Elmo Peeler Note-for-Note Piano Transcriptions | | |
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Dear Elmo,
Today is the first day of March 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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Mr. Blue - One of the
Most Beautiful Songs Ever
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This month I've arranged a truly beautiful old classic from 1959 for solo piano - "Mr. Blue" as recorded by The Fleetwoods.
Also, this month I've written a brand-new blues exercise that will help you with some of the most important elements in blues piano-playing: 3rds, 6ths and 'flips'.
BTW, 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! - The "Mr. Blue" That Transformed My Life
William Edward 'Billy' Blue, Jr.
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Have you ever met someone who literally changed your life? Well, around the age of 13 that happened to me.
Keep in mind that I grew up in a small Mississippi town straight out of a William Faulkner novel - the county seat with about 7000 folks, complete with its Courthouse Square of old brick buildings dating from the turn of the 20th century.
In that era of the late-1950s and early 60s drivers' licenses and tags were not required for a few minors lucky enough to have motor scooters, service cycles, etc.
One of those lucky few, I met a boy who also had a small motorbike, and who worked at the local movie theater - Billy Blue. Another thing we had in common was a great love of music, and Billy was extra lucky - he had an older sister with a terrific record collection.
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So I would often hang out with Billy on his front porch, listening to his sister's records. And it was there that my life was transformed, although I didn't realize it at the time. You see, Billy loved a wide range of music, from Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers and Little Richard to a very young Stevie Winwood and the beautiful harmonies of The Fleetwoods (1 guy and 2 girls).
Soon I joined my first rock band, a talented local rock band, The Cavaliers, that lasted all four years of high school. And although Billy didn't play an instrument, he accompanied us to most of our gigs, helping to schlep gear and take up money at the door. One could say that Billy - a dear friend to all the band members - was the sixth Cavalier.
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As we grew up, I went way up north to Eastman and Billy studied engineering at Mississippi State. My love of music encompassed classical and rock, and Billy's evolved to include rock and jazz, especially John McLaughlin and Miles Davis.
One night we tripped on acid and burned into our brains Groove Holmes' Welcome Home album, with Billy blown away by the guitar, the drums - all the instruments - and I was transported by Groove's amazing organ playing and kicking pedals.
After I moved to Los Angeles we'd talk often on the phone, and every trip home enjoy fried catfish together. By then Billy had developed an almost-Buddha-like understanding of the world, and moved way out into the boonies in central Mississippi, next to a large cotton field that blossomed gorgeously every summer. In the woods behind his house he cleared a nature trail where he communed with Mother Nature.
He was all about simplicity and truth without frills, in life and in music. He loved virtuoso jazz players but eschewed virtuosity without musical integrity.
And though he was happy for my success in Hollywood, he was never impressed by celebrity.
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A warm-hearted man with many friends who would drop by, hang out at his home, and call him "Billyblue" - as though it were one fast-spoken word with no break in it - he pretty much became a hermit outside of his job, cooking for the best pizza parlor in Jackson, Mississippi - Soulshine Pizza Factory.
Billy told me he'd made over 1,000 cheesecakes and considered himself an expert. Notice the chalkboard in the picture (above):
Billy Blue's Red Beans & Rice
with sausage, 'bread (cornbread)
and 1/2 house salad
If that doesn't make your mouth water, you must've just pushed away from the dinner table.
Although he was one of the first to own a laser disk, he stopped watching screens, and never owned a computer or had an internet account, and only got a cell phone the last year or so of his life. My own cell plays The Fleetwoods' "Mr. Blue" whenever Billy called.
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Which brings me to why I chose "Mr. Blue" to give the special treatment of arranging it for solo piano. You see, Billy passed onto a higher plane a month ago, and I know of no better way to immortalize my lifelong friend than to arrange his theme song in my own style, perform and record it.
Composers will often dedicate a composition to a patron, as Beethoven did, or to a lover, as Liszt often did, but I've never dedicated any of my arrangements or transcriptions to anyone. That has changed.
Below the title on page one, it says "Dedicated to William Edward 'Billy' Blue, Jr."
Until the circle is unbroken...
