Adam Perlmutter

It’s important not to neglect the left hand while learning the piano. They may not be the most exciting things to play, but by working on left-hand scales you unwittingly master the following music essentials: Reading the bass clef Playing with the correct fingering Using nifty patterns and harmonies Realizing how much you miss playing with the right hand Start with some major and minor scales by reading and playing the following scales left-handed.

Scales and melodies are fine material for the left hand, but they aren’t Lefty’s main gig. Rather, on the piano, your left hand begs to be playing accompaniment patterns while your right hand noodles around with a melody or some chords. One of the most user-friendly left-hand patterns is the arpeggio.In addition to pizza, rigatoni, and ciao, the other Italian word that should be part of your everyday vocabulary is arpeggio.

Even pop musicians need pianists. Arguably, every song on the radio is a popular song because few radio stations play songs that listeners don’t like. Country, rock, rap, Latin, and many other styles of music are popular with one audience or another.But most people know the term pop to be the category for Top 40 songs and superstar ballads by such artists as Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Prince, and a multitude of others.

Want to get that blues sound in your own piano playing? The blues is a style of music all its own. Heck, it even has its own scale. Here, you don’t apply the blues style to an existing song, but rather create your own blues from scratch. That’s right: You get to be a composer.Whether your dog left you or your boss has done you wrong, playing the blues is as easy as counting to 12.

The beat may go on and on, but piano music can be quite dull if every note you play is on the beat. By changing up the rhythm a bit and playing some notes off, around, or in between the main beats, your songs take on a whole new life.Ultimately, the best way to understand swing is to hear it. Listen to a sample of swing in Chapter 8, Audio Track 16 while you look at the four measures of music.

One of the most important things you can learn as a piano player is an assortment of left hand accompaniment patterns. Here are a few excellent and professional-sounding left-hand patterns that you can apply to just about any song you come across. Each of these patterns is versatile — applicable to both 3/4 and 4/4 meters — not to mention user-friendly.

The piano is not limited to classical music. Hop in your time capsule and travel to a time when Elvis was still king, The Beatles didn’t have solo careers, and avocado green was a popular appliance color. Rock ’n’ roll burst onto the music scene in the 1950s and 1960s with a pair of swinging hips and masses of screaming groupies.

Before there was rock ’n’ roll, there was country. And yes, the piano can still be included in a country ensemble. This style often sounds relaxed, lyrical, simple, and grassroots-ish, but it ain’t afraid to rock, roll, and rumble.Artists like Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Shania Twain, and others put all kinds of musical influences in their country music, including elements of rock, blues, and even jazz.

Comfortable hand position and comfortable posture are of the utmost importance when playing the piano or keyboard. Poor hand position can cause your piano performance to suffer for two reasons: Lack of dexterity: If your hands are in tight, awkward positions, you can’t access the keys quickly and efficiently.