Elmo Peeler Note-for-Note Piano Transcriptions | | |
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Dear Elmo,
Today is the first day of July and time again for my monthly newsletter, to keep you informed of recent transcriptions and other news of the last month.
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B.B. King - "The Thrill Is Gone" | |
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This month I'm pleased to offer three new transcriptions - including the electric piano part on a truly classic blues recording - B.B. King's "The Thrill Is Gone". This was done from a multitrack so the electric piano was perfectly audible.
Also new this month is the rockabilly-influenced piano track in Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood's 2002 hit "Squeeze Me In" - played by Memphis session veteran Bobby Wood.
And Jacob Tolliver's rocking virtuoso version of Jerry Lee Lewis' "Boogie Woogie Country Man" is a study in flamboyant piano-playing.
I'm still accepting new transcription requests - email me your wish list. All three of this month's transcriptions were done on request.
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IBTW, to make sure that my email doesn't end up in your Spam folder, please add me to your Contact list and/or mark my email as "Not Spam".
Note that every Title Heading is clickable.
Elmo Peeler
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ALL of the Sheet Music listed on my website has been personally transcribed by me, and guaranteed to be note-for-note perfect.
Whether you:
- have a cover band and want to get your keyboard parts exactly correct,
- are a professional who wants to study the styles of rock's greatest keyboard players, or
- are a hobbyist that wants to learn how to play pop/rock and great piano music,
...these note-for-note transcriptions will prove extremely helpful.
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In the News! - B.B. King - "The Thrill Is Gone" & Jacob Tolliver
Garth Brooks - "Squeeze Me In"
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Almost 90 years ago a baby was born in a small shack out in the country between two small Mississippi towns. As he grew up, B.B. "Blues Boy" King" taught himself to play blues guitar so well that the greatest rock guitarists studied his style, his famous 'vibrato', his unique phrasing, and paid homage to B.B. as one of The Greats.
In the wonderful BBC documentary, The Life of Riley, B.B. said that in his youth he had plowed fields behind a mule enough to have plowed a furrow literally around the world.
But it was a guitar, not a plow, that would take B.B. around the world many times, often performing 350 days a year, year after year for almost 70 years.
During those decades B.B. left behind a large and extraordinary recorded legacy, some with classic piano tracks.
King first started recording singles in 1949, with his first album in 1956. Shortly thereafter, he began recording for Kent Records some his finest work, including "Rock Me Baby", his first Top 40 hit.
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24-year-old B.B. King - "The Thrill Is Gone" | |
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That same group of recordings for Kent Records also yielded "Blue Shadows", which, like "Rock Me Baby", has a truly classic blues acoustic piano track. No one remembers with certainty who the pianist (or pianists) was. Interestingly, both piano parts, although quite different, are built upon blues riffs in 6th's.
The piano tracks in these B.B. King recordings on his album, The Jungle, are like a seminar in very tasteful and creative blues piano-playing.
And then in 1969 B.B. was to record the biggest hit of his career, "The Thrill Is Gone," which became one of his signature songs. The beautifully-haunting electric piano track on it was played by Paul Harris, a session player who also played on Bob Seger's "Against the Wind" and "Betty Lou's Getting Out Tonight".
Here are my B.B. King transcriptions:
B.B. King - "The Thrill Is Gone" - electric piano - NEW!
B.B. King - "Rock Me Baby" - piano
B.B. King - "Blue Shadows" - piano
B.B. King - "The Worst Thing in My Life" - piano
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Back in 2013 a video was posted onto YouTube titled "Crazy Random Guy Rocks Out in Hardware Store", and has received 6,800,000 views!
The pianist with the backwards red cap wailing on "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" is Jacob Tolliver, and the hardware store is Market Street Hardware in Portsmouth, OH.
In late 2014 Jerry Lee was asked by Keyboard Magazine about Jacob Tolliver, and the Killer replied, "He's pretty good isn't he? I think he's great."
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"Squeeze Me In" was written by Delbert McClinton and Gary Nicholson. Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood recorded it in 2002, releasing it on Brooks' "Scarecrow" album.
