Back to basics: what to do to improve my playing

[Jose EB5AGV]

Hi all,

 

Disclaimer: some time ago, I wrote about creating a separate sub-forum for beginners. It was a no-go so, well, I write this here. Skip this topic if it is of no interest to you, no problem 👍🏻

 

OK, so let me explain my current situation: I am playing piano / keyboards for five years. Beginning at zero level and almost with 50 years. So now I am almost 55. I attend a weekly piano class on a local Yamaha Music School. It is a group class, but we are just two people. I attend also a music school to learn theory / solfege, also for the last five years. Now we are working on harmony. At home, since the beginning of my journey, I began playing pop / rock music as a solo pianist, using lyrics and chords sheets, as the ones used to play along with guitar, and playing right hand by ear, as a single note melody. That helped me to learn a bunch of left hand chords and inversions, develop my ear and, after a while, adding some arpeggios to left hand, sound credible. But, basically, that is my poor music toolbox 😥

 

Fast forward to March 2022, I had the chance to join a pop/rock covers/originals band. The rest of the band are seasoned people, and I am by far the less experienced. So, what I do there?. I play mostly chords, with right hand, in the middle register, then a kind of bass one octave below in some cases, trying to play a good rhythm (I am decent at that), usually based on the bass and, eventually, add some right hand upper melody or, on a couple songs, play an intro (one is a synth chord progression, using a high pass filter to open it up, and the other is AP arpeggios)

 

That is the current situation. I am learning some riffs from synth based music, but that is for my own use and to develop speed, while learning more of my Montage.

 

But I am a bit lost on how to progress from here. I am sure some of you have gone through a similar path long ago... What would you suggest?

 

Please, note that I play as a hobby, have a regular work (luckily 😉), but I am very committed to it and am enjoying quite a lot playing on the band and also playing solo.

 

Thanks for your input 🫂

 

Jose

[stoken6]

The first idea that comes to mind - make sure you practice playing every major/minor triad in all inversions. To the point where you don't have to think about it.

 

Then put together random sequences of major and minor chords: G-Bbm-E-Ab-C#-Fm etc. Practice transitioning to each chord with minimal movement, by choosing the nearest inversion (voice leading). 

 

Apologies if you have mastered this already.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Dockeys]

13 minutes ago, stoken6 said:

The first idea that comes to mind - make sure you practice playing every major/minor triad in all inversions. To the point where you don't have to think about it.

 

Then put together random sequences of major and minor chords: G-Bbm-E-Ab-C#-Fm etc. Practice transitioning to each chord with minimal movement, by choosing the nearest inversion (voice leading). 

 

Apologies if you have mastered this already.

 

Cheers, Mike.

This.⬆️I can’t emphasise this enough to my students. All chords, all inversions and then movement between each one. Makes an excellent basis for voice leading down the line if you get into arranging. 

[Al Quinn]

Great suggestions. Chords, inversions, and voicings need to become second nature.

 

Playing some classical music with the guidance of a teacher will likely accelerate your development. Even if just for a few years it will provide a solid technical and musical foundation to build on. Bach is great for developing hand independence. 

[RABid]

Get your patches organized and volume balanced. That is the first thing to do with a keyboard. For example, in my system 1-10 were pianos, 11-20 organs, 21-30 pads, etc. That really cuts back on searching. While playing live, notice if you have to adjust your master volume for some patches, then adjust those settings within the patch to even things out.

 

I used the set list to write the basic chord progression for the song. It was more of a comfort issue to make me feel more secure before starting a song. 

 

If you don't have something to play in a song, DON'T just double the bass line. You would be invading his turf and muddying the sound. Settle in on a nice organ or ep patch and play something closer to what you would play if on guitar. Not exactly what the rhythm guitarist is doing. More of a counter rhythm.

 

In my early day I earned my keep by covering solos of other instruments that were not in the band. Saxophone, flute, harmonica. It taught me a lot about what I could get out of my synth. Don't worry about matching the sound. Focus on the feel and dynamics of the solo. My goal was to take the listener on the same journey, but in my off the beaten path way.

 

Read this thread on making your leads sing.

 

[Lou Gehrig Charles]

5 hours ago, EB5AGV said:

 

Fast forward to March 2022, I had the chance to join a pop/rock covers/originals band. The rest of the band are seasoned people, and I am by far the less experienced. So, what I do there?. I play mostly chords, with right hand, in the middle register, then a kind of bass one octave below in some cases, trying to play a good rhythm (I am decent at that), usually based on the bass and, eventually, add some right hand upper melody or, on a couple songs, play an intro (one is a synth chord progression, using a high pass filter to open it up, and the other is AP arpeggios)

 

I am at about the same stage as you are and could have written most of your post myself.  The only main difference, is I had lessons for about three years as a kid.

