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Hey all,

My name is Asaf, I'm 20 years of age, from Israel. I recently began playing the piano after a long-long break.

When I was little, like most sons of polish parents, I took piano lessons. I spent 3 years learning how to play, and this is where I learned most of the basics. So technically if you were to hand me a note sheet today, I would most likely manage my way with it.

Anyway, a few months ago, I bought myself a new electric keyboard and a "sustain" pedal (the one that holds a note), and began playing following a 7 year break. As I am very lazy and not looking to play "BIG" pieces like those of Mozart, Brahms or Beethoven I've decided to play using chords and bass notes, only. So basically I just google for the chords of "The scientist" by coldplay or "Fidelity" by Regina Spektor and just play those chords accordingly. I use the "Quack" systems, taken after the voices ducks make, as I play back and forth the bass note and the chord, according to the song's rythem (So it sounds more like Quack-Quack-Quack-Quack...).

Now when the song is originially composed in that manner, like in the case of "The scientist", it sounds pretty good. However usually its not that great. So here's my question:

If you got what I said thus far, and I haven't lost you already - How can I upgrade my songs? Do you have any tips or techniques I can use? Like lets say - transition notes? or how to recognize the songs melody and then play it? or how to even play melodies while playing bass notes and chords? or more things I can do with my left hand than just playing a single bass note - and so on. Any help will be highly appreciated...

If I wasn't clear enough I'd be happy to explain myself again.

Thanks in advance,
-Asaf

milos
(134 points)

Hi Asaf,
if i am right,you need music theory lessons.
music theory is discipline where you can find answers to your questions.Also music harmony.
acctualy,i am not sure what did you ask,so if you could explain it to me again.

Jovan

Asaf_Lubin
(3 points)

hehe... I didn't quite understand your answer as well :-).

Basically what I am saying is that today I play all songs just by chords. for instance I would play the first verse of "Yellow" by coldplay as follows:

Look at the stars,
(B bass | B) X4
Look how they shine for you,
(B bass | B) X4
And all the things you do,
(F# bass | F# reversed) X8
Yeah they were all yellow
(E bass | E reversed)

Now it's okay, I can play the songs this way and it comes out good. However I'm asking how I can upgrade the song. and on my first message, I kinda directed you to what I was looking for (i.e. more things to do with my left hand, how to recognize the melody of the song and to incorporate that to the way I currently play etc.)

Hope this time I made a bit more sense...

Thanks again for your help,
-Asaf

Asaf_Lubin
(3 points)

the E bass | E reveresed is also played 8 times...

milos
(134 points)

ok,i got it.
Unfortenately i don't know that song and i m really having trouble here with dial up connection,so i can't download it.
Are you familiar with seventh-chords? and it's inversions?
well,when you play different sevenths and it's inversions in left hand,you get richer sound and it sounds better.
also,there are many types of seventh chords,sixth chords.
That's why i told you should take a look at music theory.
as for melody;it should be played in right hand wheter it's in chords or single line melody.
but be sure it's in top voice.
for instance,there are different type of chords used in pop,jazz,classic music.
jazz is the most complicated of all to understand because there are so many ways to play it.
when you see G+7 in any jazz piece,it could be played in so many ways.
pop music like coldplay use let's say less disonatnt chords like this:
try to play g octave in your left hand and in your right play this;f a bflat d.
you see,sounds cool
so all you have to do now is to transpose those.
now,when you do that ,you could try tto experiment a bit.
do this: play g in left , f b e in right.
that is so called G7.
now take f b e in left or f a b flat d and play some melody in right hand.
that's about it for the start,hope this helps
Jovan

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