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Lesson time: (4min 9sec)
Paddy Milner teaches the main piano part that opens Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On, the riff that defines Jerry Lee Lewis's rock and roll style.
This lesson is part of the course Play Authentic Rock 'n' Roll Piano
Watch a preview of the full course below.
Lesson transcript:
This was Jerry Lee Lewis's first big hit, and I think it really exemplifies his rock and roll style. It's a great starting point to enter into his world of rock and roll.
The piano part you hear in the introduction is something that Jerry Lee uses in a lot of his rock and roll tracks. Interestingly, he first introduced this in his very first recording for Sun Records, Crazy Arms. While it was a slower tempo with a slightly different feel, it was very much the same part.
You can hear that the piano part in Crazy Arms is essentially the same idea as in A Whole Lot of Shaking Going On. However, in Crazy Arms, it's a little slower, and obviously, the chord sequence is different, giving it a much more country flavor.
He also used this part in the recording of End of the Road, which I think was the B-side of Crazy Arms. The piano part from Whole Lot of Shaking is the same kind of tempo, so you can hear it's basically the same thing.
You might ask, "Oh, why wasn't End of the Road a hit while A Whole Lot of Shaking was?" It's not necessarily the piano part; it's the song. End of the Road has a different chord sequence and is much more influenced by country music.
If we go back to A Whole Lot of Shaking, you'll notice something very different in the introduction compared to both Crazy Arms and End of the Road. That is the massive slap back echo that Sam Phillips at Sun Records had begun introducing in his recordings.
You can hear this effect clearly in the introduction to A Whole Lot of Shaking. I'm going to ask the good folks at Music Gurus to put a bit of slap back echo on this next little bit so you can grasp the effect it has on the sound.
There's something about that rock and roll slap back echo that truly defines it and gives it that unmistakable sound of rock and roll.
Paddy Milner is recognised as one of the leading blues piano players in the world - he is currently keyboard player of choice for Sir Tom Jones, following several years with the late, great Jack Bruce - but he is also a superb original songwriter and a distinctive singer. Just read the praise from the likes of Dave Brubeck below! His playing was featured on the soundtrack for the hit 2019 film 'Rocketman'. He has twice won the award for Best Keyboard Player in the British Blues Awards, and he holds a long-standing residency as a founder member of the Ronnie Scott's Blues Explosion at the world-renowned Ronnie Scott's club. His current group LONDONOLA plays homegrown British music with a strong dose of New Orleans spirit, and his collaborative group JAWBONE goes from strength to strength following the release of their self-titled debut album. "I love it... there's a guy who can really play the piano" - Dave Brubeck "I highly recommend it. Somehow things start to feel much better!" - Jack Bruce "The best blues piano player in Europe..." - Blues Access, USA "Impressive & original" - The Times "Dazzling" - The Independent Across his courses, Paddy breaks down authentic blues shuffle, slow blues, boogie-woogie, rock 'n' roll and New Orleans piano - right down to three classic boogie-woogie songs - so you can learn these styles from one of the very best in the business. read more