 

I joined a band also recently and although all the others have played together before, they are also more-or-less rookies.  It's a big change from playing alone at home from standard notation sheet music!  And just to keep it interesting, they've chosen to learn a few songs with no keyboards on them at all...  So it is challenging but usually fun.  My interest in music theory has helped a lot and without it I would be lost.

 

Thanks for posting!

 

-Charles

[JamPro]

"What would you suggest?"

 

For the long-term: learn and get comfortable reading piano sheet music.  Work on sight-reading.  Being comfortable reading piano music will open up entire musical universes that are currently hidden from you.  You ability to play and understand and find new music will grow exponentially. 

 

For the mid-term: learn what a 2-5-1 is and how it appears in popular music.  Learn 2-5-1 chord voicings.  In a similar vein, learn what the blues are, and how blues appears in popular music.  Learn blues scales and shell (blues) voicings (i.e. third and seventh).  Blues and 2-5-1 are foundational building blocks of popular music.  Knowing blues and 2-5-1s will cover about 80% of popular music playing situations.

 

For the short-term: practice your scales over 2-5-1 chords and over blues changes.  In this way, you can experience making a solo with your scales in a musical situations.  You get practice in scales, playing chord voicings, and making a solo all in one exercise.

[Montunoman 2]

I’d also suggest blues, even the old style boogie woogie, which will help develop hand independence. 
 

[timwat]

A lot of great advice for you already, Jose. It is great you are taking lessons, every bit of foundation you can build will pay you back exponentially in future musical settings. We never know when we'll be asked to "play a little Latin montuno" or "make it funky like Bernie Worrell" or "hey can you play something like the end piano part in Sweet Home Alabama". The ability to do respond to those kinds of requests is built doing what you're doing right now - the foundation of chords in all inversions (eventually, without having to think about it), a foundation of knowing how to scratch out a solo over a chord or set of changes that sounds decent, a foundation of how to use harmony with rhythmic intent (which it sounds like you already have a good start on). So bravo you! It shows a lot that you are trying to learn and trying to get better.

 

One journey that hasn't been mentioned yet is developing your ear for what is characteristic in particular types of music. This takes time, there aren't really great short cuts, but over time it results in the difference between sounding real and authentic and playing "at" a genre. You want to be able to play funk...not play "at" funk. You want to be able to rock...not play "at" rock. My first jazz instructor Johannes called it the difference between playing jazz and sounding "jazzy".

 

This suggests listening with intent and commitment. If you are playing '90s pop music, it means immersing your ears in the top 50 to 100 tunes of that era and genre, listening to what keyboard players are actually playing in each of those tunes, and learning how to authentically play those parts with those sounds (or, as close as you can get to them). Eventually, an additional benefit is you'll develop a deeper appreciation for that music, you'll understand the nuances better, and you'll gain a new genre to enjoy.

 

Classic rock? Same thing. Take the 50 to 100 top tunes of that era and genre, listen to what the famous KB players are actually playing in each of those tunes, and learn those parts note-for-note with those sounds. 

 

Jazz? Same thing. A lot of folks will tell you jazz requires a formal education in specialized jazz theory, learning modes and scales and why a super locrian is used over etc etc. There is real benefit to that...I am the beneficiary of several years of great jazz education from a university program.

 

But realize the icons of that genre came up before a formal jazz theory education was codified. They learned by playing, and listening, and hanging shoulder to shoulder with those who were creating the music in the first place. 

 

For each of the genre or type of music you invest time in, never forget to listen with intent to how players place their notes rhythmically. The rhythmic feel is unique to genre and defines the feel. Funk feels the 1 differently than rock. Jazz feels the 1 different than Latin. Pay close attention to where you place your notes with respect to the groove and you won't go wrong.

 

TL;DR - in my opinion, there is no substitute for listening with intent, and then putting in the work to learn to play what you are hearing. 

 

 

[CEB]

What Tim says. 
 

Its good you are learning harmony from your class.  It teaches you the voicing intervals.
 

You learn your scales in all 12 keys.  This isn’t for soloing so much. What this does is internalize all the key signatures and teaches you the intervals for every key. Then like Tim say you learn a lot of songs. This will teach you all the chord changes for you genre. Music is like Chess in that pattern recognition is huge.  Eventually you hear your new song and you immediately know most of it because you know the changes. Last Monday someone suggested we play Going back to Louisiana by Delbert McClinton.  I heard a verse and chorus and basically knew it … it was Sixteen by Neil Sadaka.  

