Dear Elmo,

Today is the first day of October and time again for my monthly newsletter, to keep you informed of recent transcriptions and other news of the last month.

Meat Loaf - "Bat Out of Hell"

My new transcription this month is truly extraordinary - perhaps the most important one I've ever done - the long album version of Meat Loaf's "Bat Out of Hell" - all 9:48 of it, with the great Roy Bittan playing piano.

There are many sections in the recording, and Bittan plays in a different style in almost every one - a beautifully conceptualized piano track.

Plus, there are two new exercises this month - one that explains Richard Tee's most famous riff, and another that explains how to play a 'shuffle'.

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Elmo Peeler

I was too little to understand that part, but I loved the instrument, so I wanted to take accordion lessons, and my parents indulged me. I studied the accordion.

"The two sides of the accordion are broken up, the right hand being the melody and the left hand being sort of chordal. I suppose you could say the same thing about the piano, but it's not really the same on the piano, because when you play the accordion, you tend to play melody with a harmony of thirds and maybe sixths, and it's a very, very melodically evocative instrument. The accordion also has a sense of pathos, as well as a sense of joy. I mean, it's a woodwind. It's wind blowing over a reed. And it can be very expressive when played properly. So I think the training I had on the accordion gave my playing an expressiveness.

Roy Bittan

"Also, when I studied the accordion, I had a teacher who gave me the pop songs of the week to write out a chord chart, which is basically the melody of the song and then a symbol above it of what the chord is underneath it.

"You have to figure out how to play the song. So, that sort of extemporaneous, spontaneous training of taking a melody and then embellishing the accompaniment gave me a leg up on those who took piano lessons and maybe just studied classical music. I was trained early on in expressing myself and getting the most out of a particular piece of music."

Roy first met Bruce Springsteen in 1974 at Max's Kansas City, a nightclub in NYC where Springsteen and his E Street Band were sharing the bill with Bittan's band. "So for a few nights, our bands would trade sets, and we would pass in the hall. I would go, 'Ah, man, you're so great,' and he would go, 'Hey you played really great.' We would pat each other on the back: 'Hey, have a good set.' There was no question in my mind that he was going to break through."

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Here are my Roy Bittan transcriptions:

Meat Loaf - "Bat Out of Hell" (Long Version) - Roy Bittan, piano - NEW!

Bruce Springsteen - "Because the Night" - Roy Bittan, piano

Bruce Springsteen - "Jungleland" - Piano Interlude - Roy Bittan, piano

Bob Seger - Roll Me Away - Roy Bittan, piano 

Here are my transcriptions of other E Street Band members:

Bruce Springsteen - "Born To Run" (album) - David Sancious, piano

Bruce Springsteen - "Hungry Heart" - B-3 Solo - Danny Federici, organ

Pat Benatar - "Looking for a Stranger" - Charles Giordano, organ

Roy Bittan - pianist on "Bat Out of Hell"

This month my new transcription is not only the longest recording I've ever transcribed (9:48 - over a minute longer than Don McLean's "American Pie") but it also has probably the most remarkable piano track - Roy Bittan's piano part elevates rock piano-playing to a new level.

Over the course of this very long song - almost ten minutes - there are many sections and tempo changes.

Bittan plays a different style in almost every section, from terrific rocking in the fast sections to beautiful, almost classical stylings in some of the slower sections.

Meat Loaf - "Bat Out of Hell" (Long Version) - Roy Bittan, piano (transcr. by Elmo Peeler) - NEW!

(to listen, click here)

October's New Exercises - 'Shuffle' & Richard Tee Chords

There are two brand-new exercises this month, addressing two quite different styles.

Being able to play a 'shuffle' rhythm is important for rock/pop pianists and my new "Shuffle Exercise" will help you understand how to play a 'shuffle', i.e., a song in 12/8 meter. It will also increase your Left Hand/Right Hand independence and coordination.

