The Carole King Keyboard Book: Note-for-Note Keyboard Transcriptions

It is not elementary music. it is not challenging music. It is easy to ad lib, even though I'm a classical music reader. I just follow my fingers. The main score does not have the vocals built in. It is written as she plays it, exactly what I wanted. As far as singing, it is an easy range. I want another of Carol King's just like this, but with more songs I know.. I took it to UPS and had it spiral bound.

Before buying this I already had  The Carole King Deluxe Anthology (Piano/Vocal/Guitar Artist Songbook) , and also own the original Tapestry (piano vocal, easy piano) edition, which appears to have been largely supplanted by the Transcription version.As Amazon does not have a look inside feature for sheet music books, hint hint Amazon, this presented a dilemma in knowing if it was worth making the further investment. I put it in my cart, and as I regularly check the Gold Box deals,(top of your page) this one came up as an offer making it too compelling to ignore.It contains all the Tapestry songs plus the classic Jazzman an amazing song, Been To Canaan, Nightingale and Sweet Seasons. All these songs and more can be found on  A Natural Woman: The Ode Collection 1968-1976 I love playing transcriptions, not only do they accurately enable you to replicate her distinctive and beautiful playing style, they are usually easier, because on the recording she is not playing the melody, so it's cleaner and easier to play than sheet music which has accompaniment plus melody on the same staff. On transcriptions the vocal line is on a different staff, and you can integrate it as you see fit.Will you still love me tomorrow for example has all the vocal parts written in, and the accompaniment is truer to the recording than other versions I own.So Far Away, very true, and I find the separation of the vocal very helpful. It does not write in the flute solo on the play out, it just says flute solo ad lib. Easier to play and better sounding with beautiful fills.I feel the earth move, easier to play and better sounding than other versions, also has the electric guitar solo written, if you are ambitious and wish to incorporate that into your ad lib.You've got a friend, amazing to think that's all she has to do to sound that good, with ad lib fills written, and vocal parts.It's too Late. Has vocal parts and Wurlitzer piano guitar on separate staffs.Smackwater Jack has vocal harmonies written in and electric piano on separate staff. A surprising omission is the shuffling bass part. This is in the Anthology.I recommend this as the best way to get into Carole King and pick up her style, and I also recommend you consider  The Carole King Deluxe Anthology (Piano/Vocal/Guitar Artist Songbook)  which has 70 songs, most of them hits.I think you will love it, and I hope you found this helpful. Thank you.

I love everything about this book. It be enables me to play her songs as she did.

(Reviewer is Katie, not Matt) I have a couple other Carole King sheet music collections which I have enjoyed, but this is the best of them by far. (The only exception, which is minor, is that this version of "Sweet Seasons" is not as 'fun' to play as in the "white" anthology). "Beautiful," "I Feel the Earth Move," and especially "It's Too Late" are very enjoyable and rewarding. The "Will You Still Love Me?" arrangement is simultaneously simple, straightforward, yet lovingly illuminated with flourishes that deepen the accompaniment. I received this as a gift for my 40th birthday and have played this book more than any other in the last seven months.

Excellent, true to the album as far as I can tell. As others have noted, this doesn't transcribe the vocal melody to chords, it transcribes what she plays.Also: I am beginner piano player, although I am a fairly advanced guitar and fretted instrument player. Carole King seems like a great place to start. Her pieces are all very clearly piano driven, and most of them are chord-based. Years ago, I learned to play guitar with a Beatles Chord book, and just learning to transition from chord to chord to play the Beatles got me exercising. I feel that Carole King, with the help of this book, is helping me understand chord voicing and transitions for vocal accompaniment. Very good book.

I purchased this and the Elton John Note for Note songbook and was extremely disappointed. What is lacking is Carole's introduction melodies and beautiful inverted chords. Basically the book uses the standard melody line with bass for piano. Then below that, is what would be considered the piano part used for vocal accompaniment. However all that really amounts to is the chords which are the same structure as the melody and bass above it. Rarely does this book capture the true essence of Carole's complex chord structure which is why I purchased this. Even some of the melody notes sound incorrect and awkward. This holds true for the Elton book. I will say the best I have seen for note to note transcription is the Billy Joel book. Special considerations for Piano Man and New York State of Mind are excellently transcribed. I speak with experience as I have been a pianist for over twenty years and transcribe on a regular basis with other musicians I perform with. So I was really looking for an easy way out and was thoroughly disappointed with this non-refundable purchase. If you want to learn the chord and structure used by the original artist I recommend searching online for videos of your favorite song. Chances are you will find someone who has posted a tutorial on how to properly play a perfectly transcribed song.

Very precise and accurate, nice to live every nuance of this classic album. Highly recommended to every Kings fan and lover of beautiful music

All the right notes. Own it.It has the exact notes KING PLAYS and gives you the confidence to do the same.

Many books of sheet music for pop songs are really rubbish! They sometimes have mistakes in the chords and the melody and almost never have exactly what has been played on the record.This book is extraordinarily good. It is almost a transcription of the original and means it can be played very accurately. It seems as if it has been transcribed by someone who not only has listened to the music, but who knows it very well.I am really pleased with it.

Great book, rather too advanced for me at the moment as a @ Grade 2 player (but wonderful in the hands of an experienced piano playing friend). I'm still delighted to have it though as there's a lot I can learn and enjoy from it.

Ive been waiting a long time for a book that shows what the piano player actually plays rather than the often awful solo piano versions, which put me off ever looking again! It's not easy by any means but very well transcribed and really enjoyable to play. Hoping there are more like this, it's renewed my faith in piano books!

nicely arranged , nicely printed and bound which is surely all we want and expect in compendia of sheet music ?

Bought this for my partner - he loves the combination of melody and chord parts which are as the recorded tracks.