It sounds counter-intuitive, right? How can NOT thinking like a pianist make me a better pianist?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I know that’s what I though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then I saw this lesson from Jay Oliver, and it all made sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As piano players, we’re often guilty of getting stuck in comfortable ruts and patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I know I am.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Think about it — chords and melody in the right hand. Bass in the left. Sometimes we’ll play fifths, sometimes octaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If we’re CRAZY we might even play arpeggios \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But it’s usually the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Which leads me to a controversial point…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s hard for me to admit, but it’s true. In Jay’s lesson, he shows how using guitar-style chord voicings can radically change the sound and feel of your playing — for the better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You do this by switching things up and playing the rhythm in the right hand with an open shape. In this lesson we’re in the key of G and Jay just plays the 1-5-1 (G-D-D) in his right hand, rocking back and forth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s a beautiful and sparse, open sound that leaves room for the left hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And this is where we use the guitar voicings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A lot of guitar chords don’t have the root note as their bass note. They often use inversions to create unique sounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have a lot of lessons on inversions<\/a> for your right hand, but what’s different about this lesson is that you’ll be using inversions in your left to create the feel and movement of the chord progression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That way you can take common chord progressions and completely change the way they sound. In the lesson, Jay uses the 1-4-1-5 chords (G-C-G-D). Simple chords, but it sounds amazing and fresh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because he’s not thinking like a pianist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The possibilities are endless. In the second half of the lesson, Jay introduces some chords that are OUTSIDE the key of G major. These are called non-diatonic chords. We have a lesson on diatonic chords here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this example, Jay introduces an F major chord, and then an Eb Maj 7. There are very good theoretical reasons why these chords work, but that’s not the point of this lesson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The point here is to show you how new and different the STYLE sounds when you start borrowing techniques from other instruments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The chord voicings are common guitar voicings, and we can even add some drum technique with rhythm and syncopation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Is that you’ve created something on the piano that most piano players won’t ever try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You’ve stopped thinking like a pianist, and by doing so …<\/p>\n\n\n\n You’ve become a better one.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIf you want to get more advanced…<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
And the result…<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n