The Best of Stevie Wonder

American Music Teacher, Oct-Nov, 2002 by Sylvia Coats

by Todd Lowry. Hal Leonard Corporation (7777 W. Bluemound Rd., P.O. Box 13819, Milwaukee, WI 53213), 2002. 31 pp., $22.95. Intermediate.

The Best of Stevie Wonder is a new publication of Hal Leonard's Keyboard Signature Licks featuring such artists as Ben Folds Five, Billy Joel, and Lennon and McCartney. The books attempt to teach pianists the techniques and styles used by these artists; thus, it is more of a study guide of the keyboard part rather than a performance volume of the total song. The CD, packaged with the book, is a recording of the keyboard parts without melody, as well as notable keyboard parts played at a slower speed.

The book will appeal to pianists who want to play in the style of Stevie Wonder or play Wonder's songs from a lead sheet in the appropriate style. One will get the most out of it if both an acoustic piano and synthesizer are available. Piano students may be disappointed if they choose the volume, since the vocal line does not appear in the piano part. I think the intermediate student would enjoy playing the keyboard parts if he or she records the melody line and plays it back while performing the keyboard part.

The Wonder edition includes an informative biography and a discography of his recordings. Songs include favorites such as Superstition and You Are the Sunshine of My Limb. Todd Lowry precedes each of fourteen songs with an engaging description of the song and an analysis of Wonder's sophisticated harmony, unusual keys and instrumentation. Although Wonder is an accomplished keyboardist, the keyboard in his pop songs consists of comping (patterns accompanying the vocal melody). Each keyboard part is essentially a short rhythmic and harmonic pattern that is repeated throughout the piece. Wonder often uses keys of five or six sharps or flats. Lowry speculates that Wonder likes the challenge of difficult keys to find more "edgy" harmonies.

Lowry does a terrific job of breaking down each song by the mood, key, harmony and instrumentation. Most interesting is the history of the evolution of Wonder's style from age 11, when he first signed with Motown Records, through 1996. His career includes fifty-six hit singles, nine of which were number one on Billboard's list of hit songs, twenty-one hit albums and sixteen Grammy awards. Reviewed by Sylvia Coats, Wichita, Kansas.