It includes six sections:

1) Basic right-hand rhythm

2) Bumps, where the chord briefly changes

3) Flips

4) Octaves

5) Octaves and flips

6) Chords and Flips

It also repeats those six sections but with a different, slightly more challenging 'walking' broken-octave Left Hand pattern.

My other new exercise will help you to better understand Richard Tee's (and Billy Preston's ) style, especially one of his main 'licks', a descending series of R&B-flavored chords.

It explains the underlying scale (or mode) and gives two ways of harmonizing each note of that seven-note 'scale'.

It then gives four examples of how to use those chords to achieve the Richard Tee 'sound', including how he phrased them, plus gives an example of a typical Left Hand accompanying pattern.

BTW, if you need other good, effective technical exercises, please check out all of the 97 exercises 

available.)

Elmo Peeler - Shuffle Exercise - NEW!

(to listen to it, click here)

Elmo Peeler  - Exercise - Harmonize a Scale Richard Tee-style - NEW!

(to listen to it, click here)

Other Richard Tee transcriptions & exercises:

Richard Tee - Contemporary Piano - First Piece

Richard Tee - Happy Birthday - Version 1

Richard Tee - Happy Birthday - Version 2

Descending R&B-Gospel Riff Exercise - Billy Preston-Richard Tee Style

Propulsion Exercise (Forward Momentum) - Richard Tee Influenced

Most of my transcriptions have heretofore been available only as sheet music in PDF's. That is gradually changing - some are now also available as MIDI files, which can be especially helpful for those who would prefer to listen to them than to read the sheet-music notation.

This section of my newsletter is where I'll keep you informed of which transcriptions and exercises are available as MIDI files.

BTW, if you'd like my sheet music in a MIDI file, just let me know which one(s).

Here are the currently available MIDI files of my transcriptions, arrangements, and exercises:

MIDI Files of Rock, Pop & Classical Transcriptions:

Meat Loaf - "Bat Out of Hell" (with Tempo Map).mid - NEW!

Bach - Violin Concerto, BWV 1042 - 2nd Mvmt - For Synth/Sampler or Piano.mid

Bach - Double Violin Concerto, BWV 1043 - 2nd Mvmt - For Synth/Sampler or Piano.mid

Booker T. & the M.G.'s - "Chinese Checkers".mid

Dave 'Baby' Cortez - "Rinky Dink".mid

Richard Tee - Contemporary Piano - First Piece.mid

Booker T. & the M.G.'s - "Hip Hug-Her".mid

Billy Vera & the Beaters - "At This Moment".mid

The Beatles (with Billy Preston) - "I've Got a Feeling" (transcribed by Elmo Peeler).mid

Floyd Cramer - "One Day at a Time (Sweet Jesus)" (transcribed by Elmo Peeler).mid

Gerry & the Pacemakers - "How Do You Do It" - Piano Solo (transcribed by Elmo Peeler).mid

Glenn Frey - "Route 66" (transcribed by Elmo Peeler).mid

Don Henley - "You Don't Miss Your Water" (transcribed by Elmo Peeler).mid

Billy Preston & The Beatles - "Without a Song" (gospel jam)(transcribed by Elmo Peeler).mid

Ray Charles - "Makin' Whoopee" (transcribed by Elmo Peeler).mid

Bonnie Raitt - "I Can't Make You Love Me" (transcribed by Elmo Peeler).mid

The Beatles (with Billy Preston) - "Get Back" (transcribed by Elmo Peeler).mid

Mavis Staples - Hard Times Come Again No More (transcribed by Elmo Peeler).mid

Elvis Presley - Love Me Tender (arranged by Elmo Peeler).mid

Sugar Chile Robinson - Numbers Boogie (transcribed by Elmo Peeler).mid

Sugar Chile Robinson - Numbers Boogie - with Left Hand in Broken Octaves.mid

The Beatles - Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (transcribed by Elmo Peeler).mid

