Elmo Peeler Note-for-Note Piano Transcriptions | | |
Dear Elmo,
Today is the first day of September 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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This month I've transcribed three legendary pianists: Chuck Leavell, Vince Guaraldi & Hargus 'Pig' Robbins.
A new documentary about Nicky Hopkins is about to be released, The Session Man. In it, Chuck Leavell plays part of "Sympathy for the Devil". I've transcribed precisely what he plays.
Vince Guaraldi's "Christmas Is Coming" from the original 1965 A Charlie Brown Christmas TV special contains a cool improvised section, which has never been transcribed before. It has now. :)
Nashville's most legendary session pianist since Floyd Cramer was Hargus 'Pig' Robbins. And one of Pig's gems is the blazing piano solo in Travis Tritt's "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" - at a fast 181 BPM!
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Also brand-new this month is an exercise to help you master chord inversions.
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! - Chuck Leavell, Vince Guaraldi, & Hargus 'Pig' Robbins
Three legends of the piano
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Chuck Leavell learned piano by listening to his mother play the family spinet, and by age six was sitting at the piano with his mother, beginning to learn.
While his mom did housework, Chuck would sit on the piano stool and pick out little melodies, and harmonies.
She would ask him what would the piano sound like if he woke up angry, or if there were a storm outside, or if he felt really good.
She was getting him to think about music as feelings and emotions, not just notes on a page.
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At the encouragement of his parents he began taking lessons but quit after six months. His cousin taught him guitar chords; he played tuba in the Jr High School band; and then started his own band, the Misfitz, playing every Friday night at the local YMCA.He started out playing guitar but soon added a Farfisa Combo Compact organ, then a Wurlitzer electric piano, and began concentrating on keyboards.
By 15 he was doing recording sessions, making $25 a day playing demos in Birmingham & Muscle Shoals. After moving to Macon, GA at age 17 in 1969, he played with artists including the Marshall Tucker Band, Charlie Daniels, Wet Willie, Bobby Whitlock, and Bonnie Bramlett.
And then in 1972 at the age of 20 Chuck was asked to join the Allman Brothers Band. And then ten years later he was touring with the Rolling Stones. Not bad for a Georgia tree farmer.
My Chuck Leavell transcriptions:
Chuck Leavell - "Sympathy for the Devil" - Half Chorus (Nicky Hopkins doc, The Session Man) - NEW!
The Black Crowes - "Hard To Handle" - Complete Piano Part
Eric Clapton - "San Francisco Bay Blues" - Complete Piano Part
The Allman Brothers Band - "Southbound" with the Piano Solo
The Allman Brothers Band - "Jessica" - Piano Solo from Tutorial Video
The Allman Brothers Band - "Jessica" - Complete Piano Part
The Allman Brothers Band - "Jessica" - Piano Solo - Album RH + Video LH
The Allman Brothers Band - "Ramblin' Man" - Complete Piano Part
Gregg Allman - "Midnight Rider" (Rehearsal) - Acoustic Piano Solo
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Vince Guaraldi, born in San Francisco's North Beach area in 1928, was influenced by both of his maternal uncles, Joe and Maurice "Muzzy" Marcellino, both of whom headed jazz big bands in San Francisco for many years. After graduating from high school and briefly attending college, he served as an army cook in Korea from 1946 - 1948.
Guaraldi's first recording was an unreleased demo made with Tom Hart in mid-1951. Guaraldi's first official recording was made in November 1951 with Cal Tjader's Mambo Trio.
By summer 1954, Guaraldi had formed his first trio and regularly performed in the house band at the hungry i jazz club in San Francisco.
Guaraldi's first recorded debut as a group leader occurred in August 1955 with two original compositions. Released by Fantasy Records in March 1956, Fantasy was impressed enough with Guaraldi to offer him an exclusive contract in April 1956, yielding his debut album, Vince Guaraldi Trio.
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At the time, Guaraldi was subsequently appearing with Woody Herman's Third Herd, delivering energetic performances on a regular basis - a sharp contrast from the quiet recordings featured on his debut release.
Guaraldi then reunited with Tjader in August 1956 and was an integral part of two bands that the vibraphonist assembled.
On his 1962 album, Fantasy Records released "Samba de Orpheus" as a single, trying to catch the building bossa nova wave, but radio DJs began turning it over and playing the B-side, "Cast Your Fate to the Wind".
In 1963 he wrote the score for a documentary, A Boy Named Charlie Brown. Although it was never released, Charles Schulz hired him to create the music for the upcoming Peanuts TV special, A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), which was a huge success.
Guaraldi went on to compose scores for twelve additional Peanuts animated television specials, as well as the feature film A Boy Named Charlie Brown and the documentary Charlie Brown and Charles Schulz (both 1969).
After 1969 Guaraldi ceased releasing any new material. Frustrated and unable to secure a record deal, he spent the remainder of his life as a live performer, recording more soundtrack material, and banking on the goodwill that his Peanuts compositions earned him.
He said, "I don't think I'm a great piano player, but I would like to have people like me, to play pretty tunes and reach the audience. And I hope some of those tunes will become standards. I want to write standards, not just hits."
Guaraldi died unexpectedly in February 1976 at age 47 from a heart attack after concluding the first set at Butterfield's Nightclub in Menlo Park, California.
My new Vince Guaraldi transcription:
Vince Guaraldi - "Christmas Is Coming" - Improv Section - NEW!
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Hargus 'Pig' Robbins was born on January 18, 1938, in Spring City, Tennessee. When he was three years old, he accidentally poked himself in the eye with a knife. The other eye had what was called “sympathetic infection", and he lost his sight completely.
