Composer Nils Frahm Announces Second Sheet Music Book 'Sheets Zwei'

Nils Frahm’s second volume of art and music, ‘SHEETS Zwei’, is no ordinary book of printed pieces. Zwei opens up an intimate dialogue between Nils and his reader, not only offering fans the chance to dive into some of Nils’ most loved pieces, but also including instructions and diagrams on how to prepare your piano to create Nils’ signature ‘Una Corda’ piano sound. Through Zwei and its many dimensions, fans are brought deeper into Nils’ world, entering into a space in which both can co-create together.  

Nestled among the eleven pieces of sheet music in the book is a selection of art and photographs from Nils’ father, Klaus Frahm, taken from a project named ‘Fragments’. Shot in rural Portugal, the images were produced by experimenting with liquid light-sensitive emulsion using a brush. Their hand-made aesthetic and character marry perfectly with the expressive ethos of SHEETS and denote the great thought, care, and attention to detail that makes Zwei so special as a bespoke hand-made item. 

The music is presented in such a way that reflects Nils’ no-rules approach to music making. Seeking to go beyond the strict limitations that sheet music may often evoke, the pieces are more of a blueprint with which players are encouraged to reinterpret, modify and make their own: Zwei is an open invitation from Nils for piano enthusiasts to explore their own creativity and simply spend time to enjoy playing. 

Nils Frahm commented: “As already mentioned in the first edition of this ongoing series of ‘Sheets’, I never had a real talent for sight- reading. My piano teachers were always troubled by my refusal to stick to the notes displaying what sounded and felt indescribable to me. I consider this experience as a good start to write your own sheet music. In any case, we tried to make your sight-reading experience as nice as possible. You could, for example, just have a look at my father’s photography while meditating on the many changes of tempo in my music. Even easier, you could start writing your own piece on some of the blank pages at the end of the book or learn how to transform your piano into an Una Corda piano. Whatever comes to your mind, I hope this book will accompany you and your loved ones for a long time.”

There’s a light-heartedness about the book that makes the music accessible for both the highly skilled and the beginner pianist. Like his music, Nils’ introductory words are warm and sensitive, and there’s an underlying humour (in places such as the performance notes and diagrams) that make clear his intentions for Zwei as an opportunity to share his music with fans in a relaxed environment and allow them to engage with it in ways previously unavailable. 

SHEETS Zwei is published by Manners McDade, distributed by Faber Music and includes a download of music transcribed in the book, from Erased Tapes Records. 

Tracks in the SHEETS Zwei include: Me, Hammers, Circling, La, Ode, You, Re, Wall, Sol, Went Missing and Some

Music book is available to pre order Tuesday 31st May from Faber Music here.