| It's no secret that professional piano | | | | ones. |
| players use techniques that amateur piano | | | | |
| players don't. So what else is new? | | | | 8: Voicing in 4ths. Stacking chords in |
| Professional golfers use techniques that | | | | intervals of 4ths instead of 3rds. |
| amateur golfers don't use (at least not very | | | | |
| well), and pro ball players use techniques | | | | 9: Turn-Arounds. A chord progression that |
| that sandlot and weekend athletes don't use | | | | turns you around, like a cul-de-sac. |
| -- or again, not very well. | | | | |
| | | | 10: Introductions. Creating a front door for |
| So it's not surprising that professional | | | | the song. |
| piano players have some tricks up their | | | | |
| sleeves that the rest of us mortals don't | | | | 11: Endings. Creating a back door for the |
| have. But that doesn't mean we can't try to | | | | song. |
| emulate the great pianists. We may not pull | | | | |
| it off as well as them, but we sure can have | | | | 12: Transposing. Playing a song in a key |
| a lot of fun trying, and who knows? Maybe a | | | | different than it was written in. |
| few of us can actually learn these techniques | | | | |
| well enough to win some admiration from our | | | | 13: Modulating. Getting from key to key |
| friends, join a group, play for our own | | | | smoothly. |
| enjoyment, or whatever. | | | | |
| | | | 14: Altering a Melody to Create a New Melody. |
| Here is a list of just a few of the technique | | | | Using neighboring tones to craft a new tune. |
| the pros use when they play piano. There are | | | | |
| more, of course, but this is a pretty good | | | | 15: Inversions. Instead of always playing |
| estimate of the most important skills: | | | | chords in root position, using a variety of |
| | | | "upside down" chords. |
| Pro Secret 1: Straddles. Leaving one of more | | | | |
| notes out of a chord to create an open | | | | 16: Creating Original Chord Progressions. |
| feeling. | | | | Linking chords together creatively. |
| | | | |
| 2: 2/1 & 3/1 Breakups. Breaking a chord up by | | | | 17: Echoes - Rhythmic, Melodic, Harmonic. The |
| playing part of the chord & then the rest of | | | | easiest way to begin the arranging process. |
| the chord. | | | | |
| | | | 18: Touch. The difference between a sledge |
| 3: Waterfall Chords. Broken chords cascading | | | | hammer and a pillow. |
| down from the top of the keyboard similar to | | | | |
| a waterfall. | | | | 19: II7 to V7 Progression. One of the most |
| | | | common chord progressions. |
| 4: Tremolo-Fired Runs. Rapid-fire runs made | | | | |
| of chords, but starting with a tremolo. | | | | 20: Latin-American Rhythms. Using various |
| | | | rhythm patterns such as Samba, Bossa Nova, |
| 5: Half-Step Slides. Approaching the next | | | | Cha Cha, etc. |
| chord from 1/2 step above or below. | | | | |
| | | | There are other techniques the pros use, and |
| 6: Suspensions. Using the 4th as a "hangover" | | | | new techniques are always being invented. But |
| instead of the 3rd. | | | | for a list of worthy goals for an aspiring |
| | | | piano player, this list will keep us busy for |
| 7: Chord Substitutions. Harmonizing songs | | | | a long time. |
| using different chords than the traditional | | | | |