i play guitar and can sight read ok. my question is is there a simple piano comping style which will enable me to play simple songs, like beatles hey jude or imagine. i'll be singing so the melody is taken care of. i just want to be able to have a nice harmony underneath it but still not play the piano just as block chords.
<nigelinsouthamer...@gmail.com> wrote: > HIya all.
> i play guitar and can sight read ok. > my question is is there a simple piano comping style which will enable > me to play simple songs, like beatles hey jude or imagine. > i'll be singing so the melody is taken care of. > i just want to be able to have a nice harmony underneath it but still > not play the piano just as block chords.
> maybe a youtube video?
> thanks > n
I have had pretty goog luck with youtube videos for songs by "Coldplay". There are also some Hal Leonard books with simple arrangments for piano and voice of Beatles songs. For "Imagine" though you can play the block chords pretty much 4/4 through out and then tag the end of the phrases with a fill. You might be able to figure that one out just from listening a few times.
<nigelinsouthamer...@gmail.com> wrote: > HIya all.
> i play guitar and can sight read ok. > my question is is there a simple piano comping style which will enable > me to play simple songs, like beatles hey jude or imagine. > i'll be singing so the melody is taken care of. > i just want to be able to have a nice harmony underneath it but still > not play the piano just as block chords.
> maybe a youtube video?
> thanks > n
It sounds like you have the basics down, and want to learn more about accompanying arranging. Tony Bennett's recordings (except 1950s) were backed by jazz trios, heavy on the piano. There's even the classic album Tony Bennett and Bill Evans (many say the greatest jazz pianist). Find CDs like that to study. There are isolated pop songs to learn from, like Simon and Garfunkel's original recording of Bridge Over Troubled Water. And Carol King accompanied herself on the piano. Search, listen, cover, invent.
Neil Miller, author of The Piano Lessons Book Enter in Amazon.com search: Neil Miller Piano Lessons Book OR http://www.createspace.com/3332371
<nigelinsouthamer...@gmail.com> wrote: > HIya all.
> i play guitar and can sight read ok. > my question is is there a simple piano comping style which will enable > me to play simple songs, like beatles hey jude or imagine. > i'll be singing so the melody is taken care of. > i just want to be able to have a nice harmony underneath it but still > not play the piano just as block chords.
> maybe a youtube video?
> thanks > n
It's been a while since I seriously tickled the ivories, but to answer your question:
I think a good book to recommend would be "The Pop Piano book" by Mark Harrison.
A lot of rock/pop accompaniment --depending on the song in question as there is no "one size fits all" in music - is indeed based on the playing of block chords to help create that drive or groove, but what is imperative is to use good voice leading. So much of rock music is based on using patterns in accompaniment, but being a guitarist, I'm sure that is nothing new to you.
So, in other words, you shouldn't adopt a default playing style of playing all the chords in root position, one after the other, while singing the melody. Use inversions and transition smoothly from one chord to the next. But of course, there are times when you don't want to use block chords.......but that's what I hear in so much of rock music.
Do check out the book I recommend and see the kind of "patterns" they recommend, and try them out and see for yourself. Nothing wrong with coming up with your own patterns as long as you understand the principle.
> <nigelinsouthamer...@gmail.com> wrote: > > HIya all.
> > i play guitar and can sight read ok. > > my question is is there a simple piano comping style which will enable > > me to play simple songs, like beatles hey jude or imagine. > > i'll be singing so the melody is taken care of. > > i just want to be able to have a nice harmony underneath it but still > > not play the piano just as block chords.
> > maybe a youtube video?
> > thanks > > n
> It's been a while since I seriously tickled the ivories, but to answer > your question:
> I think a good book to recommend would be "The Pop Piano book" by Mark > Harrison.
> A lot of rock/pop accompaniment --depending on the song in question as > there is no "one size > fits all" in music - is indeed based on the playing of block chords > to help create that drive > or groove, but what is imperative is to use good voice leading. So > much of rock music is based on using patterns in accompaniment, but > being a guitarist, I'm sure that is nothing new to you.
> So, in other words, you shouldn't adopt a default playing style of > playing all the chords in root position, one after the other, while > singing the melody. Use inversions and transition smoothly from one > chord to the next. But of course, there are times when you don't > want to use block chords.......but that's what I hear in so much of > rock music.
> Do check out the book I recommend and see the kind of "patterns" they > recommend, and try them out and see for yourself. Nothing wrong with > coming up with your own patterns as long as you understand the > principle.
> best of luck, > tysteel
sounds good guys ill check them out and try them thanks
<nigelinsouthamer...@gmail.com> wrote: > HIya all.
> i play guitar and can sight read ok. > my question is is there a simple piano comping style which will enable > me to play simple songs, like beatles hey jude or imagine. > i'll be singing so the melody is taken care of. > i just want to be able to have a nice harmony underneath it but still > not play the piano just as block chords.
> maybe a youtube video?
> thanks > n
"Hey Jude" *is* block chords.
Now, what Lennon does in "Imagine" might be more of what you're after, especially as a beginner. One way to play (accompaniment behind) that chart is, start the 1st chord in root position, then "rock" your right hand back 'n forth... say the 1st chord is C, then rock your hand in eight notes: G/E-C-G/E-C etc. The last beat of the 1st measure is Cmaj7, so rock between B/G-E and then to the next measure, which would be F, so rock between A/F-C-A/F-C etc. "Hey Jude" could be played in much the same way. In the left hand, simply play the root in octaves on each chord change, and to add variety, play the root and then on the 3rd count, play the third.
"Nice harmony underneath" implies supporting the melody with complimentary notes, but I suspect what I've tried to describe above (if you can figure it out!) is more like what you're asking for.
