I’m sure that like me, many classically trained pianists also really enjoy other kinds of music. However, we don’t often really learn to play this type of music as we’re very busy keeping up with our classical pieces. However, there are ways of approaching popular music for the classically trained pianist that can make it less time consuming to learn.
I have always loved ballads and lots of jazz standards however initially I rarely played them. It wasn’t until my early twenties when I needed a way of earning extra money as a student that I finally bit the bullet. Using the techniques described below, I was soon able to play a great variety of music without needing to practice it that much at all.
Follow the dots?
With classical music, we’re taught to strictly follow the dots that are in front of us, treating them with great reverence and respect. We don’t really learn that much about chords and how they relate to each other. As for improvisation, then nothing is generally further from our minds.
Yet, perhaps the first thing we need to realise when playing more popular music, is that we no longer need to strictly follow the score. Of course, there are exceptions that prove the rule – such as Stephen Hough’s arrangement of ‘My Favourite Things’. It would be a shame to change something so beautifully arranged. However, in general, we can just use the music in front of us as a rough guide or framework.
Initially this can prove quite difficult to do. Just adding or ignoring notes seems such an odd concept. Even when we are sight reading, we’re taught to play exactly what’s there. We neither simplify nor embellish.
Now, however, we have to switch our thinking and realise that we no longer need to ‘learn’ how to play something exactly as written. By taking a more relaxed approach to the score, we are able to adapt the way we approach a piece of music.
Chords to the rescue!
This is where a knowledge of chords comes in really helpful with popular music for the classically trained pianist.
Of course, very often in popular music scores, the chords are written in for us. This means that we can almost entirely ignore the written music if we like. If there are too many notes written for us to easily follow, then this is very helpful. Rather, we can just following the melody line and add in the rest as we play.
Alternatively, when we’re using a very simple arrangement, we can use our knowledge of chords to easily embellish what’s in front of us to make it more interesting.
In the video linked at the bottom of this article, I’ve given a small demonstration using Memory from the musical Cats. I’ll show you how we can basically make something as simple as complex as we like (or indeed are able).
If you still feel a relative beginner with chords, I explained some techniques for getting better in this post.
Lead Sheets and Fake Books
An enormous amount of music is available very affordably as Lead Sheets. You might also know the term Fake Books which are basically books of Lead Sheets. If you’re not familiar with them, they are basically single stave music with a melody line and a set of chords. You will find lots of these. Using Lead Sheets, the pianist needs to add the entire accompaniment on the fly so to speak. This might sound difficult, but of course as you become familiar with using chords, then it becomes remarkably easy to do with a little practice.
Left Hand
If we think just about our left hand, when we are starting out on this, we can perhaps just play the basic chord with our left hand or even just the root note.
However, as we already know from the classical music we have learned, we don’t always necessarily play the root note of the chord with our left hand – we can play any number of notes, add passing notes, chords and broken chords. We can also use the entire length of the keyboard – playing perhaps an octave right towards the bottom of the keyboard to add depth and drama.
Right Hand
As for our right hand, we can simply play the melody as written. For slightly more experienced pianists, we can incorporate the basic chords underneath the melody. As we get more advanced, we can play the melody in octaves or use thirds or sixths to add interest.
Of course, this is just the start. The sky is the limit to what we’re able to do. If we want to prepare a ‘show piece’ using something we love, then we can let our creative side take over and add some new skills.
Other tricks
A good trick that looks and sounds good (and is remarkably easy is to use) is two handed arpeggios. Here, we play three or four note broken chords with both hands – alternating between each as we play.
Alternatively, we can use some of our classical music training to embellish what we’re playing. Trills, mordents and other ornaments are really good examples of things we can do to add a little interest. After having spent all of those hours practicing being able to do these when learning Bach or Chopin, it would almost be a waste not to use that skill elsewhere.
We can also steal ideas from our favourite classical pieces. In my teens, I noticed that I could add part of the right hand from the second cadenza in Liszt’s Liebestraum No. 3 over the top of the melody of the popular song Feelings. This sounded quite flashy (I thought at the time at least). Yet because I’d spent hours on this cadenza, was not difficult to do – even with very little specific practice.
Practising is now very different
Of course, this means that when we think about popular music for the classically trained pianist, then we need to adjust the way we approach it. It’s no longer about practicing a set, defined sequence of notes and repeatedly drilling them until perfect.
Now, when we practice, we’re more focussing on improvising. Not perhaps necessarily in the Jazz sense where we improvise the melody, but we are largely improvising the accompaniment. We’re also not trying to play it in the exact same way each time – hence repetitions aren’t so required. Our practice time is now spent exploring different ways of playing, trying out ideas and learning what works and what doesn’t. Try it for yourself – it’s great fun!
