Matt Rollings: Grammy winning producer, arranger and piano player extraordinaire on being a master player

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Master piano player Matt Rollings

Matt has played on countless records for artists such as: 

Wynonna Judd, Lyle Lovett, Shania Twain, Trisha Yearwood, Leonard Cohen, Mark Knofler, Dixie Chicks, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Billy Joel, Steve Martin, Bruce springsteen, Toy Story 4 Randy Newman and Christ Stapleton.

 Matt has produced many artists such as: Keith Urban and Mellissa Manchester

 He won a Grammy for Producing, arranging and playing on Willie Nelson’s  record: Willie Nelson Singers Gershwin and  Willie Nelson’s record Willie Nelson Sings Sinatra 

 Matt has toured extensively with Lyle Lovett and Allison Kraus and is here today to talk about songwriting and the elements of being a master player in service of the song or the singer. 

Show takeaways:

• The importance of feel and timing
• Lean into the nervousness  
• Lead with your weakness
• The importance of vulnerability
• When playing: 80% attention on the singer who is performing and 20% read the chart, play the fills, adjust, play in time, remember the song and create the part
• Voicing an F Major chord: CFA: F chord in second position. Take the F out of the middle and drop it an octave 
• When you play close voicing, all of the overtones bash into each other
• When you don’t, it doesn’t ring the same way and  you give the overtones room
• The Three things: Time, Feel and Function

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/mattrollings88/

https://www.scarletkeys.com
https://www.instagram.com/scarletkeysofficial/
https://www.amazon.com/Craft-Songwriting-Music-Meaning-Emotion/dp/0876391927/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2PP55NU6E9ST6&keywords=the+craft+of+songwriting&qid=1659573139&sprefix=the+craft+of+songwritin%2Caps%2C153&sr=8-1

Engineer: Peter Sykes https://www.petersykesmusic.com

The show's theme song "What's in a Song" was co-written with Otto Gross
Recorded and performed by Otto Gross: 
@OttoGrossProduction (instagram)
@OttoGrossMusic (Youtube, facebook, TikTok)
https://biglink.to/ottogrossmusic 

Scarlet's website:

https://www.scarletkeys.com

Scarlet's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scarletkeysofficial/

To purchase Scarlet Keys' book "The Craft of Songwriting:

https://www.amazon.com/Craft-Songwriting-Music-Meaning-Emotion/dp/0876391927/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2PP55NU6E9ST6&keywords=the+craft+of+songwriting&qid=1659573139&sprefix=the+craft+of+songwritin%2Caps%2C153&sr=8-1