Posted by: Taike
Transitioning from arranger keyboard to piano - 07/04/20 07:20 PM
Piano accompaniment is a wide and deep subject, but I tried to cut corners and make it look like it’s doable in the following eight steps. I made a two-minute video that demonstrates these steps using the beginning of “Amazing Grace” as an example.
Starting point: you’re able to play songs so that you play basic root position chords with your left hand and single-note melody with your right hand.
Step 1: Break the chords to both hands so that with your left hand you only play the chord’s bass note and with your right hand you play the whole chord. Focus only on learning these roles for your hands for playing chords, don’t try to play the melody.
Step 2: Combine with melody! Play the melody with the rightmost two or three fingers of your right hand, and on the "one" of each bar (or if the chord changes in the middle of a bar) add two chord tones below the melody note with your thumb and index finger (or middle finger). If this is too difficult at first, even one chord tone is fine. (By stacking chord tones below the melody note, you’re in a sense playing “chord inversions”.) The left hand plays bass almost like in the previous step, but playing a new note or repeating the previous one at the beginning of every bar, creating a very basic rhythmic pulse.
Step 3: Play chords with a rhythm pattern. Leave out the melody again, and play just chords with a rhythm pattern with both hands. Your left hand is like the kick drum and the bass, playing on “one”. The right hand is like the snare drum, hi-hat or guitar back-beat.
Step 4: Combine with melody! Even one harmony note is enough for the rhythm pattern, if you can’t do more. Emphasize the beginning of each bar, and each chord change, by play the whole chord at least lightly, regardless of the chosen rhythm pattern.
Step 5: Make the chord progression more interesting by adding movement and leading tones. Make the bass walk along chord tones e.g. at bar boundaries. (Later on as you get more skilled, you can do walking bass, boogie-woogie, funk bass, many other things, but simple chord tones are easy to start with.) For example, make the plain F major an F7 before going to Bb. Focus on harmony, don’t play melody or rhythm patterns. (This is an endless journey - there’s always more harmony tricks to add, when you get too used to the ones you already know.)
Step 6: Combine with melody! Don’t play a rhythm pattern. Combining the more advanced chords with the melody should be enough.
Step 7: Make your rhythm playing more interesting. Add weaker notes to the pattern. Add swing whenever you can. (I love swing) Don’t play melody, focus on rhythmic comping. Groove!
Step 8: Add everything together! Add melody, harmony, and rhythm embellishments as you learn them. You’re the whole band now. Listen to pop records and try to identify the essential “hummable” elements in each song and arrangement. What’s happening with the rhythm pattern? How could you do it on the piano? How’s the bass walking? Are there some interesting riffs and hooks you could imitate? How to do Bossa Nova comping? Funk? Ballads?
As you learn these steps, play songs together with someone. Get accompaniment gigs. Sing and play songs with family, friends, neighbors, random people. Make your playing serve a purpose - I've noticed that that's a very important motivation booster, and it makes the world better too.
Starting point: you’re able to play songs so that you play basic root position chords with your left hand and single-note melody with your right hand.
Step 1: Break the chords to both hands so that with your left hand you only play the chord’s bass note and with your right hand you play the whole chord. Focus only on learning these roles for your hands for playing chords, don’t try to play the melody.
Step 2: Combine with melody! Play the melody with the rightmost two or three fingers of your right hand, and on the "one" of each bar (or if the chord changes in the middle of a bar) add two chord tones below the melody note with your thumb and index finger (or middle finger). If this is too difficult at first, even one chord tone is fine. (By stacking chord tones below the melody note, you’re in a sense playing “chord inversions”.) The left hand plays bass almost like in the previous step, but playing a new note or repeating the previous one at the beginning of every bar, creating a very basic rhythmic pulse.
Step 3: Play chords with a rhythm pattern. Leave out the melody again, and play just chords with a rhythm pattern with both hands. Your left hand is like the kick drum and the bass, playing on “one”. The right hand is like the snare drum, hi-hat or guitar back-beat.
Step 4: Combine with melody! Even one harmony note is enough for the rhythm pattern, if you can’t do more. Emphasize the beginning of each bar, and each chord change, by play the whole chord at least lightly, regardless of the chosen rhythm pattern.
Step 5: Make the chord progression more interesting by adding movement and leading tones. Make the bass walk along chord tones e.g. at bar boundaries. (Later on as you get more skilled, you can do walking bass, boogie-woogie, funk bass, many other things, but simple chord tones are easy to start with.) For example, make the plain F major an F7 before going to Bb. Focus on harmony, don’t play melody or rhythm patterns. (This is an endless journey - there’s always more harmony tricks to add, when you get too used to the ones you already know.)
Step 6: Combine with melody! Don’t play a rhythm pattern. Combining the more advanced chords with the melody should be enough.
Step 7: Make your rhythm playing more interesting. Add weaker notes to the pattern. Add swing whenever you can. (I love swing) Don’t play melody, focus on rhythmic comping. Groove!
Step 8: Add everything together! Add melody, harmony, and rhythm embellishments as you learn them. You’re the whole band now. Listen to pop records and try to identify the essential “hummable” elements in each song and arrangement. What’s happening with the rhythm pattern? How could you do it on the piano? How’s the bass walking? Are there some interesting riffs and hooks you could imitate? How to do Bossa Nova comping? Funk? Ballads?
As you learn these steps, play songs together with someone. Get accompaniment gigs. Sing and play songs with family, friends, neighbors, random people. Make your playing serve a purpose - I've noticed that that's a very important motivation booster, and it makes the world better too.