Playing piano at church.

[aznrocker]

Hey guys. I think it's my first time posting in this sections

Anyways. I've played the piano for 5 years now and I'm about to play for my church. To give a little background of my church, we have a fairy good band. We have guitarists, bassist, drums, and piano. They want me to replace the pianist, because she will graduate next year.

Now to the question, the band plays chords, chords, and chords. I can play chords on the piano and they sound perfectly fine. But the other piano player does something different than me. What I do is I alternately play the same chord with both hands.

So can someone tell me possibly what she could be doing that I'm not.

Or can someone tell me what you do when playing chords.

Or can someone tell me any good ways to play chords.

[RHCPaddict]

I've been playing piano since I was 3/4 and now I'm 13 so I think I might be able to help.

You could play the V7's of the chords you're playing.
You could play the chords in 2nd or 3rd inversion.
You could simply roll the chords.
You could do perfect or plagal cadence patterns.
But as a basic guideline for playing chords, make sure you voice the TOP note.

I hope this helps a little bit.

[aznrocker]

Ummm.... what?

Yea. No idea what you're talking about. Can you explain please?

[RHCPaddict]

What do you need me to explain?

[aznrocker]

Any of them. You pick. I just want to learn anything I can.

[RHCPaddict]

V7's-You find the dominant note of the chord you are playing, play a MAJOR chord starting on the dominant and add a MOAJOR 7th.
2nd inversion-Say it's a C major chord; instead of having C/E/G, play the E on the bottem, then the same G, but play the C that comes after the G instead of before the E.
3rd inversion-Let's say it's in C major again; play the G as the bottem note, then have the C in the middle and the E after the C.
Rolling the chords-playing the chords one not at a time but very quickly and holding each note until the next on is played.
Perfect cadence-5-1 cadence at the end of the peice.
Plagal cadence-4-1 cadence at the end of the peice.
Voicing the top note is just making the top note the loudest.

[aznrocker]

Thanks that helped me a lot.
I just don't get the Perfect and Plagal cadence. What are those?

[RHCPaddict]

It's really tough to explain the cadences without showing you so if you're still taking lessons I'd ask your teacher.

[PianoPilgrim]

Ok, I know exactly what you mean - both of you!!

I started playing piano when I was 3/4, like RHCPaddict, and I'm now 14. I'm taking my grade 8 in a few months, and I've just started playing in church, for a 'band' like the one that aznrocker described. So, I'm kinda mix & match!

It very much depends on how you play the music. If it's played straight as written (do you have sheet music?) then it's very, very easy to build upon and improve playing style. If you arrange it in any form, change the tune, chords, etc. or play it by ear, it's gonna be a whole lot harder.

Anyways, those cadences - while I'm here.....

Perfect cadence-5-1 cadence at the end of the peice.

What that means is that it's a couple of chords used towards the end of the piece. Now, whilst that is useful in pretty much every aspect of music, if you are working off sheet music in any form, then the chords will very likely be written out for you. anyway, this progression takes the chord on the dominant, (V) and progresses to the chord on the Tonic (I). The Dominant is the fifth note of the scale, and the Tonic is the first note of the scale.
SO, if you are playing a piece in C major and it has a perfect cadence at the end, you will play a G major chord followed by a C major chord. Make sense?

Plagal cadence-4-1 cadence at the end of the peice.

A Plagal Cadence is more common in muisic played as a group as it rythmically sounds and 'works' better with the instruments and texturing that you have. A Plagal Cadence, as RCHPaddict says, is a IV-I (4-1) progression.
If a piece is in C major, then it would be an F Major chord, followed by a C Major chord.

If you're ever thinking about doing music theory (need at grade 5 before you can progress further)

*phew*

Anyway, aside from that, other playing techniques you can use involve:

Arpeggiating the chord (splitting it up into individual notes, like when you do an arpeggio)
Playing the tune in the right hand (possibly chords with right as well) and with chords in left hand
Use sustain pedal (the right one....just checking......:)) to hold out chords
In the left hand, remove the 3rd from the chord (e.g. take out the E in a C major chord)

...etc, etc.

Is that the sort of thing you need?

I hope I've helped

Any other questions you have im willing to help !!

[RHCPaddict]

Thanks PianoPilgrim for explaining it for me.

You said what I needed to say, I just didn't know how to say it.

[aznrocker]

Ok, I know exactly what you mean - both of you!!

I started playing piano when I was 3/4, like RHCPaddict, and I'm now 14. I'm taking my grade 8 in a few months, and I've just started playing in church, for a 'band' like the one that aznrocker described. So, I'm kinda mix & match!

It very much depends on how you play the music. If it's played straight as written (do you have sheet music?) then it's very, very easy to build upon and improve playing style. If you arrange it in any form, change the tune, chords, etc. or play it by ear, it's gonna be a whole lot harder.

Anyways, those cadences - while I'm here.....

Perfect cadence-5-1 cadence at the end of the peice.

