No instrument sticks to just one genre of music. Ukuleles are used in folk music and pop. Snare drums are found in rock n’ roll and classical – and just about every other genre too! The guitar and piano are practically everywhere you look!
Every instrument can be used in any genre, it’s just a matter of using your imagination, and perhaps knowing a little bit about where your instrument fits into each style. That’s why, over the next few weeks, we’re going to explore a number of different instruments, and their role in playing rock, jazz, blues, and classical.
This week, we’re going to start off this series with one of the most versatile and widely used instruments, across nearly all genres; the piano!
Blues Piano
The piano has been an integral part of blues since the genre was created in the American South during the late 1800s. During the time before the first world war, most juke-joints, bars, and other drinking dens had some sort of old, beaten-up piano. And so, during the early years of blues’ proliferation, it was almost exclusively heard on piano.
As one of the older genres on this list, it is also one of the most constrained as far as the role of the piano goes. Blues, for the most part, has a somewhat limited harmonic and formal setting. Speaking generally, blues uses a 12 or 16 bar format, usually I, IV, and V chords, and the blues scale. Doing anything too far from these standard setting wouldn’t be considered authentic “blues” anymore.
However, as blues grew into other forms of music, like rock and jazz, the piano player was liberated a bit more.
Rock Piano
The piano is a powerful instrument that can easily handle each of the major components of a song – bass, rhythm, harmony, and melody – while also making the perfect accompaniment instrument. But as a part of a rock band, you probably won’t need all that power. That said, understanding those four components, and where your piano fits into the mix is important.
As a member of a rock band, there are 4 tips, corresponding with each of the 4 components of music, to help you find your place.
- Don’t get mixed up with the bassist – you should never be playing in the same register as them. He’s got a job to do, and if you join him, you’ll just be muddying the waters.
- Match the drummer. Rhythm should always be in the back of your mind. As a member of a rock band, the drummer sets the beat. You need to know what he’s doing and lock step with him.
- Work with the guitarists on the harmony. That said, don’t be redundant. Look at it this way: there are 2 basic types of guitar in a rock band:
- Rhythm guitar
- Lead guitar
The rhythm guitar strums the chords and often harmonizes with the singer. The lead guitar tends to be more melodic. As the pianist, you must find your place in all this. It’s easy if there’s only one guitar – you play the other part.
- This one is more for the entire bad, not just the piano – support the singer. In a rock band, the singer is usually king, and all other instruments are either middle-ground or background. Make sure what you’re doing doesn’t trample on or confuse the vocalist.
Jazz Piano
The piano has a somewhat different role in jazz from what it does in rock n’ roll. In fact, the piano has been a critical part of jazz since it was first conceived, in both solo and ensemble settings. And thanks to its ability to combine its melodic and harmonic abilities, the piano has remained an important part of any jazz band. As a matter of fact, the piano is an important tool just for teaching jazz theory, regardless of what instrument the student actually plays.
Originally, the jazz piano was used primarily as a part of the rhythm section, with the player using repetitive left-hand figures to help the band keep time. But over the years it has evolved into a much more flexible role. Now a skilled jazz pianist is free to lead, as well as answer instrumental soloists, using both short and long, chordal and melodic, fragments – sometimes called “comping.” The piano is such a powerful instrument for jazz that it is often even used as a solo instrument for the genre.
Classical Piano
During the classical period, musical theme was made of phrases with contrasting figures and rhythms. These phrases tend to be short, usually only 4 bars long. This leads to a light, clear texture, and a musical style that emphasized elegance – something perfect for the piano.
As the piano became more popular throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, there was a coinciding shift from religious music to secular music. Remember that the idea of creating music for the sake of art was a remarkably new concept, one that didn’t fully catch on until Beethoven. Vocal music, which made up a lot of the music at the time, has a very limited range, as did the orchestras of the time. In fact, putting 8 octaves on the piano was thought to be unnecessary.
As the orchestra began to grow in size and new techniques were developed, pianists wanted bigger and louder instruments so they could compete with the rest of the orchestra.
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As one of the oldest and most popular musical instruments around, the piano can be found in basically every popular musical genre. And even if the piano isn’t a natural part of a certain genre, it’s still versatile enough to adapt to the genre’s needs.
If you’ve always wanted to learn to play the piano, but just haven’t gotten around to it, now is your opportunity! Piano lessons at The Music Studio aren’t just for kids, or adults with years of experience – they’re for everyone of every age and skill level!
Don’t hesitate to begin your musical journey today, with The Music Studio!