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March's New Arrangement - The Fleetwoods' "Mr. Blue" Arranged for Piano
A Golden Oldie Transformed
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This month I've created my own arrangement of "Mr. Blue", the 1959 classic by The Fleetwoods.
The original 1959 production was fairly minimalist, using only guitar, bass and drums to back-up a vocal trio (2 girls and 1 boy who also played trumpet).
The first step in my arranging process was to transcribe the important lines: lead and 2-part background vocals, bass and guitar.
Then I found a way to keep the bass line (which has an important chromatic passing note), incorporate the background vocals, the 5-note trumpet line, and the guitar. Plus, get the lead vocal - the main melody - exactly as sung, and then enhance it from the 2nd verse on.
The 'enhancement' was voicing the 2nd Verse in Floyd Cramer's style and putting the melody into 4-note chords at the beginning of the 3rd Verse. Plus adding a harmony note to the melody during the Out section.
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And of course, the forward momentum must be kept going, so the left hand plays a gentle, simple accompaniment that always includes the original bass notes.
Also, the Fleetwoods' recording fades out. In my ending I wanted to make a small known-only-to-me musical reference. After the last melodic phrase ("call me Mr. Blue") I added a 4-chord 'walkdown' reminiscent of a country church, followed by a swift, sparkling ascending arpeggio decrescendoing to the top of the keyboard, topped off by two 'twinkles'.
To sum up, it's a fun-to-play sentimental piece of music that can pull at the heartstrings when played with emotion. It is true to the original recording, just translated onto the piano with a few Elmo-isms.
My new The Fleetwoods arrangement:
The Fleetwoods - Mr. Blue (Arranged for Piano by Elmo Peeler) - NEW!
(click here to listen)
(click here to listen to the same piano track but with Elec. Piano & B-3 added
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March's New Exercise - Blues Exercise #11 - 3rds, 6ths & Flips
Some of the Most Important Elements Used in Blues Piano
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Everyone loves to play the Blues. My old friend Ian McLagan told me that blues was his favorite form of piano-playing (and that Otis Spann was his favorite blues pianist).
Like any other style, blues uses certain 'elements' over and over, just in different contexts and tempi.
My new exercise this month will help you gain facility with four important elements often found in blues:
1) 3rds
2) 6ths
3) Flips
4) Thumb pivot
Included are four 12-bar sections, each with a different left hand pattern.
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The last two sections demonstrate how a blues phrase can be made even 'bluesier' by flatting the third rather than transposing it up during the IV- and V-chord changes.
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 110 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:
Billy Preston & The Beatles - "Without a Song"
"I'll Fly Away" - arranged by Elmo Peeler (click here to hear it)
"Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" - arranged by Elmo Peeler (click here to hear it)
"Amazing Grace" - as played by Ethel Caffie-Austin (click here to hear it)
"Victory in Jesus" - as played by The Gaithers (click here to hear it)
Heavily Gospel Influenced:
Richard Tee - Contemporary Piano - First Piece
Floyd Cramer - "One Day at a Time (Sweet Jesus)"
Don Henley - "You Don't Miss Your Water"
Mavis Staples - "Hard Times Come Again No More"
Van Morrison - "Benediction"
Richard Tee - "Happy Birthday" (version 1)
Richard Tee - "Happy Birthday" (version 2)
Jeff Beck Group (Nicky Hopkins) - "Girl from Mill Valley"
Plum Nellie - "A Love Like Yours"
Plum Nellie - "That Lucky Old Sun"
Bill Payne (of Little Feat) - "The Ballad of Davy Crockett"
Lari White (Bill Payne on piano) - "Lead Me Not"
Ray Charles - "Sweet Sixteen Bars"
Billy Preston - "Will It Go Round in Circles" - Gospel-style Intro by Billy Preston
The Rolling Stones (Billy Preston on piano) - "Shine a Light"
Delaney & Bonnie (Leon Russell) - "Faded Love"
Leon Russell - "She Belongs to Me"
