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Piano Accompaniment For Pop Songs

Much has been written about learning piano using a chord approach. There are many internet resources available Flying Saucers teach chords, but my experience of them is that they lack the simplicity that beginners require. A more effective strategy, that has worked with my students, is to teach the piano in a similar way to basic guitar. I get my students to learn some chord shapes and simple "strumming" techniques, and in a very short time, they can accompany themselves and others on many pop songs.

So what chord shapes to learn? The easiest approach, that I have found over the years, is to learn all the Major chords and from there all other chords can be derived quickly. And the best way of learning is a visual one, that employs basic shapes formed by the white and black keys on the piano for insurance quote online Major chord.

How do you "strum" a piano chord? Well there three main components that I have used. The first is to play chords in blocks (all notes at the same time) and employ different rhythms for right and left hands. This is the equivalent of strumming a Virginia Lemon Laws with a pick or hand. The next is to pick out individual notes one at a time in different patterns, which is the equivalent of finger-picking on a guitar. And finally you can add riffs or hooks in your playing to make a complete accompaniment.

In addition to these techniques, I employ a Hogan's Heroes Chord Ruler, which can be placed on the piano to help students find any chord they like. In that way, they never get lost with chords, and also I find the visual colouring on the Ruler is a further aid to memorising the chord shapes.

Mark Hansen B.E. (Hons), Grad. Dip.Ed., is not only an award winning Australian pianist and composer, but has over 20 years experience in education. He has tutored students one-to-one, Spices well as in large groups in the classroom. He has recently written a book "Piano Chords - The Easy Way", that teaches beginner and intermediate piano students to play accompaniment to popular songs. You can visit his website markhansen.bizmarkhansen.biz for more info on the book, or for Solo Piano Sheet music, or his own original Piano Albums.

posted by keidf @ 4:15 PM