Clapton - Wonderful Tonight

Background

Eric Clapton wrote this song for his (then) wife Pattie Boyd.
The lyrics are useful for making sense of the rhythms in the piano arrangement.
Here they are:

It's late in the evening; she's wondering what clothes to wear.
She puts on her make-up and brushes her long blonde hair.
And then she asks me, "Do I look all right?"
And I say, "Yes, you look wonderful tonight."

We go to a party and everyone turns to see
This beautiful lady that's walking around with me.
And then she asks me, "Do you feel all right?"
And I say, "Yes, I feel wonderful tonight."

I feel wonderful because I see
The love light in your eyes.
And the wonder of it all
Is that you just don't realize how much I love you.

It's time to go home now and I've got an aching head,
So I give her the car keys and she helps me to bed.
And then I tell her, as I turn out the light,
I say, "My darling, you were wonderful tonight.
Oh my darling, you were wonderful tonight."

Pupil Match & Suitability

The appeal of this arrangement will be wide ranging, although possibly less popular with younger children.

The opportunity to play a piece which is 'famous' always appeals. However it is not easy at this level, mostly on account of the textures which are very satisfying but do demand a lot of detailed playing - at one point in four parts.

This would not be a suitable piece for a student who finds it difficult to co-ordinate rhythmically different parts.

Style & Tempo

The style of the original piece is that of a nostalgic ballad. It is a love song with a memorable lyrical line.

The pace needs to be very much like the actual song. Here it is by the composer, Eric Clapton:

Final Performance

An sensitively phrased performance of this piece.