If you have the common chord changes down cold. Then who knows … maybe work on cool chord voicings for your genre. Block triad aren’t generally hip.   3-7s and Median Voicings are a good start.  Spread the notes and learn what notes need to be removed.   But again who knows. There is no one here that knows what you should work on. We do not have a frame of reference. 
 

There are no magic beans. You play the piano until the piano plays you.  But a good teacher and good guidance helps a lot. 

[MathOfInsects]

Just distilling and adding a bit to some suggestions that are here:

 

Pick a progression--say, I-iv-ii-V-I, and pick a key--say, C. Start in root position and play chords through that progression with the following rule: do not change any single note by more than a whole step. So each note will change by a whole step, a half step, or no change at all. 

 

"Root out" each chord--meaning, play the bass note that corresponds to each chord in your LH.

When you get back to the I, you will now be in first inversion in the RH (E on the bottom). Do the same thing again, starting there. When you're back to the I, now you'll be in second inversion (G on the bottom). Do it once more and now you'll be back in root position.

Now pick a nice slow tempo and do that same exercise with a metronome, four beats per chord, running through all the inversions.

Now try that in another key--maybe G or F. 

Now do the same exercise and fill the last two beats of each measure with individual chord tones. So maybe the four beats of your C chord will be CHORD-2-e-g, then your Am would be CHORD-2-a-e, and so on. Which notes in which order aren't as important as learning the process of using notes in an intentional way to "connect" your chords. You won't always do this when you play, but those connective notes, when used, are going to elevate your comping immediately.

Do that across the keys you play in too, still with the metronome.

Finally, you can do the same exercise but use SCALE tones to connect your chords, instead of chord tones. This is scarier but great for getting your ear into shape.

You can use any progression for this--including any of the songs your band already plays. 

 

I teach a lot of adults and usually offer the untraditional direction that you do not yet have to play in all keys equally well. Focus on the keys your band's songs are in first, so that your practice is functional, and expand as you go and have time. If you will literally never be playing in Gb, I generally guide students to get good and comfortable with the stuff they know they will be using tomorrow, before banking a whole bunch of material or info for the vague promise of "future" use. 

[Jose EB5AGV]

Many thanks to you all!. This forum is an incredible resource for keyboard players. I am now reading and summing up all the advice you have provided 🤩

 

I know there are no magic ways to improve, but some guidance will help me a lot on this wonderful trip!

 

Thanks! 🫂

 

Jose

[stoken6]

5 hours ago, RABid said:

If you don't have something to play in a song, DON'T just double the bass line. You would be invading his turf and muddying the sound. Settle in on a nice organ or ep patch and play something closer to what you would play if on guitar. Not exactly what the rhythm guitarist is doing. More of a counter rhythm.

This is great. I often see "bedroom pianists" play in bands - and they play as if it's a solo rendition. There's nothing wrong with sitting out the first verse of a guitar rocker like Sweet Child O' Mine, and bringing in Hammond in the first chorus, for example.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Jose EB5AGV]

5 hours ago, RABid said:

If you don't have something to play in a song, DON'T just double the bass line.

 

To clarify, what I meant is that the rhythm I play has usually to do with the bass (is similar or complementary to it). But I keep my playing at the lowest on the C below middle C most times, so I don't collide with bass.

 

Jose

[jarrell]

I would add, listen to the recorded version of the cover songs (and originals if there is a recording with keys), and figure out what the keys are doing. If there are multiple keyboard parts, at least learn the most prominent part. While it's good to come up with your own parts, learning what the pros did will teach you a lot of things, and you get to improve your ear in the bargain 😀

[RABid]

1 hour ago, EB5AGV said:

 

To clarify, what I meant is that the rhythm I play has usually to do with the bass (is similar or complementary to it). But I keep my playing at the lowest on the C below middle C most times, so I don't collide with bass.

 

Jose

Oh, I was not speaking from what you said, but from my own experience. Early on when I would run short of parts to play I would play the bass with left hand, even though we had a bass player. It was a few years before I learned not to do that.

[MathOfInsects]

Yeah, the LH issue is a whole other thread, practically. Certainly, getting "home" players to stop using their LH like they're used to is a big threshold to cross. One thing to avoid if you can is the "LH-RH" bongo thing that can creep into beginners' playing. The rhythm behind it is probably fine, but the Ooom-pah effect of splitting it back and forth between hands often isn't awesome.

