[+kt+]

Hey, I play piano both chords and notes. I`m working on Chords more so. cause they are what we use for worship music. Does anyone have any ideas to make it sound better? it sounds kind bland

[Nate]

Try changing the voicing of your chords. In most cases, you can add the ninth (second scale degree) to any major chord and have it sound really good. So, if your chord sheet said C, you could play the notes C, D, E, and G. Also, another cool voicing is to use suspended chords in place of regular major chords. So, instead of playing D, F#, and A for a D major chord, you could try D, G, and A or D, E, and A. One final voicing that is a favorite of mine is the minor seventh. Instead of merely playing A, C, and E for an Am, try playing A, C, E, and G.

Besides that, you can also work on adding variety to your rhythm. Try using lots of syncopation. And instead of doing it only at the eighth note level, try it at the sixteenth note level. So... try playing on the EXTREME offbeat. Another cool thing to do that spices up the rhythm is to make it a point to never play the left hand and the right hand at the same time. Instant syncopation and very interesting rhythms. If you mix in a little bit of melodic playing in the right hand, you'll have something that sounds a lot like Vanessa Carlton's style.

Hope some of this helps, I'll probably come back with some other stuff later.

In His love,
Nate

[+kt+]

Thanks nate. I just needed somethin to spice it up for the church. how bout beats any ideas?

[Nate]

Originally posted by Katie (thats me
how bout beats any ideas?

I'm not sure what you mean. Are you talking about drum beats?? Or just rhythms to use when playing the piano?? Or what?

-Nate

[+kt+]

oh yea and i need help with the left hand a lot. like maybe doing somethin off the song. i dunno. Its just so boring right now.

[+kt+]

sorry, I meant instead of just playing (say the song says C then instead of just playing C Chord on right hand and the C chord/note in the bass) what else can i do to make it sound right but not boring?
does that clarify at all?

[Nate]

Ahhh yes... the left hand. To tell you the truth. I've been playing for about five years, I'm majoring in piano performance, I can play trills with my left hand, and I still use simple octaves about half of the time that I am playing praise and worship music. It's not really that I can't think of anything else to do... I just like to focus on my right hand.

Anyway, I would recommend practicing some arpeggios. I especially like to do things like this in the left hand... root of chord, fifth of chord, root up an octave, ninth/second of chord, third of chord. So, with a D chord, it would be D, A, D, E, F#. The first four I usually play as eighth notes, and the last one just gets held out as long the chord lasts, unless I feel like repeating the entire pattern. I also like to include the seventh in the arpeggio. So, an Am arpeggio might look like this, A,E,G,A,C. If you can get this down, it adds a lot of motion to your left hand and when you add some good syncopated right hand playing on top of it, it definitely spices things up in a hurry.

Hope this helps.

In His love,
Nate

[+kt+]

thanks, Ill have to "decode" it into english but thanks a lot for the advice!

hey , if anyone needs to look up guitar and/or Piano chords go to www.looknohands.com

[+kt+]

Hey! go to

\http://www.playpiano.com/free_offer.htm

and click

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Sign up for it and itll teach you some basics in piano. (including reading chords or guitar music like that found on CGR)
let me know if it works for ya! thanks
_ktlin

[Bass_Thug]

The left hand can often get left out in the cold when playing chords in genres such as P&W (I know from experience).

I am no expert in this subject, since my left hand isn't very developed on the piano keyboard unless I have the bass cleff telling me exactly what to play. Since you are just reading chords, try (as I believe was suggested) playing octaves (e.g. C and C if you are playing a C chord) with perhaps the 5th thrown in between them (G).

It wouldn't hurt to experiment with throwing in other notes from scale in which you are playing (key of c...all white notes). I sometimes walk up to the next chord or something.

Finally, other times I will play a full chord with my left hand up around the middle C register while playing another chord higher up with my right hand. Chords are ok in the left hand as long as it isn't too low...usually the root and 3rd get a little muddy the lower you go.

I probably didn't help because I suggested basic stuff but just experiment and have fun

[+kt+]

acutally it is starting to sound better .thanks guys!