method – volume 1 - migu music

© www.migu-music.com

1

Method – Volume 1

Play and accompany songs professionally with chord symbols

M i c h a e l G u n d l a c h

www.migu-music.com

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3

Table of ContentsGetting the most from this book 4

Practicing tips 5

Basic rules 6

Six possible chord variationsChord Inversions 9Chords without the third 18Chords without the third / with the ninth 24Chords varying the third with the fourth 28Split-up chords 34Embellishing chords 40

Bass figures with style 48

Intros, endings, transitions and interludesIntros 53Endings 60Transitions and interludes 62

Styles of Pop MusicPop 64Rock 66Boogie-Woogie 67Ragtime 73Country 76Waltz 78Beguine 85Folk 88Slow-Rock 91Bossa Nova 96Samba 100

A short revision in harmonyThe Intervals 102Chord Symbol Glossary 104Chord Tables 107


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Basic rulesThe following three rules put together are the foundation of every good piano arrangement. Therefore it is important to know them and to be proficient in them.

Basic rule 1

The pianist’s left hand takes over the role of the bassist in the band. The bass figures, which mostly have only one voice in them, achieve two important functions at the same time. On the one hand the style of music is con-siderable affected by the rhythm of the bass-line, and on the other hand the deep bass notes support the harmo-ny and the chord changes in the song. For this purpose, the keynote of every chord is played as a general rule on the first beat, and the bass-run is varied with the keynote, the fifth and the octave. This kind of pattern for the left hand can be used for major and minor chords because without the deciding third the chord is ‘neutral’.

The right hand always plays the chord or variations of it. After you have become acquainted with the three basic rules, we will introduce you to six possible variations for the right hand.

Example:

Basic rule 2

If the piano does not only have to accompany a singer or an instrumentalist but also has to play the melody at the same time, then the right hand has a dual function to perform. It plays the melody above and the same time plays the chord underneath. The highest note in the right hand is always equivalent to the note in the melody-line. The chords should be played, as far as possible, on the stressed parts of the bar (4/4-time: first and third beat; 3/4-time; first beat).

Two simple examples make the first two basic rules clear with the traditional songs “Sur le pont d’Avignon“ and “Auld Lang Syne“. When you compare each lead-sheet with the following worked-out version of the song, you can see the melody-line clearly set in the chords.

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Exercises with chord inversions


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3. Chords without the third / with the ninth

If the third in the chord is replaced with the second, or rather the ninth (the second and the ninth are on and the same note that differ only by the octave position), we become a rather romantic sound that is typical for slower songs and ballads. Likewise this variant does not determine the issue of wether or not it is a major or minor chord.

Exercises with chords without the third / with the ninth

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4. Akkorde im Variieren der Terz mit der Quarte

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Oh My DarlingAccompaniment with chords without the third / with the ninth

TraditionalArr.: Michael Gundlach

© 2006 MIGU-MUSIC


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6. Embellishing Chords

A more ambitious possibility for the right hand, even more interesting and varied, is to use “embellishing chords”. In this case the actual chord is connected with another chord. A simple rule to find a suitable embellishing chord is shown in the next two examples:

A major chord is embellished with a minor chord that is a whole step above the original chord. Example: C major is varied with D minor. The keynote “C“ remains in the left hand.

In the case of the minor chord, it is exactly the opposite. We add a major chord located one whole step below the original chord.Example: D minor is varied with C major. The keynote “D“ remains in the left hand.

The use of embellishing chords is an excellent choice for piano solo work because the melody line comes out much better and stronger (see example of the song ‘Sloop John B.’ at the end of this chapter).

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Exercises with embellishing chords in C majorBasic exercise 1

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58 Sloop John B.Piano solo with embellishing chords Traditional

Arr.: Michael Gundlach

© 2006 MIGU-MUSIC


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D m7 Gsus GThe following notated examples demonstrate how these harmonic progressions can be practiced. Many of these intros fit to several different styles. The style descriptions here are only one of many possibilities. You could, for example, transform a fast pop intro into a slower ballad intro just by changing the tempo.

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Free Intros

In the following you will be introduced to 6 typical harmonic progressions of pop music that not only lend themselves to intros, but can also be used as interludes to bring you back to the beginning of the song (see also chapter “Transitions and interludes“). All the examples are in the key of C major. You should learn these harmonic progressions off by heart, so what when you need to, you can fall back on them and try to develop your own accompaniment patterns to the harmony.

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Styles of Pop MusicThe broad term ‘pop music’, short for popular music, includes many different styles. At the same time, there are a few “standard styles” which a solo pianist or accompanist should be familiar with. We want to introduce them and analyze them using exercises and developed songs.

Pop

The typical characteristics of pop-piano-playing have already been introduced in the chapter “Chords varying the third with the fourth“ and “Embellishing chords“. In order to get a good feeling of them again, you should play complete worked-out pieces in this chapter. Another style under “Pop“ is the pop-ballad which will be discussed here separately.

Before you play the arranged ballad accompaniment of “Oh My Darling“, you should practice with your left hand the following typical bass-figures.If the sustain-pedal (right pedal on the piano) is held for a complete bar you get a rather “flat“ or two-dimensio-nal character to your playing which goes well with a pop-ballad.

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Pop-ballad bass figures


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House Of The Rising SunPiano solo

TraditionalArr.: Michael Gundlach

© 2006 MIGU-MUSIC

Exercises with chord inversions �� 2 – 25

Chord inversions with the cadence �� 26 – 49

Exercises with chords without the third �� 50 – 61

Cadence examples with chords without the third �� 62 – 85

Exercises with chords without the third / with the ninth �� 86 – 97

Chords without the third / with the ninth – examples with cadences �� 98 – 109

Exercises with the third / the fourth in variation ��110 – 133

Cadence examples with the third / the fourth in variation �� 134 – 145

Exercises with split-up chords �� 146 – 169

Split-up chords with cadences ��170 – 181

Exercises with embellishing chords (major) �� 182 – 205

Exercises with embellishing chords (minor) �� 206 – 216

Major cadence with embellishing chords �� 217 – 228

Minor cadence with embellishing chords �� 229 – 239

Intros �� 240 – 287

Endings ��288 – 311

Waltz cadence examples �� 312 – 335

Bossa Nova cadence example �� 336 – 341

– Table of Contents –

EXERCISES IN ALL KEYS

Method - Volume 1

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Exercises with chord inversions, D Major


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