Hamilton - Vocal Selections

I've been eagerly awaiting the vocal selections since I first saw "Hamilton" last August, and for the most part it does not disappoint. 17 songs are included in their full, uncut performance versions with all solo and ensemble vocals. The piano arrangements (by composer Lin-Manuel Miranda and the show's brilliant musical director, Alex Lacamoire) effectively track the show's orchestrations and are not for beginners but also not beyond a good sight-reader. Note that the piano part is accompaniment, not meant for a solo - so you can either sing along (out loud or in your head), have someone else sing, or just play the vocal line in place of the right-hand arrangement.I do feel some letdown at the songs that are not included, most particularly the Act One closer "Non-Stop," the Act Two closer "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story," "The Story of Tonight," and the eminently singable "Say No To This." (Some of the other omissions are more understandable, as they rely more on rhythm than orchestration and would be difficult to transcribe.) And it would have been nice to include a few production photographs at the front (for a dazzling array of those, you'll have to pick up Hamilton: The Revolution). But what's here is so good that it's hard to quibble, and I know I will enjoy many hours at the piano recreating my experience of this astonishing musical.The songs included are:Alexander HamiltonMy ShotThe Schuyler SistersYou'll Be BackHelplessSatisfiedWait For ItThat Would Be EnoughHistory Has Its Eyes On YouDear TheodosiaWhat'd I MissThe Room Where It HappensWashington On Your SideOne Last TimeHurricaneBurnIt's Quiet Uptown

Perfect birthday present for my son that's a huge Hamilton fan.

Our family is completely caught up in Hamilton fever. Sing-a-longs on the to school, combing YouTube for any new clip of the show, etc. If your family is similarly afflicted, you know what I mean.Both our girls play piano, and both are bothered when piano scores are "dumbed down" in any way: arranged to be easier, or (gasp) in the wrong key.No problem with this book. All the included songs are completely accurate, including vocal parts.Be aware, though, that these are a piano accompaniments, just as they are in the show. These are not piano "covers," which have more melody; some of these are amazing (and you can find them on YouTube), but not what is in this book.

It's difficult to transcribe rap for piano, but Lin Manuel and Alex Lacamoire have done it. I pre-ordered this, and I'm quite disgusted that the price went down nine dollars since I ordered it. The more melodic pieces, such as Helpless, Dear Theodosia, and Burn are transcribed beautifully as piano accompaniment (without the melody worked into the accompaniment.) with a vocal line. The selection is fantastic, although it is missing Say No to This, another one of the more melodic songs from the show. This book will make a valuable contribution to the sheet music library of any musician.

Rating this five stars for the content, but a warning: DO NOT purchase the Kindle version of this. I don't even know why it's offered. I bought it because I thought it would save me a few dollars under the (very mistaken) assumption that there would be some way to read this music in a way to play the piano parts from it. However, on screens larger than a phone, the sheet music is VERY blurry, and I can't find any way to make it both large and clear. I can't play piano parts from my phone without hunching over and squinting, and I can't play them from a larger screen like a tablet because they're much too blurry.I suppose there may be some method that I'm simply unaware of, but as far as I can tell, the Kindle edition of this songbook is completely and utterly useless, a waste of my $10.If you love Hamilton and want to have the official sheet music, definitely make this purchase. The hard copy is, I'm sure, absolutely worth the money. But unless I'm missing something important in how to use Kindle editions of books, DO NOT buy the Kindle version.If anyone who sees this knows of a way I can access the digital book in a way that is conducive to performing, please kindly let me know.

All in all, Hamilton - Vocal Selections is a great purchase. It comes with 17 songs from the musical, all very well arranged and easily playable.One thing of note: although other reviews are saying you will get the "full versions of 17 songs," that is actually false. In "That Would Be Enough," the whole first minute of the song is cut off and there is no sheet music for it. Instead, in Hamilton - Vocal Selections, the song begins atLook at where you are /Look at where you started /The fact that you're alive is a miracle /Just stay alive, that would be enough /And if this child...I am very satisfied with this, but I thought the first part of "That Would Be Enough" was very heartfelt and I am slightly disappointed that it was left out. Still a great buy for any Hamilton fan, however.

If you want the advanced piano music, the guitar chords, and the vocals, THIS is the edition you are looking for. My son and daughter both loved it so much that we bought a second one so that they could each have their own and be able to use them at the same time. We had a local printer spiral bind both of them so they would lie flat better. (We didn't have a problem with the binding -- we bound them both immediately after we purchased them.) Very happy with this purchase.

Hamilton was in good condition better than wxpected