He learned to play piano by ear at age seven, while attending the Tennessee School for the Blind in Nashville. While at school, Robbins developed his own unique style, influenced by pop and jazz pianists Floyd Cramer, Owen Bradley, Marvin Hughes, Ray Charles, and Poppa John Gordy.
During his time there, Robbins was given the nickname "Pig" by a school supervisor due to his propensity to "sneak in through a fire escape and play when [he] wasn’t supposed to and … get dirty as a pig."
He played his first session in 1957, with his first major recording being George Jones' "White Lightning".
When Floyd Cramer cut back on his session work in favor of live concerts after his 1960 hit instrumental" Last Date", 'Pig' Robbins became the most in-demand pianist in country music until his death in 2022 at age 84.
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September's New Transcriptions - Sympathy for the Devil, Christmas Is Coming, & T-R-O-U-B-L-E
Chuck Leavell, Vince Guaraldi, Hargus 'Pig' Robbins
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This month I'm happy to offer three new transcriptions, each by a legendary player.
Have you ever wondered whether Chuck Leavell, when playing "Sympathy for the Devil" with the Rolling Stones, stays true to the original part played by Nicky Hopkins?
In a brand-new documentary about Nicky Hopkins, The Session Man, Chuck Leavell talks about Nicky's 'contribution' to "Sympathy for the Devil", pointing out that as you "get to the end he's doing this great figure using a 7th chord, like this..."
Leavell then, to demonstrate, plays eight bars of the Chorus. I've transcribed his demonstration note-for-note.
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My second new transcription this month is of the improvised section in Vince Guaraldi 1965 classic, "Christmas Is Coming". Who doesn't like Vince Guaraldi?! He was a terrific jazz player, but most of his jazz improvisations have not been transcribed.
"Christmas Is Coming" was in the very first Charlie Brown TV special in 1965, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and starts and ends with sections that are nicely composed but not improvised. However, in the middle of the piece, for about 1:20 Guaraldi ad libs a very nice section before going into the composed (not improvised) Out section.
I've transcribed that ad lib section, which contains nice single-note lines punctuated by Left Hand chords, plus some almost Floyd Cramer-style 'twangs'. Also included are the four bars before the improv begins plus four bars immediately after, to help you get into and out of the ad lib section.
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My third new transcription is Hargus 'Pig' Robbins blazingly-fast solo in Travis Tritt's "T-R-O-U-B-L-E". Gifted with perfect pitch, blind pianist 'Pig' Robbins was the leading Nashville session pianist from 1961 (after Floyd Cramer cut back his session work in favor of touring) until his passing in 2022.
In 1992 Travis Tritt asked him to play on Tritt's new T-R-O-U-B-L-E album and gave 'Pig' a brief solo on the title track. As expected, Robbins indeed made the most of it, squeezing in three sections: high, repeated octaves+5ths, boogie-woogie 3rds, and then glissandi. Then, Poof!, it's over! C&W music will never be quite the same without the genius of 'Pig' Robbins.
BTW, he had no problem with his nickname and often joked about it, explaining that it went back to when he was seven years old and got dirty while playing in the metal-tube fire escape of the old school building.
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A surprising number of keyboard players are not completely comfortable using all the inversions of a chord. One really needs this ability in order to optimally improvise solos, accompaniments, etc.
My new exercise this month will improve your
facility with chord inversions, so that you become comfortable using all of them, not just a chord's root position.
This exercise uses not only the root position but also all three inversions of sixth & ninth chords.
It includes six sections - three in 12/8 (shuffle) and three in 4/4.
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The Right Hand stays the same while the Left Hand accompaniment changes in each section.
Not only will your facility with chord inversions improve, but your Left/Right coordination will also improve, as a happy by-product of practicing the inversions.
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 114 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:
The Doobie Brothers - "World Gone Crazy" (Piano Intro) (click here to hear it)
Billy Preston & The Beatles - "Without a Song" (click here to hear it)
"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:
Chuck Leavell - Sympathy for the Devil (8 bars) - NEW!
Vince Guaraldi - Christmas Is Coming (Improvised Section) - NEW!
Travis Tritt - "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" - Piano Solo - NEW!
Sam Cooke - "Bring It On Home to Me"
Lynyrd Skynyrd - "Workin' for MCA" - Electric Piano Solo.mid
Linda Ronstadt - "Back in the U.S.A." - Piano Solo.mid
Chris Higbee - "Living the Dream" - Piano Solo.mid
The Black Crowes - "Hard to Handle".mid
Cattanooga Cats - "Stop Right There".mid
The Fleetwoods - Mr. Blue - Arranged for Solo Piano.mid
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 - Exercise in Ascending Chord Inversions - NEW!
Elmo Peeler - Right Hand Lateral Motion Exercise
Elmo Peeler - Blues Exercise No. 12 - Alternating Hands Lick
Elmo Peeler - 6-note Minor Pentatonic Blues Scale Exercise
Elmo Peeler - Blues Exercise No.11 - 3rds, 6ths & Flips
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
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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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Welcome to September! It's hard to believe that Summer is almost over. It was great to celebrate the 55th anniversary of Woodstock last month - both the music and the lessons of that era of Peace & Love: plan for the future, of course, but Live and L❤️ve in the moment, and help your fellow man. No one gets out of this alive.
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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Franz Liszt - rocking out on
"Sympathy for the Devil"
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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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Los Angeles, CA
323-650-6602
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