Many questions

[WillDub]

I've composed 5 piano pieces. Throughout those pieces, I always do chords with my left that goes well with the melody. But when I start playing pieces of Bach or Mozart for example, they don't only do chords. My point is, how can i use my left hand? I hope someone understand what I'm trying to say here.

My other question is... Well i dont have another question :D.

For now.

[Tiko]

Try arpeggiating the chord to create a rhythmic pattern :wink:

- Tiko

[WillDub]

Thanks but that is something I've already tried:wink:. What I'm trying to understand is what can u do exept what u just said.

[nikki-k]

Find some Dave Brubeck. Talk about hand separation.

Swap techniques typically used for each hand. Blend em. Create something new!

[Christopher]

Exept from playing arpeggios? Harmonize.
So, what do I mean? I found the concept in REALLY early harmony lessons(e.g. early organ lessons, that's where I encountered it) where you have to harmonize a simple melody, for example just the major scale of, let's say C. You just take one bass note per melody note first, then you try to either prolong the base to give it a calmer feeling or you diminish the length of certain notes and in the end, all of the notes to get the song rolling.
A good example for homophony in 2 melodies is the intro of "Derelict Herds" by Opeth. One guitar plays a melody, the other guitar harmonizes the melody together with the bass guitar, using the same note lengths.(You kind have to believe me that this also works on a piano and not only with guitars :P)
JR's version of "Another Day" uses a mixture of chords and prolonged bass melodies in the intro.
Evanescence's "My Immortal" uses arpeggiated chords which are harmonies to the melody Amy sings, but have extremely shorted note lengths compared to the singing.

A really good example of this would be the developing melody in Ayreon's "Amazing Flight" starting at 6:38, it starts with 2 trills and develops into solos. On a piano you can play a basic melody with one hand an develop that melody with the other hand. Mix that with chords and arpeggios and it will sound nice^^

[pepemazter]

I've composed 5 piano pieces. Throughout those pieces, I always do chords with my left that goes well with the melody. But when I start playing pieces of Bach or Mozart for example, they don't only do chords. My point is, how can i use my left hand? I hope someone understand what I'm trying to say here.

My other question is... Well i dont have another question :D.

For now.

I also had that problem when I began to compose, but when you see sheets, for example a Chopin sheet, you find many basses (yes, you MUST see basses composed yet before try to compose your own bass lines, just like a melody).

There's so much types of basses lines for piano. For example, you can try to use the "Alberti Bass", a very simple way to spread out a chord. For me, this is the simplest bass line, based in a chord. If you have C chord (C - E - G) in 4/4 as a semibreve, it could turn in four quavers, being C - G - E - G, and repeat, fulling the time. Maybe you want to use two minims in a time, using
two diferents chords, like C and F. The result, in quavers, would be: C, G, E, G, C, A, F, A... Or: C, G, E, G, F, C, A, C...

If you see some nocturne composed by Chopin, you can see how a simple bass line can have a good use if you're good using your right hand. Just like Chopin said: "It's just like a tree with its leafs. The trunk is always stable, but the leafs are moved because the wind blows"

You understand that the left hand usually performs the harmony.

Another way that you can follow is using counterpoint. It's more difficult, but the results are cools :)


Take care, Greetings.

[WillDub]

Wow thanks guys for taking the time to explain it really helped me:biggrin:. Now I know what to do for my future compositions!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tiko]

Yeah well isn't the Alberti bass an arpeggiated pattern of the chord :wink:
Another cool pattern for example is to play (in C)
C - G - C (an octave higher) - G - E (being the highest note) - G - C - G.
Replacing the 3rd of the chord (E in this case) with a 2nd (D when playing a C chord) creates a nice sus2 atmosphere that suits some stuff too!
Try experimenting with this!

If you want to hear an example, click the youtube link in my signature and listen "Somewhere Out There"!

- Tiko

[WillDub]

Wow Tiko thats is really amazing. Is it your band that composed COLLATERAL DAMAGE because it is totally awesome!!! Congrats!!!:tongue::wink:
And thanks for the tip:biggrin:

How old are you??

[Tiko]

Wow Tiko thats is really amazing. Is it your band that composed COLLATERAL DAMAGE because it is totally awesome!!! Congrats!!!:tongue::wink:
And thanks for the tip:biggrin:

How old are you??

Happy to help! Yeah it's our song! I'm 20, will be 21 in july :smile:
Thanks!