The bottom line (you're welcome, dads) is that the piano doesn't know you have two hands. There is not any one thing that each hand should be doing on the instrument. It's whatever the song needs. So sometimes you'd ideally be sitting on your LH while your RH comps, sometimes your LH will complete whatever chord your RH is playing by just being "the next note(s) down," sometimes your LH will be the chords practically in RH range while your RH plays a line, and sometimes you'll root out your chords with a lower bass note or octave, being careful to avoid starting any sonic fights with the bass player. 

Sometimes I'll even drop below the bass player for a nice resonant thwonk on a downbeat in a particular moment, such as a big moody fermata somewhere.

 

But there are also plenty of players who manage to routinely use octave roots or the like even though there's a bass player.  IMO most comping pianists who say they never use LH are exaggerating. We do sometimes get some rhythmic cues or help from the interplay between LH and RH. You just have to be intentional and stay aware of the rhythm and what the bass player is doing. Good bass players may even occasionally build a part around your existence down there, if the song wants both you and them in that range for whatever reason. 
 

As a starting point, just get used to changing chords in the RH and playing the "next root note down" in the left. Try to treat that as one big chord at first. Later you can work on which hand provides additional notes or moments, and when.

[CEB]

I would use three hands if I had them. 

[JamPro]

Yeah - when are they finally going to invent that third hand?

 

Imagine how such a simple thing could improve your life: carry more stuff in one trip; easily opening the door when you got two grocery bags in your hands; two hands on the wheel while using your cellphone; simultaneously drink, eat, and work the remote; jerk it, read the Bible, and cross yourself all at the same time; and so on.

 

The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades.  

[jazzpiano88]

15 hours ago, stoken6 said:

The first idea that comes to mind - make sure you practice playing every major/minor triad in all inversions. To the point where you don't have to think about it.

 

An extension to this that "gets the chords under your fingers" so they will be ready when you need them:   practice your repertoire in different keys.  It will automatically help your ear training to "find the chord" when you hear it.

 

A practical experience that helped me was playing Hymns at church.  Same chords, different keys, different voicings.

 

If you can master Gospel songs in different keys, this is a real benefit because the gospel songs already have the best chord voicings

[cphollis]

These are all great suggestions.  May I add one that works for me?

 

You mentioned you were joining a performing outfit?  I would suggest taking a few of their songs and doing what I call "headphone therapy", listening to a recording of the song over and over while playing along.  Each time you go through it, add a little something.  If you can hear it in your head, try playing it.  If you have different voices, try them out until you find the ones you like.  Do this until you start to get bored, and then go to another song.

 

Before too long, you'll find yourself much more comfortable with those songs.  If you do this repeatedly over several days with the same songs, you may find yourself getting to a very satisfying new level with them.  This sort of directed learning is a nice complement to developing an instinctive feel for chords, voicings, scales and the other basic tools you'll be working on.

 

Best of luck!

[Jose EB5AGV]

11 hours ago, cphollis said:

These are all great suggestions.  May I add one that works for me?

 

You mentioned you were joining a performing outfit?  I would suggest taking a few of their songs and doing what I call "headphone therapy", listening to a recording of the song over and over while playing along.  Each time you go through it, add a little something.  If you can hear it in your head, try playing it.  If you have different voices, try them out until you find the ones you like.  Do this until you start to get bored, and then go to another song.

 

Before too long, you'll find yourself much more comfortable with those songs.  If you do this repeatedly over several days with the same songs, you may find yourself getting to a very satisfying new level with them.  This sort of directed learning is a nice complement to developing an instinctive feel for chords, voicings, scales and the other basic tools you'll be working on.

 

Best of luck!

 

I like this approach, will try it, thanks!

 

Jose

[Adam Burgess]

Maybe go and do some low pressure gigs. Do a background set with a friendly singer.

 

Playing easy triads with a solid one-note-at-time bass has got me lots of gigs.
 

Simple groove over D G A is more than fine if the singer is good and you’re in time and follow her/him. Quarter notes and sympathetic pedaling is great. 

I’m playing for an Adele tribute In June. There’s no keyboard heroics. Just there to accompany and support. 

[stoken6]

2 hours ago, Adam Burgess said:

I’m playing for an Adele tribute In June. There’s no keyboard heroics. Just there to accompany and support. 

Harder than it looks, and underrated. But a great way to build experience and "live on stage" nerves/temperament.

 

Cheers, Mike.