2/22/2018

Piano Workshop Goals Accompaniment from Pop/Rock Goal #1: How to accompany off a lead sheet or chord chart to Goal #2: Using this as a way of teaching Praise & Worship chord structure and theory Trevor Olfert [email protected] Through out workshop I’ll be moving between “How to teach this” and “How to play this”

Music available on iTunes

My Music Theory Prerequisites for Disconnect Success The more options in your pallet the more Until I understood how to implement versatile you will become. Here’s a few Music Theory in ‘REAL TIME,’ theory must haves: was an abstract concept. There was little understanding, but rather a lot ambiguous All the Chords/Triads/Shapes in a major rules and tricks. scale

For example: Scales Beyond Major & Minor  Blues Why is the 4th and 5th interval called  Pentatonic Perfect? How do you find the relative Minor to a Major Scale?

1 2/22/2018

Keep it How skilled is the soloist? Simple & Practical Low Skill Which means: Lot’s of Melody support from piano -start with simple chords (C, E-, G, D, A-) -start with simple songs they already know High Skill Accompaniment can move further and further away from melody and rhythm **but still let the soloist be the STAR**

Can’t Help Falling in Love Chord Shape Tips (As an example) A Couple Do’s and Don’ts Chord Shape can give the song it’s color of Chord Changing  Stay away from melody (with higher Idea #1 (Low Skilled Soloist): skilled soloist) R.H. Using the melody note as the anchor  Try to avoid repetitive root position playing the chordal harmony down  Don’t have to play entire chord L.H. Play the root and 5th  Find those common notes  ‘Force’ a common note Idea #2 (High Skilled Soloist): i.e. add 2nd or 4th to tie chord together Stay away from melody altogether  Subtle/Easy Changes Start incorporating rhythm/harmony  Subtle=Warm L.H. using arpeggiations  Block=Power Fill in the blanks

2 2/22/2018

Harmonize to the Melody Fill the Spaces A Couple Ideas to Experiment with: Fill the space where the melody takes breaks…Improvisation!!!!!  3rd’s, 4th’s, 5th’s and 6th’s The role of scales really takes off with this  Parallel harmonies—watch 5th’s they knowledge. tend to sound real clunky If you stick to in key notes it will usually  Don’t have to change all the notes with sound good (although some notes do melody note changes sound better than others)  Again, find those common chord notes  Again, ‘Force’ a common note in both Couple tips: Left & Right Hand  Create space between melody and improvisation  Keep it simple  Don’t overshadow the real melody  Start simple

You Raised Me Up Workshop Goals Here’s what you will hear: Goal #1: How to accompany off a lead sheet or chord chart  L.H. a lot of broken chords, arpeggios, KEEP LEFT HAND SIMPLE AND WIDE (think and scales 1st, 5th, & 8th) &  R.H. Creates space between melody RIGHT HAND CHANGES NEED TO BE and improvisation SUBTLE (usually)  Simple harmonies…very little out of Goal #2: This teaches and reinforces chord structure and key notes theory  Don’t overshadow the real melody USING LEAD SHEETS REINFORCES THE PRACTICEL APPLICATION OF CHORD SHAPES AND USAGE (and is more interesting/fun then arpeggios and traditional warm- up)

3 Can't Help Falling in Love--Pre Teaching Ideas Chords in Isolation...showing these gives students the visual for chrod changes F A‹ b 4 w w w w w & 4 w w w w w w w B¨w w wC w w w w w &b w w w w w w w Gw‹ w Dw‹ w w w w &b w w w w w w w w w w Every chord in root F A‹ D‹ B¨ F C B¨ C F G‹ F C F b ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w & ˙ w ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ ˙ ? ˙ w ˙ w ˙ ˙ ˙ b ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w Left Hand is as simple/hard as you make it ˙ { F A‹ D‹ B¨ F C B¨ C F G‹ F C F b & ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w b ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ & ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w Add some 'forced' notes...workes well if the 'forced' note is in the next chord w ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w &b ˙˙ ˙˙ w ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙ ww Leaving out Root Note w ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ w &b ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w 2 Start adding some rhuthm

F A‹ D‹ B¨ F C B¨ C F G‹ F C F j j j j &b œ™ œ ˙ œ™ œ ˙ œ™ œ œ™ œ ˙™ œ ˙ œ œ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w œ™ œ ˙ œ™ œ ˙ œ™ œ œ™ œ ˙™ œ ˙ œ œ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w

Chord Shape Doesn't Matter...but try different ideas. F A‹ D‹ B¨ F C B¨ C F G‹ F C F œ &b œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w

Adding some improve...but still using chord notes...cause they always work.

F A‹ D‹ B¨ F C B¨ C F G‹ F C F œ &b œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ j œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ w œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ w

Experiemnt with some 'forced' notes...i.e. notes not in the chord but still in the scale (F Major)

F A‹ D‹ B¨ F C B¨ C F G‹ F C F j &b œ œœ œ j œœ œ œœ œ œ œ j jœ ˙ ˙ œ œœ œ j œ œ œœ œ œ œ™ œ œ œœ œ œœœ œœ œ™ œœœœœ œœ œœœœœœœ ˙ ˙ œœœ œœœ œ wœ ˙

F A‹ D‹ B¨ F C B¨ C F G‹ F C F j j œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ œ œœœ ˙ œ œ œ œ œœœ j j &b œ™ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œœœœ œ œ œ ˙ ™ J œ œ œ ™ œ ™ J œ™ œ œ œ œ 3 œ œ w