Keyboard & "Tech." Ensemble Repertoire List:
Keyboard Ensemble Arrangements Overview:
I look for certain things when deciding whether to arrange a song for keyboard (or tech.) ensemble or not. Since I normally am writing for elementary and middle school students, I try to keep things a simple A-B-A format. It is a lot less music the members have to learn. I also look for repetitive bass lines that can easily be divided if too complex. I try to keep the chord changes down to a minimum, or (like with the bass) they have a very repetitive chord sequence.
Finally, almost EVERY arrangement has a “vamp” section, or someplace where soloist(s) can be featured. This allowed me to extend our ensembles performance time utilizing a fewer number of songs to work up per performance. It is very easy to transfer from soloing format in “Jammin’ with the Pros” into any of the arrangements on this list. If you hear any place where parts get more repetitive, and the harmonic and accompaniment features seem simplified, it is probably the solo section of that song.
Some of these “play back” arrangements have a Finale drum set “groove” added to them. I simply made the “play back” audio files suit what I needed for each songs potential preparation. In all arrangements the “smart chord” accompaniment number code (that is closest to the Finale “Groove”, or best suits the arrangement’s needs) are always included in both the score and the keyboard harmony (“mother board”) part.
Note: Any “title” in blue is linked to its “play back” audio file. Click on the blue title itself to access their MP3.
Keyboard & “Tech.” Ensemble Repertoire List Artist(s) Additional Information
Addams Family TV Theme
Ain’t Nothin’ Wrong With That Robert Randolph and the Family Band
All the Above Maino / T. Pain
Axel F. Harold Faltermeyer Beverly Hills Cops (movie)
Bang, Bang * Jessie, Arianna, & Nikki
Believer * Imagine Dragons
Billie Jean Michael Jackson
Bad Boy Trilogy Michael Jackson Beat It / Smooth Criminal / Bad
Bad to the Bone Gorge Throughgood
Beethoven’s 5th Symphony and Requiem Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Black Horse and a Cherry Tree KT Tunstall
Brush Your Shoulders Off Jay/Z
Carol of the Bells Mannhiem Steamroller Christmas Novelty
Cavalier Funk Cavalier Drum Corps Drum Section Feature
Caveman Movie Theme
Crazy in Love Beyonce
Cupid Shuffle Cupid
Cyclone Baby Bash
Don’t Bring Me Down Electric Light Orchestra Used in the movie “Planes”
Don’t Stop Believin’ Journey
E.T. Katy Perry & Kanye West
Enter the Sandman Metallica
Eye of the Tiger Survivor Sound Track “Rocky III”
Final Countdown Europe
Fur Elise L. Beethoven Advanced KB indicator
Get Ready For This 2 Unlimited
Grenade Bruno Mars
Halloween Movie Sound Track
Hey! or Rock & Roll Part 2 Gary Glitter “Space Jam” the movie
Higher Ground Stevie Wonder
Home Marc Boussard Gospel
Hotel Cassidy
House of the Rising Sun Eric Burdon and the “Animals” As performed by “RAGE”
I Feel Good James Brown
I Like to Move It, Move It Reel 2 Reel / Will-I-Am Sound Track “Madagascar”
I’m Havin’ a Bad, Bad Day Pharrell Williams “Despicable Me” movie theme
In My Life Juvenile
It’s A Long Way to the Top if You Want to Rock & Roll AC/DC
King Tut Steve Martin Comedy Skit
Laffy Taffy
Land of 1000 Dances Wilson Pickett
(The) Lion Sleeps Tonight The “Tokens”
Live and Let Die P. McCartney / Wings James Bond 007 Theme
Livin’ La Vida Loca Ricky Martin
Livin’ on a Prayer Bon Jovi
Mission Impossible Sound Track “M.I. 1”
Naked Gun Mike Vax (big band) Main Theme from Movies (3)
My Sharona The Knack
Natalie Bruno Mars
Peter Gunn Mancini TV Theme
Puchino Dino
Put the Lime in the Coconut Harry Nilsson
Rage / Defense Clemson Pep Band “The Matrix” (movie)
Right Now (Na, Na, Na) Akon
Roar Katy Perry
Shippin’ Up to Boston Dropkick Murphy Band “The Departed” (movie)
Smooth Carlos Santana
Soul Bossa Nova Quincy Jones Austin Powers Movie Theme
Speedy Gonzales / Showcasing the “secret weapon” Pat Boone Comedic Skit / As recorded for “Just Dance”
Spice Up Your Life* The “Spice Girls”
Sunshine of Your Love * Cream
Superstition Stevie Wonder
Take Me To the River Al Green as performed by The “Talking Heads”
Tales from the Crypt HBO TV Theme / Movie
Tequila the “Champs”
Tetris From “Just Dance” An easy piano arrangement I wrote for my grandson.
Thriller Michael Jackson
Thunderstruck AC / DC
Tusk Fleetwood Mac & the USC Marching Band
Unbelievable EMF
Venus Bananarama / Shocking Blue
Walkin’ on the Sun Smashmouth
Walk Like an Egyptian the Bangles
Watermelon Man Herbie Hancock Royal Airs Drum and Bugle Corps 1965 arrangement
Way You Make Me Feel (The) Michael Jackson
We Got the Beat the GoGos
We Will Rock You Queen
What Can A Keyboard Play? “Ylvis” (Vegard and Brad Ylvisaker) A Musical Parody: What Does A Fox Say?
What It Is Right Now Busta Rymes
Who Let the Dogs Out the Baha Men
Wild Thing the “Troggs”
Xenogenesis The “fat rat”
Yeah! Usher
Zombie Nation Kernkraft 400
“*” Denotes not yet arranged, or the arrangement is not complete.
The following are several of the songs above, performed by previous Goodwin Elementary School Keyboard Ensembles. Some are the arrangements listed and others are “sketches”, which I talk about in another part of this web site.
"The Addams Family"
"Bad to the Bone"
"Carol of the Bells"
"Get Ready for This"
"Halloween" (movie theme)
"Hey"
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
"Pachabel Canon"
"Yeah!"
"House of the Rising Sun" (2017)
The two songs below are fairly short because they were used for “promotional” purposes. One was used for when you opened a certain web site, and the other was the theme” music for an elementary school news broadcast at the beginning of each school day. There are also full length arrangements available for Keyboard and “Tech.” Ensembles.