Elvis – Heartbreak Hotel
I usually begin blog posts about song arrangements by briefly introducing the performer and the song. I hope nobody minds if I skip the introduction to Elvis. And if anyone happens not to know this song, which is already 62 years old this year, they should urgently correct that omission!
You can find another million versions on YouTube and they are well worth listening to. There are at least three or four videos by Elvis alone, and I did not even scroll very far down the YouTube results. An unusually detailed amount of informationabout the song can be found on the English Wikipedia page.
The song is an eight-bar blues, and one of the simpler kind at that, because it contains no chords other than the three needed for the blues. That is obviously not where the beauty of the song lies. Its beauty comes from the musical awareness with which an unforgettable, delicate song was composed using just three chords and a handful of instruments. Elvis alternates uncompromising, sharp-edged singing with wonderfully soft, unmistakably “Elvis” turns of phrase, and the electric guitar is the perfect partner: at times it cuts straight through the song, at others it provides a light, chiming accompaniment. The double bass keeps calming the restless and deeply unhappy fellow the song is about, while even the piano's gentle tapping seems to be trying to comfort the abandoned man's soul. The song is perfect exactly as it is; I could not think of anything to add or take away.
And what possibilities does Heartbreak Hotel offer us as ukulele players? Like most songs, it can be adapted and played on ukulele in many different ways. The simplest approach is simply to strum the chords: E major, A major and B major, and that is that. There is absolutely nothing wrong with starting this way, and the song also provides useful practice for barre chords. This time I wanted to go a little further and arrange the song in the way I enjoy most: playing both the chords and the melody. This is a more difficult style because you have to follow and play the changing chords while simultaneously picking the vocal melody. That requires coordination between all the fingers of both hands and therefore demands patience and persistence during practice. In the video I try to demonstrate everything slowly and several times. I hope I can persuade you to learn this little gem too!
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