Piano Arrangements of Popular Songs
Sheet Music - for Piano Solo
* * * Check out videos of Elmo Peeler playing piano on YouTube here! * * *
Solo Piano Arrangements of Popular Songs:
Some people want to be able to play the classic hits of our time but are unable to find suitable piano arrangements of them. Piano sheet music often loses the original feel of the hit song, because some incorrect chords are used, or the bass line has been changed, or the piano part itself is different from the recorded piano part. When I arrange a recording for solo piano, first every note and rhythm on the original recording is analyzed, with special attention to the keyboard, bass and vocal parts. Then a piano solo arrangement is carefully constructed, with the end result closely reflecting the feel of the original recording.
Besides being fun, satisfying and impressive to play, these piano arrangements are also instructive, teaching how to re-voice a melody so that it stands out better and reflects the emotions in the original. They also show what the left hand can do to provide suitable accompaniment, something that many pianists have a tough time figuring out.
By the way, the difference between piano transcriptions and piano arrangements is that a transcription is note-for-note notation of the piano, organ or synth part on the original hit recording and often does not contain the melody itself, By contrast, an arrangement does indeed include the melody, along with other elements from the original hit recording, such as bass line, rhythm parts, etc. Piano arrangements allow one to perform the entire song (vocals, etc.) as a solo piano piece.
The price of these arrangements is $4.95 to $6.95, with an Unconditional Money-back Guarantee. Every purchase is secure and risk-free.
Purchase any of this piano sheet music by clicking on the ADD TO CART button just beneath each piece's description. You do not need to have a PayPal account, only a debit or credit card (eChecks are also accepted). After your payment has been securely processed, you can download the PDF file, which can be printed out.
If you'd like a song arranged for piano solo (or duet), send me a note and tell me what song you'd like to have arranged. I'll reply promptly with a quote.
Stevie Wonder - Living for the City - Intro,1st Verse & Chorus - Electric Piano (Arr. by Elmo Peeler).pdf
In 1973 Stevie Wonder recorded "Living for the City", releasing it on his "Innervisions" album. It reached #8 on the Hot 100 chart and #1 on the R&B chart. Wonder played all the instruments, including the Fender-Rhodes electric piano track, which is never correctly notated in commercial sheet music.
The reason is that the electric piano track is actually two electric pianos at once, mixed together - a production technique Wonder also used on the famous "Superstition" clavinet part, which is actually several clavinets at once.
This is my arrangement of the two piano parts combined into one, keeping the Right Hand part exactly as it is on the recording, and adding some of the second piano into the Left Hand part.
This arrangement contains just the first 40 seconds: the Intro, Verse 1 and Chorus 1, which contain the main keyboard parts - the rest is mostly just repetition. If you'd like to get as close as possible in recreating the dual-piano sound on the recording with just one keyboard, this arrangement is what you need.
Difficulty: Moderate
Here is "Living for the City" on YouTube. The electric piano part in this arrangement continues until :41.
The Browns - The Three Bells (Arranged for Piano Solo by Elmo Peeler).pdf
The Browns' 1959 No.1 hit lends itself perfectly to the Floyd Cramer style. The original piano part on the recording is mostly Right Hand arpeggios. This arrangement puts the arpeggios into the Left Hand, while the Right Hand plays the melody in classic Floyd Cramer voicings.
A lot of fun to play, this will help most pianists to better understand and utilize the country slip-note style.
Difficulty: Moderate
To listen, just click: Elmo Peeler, piano - "The Three Bells"
I Was Never Going To Go to Africa ('Penny Dreadful') - Piano - (Trans-Arr. by Elmo Peeler).pdf
The composer for the Gothic horror/drama Penny Dreadful TV series, Abel Korzeniowski, creates some very atmospheric music for the TV show that "takes the macabre to new heights", as one reviewer described it. Born into a musical family in Poland, classically-educated Korzeniowski, whose instrument is cello, studied with legendary composer Penderecki.
"I Was Never Going To Go to Africa" is included on the Penny Dreadful soundtrack CD. A little over three minutes long, this slow, beautiful composition is based around an acoustic guitar-like or lute-like instrument backed by a string section, brass choir (French horns) and percussion.
This is a note-for-note arrangement for solo piano of this orchestral score. Every note of the original piece was transcribed, and then all of those notes were 'translated' onto the piano keyboard.
If you'd like to play this haunting orchestral composition on piano, this transcription/arrangement is exactly what you need.
Difficulty: Moderate
Click here to listen to my arrangement for piano of "I Was Never Going To Go to Africa" from Penny Dreadful.
Ricky Nelson - Tracy's Song (Arranged for Piano Solo by Elmo Peeler).pdf
On my tours as pianist for Ricky Nelson's Stone Canyon Band, sometimes offstage in relaxed situations with friends Ricky would play an instrumental guitar solo that he had written, titled after his daughter. Although Ricky never recorded it, five years after his death his twin sons' band, The Nelsons, included a version of it on their first album "After the Rain". This is my own arrangement of it for piano solo, an attempt to capture the feel and spirit of those informal performances of it by Ricky Nelson himself.
Though not written to be a technical exercise, this arrangement is nevertheless an excellent study in right-hand single-note articulation.
Difficulty: Challenging
Kermit the Frog - Rainbow Connection (Arranged for Piano Solo
by Elmo Peeler).pdf
One of my students, Brian Bell of "Weezer", asked me to arrange for piano solo this old classic, recorded in 1979 by Kermit the Frog in "The Muppet Movie". Back in the 1970's I was Musical Director (pianist/arranger/conductor) for Paul Williams, who composed it, so I am very familiar with his style. This arrangement for piano solo stays very close to Kermit's recording, and will also work as an accompaniment for a vocalist. The technical challenge here is to make it very legato, very connected, very smooth.
To see a customer's comment about this arrangement, click here.
Difficulty: Moderate
Other Songs Perfect for Arranging:
(consider commissioning their arrangement)
Elvis Presley - Love Me Tender.pdf
Elvis Presley - (I Can't Help) Falling in Love with You.pdf
Ken Burns' 'Civil War' - Ashoken Farewell.pdf
Ben E. King - Stand By Me.pdf
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