- Tiko

[WillDub]

Happy to help! Yeah it's our song! I'm 20, will be 21 in july :smile:
Thanks!

- Tiko

So its been many years that you are playing piano.

[Tiko]

So its been many years that you are playing piano.

I've been playing for about two and a half years now :smile:

- Tiko

[WillDub]

I don't believe you!!! I've been playing for 5 years and there is one thing that you do that I can't do!!!!!!!!!! I can't do the arpeggios as fast as you in your song collateral damage part2 at 0:45.
Well lets say that I've stop taking lessons for 2 years but still, I'm impressed.
Can you just tell what do you do when you play the arpeggios quickly?

[Tiko]

I don't believe you!!! I've been playing for 5 years and there is one thing that you do that I can't do!!!!!!!!!! I can't do the arpeggios as fast as you in your song collateral damage part2 at 0:45.
Well lets say that I've stop taking lessons for 2 years but still, I'm impressed.
Can you just tell what do you do when you play the arpeggios quickly?

Well I gotta say I'm jealous, I've always wanted to take lessons but never really had the chance so I've learned by myself.
And as far as arpeggios go, you just need to spend hours and hours practicing them slooooooooooow. And working your way up :biggrin:

- Tiko

[WillDub]

Well I gotta say I'm jealous, I've always wanted to take lessons but never really had the chance so I've learned by myself.
And as far as arpeggios go, you just need to spend hours and hours practicing them slooooooooooow. And working your way up :biggrin:

- Tiko

Yeah I knew you would say that:tongue:. So you can easily discipline yourself by using books?

[WillDub]

Is the Akai MPK good?

[Tiko]

Yeah I knew you would say that:tongue:. So you can easily discipline yourself by using books?

I'd say that most of my exercise has been listening to other players (Rudess!) and improvising (at least trying to!)
To be honest I haven't read a single book so my theory knowledge could be considered ridiculous,
but I've checked scales and fingerings etc online. Youtube is full of tutorials!

In school all I'd do is finger exercises on the table :biggrin:

But the thing that got me playing like I do is motivation! Ever since I heard
Rudess play piano my jaw dropped... I instantly knew what I'd want to do the rest of my life!
Still a long way to go but nothing's as rewarding as getting better!

- Tiko

E: Sorry if I've hijacked this thread!

[sjm13]

This book has of been of great help to me with my piano playing . It covers chords right from the beginning and tries to explain where and how you can use them . You can preview the book from Google books here - http://books.google.co.in/books?id=aqe1uwqWwxkC&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=ow+to+play+from+a+fake+book+micheal+esterowitz&source=bl&ots=9NHbCaDDcE&sig=NkZapdt7bvsrjMv0umgk4baqqx8&hl=en&ei=-pqbS6GSJMqxrAfC2rThAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=&f=false

[WillDub]

This book has of been of great help to me with my piano playing . It covers chords right from the beginning and tries to explain where and how you can use them . You can preview the book from Google books here - http://books.google.co.in/books?id=aqe1uwqWwxkC&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=ow+to+play+from+a+fake+book+micheal+esterowitz&source=bl&ots=9NHbCaDDcE&sig=NkZapdt7bvsrjMv0umgk4baqqx8&hl=en&ei=-pqbS6GSJMqxrAfC2rThAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=&f=false

cool thanks i'll check it out.

[WillDub]

Hey Tiko if you see this well answer my question lol. I've send you an message on your page so can you please answer, I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

[Tiko]

Hey Tiko if you see this well answer my question lol. I've send you an message on your page so can you please answer, I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

Hi Will!
Didn't notice the question before this post. What I'm doing there is simply playing 3, 4 and 5 fast before the octaves.
That is in c-minor so 3, 4 and 5 are D#, F & G.

- Tiko

[Enigma™]

Hi Will!
Didn't notice the question before this post. What I'm doing there is simply playing 3, 4 and 5 fast before the octaves.
That is in c-minor so 3, 4 and 5 are D#, F & G.

- Tiko

To be technical... It's actually Eb, not D# but I'm a sucker for semantics :) lol

[Tiko]

To be technical... It's actually Eb, not D# but I'm a sucker for semantics :) lol

Yeah I know but I'm not a theory freak and those two are the same note so I'm not too precise with it... :tongue:

- Tiko

[WillDub]

Hey Tiko, Thanks man. Really appreciate it. :biggrin: