This is actually a Strum-Along with a fingerpicking break between verses. You could do the whole thing just strumming or fingerpick the whole thing, but I thought it sounded best to strum and then add the fingerpicking by itself in the middle without any singing. I did a tablature of how I did the fingerpicking part. The tablature is “pattern picking,” in other words, I’m just fingerpicking the same pattern throughout the entire verse.
I should mention that I wrote this tablature in 2003 but I recorded the song and posted it to YouTube in 2016. I didn’t even remember that I had written out the tablature, so I wasn’t trying to follow it, but going back and looking at my video, I noticed that when fingerpicking the verse I mainly started out each measure with the count of 1 being a single quarter note instead of playing the entire thing in eighth notes. If you want to do it that way just play the first note in each measure of the tablature and disregard the second eighth note. I hope that’s not too confusing, but you should be able to hear it in the video.
If you need help with reading the tablature, be sure to watch my video on How to Read Tablature.
Deep Purple is a popular song composed by Peter DeRose in 1933 as a piano instrumental. It later gained widespread recognition when lyrics were added in 1938 by Mitchell Parish. The song became a jazz and pop standard, covered by numerous artists over the decades.
Originally, Deep Purple was a flowing, romantic melody written for solo piano. Its rich harmonies and lyrical phrasing made it a favorite among musicians, leading to its adaptation into a vocal version with Parish’s lyrics. The song’s dreamlike quality and evocative lyrics contributed to its lasting popularity.
The song became a major hit in 1939 when bandleader Larry Clinton recorded it with vocalist Bea Wain. It continued to be recorded by various artists, including a notable 1957 version by Billy Ward and His Dominoes. The most famous rendition was recorded in 1963 by Nino Tempo and April Stevens, which won a Grammy Award for Best Rock and Roll Recording.
Deep Purple remains one of the most enduring songs from the early 20th century. Its influence extends beyond jazz and pop, inspiring later adaptations and even lending its name to the British rock band Deep Purple. The song’s timeless melody and romantic lyrics continue to captivate listeners today.
Peter DeRose’s Deep Purple stands as a testament to the power of melody and lyrical storytelling. Its transition from instrumental to vocal standard, along with its continued appeal across generations, highlights its significance in American music history.