Steely Dan - Josie on Rhodes piano

[macandcheese306]

groovy keyboard, man, been looking all over for a tutorial. will you make one? thanks.

[aknowneemus]

this is great!

[bobspark18]

Thanks for posting

[jansenn1]

Unite... Steely Dan lovers... Seriously, his chords are just mad... madly funkadelic!!!

[conganige]

hi djblco01, Your playing is very nice. I try to get the chords from your vedio. but It' very fast. Could you please let me know the chords for this song. I'll apreciate if you could post this song slowly how chords works. Thank you.

[Pianopod]

Awesome! I love steely Dan.

[1dgkonig]

One question: Is this song made up of mostly seventh chords?

Great playing by the way!

[bartleyc]

Awesome sir. You nailed it and the board sounds great....Always wanted a real one. Please keep making more videos if you have the time....much appreciated.

[MehefinHeulog]

neat

so that's how it's done!!

nice one

thanks

[bbsb300]

Another favourite Dan, this is a super job you did, Cheers Billy ;)

[mrbilken]

awesome that everyone shows the keyboard so people at home can see how it is played

[flyinghighoverthesky]

sound off sync

[alexriesenbeck]

This is really a sweet video (and beautiful Rhodes to match!). Been working out of this strange 1976 cardboard-bound "Steely Dan Vol. 2" book with artwork by Robb Prosper.... very strange book with music&lyrics. but no Josie transcription! so Thank you!

[Makraska]

You know you're pretty much constantly hurrying? Althougth can't fault you; gotta concentrate on those harmonies ; )

[Orgeldar]

No no, it's just the entire Steely Dan who's a litte late together.

[ReDRuM868]

Ive got a 75 Rohodes 73, well its my dads but im lovin playin it, I got it in my room right now. Man its heavy! Whats that keyboard u got on top of the 73? To me it looks like another rhodes electric keyboard lol.

[logosthedestroyer]

just about to buy a 78 myself... nice demo!

[MyFatBaby]

Dude. You Rock. I just spent that last 30 minutes watching this over and over and now I can FINALLY play it! This is a song I've been working on forever! Thank you so much!!

[djbelc01]

Glad I could help!

[gaucho916]

Can you give me any tips for tuning my Rhodes. I have a Seventy Three also. Love the Dan, my all-time fav band.

[djbelc01]

Very cool. Check out the website fenderrhodes(dot)com, and in particular the forum. Lots of valuable info there. Also, check out the video on how to voice your Rhodes by the Youtube user volvoxburger -- some good info there.

[Linnehan13]

@gaucho916 Do what @djbelc01 says, but also buy a tuner (with 1/4" input) to accurately stretch-tune it.

[ReCapRealMusicforu]

Have you transcribed the part? If so is it available? I am a singer and instrumentalist and have so many parts to learn that it would be a great help to me. Thanks for what you've done so far. I'll check with the band to see what key it's in.They play in original keys. Hey nice open voicing and the audio is fine on my end. Combine that with the original and it's a tremendous help along with the visual of your playing the part.

[GCom67]

I used to play this a fews years back.

Homespun video do a video/dvd called (I think) 'Concepts of jazz piano' with Donald Fagen and Warren Bernhardt and the book inside shows all the parts very well.

[djbelc01]

I've got that DVD as well. Very interesting to see the thought process behind the chord changes and the voicings, etc. Plus it comes with sheet music for five songs, which is nice too! ( Their tab for Josie is transposed down to the Dm key they use in concert today instead of the original Em unfortunately)

[GCom67]

I still have the video but no video player and the sheet music i loaned to an old pal and never got it back :/Still. The DVD is still worth getting as i've forgotten most of it now, and i really miss jamming along with the likes of Peg and Josie. I have a complete book of SD music and there is a lot of tune different keys to the original recording. For quickness i use the transpose shift but that would be out of the question if you are playing an old Rhodes.

[djbelc01]

Yeah, I've got probably the same book. The Can't Buy a Thrill and Aja albums all have their keys transposed, but the rest are correct.

[samscott54]

nice job- that takes alot of time- thanks for showing it

[2base]

hat shit is hard as hell

[domribeiro]

Great!!!!! Do you want to play in my band? hehehe Congratulations!!!