An uptempo C&W song with a honky-tonk barroom feel, the "Squeeze Me In" piano part was played by Memphis session veteran Bobby Wood.
A former member of one of the most successful studio groups ever, the 827 Thomas Street Band, keyboardist Bobby Wood has been influential in both Memphis and Nashville.
Heavily influenced by Jerry Lee Lewis early on in his career, Wood moved to Memphis in 1960 and was befriended by Sun Records engineer Stan Kesler, who fostered Wood's talent, eventually helping him release the 1964 hit "If I'm a Fool for Lovin' You" on Joy Records.
It was while touring in support of "Fool" that Wood was injured in a car crash that laid him up for over half-a-year, effectively ending his career as a solo performer.
Wood began devoting more time to studio work and was one of a half-dozen top players chosen by producer Chips Moman to form the American Studios House Band. Between 1967 and 1971, American Studios was responsible for 120 hits.
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Bobby Wood - "Squeeze Me In" pianist | |
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Among the artists Wood backed were Elvis Presley, Dusty Springfield, Herbie Mann, Wilson Pickett, and the Sweet Inspirations.
After Moman relocated to Atlanta, Wood moved to Nashville and soon found himself on the list of Nashville's "A" musicians, playing on sessions by Kris Kristofferson, George Jones, and Tammy Wynette.
In 1989, through mutual friend Allen Reynolds, Wood and Garth Brooks met and formed a musical partnership. Wood has played keyboards on all of Brooks' releases.
My new Garth Brook transcription:
Garth Brook & Trisha Yearwood - "Squeeze Me In" - piano - NEW!
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July's New Transcriptions - B.B. King - "The Thrill Is Gone", Jacob Tolliver - "Boogie Woogie Country Man", Garth Brooks - "Squeeze Me In"
Note-for-Note Accuracy
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This month I have three new transcriptions. While all three have very good piano parts, one is truly an historic classic - B.B. King's "The Thrill Is Gone."
This is a precise, note-for-note transcription of the electric piano part, done from the isolated, perfectly audible multitrack, not covered up by other instruments. And the pianist was Paul Harris, an outstanding session player who's recordings include Bob Seger's "Against the Wind", Mama Cass Elliot's "Dream a Little Dream of Me", and many others.
And it's the longest version, the album cut - all 5-and-a-half minutes (124 measures!). The wonderful electric piano part is like a dialogue with B.B. King's guitar. The structure of the song is Intro, six Verses - two of which are guitar solos - and the Out section, which drops the 12-bar blues pattern of the Verses and vamps for almost two minutes over a B minor chord.
The piano licks and the guitar seem almost like a duet in some places, reading each other's mind musically. The electric piano has not only great lines but also some excellent chord voicings, including some cool rhythmic 'stabs' using a Bm7add4 chord in the Out section.
This is an historically important recording that needed to be transcribed. I am very pleased to offer it.
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Another new transcription this month is of a Jerry Lee Lewis classic, "Boogie Woogie Country Man", but played by Jacob Tolliver, the young pianist that emulated Jerry Lee and was, in turn, liked and respected by The Killer, whose 85th birthday party Jacob attended at Jerry Lee's home.
Check out the YouTube video from which this transcription was made - Tolliver plays some terrific Jerry Lee-style licks, including a section where he does the very-highly-raised lifting of his hands like The Killer himself.
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My third new transcription this month is of the piano part in Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood's 2002 hit, "Squeeze Me In," played by Memphis/Nashville session veteran Bobby Wood.
An uptempo C&W song with a honky-tonk barroom feel, the "Squeeze Me In" piano part is an eclectic mix of styles, containing elements of rockabilly, honky-tonk and R&B.
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This month - July - there is no new exercise, because the three new transcriptions required all of my time. However, please take a moment and read about last month's 'inversion' exercise:
This exercise will help gain facility with the three basic Right Hand chord inversions: root position and first and second inversions.
The exercise is in two sections. In the 'A' section a 4-bar phrase is played in first inversion, then up to second inversion, and then up to root position. Then a second inversion chord descends more quickly through all the inversions. This completes the first 14-bar section.
The 'B' section repeats the first section but as a slightly enhanced variation, i.e., a couple of extra pick-up chords have been added leading into the original phrases.
