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LESSONS

NEAL PRESTON/MIRAGE
5 Ways to Play Like
KEITH EMERSON by Matt Beck

I discovered the seminal prog rock group ELP and their renowned
keyboardist Keith Emerson soon after hearing Yes. Like Yes, ELP was heav-
ily influenced by classical music, but they still rocked like nobody’s busi-
ness! I loved the fact that in the “power trio” format, each musician had
plenty of space to demonstrate his own virtuosity. Emerson himself was a
ferocious musical force to be reckoned with. Both his stage showmanship
and his keyboard mastery—most notably on the Hammond organ and
Moog synthesizer—were a deep influence on me as I honed my own skills.
I practically wore out my copies of ELP’s albums Trilogy and Pictures at an
Exhibition. Emerson and ELP were hugely responsible for bringing pro-
gressive rock music into mainstream appreciation. Here are five ways to
bring Emerson’s classically-influenced style into your own playing.

1. Solo Lines
One hallmark of Emerson’s playing is his seemingly effortless reservoir of technique, which is especially evident in his fluid solo lines.
Ex. 1 is an approximation of his blistering solo fill towards the end of the song “Karn Evil 9.” The entire line is played over an A
tonality. This line starts off with a descending A Lydian scale, only to bounce back up halfway through with ascending arpeggio frag-
ments implying a B tonal center (over A).

q=140
œb œb œ œ
œb œ#œ nœ b œ b œ b œ œ b œ b œ œ #œ œ œ œ
4
&4 ≈ œ œ
nœ b œ#œ nœ b œ#œ œ nœ nœ œ

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2. Chording
With a wellspring of harmonic choices at his fingertips, Emerson covers it all, from Jazz chording and rock riffing to virtuosic classical
counterpoint. Ex. 2 approximates what Emerson plays on the intro to the ELP song “Tarkus.” Note that the example is in 10/8 time,
with the left hand playing an ostinato pattern—an Emerson staple. The right hand implies an almost jazzy F minor 11th sound, voiced
in fourths à la McCoy Tyner. This is also a good example of Emerson’s agility and hand independence.

q=200

& 108 b œœ j j j jb œœ bb œœ œœ
œœ œj œ b œœ
œœ j
œ b œœ œœ œ
œ œ J

{
J
? 108 j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j
b œ œ bœ œ œ nœ nœ bœ œ b œ œj j n œj j j
œ b œ #œ nœ b œ œ nœ #œ
3

& b œœ j
œœ
j
œœ œj œ b œœ j b œœ œœ œ
j
œ jb œœ bb œœ œœ

{
œ œ J J
? j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j
b œ b œ œ bœ œ œ nœ nœ b œ b œ œ bœ œ œj n œ n œj j
nœ #œ nœ #œ

3. Solo Pieces
On ELP’s Works Vol. 1, Emerson composed and performed an entire piano concerto with the renowned London Philharmonic
Orchestra. It would turn out to be one of his most critically acclaimed efforts. Ex. 3 is similar to the unaccompanied cadenza
Emerson played in the middle of the piece. Again, notice his use of the ostinato in the left hand with the melody in the right.

q=172 w w w w
b w w w w
& b bb 44
œ œ œ œœ j œ œ œ œœ j œ œ œ œœ j œ œ œ œœ j
? bb b 44 œ œ œ J œ œœ œ œ J œœ œœ œ œ J œœ œœ œ œ J œœ
b œ œ
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

5 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
bbbb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰
&
3
œ
3
œ 3 œ œœ 3 j œ3 œ 3 œ œœ 3 j
? bb b œ œ œ J œœ œœ œ œ J œœ
b œ
3 3 3 3

bbbb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰
3
& œ œ w
3
œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œœ
? bb b œ œ
3
œ
3
J j œ œ J j
œ œœ œœ
b œ œ
3 3 3 3

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LESSONS
Matt Beck is a multi-instrumentalist who plays keyboards and guitar
with Rob Thomas, Matchbox Twenty, and Rod Stewart. His latest solo
release Anything Which Gives You Pleasure is available now on iTunes and
at cdbaby.com. Beck is currently working with U2’s Bono and The Edge
on the Broadway musical adaption of Marvel Comics’ Spider-Man. Find
out more at myspace.com/mattbecktwenty and twitter.com/mattymay.
Jon Regen

4. Outside Influences
Emerson continually covered a wide array of musical styles. An ELP song might shift gear mid-piece, going off into a seemingly
unrelated musical interlude. A perfect example of this can be heard on “The Sheriff,” from ELP’s album Trilogy. Towards the end of
the song, there’s a gunshot, followed by Emerson playing a blisteringly fast, honky-tonk stride piano motif. Ex. 4 approximates
that piano break.

q=135 q = 135

& 44 œr #œ œ œ#œ#œ#œ œ#œ œ nœ#œ œ œ ≈ œ #œ œ œ#œ#œ#œ œ#œ œ nœ#œ œ œ ≈ œ

œ nœ

{ ? 44 ∑
œ
œœ
#œ
#œœ
œ #nœ
œ
œ
n #œœ

nœ b œ b œ œ
nœ
œœ
#œ
#œœ
œ #nœ
œ
œ
n#œœ
>œ
3 nœ œ
n œ #œ œ œ œœ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ
# œnœ œ œ#œ œ œ ≈ # œ œ n œ œ œ œ#œœ œ œœ
& #œ#œ œ#œ nœ#œ œ œ

{ ?
nœ #œ
œœ #œœ #nœ n#œ
œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ
œ >œ

5. Left Hand Technique

Emerson is known to have a monstrous left hand. This is evidenced in the opening of “Tarkus,” as well as on many parts of his “Piano
Concerto No. 1.” Ex. 5 is inspired by the third movement of that concerto.

q=152 q = 152

? 44
bœ œ #œ œ bœ bœ œ #œ œ bœ
bœ œ œ œ #œ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ œ #œ œ bœ œ
bœ œ œ bœ œ œ

More Online Get these links and more at keyboardmag.com/dec2010

Audio examples Tons of videos on Keith’s Great performance of

recorded by the author. official YouTube page. “Karn Evil 9” from 1974.

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