What that means is that it's a couple of chords used towards the end of the piece. Now, whilst that is useful in pretty much every aspect of music, if you are working off sheet music in any form, then the chords will very likely be written out for you. anyway, this progression takes the chord on the dominant, (V) and progresses to the chord on the Tonic (I). The Dominant is the fifth note of the scale, and the Tonic is the first note of the scale.
SO, if you are playing a piece in C major and it has a perfect cadence at the end, you will play a G major chord followed by a C major chord. Make sense?

Plagal cadence-4-1 cadence at the end of the peice.

A Plagal Cadence is more common in muisic played as a group as it rythmically sounds and 'works' better with the instruments and texturing that you have. A Plagal Cadence, as RCHPaddict says, is a IV-I (4-1) progression.
If a piece is in C major, then it would be an F Major chord, followed by a C Major chord.

If you're ever thinking about doing music theory (need at grade 5 before you can progress further)

*phew*

Anyway, aside from that, other playing techniques you can use involve:

Arpeggiating the chord (splitting it up into individual notes, like when you do an arpeggio)
Playing the tune in the right hand (possibly chords with right as well) and with chords in left hand
Use sustain pedal (the right one....just checking......:)) to hold out chords
In the left hand, remove the 3rd from the chord (e.g. take out the E in a C major chord)

...etc, etc.

Is that the sort of thing you need?

I hope I've helped

Any other questions you have im willing to help !!

My goodness thanks a lot. Someone should definitely give you rep points. I would if I had the ability to.

[Little Android Man]

??? no clue.....

[PianoPilgrim]

My goodness thanks a lot. Someone should definitely give you rep points. I would if I had the ability to.

Thanks, hope I helped

[PianoPilgrim]

Thanks PianoPilgrim for explaining it for me.

You said what I needed to say, I just didn't know how to say it.

No Problem. WOrding its tough.....:)

[aznrocker]

Thanks, hope I helped

You definitely did.

[darrell]

V7's-You find the dominant note of the chord you are playing, play a MAJOR chord starting on the dominant and add a MOAJOR 7th.
2nd inversion-Say it's a C major chord; instead of having C/E/G, play the E on the bottem, then the same G, but play the C that comes after the G instead of before the E.
3rd inversion-Let's say it's in C major again; play the G as the bottem note, then have the C in the middle and the E after the C.Rolling the chords-playing the chords one not at a time but very quickly and holding each note until the next on is played.
Perfect cadence-5-1 cadence at the end of the peice.
Plagal cadence-4-1 cadence at the end of the peice.
Voicing the top note is just making the top note the loudest.

You don't want to play chords in inversions unless it calls for it. Inversions are made for voice leading and act different than the chords in root position. A nice use for inversions for piano in church would be...

I - V6 - iv

The V6 is, of course, the inversion of a V chord. The 6 is figured bass (for those of you who don't know) which means play a 3rd (which is understood) and a 6th (hence the sixth) above the bass note. Sorry for all of the sidenotes in that last sentence. Anyways, that is used very often in church music. In the key of G, that would be...

G ... D/F# ... Em

I hope that helps... don't overuse inversions as if they aren't needed, they usually detract from the music, IMO. Here's one more example... I'm not sure if it's used in a lot of church music, but Extreme used it in "More than Words" as did Lionel Richie in "Stuck on You"

I - I6 - IV - V

In the key of G (a common church key, I've found)...

G - G/B - C - D

Good luck!

- Darrell

Edit: I don't really play piano, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn last night. :thumb:
I'm majoring in music and taking piano, but my real instrument is the bass. Yay for bass! Alright, I'm done. IM me if you need help. My screenname's in my profile (just to ward off perverts who won't waste the time to look... I know who you are!)

Alright, peace. Good luck once again!

[aznrocker]

You don't want to play chords in inversions unless it calls for it. Inversions are made for voice leading and act different than the chords in root position. A nice use for inversions for piano in church would be...

I - V6 - iv

The V6 is, of course, the inversion of a V chord. The 6 is figured bass (for those of you who don't know) which means play a 3rd (which is understood) and a 6th (hence the sixth) above the bass note. Sorry for all of the sidenotes in that last sentence. Anyways, that is used very often in church music. In the key of G, that would be...

G ... D/F# ... Em

I hope that helps... don't overuse inversions as if they aren't needed, they usually detract from the music, IMO. Here's one more example... I'm not sure if it's used in a lot of church music, but Extreme used it in "More than Words" as did Lionel Richie in "Stuck on You"

I - I6 - IV - V

In the key of G (a common church key, I've found)...

G - G/B - C - D

Good luck!

- Darrell

Edit: I don't really play piano, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn last night. :thumb:
I'm majoring in music and taking piano, but my real instrument is the bass. Yay for bass! Alright, I'm done. IM me if you need help. My screenname's in my profile (just to ward off perverts who won't waste the time to look... I know who you are!)

Alright, peace. Good luck once again!

haha thanks. I know what you're talking about. If you didn't know already, I play bass too. Wow. Can't believe how much I'm learning using these forums. Thanks a lot man.