reasons I really wanted to bring this one to you guys:
1. Chromatic play in the melody
The melody, and specifically the most iconic moment of the melody (arguably the beginning of the first measure of this passage), simply outlines the tonic, then the leading tone, then back to the tonic. Honestly it doesn’t get more simple than that, but the way in which John Williams played with and harmonized that theme is masterful. Later towards the end of this passage, we see the same idea, but this time outlining the 4 (from Eb down to D and back up… In the key of Eb that would be the tonic, leading tone, tonic). A great study on simple melodies, which can often be the most profound and powerful.
2. Extended cadenza ending
A truly dramatic and cinematic approach to ending a phrase. Williams extends the ending of this passage across 3-4 measures! Here’s a good lesson on patience and taking your time while still playing in time.
So dive in! Make sure to watch the video while you’re at your piano or keyboard so you can play along with me as I guide you through the lesson. And don’t forget to hit subscribe so you don’t miss any other YouTube videos lessons… I’m now doing 2 new videos a week, EVERY WEEK!
Now it’s your turn to play “Jurassic Park Main Theme”
If you love using your favorite songs to learn the piano, check out “Jurassic Park Main Theme” by John Williams at the Playground Sessions YouTube channel.
If you like what you see you can download our app to learn the rest of this song with our interactive sheet music.
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