[okwestern]

Dude, great work! But your Rhodes is two half tones too low (the constantly repeating chords in the beginning should be D in left hand and C,F,A in right hand)... You should also add more sustain to the tone (increase the distance between the pickup and tine) ;)

[djbelc01]

While that'd be correct for the way they play the song in concert now, transposed down to D minor, this original recording of the song is actually in E minor. The constantly repeating chord is Em7 (according to many sources, such as the Classic Albums "Making of Aja" DVD, so that's about as direct from the source as you get). I open voiced it D-G-B on the right, E on the left. And the audio from my camera sucks, so the sustain actually sounds a lot better than you can tell here.

[Brbla]

ok =D I guess we all do things subconsciously. Actually if you do this all the time your muscle will hurt...

[Brbla]

why do you always put your hand off the piano ? =D that looks funny, sorry

[djbelc01]

Good question. I don't actually think about how I move my hands when playing, I just do it. I guess I subconsciously do it to avoid playing notes in empty spots of the song, and perhaps as a timing device. I really don't know.

[lowlights]

Sweet - out of curiosity - do you know or can you tell if Fagen is playing a Rhodes (if so, which?) on ANY MAJOR DUDE?

[djbelc01]

Tough one. There's some disagreement over this, but I think that it's a Hohner Pianet. One of the later models that has the warmer, more Rhodes-like tone. Some other people however think it's a Wurlitzer. But considering I've seen footage of Fagen playing a Pianet in concert in the 70s, that gets my vote. And by the way, that's actually Michael Omartian on the keys in Any Major Dude if I remember correctly.

[claynug]

ive saw steely dan a week ago in montreal and fagen was playing a rhodes

[djbelc01]

Fagen went back to playing the Rhodes almost exclusively back in 1993 when he released his solo album Kamakiriad. He actually has five or so custom 88 key suitcase model Fender Rhodes pianos now that he tours with. However, he didn't start using Rhodes pianos until 1976's The Royal Scam album.

[jeffrags2]

Everything you do is awesome!

[Steevo1231]

Xellent Dude:

Did you write piano music for this song? Is it available if so? Any other ideas?

My band is adding this one soon.

And mahalo!

[djbelc01]

Thanks for the comment. All I did was roughly copy the original Rhodes piano part that Victor Feldman played on this song. I added a couple embelishments, but otherwise I just played what was already on the record. I learned it from a combination of just playing by ear and looking at sheet music. It's from Steely Dan's most successful album, Aja, so it's pretty easy to find info on it.

[tgs6733]

that was good stuff... nice work. i'm looking into buying a fender rhodes. what is the most commonly used model? how much does it generally cost?

[djbelc01]

73 key stage models (the ones that do not have an included amp) are the most common. That's the kind I have, even. Depending on where you live and what condition piano you are looking for, you can expect to pay anywhere from $400 to $1200 for a decent condition stage model, or $800 to $2000 for a suitcase model with the included amp. Check fenderrhodes(DOT)com and its forums for more info and a For Sale forum. Good luck!

[tgs6733]

thanks... what amp did you use?

[djbelc01]

Sorry, didn't see this comment earlier! It's a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (brown tolex version, that means it came with a JBL speaker and some warmer tubes than the standard black tolex version)

[analyzingfunny]

Wow! Thanks. That was note for note. It is like a look inside the making of the recording. It sounded a lot like that when they were recording it. It is amazing how the finished product compresses the sound.

[djbelc01]

Thanks for the comment! :)

[Thirdgen83]

Excellent playing, and cool piano. I love the Rhoads...

[jamo2006]

nice job, great song :)

[mikeylefthand]

hy can you tell me what kind of preamp are you using when you play the rhodes ? and by the way nice playin"

[poltome]

You complimenting him or Donald? :-0)

I sold my Rhodes in 1994 and have regretted it ever since. :-(

[djbelc01]

You can always buy another one! :)

[poltome]

Being a multi instrumentalist it was only a means to an end anyway (Bullshit) ;-)

Great job by the way. I love how you worked all the connecting notes. ;-)

[JamKar1]

I had an 88 back in the 80's.

Really miss it. But I don't miss transporting

the beast.

