Classically Trained Pianist, How Do I play Band Stuff?

[dominator5000]

Well, I'm taking classical piano lessons, and have been for some time. Right now I'm at a Grade 8 Conservatory level. Now, I think I would like to learn to play some rock stuff on the piano, but I don't really know how.

What do I need to know how to become a rock pianist? I'd prefer not to take more lessons, since I already take quite a lot of music lessons, and I don't think my classical teacher would approve of that sort of thing. :p

I have a bit of a knowledge of chord progressions from Theory Class, but I don't really know how to apply the voicings and such to piano.

Anyway, does anybody know how a classical pianist like me could start getting into more rock/poppy stuff?

Thanks

EDIT: I should also point out that unlike a lot of places where people on these boards are from, my conservatory has 10 grades, not 8. So, I'm not *that* good, although I would still consider myself pretty decent.

[CuShMaN]

My advice would be to make a smooth transition.

Let me quote ol' Mad Eye Moody by saying, "Play to your strengths!"

You obviously can read. And at level 8, most pop/rock is a breeze.

Now.. here's the kicker. Get both the sheet music AND the music. Both.
Why? Easy. Because, rock has a 'feel' to it that doesn't show up in the sheet music.

I'd suggest getting a couple of books (and albums):
The Doors greatest hits.
Billy Joel's Greatest hits.
Rush, Meatloaf, Van Halen.

Then grab a compilaton book.. like greatest rock ballads.. or some crap like that.

Start playing.

>>>Fast foward 2 weeks. Got the feel now? No? Get a couple more, call me in the morning. Better? Good. Now here's the fun part.

Close all the books. What? You heard me. No sheet music.

Now. Try to figure out your favorite one that you played. Don't worry about getting it right.. just noodle around. Keep playing.

See where i'm going? It's all about the feel. The chords will come with time. If not, bug me and i'll nudge you in the right direction. But keep experimenting. Think outside the box.

And here's the biggest secret of all. ... .shhhhhhh

Write your own music.

Ghost Notes (http://ghostnotes.blogspot.com/)

[PianoDan]

Cushman had some good advice there. When I was about 15 or 16 I joined my local church youth group band. It was not much of a band by any means but it was one of the defining decisions in my musical career. Up until that time I'd only been classically trained, could sight read but not all that well, and couldn't improvise to save my life. This was probably largely due to the fact that I'd never really tried, but had I tried, I would have failed.

So I was now playing with a band (made up of guitar, bass, drums, and singers) songs that I knew. At first I would just read the music as it was written and mostly play that. I had some basic idea of chords from music theory, and also from all the scales and arpeggios I'd done all my life. I could play a chord on the piano if I was given one. Also, at this time I'd recently started teaching myself guitar so I had some small knowledge of chord progressions in songs and was familiar with how different chord patterns sounded. But importantly for me, the music I was reading from had the chords written above the actual staves, so I would sight read the notes, and with the corresponding chords written above, I started to become more and more familiar with the chords, how they sounded, when they came in certain progressions, what notes you could add and what notes you couldn't add to certain chords in certain keys... and so on and so on.

Over time playing each week in this band, then starting to play with the (separate) church band on Sundays twice a month or so, I just got so much more familiar with the "rock/pop" sound and feel. I started learning to improvise and after not too long had stopped worrying too much about what the music actually said. When I first started I needed to see the music a couple of days in advance so I could learn the notes, learn what the music said, but before long I started not caring what the written music said and just playing chords, which got me making up my own style and having my own sound. These days I never do what the music says, I just play the chords to the "feel" of the song. Obviously it helps to know the song but even if I don't, I've learned how to pick up the feel as soon as the drummer starts.

This was a learning process. The more experience I got the better I became. The less I depended on the music the better I got at improvising, but strangely also this helped me immensely in my sight reading (for classical music as well - immensely). The better I got at improvising the less I needed the music and the cycle continued. Having had a classical training I had the musical foundation I needed, and have built that so that I can play rock/pop stuff now too.

But then I was lucky, as I had a youth group that had a whole bunch of church songs, a brilliant guitarist, a brilliant drummer, a brilliant bassist, some good singers, and no pianist. So I had something to get me started. Had I not had that I don't know where I'd be. If you don't have that, I would again suggest that Cushman's advice was very good advice. Listen to any music you've already got that has piano in it, or even that doesn't, get the chords from mxtabs, start trying to play as it's played in the music, or failing that just make it up yourself with the chords that you've got. Get the books, play the books, but learn how to "feel" the music so you can improvise, become so familiar with the chords that all you need to see is "G Em C Am D B" or whatever (as oppose to any properly written music) and if you know the song slightly you know exactly what to play.

And my final advice is: don't expect to get it overnight. It'll take a while. It took me a long time to get as good as I am now and I still improve every time I play.

[himurakenshin]

First, I really don't know much about what you learn in each grade so do you know how to play every single chord or atleast know how to construct them? If not learn so, and if so then thats really mostly all you will need. You really don't need any music whatsoever and I don't even think that you should start of with any sort of music. Also you may want to learn pentatonic/blues scales as they are commonly used. NOw if you don't really understand chord progressions, play a song by ear. Find the chords to some song with no help whatsoever, and keep on doing that for each song. Then you will get a good understanding of what each chord sounds like, and then you will easily be able to improvise.

Also, learn the blues :)