Not only will this help you become more comfortable with chord inversions, it might also give you some insight into the Allman Brothers style.
Two options are available, sheet music and a MIDI file.
BTW, if you need other good, effective technical exercises, please check out all of the 100 exercises
available.)
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Gospel Corner - Say 'Amen' Somebody
The Hangout Place for Gospel Classics
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You don't have to be from the Deep South to love Gospel piano, nor do you need to belong to any particular religion. All you have to have is a love for wonderful old-time, swinging, uplifting piano-playing.
Leon Russell, Billy Preston, Richard Tee and Ray Charles, some of the greatest keyboard players ever, loved the style and infused their own performances with Gospel licks and rhythms.
Inspired by the wonderful playing of the portly Associate Pastor/Musical Director of my childhood's Baptist Church deep in the piney woods of Mississippi, in recent years I've transcribed and/or arranged a few Gospel classics.
This little corner of my newsletter is where I'll keep you informed of my latest efforts to share that old-time Gospel sound.
Here are my Gospel transcriptions and/or arrangements, plus some exercises:
Full-blown Gospel:
Heavily Gospel Influenced:
Moderately Gospel Influenced:
Gospel-related Exercises:
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MIDI Corner - Transcriptions Turned into MIDI Files
Helpful for Those that Don't Read Sheet Music Well
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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:
B.B. King - "The Thrill Is Gone" - NEW!
Jacob Tolliver - "Boogie Woogie Country Man" - NEW!
Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood - "Squeeze Me In" - NEW!
Meat Loaf - "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" (with Tempo Map)
Ray Charles - "Mess Around"
Richard Tee - "Happy Birthday Boogie-Woogie"
Donald Fagen - Standard 12-bar Blues (in A Major) transcr/arr. by Elmo Peeler).mid
Meat Loaf - "Bat Out of Hell" (with Tempo Map).mid
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 - Exercise in Chord Inversions (in the Allman Brothers style).mid - NEWEST
Elmo Peeler - Rippling Fingers Exercise.mid
Elmo Peeler - Exercise in Crossing Hands - No.3.mid
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
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If you're using a vintage synthesizer, please check out our synth patches here.
These are the most highly-organized and best-sounding synth patches available anywhere, guaranteed. Get the most out of your vintage hardware with these large patch libraries:
Ensoniq
Kawai
Korg
Roland
Yamaha
Even if you don't use the actual hardware synthesizers, there are software emulations that will allow you to play these patches on your computer, as VSTI's in your sequencer. These include:
Nils' K1v – Kawai K1 Emulation Plugin
Korg Legacy Digital Edition (for M1 & T1 synths)
Native Instruments FM8 (for DX7 synths)
Aurora FM (for DX7 & TX81Z synths)
SQ8L (for ESQ-1 synths)
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I've had the good fortune to have worked with some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, and if you're serious about learning, I'll be happy to help you, too.
By means of Skype lessons (or in-person if you're in L.A.), I can coach you and help you to improve your technique, your rhythm, your ability to improvise, your knowledge of music theory, your sight-reading, and to develop relative pitch.
I've had the good fortune to have toured the world playing keyboards and arranging/conducting for these Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Artists:
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- 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
If you'd like to step back in time, watch me playing piano with Ricky Nelson on the Tonight Show - click here.
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My students include members of:
- Weezer (Rivers & Brian)
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Vampire Weekend (Ezra & newest addition, Greta)
- Incubus (Mike)
- The Strokes (Nick)
- Rooney (Robert)
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Jason Schwartzman (Mozart in the Jungle)
- Courteney Cox
- Pablo Dylan
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Franz Liszt - getting bluesy on
"The Thrill Is Gone"
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"Mr. Peeler:
Speaking for myself, you have been SORELY missed!! Knowing that you had "bigger fish to fry" during your time away, your efforts to maintain the continuity of your website have been greatly appreciated.
I have never before taken the opportunity to thank you for the incredible service that you have provided for so many of us "piano nuts". Thank you, Mr. Peeler, from the bottom of my heart. May the Good Lord continue to smile upon you."
- R. M.
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Los Angeles, CA
323-650-6602
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