[djbelc01]

Indeed.  130lb or so isn't fun to carry. (And I'm sure the 88 key model is a few pounds heavier!) That's why you need to have 1) a friend or two, and 2) a handtruck. Even then it's a pain.

[bradbass]

nice playing man! nailed it... have you seen Larry Carlton's version on Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival? There's a wicked solo on it!

[Trekkie155]

Can you do What I Do from Fagen's Morph the Cat album? I'm pretty sure it uses a Rhodes, not so sure though. Your playing is so suberb!

[djbelc01]

Thanks. I know a little of that song, not much (need to learn it all - what a great tune!). But the electric piano in that recording was actually a Wurlitzer. I likewise thought it was a Rhodes at first because of its exceptionally warm tone.

[flmguy7]

where can i get one like this honestly im in the market for one.

[djbelc01]

Check the forums at fenderrhodes(DOT)com -- you can post that you are looking for one there, and people sell through there regularly. Not to mention you'll find good info on how to restore and repair one that you do buy. Also check craigslist and eBay (though eBay prices can sometimes get a little higher than they should in my opinion). Good luck!!

[roscoegino]

me likes, me likes.

[FirstImpr]

It's always fun playing along!

[robchrist91]

what exactly is a rhodes piano?

[joeab09]

A type of electronic piano with special hammer like thingybobs and special metalic "Strings" its a realy amazing thing...

[djbelc01]

Rather than a digital piano, it's an electric piano. It's like the electric guitar compared to an acoustic guitar. The sound is all generated mechanically by a hammer hitting a metal rod (called a tine) that vibrates -- this sound is amplified by electromagnetic pickups. There is nothing digital or sampled about it. It's all mechanical. They were made up until 1985 or so, and now a new, slightly improved model is being released in the next year.

[HammondB200]

darn, use google

[JazzySaxE]

hahaha

[drkmiller]

The link you gave to Black Cow was incredible! Did you figure out the Rhodes parts by ear or did you consult an outside source? Either way great job!

[djbelc01]

Yeah, someday I'll put up a video of that one! It's actually a combination -- I've got a book of Steely Dan sheet music, plus I looked at a MIDI file (search for the Black Cow MIDI done by Shino -- it's fantastic)

[drkmiller]

Thanks for the info! I also have a 1978 Rhodes 73 and to play the Dan on it is one of my passions. But your renditions are as magical as Fagans. Besides Black Cow, I would love to hear Hey 19 if you ever get around to it.

[djbelc01]

Thanks for the comparison to Donald Fagen!! :) About Hey 19, hmm, I'll have to learn it first. That is a great percussive electric piano sound however. I don't even know for 100% though that it's a Rhodes -- if it is a Rhodes, it's an earlier model with the square hammer tips, or perhaps even a felt hammer tip model.

[drkmiller]

Hey 19 sounds like a Rhodes to me, but I am no expert. What amp are you playing though, by the way?

[drkmiller]

Actually, I goofed. I was thinking of Babylon Sisters. That is another one that I would like you to play!

[djbelc01]

Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, brown tolex edition (warmer tubes than the standard run). And wow. Babylon Sisters would be asking a lot.  That's a toughie with lots of evil chord voicings. It might be awhile till I can tackle that one!

[djbelc01]

And just an FYI, it was actually Victor Feldman who played the Rhodes on the studio recording of Josie, though Donald plays the Rhodes in concert on it these days.

[drkmiller]

Great information. I will have to look up Victor Feldman.

[NicolaiNederland]

U rock!

[djbelc01]

Thanks! :)

[JaYSpRE2007]

I love it... I want one so badly... It sounds so sweet. Good video.

[djbelc01]

Thanks! Keep an eye out on Craigslist and eBay if you are really interested in buying one, plus the fenderrhodes [dot] com forums

[volvoxburger]

Good work, Dan. I used to play this tune on the gig back in the 90s.

[djbelc01]

Thanks!

[fetze]

nice playing, but you should tune the rhodes !!

[djbelc01]

Thanks! I think my piano sounds pretty good (as good as it can without buying a preamp), but unfortunately the sound quality in this video isn't great, which hurts it. Digital cameras don't have the best microphones. Check the link I posted in the video description for a much higher quality MP3 I recorded of it.