Don Henley - "You Don't Miss Your Water"
Moderately Gospel Influenced:
Billy Vera & the Beaters - "At This Moment"
Bob Dylan - "Piano Mood" - Gospel-style piano improvisation
Delaney & Bonnie (Leon Russell) - "Don't Deceive Me"
Jackson Browne (Craig Doerge on piano) - "Rock Me on the Water"
Jerry Lee Lewis - "When the Saints Go Marching In"
James Taylor (Clarence McDonald on piano) - "Steamroller Blues" - Piano Solo
Leon Russell - "Old Masters"
Ray Charles - "Heartbreaker"
Ray Charles duo with Billy Joel - "Baby Grand"
Gospel-related Exercises:
Transform a Melody into Floyd Cramer's Style - Mary Had a Little Lamb
ii-chord Bump Exercise
Gospel Chord Exercise No.1
Gospel Chromatically-Descending Riff Exercise - Ethel Caffie-Austin's Signature Lick
Gospel Rhythm Exercise (in the style of Lari White's Good Good Love)
Descending R&B-Gospel Riff Exercise - Billy Preston-Richard Tee Style
R&B-Gospel Elements Exercise, incl. Substitutions - Billy Preston-Richard Tee Style
Exercise in Contrary Motion - Gospel-Rock
Exercise in Gospel - Walk-ups & Walk-downs, IV-chord Bumps & Strums
Exercise - How To Transform a Melody into Gospel
Gospel & Stride Exercise - Crossing the Left Hand over the Right
Exercise - Ray Charles Ending (Extended Walk-down)
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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:
The Fleetwoods - Mr. Blue - Arranged for Solo Piano.mid - NEW!
Joe Zawinul - Jazz/Blues Acoustic Piano 4-minute Improvisation (1963).mid
Bruce Hornsby - Boogie-woogie Improvisation from The Tree Man.mid
Elmo Peeler - "Ashokan Farewell" arranged for Solo Piano (with Tempo Map).mid
Leon Russell - "Old Masters" (with Tempo Map)
Elton John - "Still Uses This Tip Leon Russell Gave Him in 1970"
B.B. King - "The Thrill Is Gone"
Jacob Tolliver - "Boogie Woogie Country Man"
Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood - "Squeeze Me In"
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 - Blues Exercise No.11 - 3rds, 6ths & Flips - NEW!
Elmo Peeler - Exercise No.2 in Yodeling 6ths (Chromatically Ascending & Descending)
Elmo Peeler - Exercise in 4-note Chord Inversions
Elmo Peeler - Exercise in Fast Rock/Pop/Gospel Right-hand Octaves
Elmo Peeler - Exercise in Legato, Fingered Octaves
Elmo Peeler - Exercise in Rhythmic 'Pushes' (Jackson Browne Style)
Elmo Peeler - Exercise on Bruce Hornsby's Boogie-woogie Left Hand Pattern
Elmo Peeler - Boogie-woogie Chromatic Double-thirds Exercise
Elmo Peeler - Repeated Note Exercise on the Most Common Cliche.mid
Elmo Peeler - Exercise in Chord Inversions (in the Allman Brothers style).mid
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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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
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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.
And here is a video of us playing three songs on The Midnight Special. And here we are on Tom Snyder's Tomorrow Show.
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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 (The Hunger Games - 2023, Asteroid City, Mozart in the Jungle)
- Courteney Cox
- Pablo Dylan
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"I am a huge fan of your website and your playing. Through the past few years I have learned so much from your note for note transcriptions.
I love playing music and I am constantly trying to better understand the playing styles of Leon Russell, Nicky Hopkins, Billy Preston, and Richard Tee.
I really loved your training exercise on Richard Tee and Billy Preston and their use of substitutions. I would love to suggest making another exercise similar to the one you have already made. The brief exercise you created is exactly the sound I love. Walking left hand baselines, funky chords, and great rhythms. I have had so much fun playing that piece (R&B-Gospel Elements Exercise, incl. Substitutions - Billy Preston-Richard Tee Styles).
I would like to suggest or even pay for another similar exercise if you are willing. I can't find anyone else that has the huge range of knowledge like yourself.
Thanks"
C. M.
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Los Angeles, CA
323-650-6602
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