Van Morrison - Benediction - Piano Part (transcribed by Elmo Peeler).mid

The Meters - Cabbage Alley - Piano Part - Intro & Verse (trans. by Elmo Peeler).mid

Elmo Peeler - A Whiter Shade of Pale - (arranged for Solo Piano).mid

Leon Russell - Shoot Out on the Plantation (studio version) (transcr. by Elmo Peeler).mid

Leon Russell - Shoot Out on the Plantation (Solo Piano version) (transcr. by Elmo Peeler).mid

The Zombies - This Will Be Our Year - Piano Solo (transcribed by Elmo Peeler).mid

Liberace - Chopsticks (transcribed by Elmo Peeler).mid

Long John Baldry - Conditional Discharge (transcribed by Elmo Peeler).mid

Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls of Fire (1957) (transcribed by Elmo Peeler).mid

Jerry Lee Lewis - Trouble in Mind - 2 Pianos: Jerry Lee &Tony Ashton (transcr. by Elmo Peeler).mid

Jerry Lee Lewis - Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On (transcribed by Elmo Peeler).mid

Allman Brothers Band - Southbound - Complete Piano Part with Solo (transcr. by Elmo Peeler).mid

Bill Payne - The Ballad of Davy Crockett (transcribed by Elmo Peeler).mid

Saving Mr. Banks (8 Different Songs) - Richard Sherman demos from "Mary Poppins".mid

Stevie Ray Vaughan - The House Is Rockin' - Piano Intro & Solo (transcribed by Elmo Peeler).mid

MIDI Files of Exercises:

Elmo Peeler - Propulsion Exercise.mid

Elmo Peeler - Exercise in Flips & Tremolos in 3rds.mid

Elmo Peeler - Exercise - Transform a Melody into Floyd Cramer's Style - Mary Had a Little Lamb.mid

Elmo Peeler - Alberti Bass Exercise.mid

Elmo Peeler - Exercise in Harmonized Arpeggios for Two Hands.mid

Elmo Peeler - Exercise for Crossing Hands, No.2.mid

Elmo Peeler - Exercise for the Wrists - Banjo on the Piano.mid

Elmo Peeler - Articulation Exercise in 6ths, Inspired by Bach's Invention No.8.mid

Elmo Peeler - Exercise in Chromatic Double-thirds.mid

Elmo Peeler - Leon Russell Exercise.mid

Elmo Peeler - 4-5-2-1 Exercise for the 4th & 5th fingers.mid

Elmo Peeler - 4-5-4-1 Exercise for the 4th & 5th fingers.mid

Elmo Peeler - Rhythmic Exercise - Splitting the Left Hand.mid

• The Beach Boys
• Rod Stewart - All 'Unplugged' Concerts
• Ricky Nelson - Stone Canyon Band

And I've also won classical piano competitions performing Beethoven, Rubinstein and Saint-Saens' Piano Concerti. See me playing here. "Josie's Boogie" is quite the virtuoso dramatic minor-key showpiece; check out the ascending double-octave run at the ending... :)

Thanks to the internet, I can help you play piano better - rock or classical, by ear or by note.

Or if you live near the Hollywood Hills, I'll teach you in my home or yours.

If you'd like to improve, drop me a note at info@manymidi.com. Tell me three things:

1) Your musical background

2) Where you are currently, musically-speaking

3) Your musical goals

To see me playing piano with Ricky Nelson on the Tonight Show, click here. 

"Thanks for the really superior job you did with Hip-Hug-Her. I've played the B-3 professionally in local groups since 1965, with Booker T's tunes in many of those groups' repertoire, but I've never quite gotten some parts of Hip-Hug-Her exactly right. You've enlightened me!

Also, the notes you added at the end of the score have undoubtably helped others - especially players who aren't familiar with how Hammond's classic organ functions - understand how the drawbar settings, percussion and the two manuals must be used to achieve the right sound. That information alone is worth price of the transcription for them.

With admiration and respect for you and your work,"

- Wayne T.