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KeyboardMag.com >> This Month >> Playing In A Group
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Your band will be happy if you know where and when to play. Playing in a Group| April, 2006You’re practicing more often these days. You know your major and minor chords, a few licks, and you’ve always got a copy of Keyboard handy. It’s now time to take it to the next level: interacting with other musicians. Whether you’re joining an informal jam or you’re looking to start or join a band, playing in a group is something that every musician should experience. However, most of us start off without any rules, guidelines, or plan when playing together. There may be someone in the room with a college degree in music, and right nearby there’s someone who doesn’t know the names of the notes he or she is playing. I’ve seen instances of this on both the hobbyist and professional levels. Whatever the situation may present, it helps to think about what you are bringing to the table. The piano gives you the range of an orchestra at your fingertips (and that’s not even counting all the other sounds you can create with synths), so it pays to consider what other instrumentation the group has, and how you can fit into the big picture. Finding the Sweet SpotWhen you first work with bass players, you’ll find that it’s very easy to conflict with what they’re playing. Check out Example 1 for advice on how to choose your territory for maximum musical impact. Who Calls the Shots?Some artists, like Ben Folds, Tori Amos, and Billy Joel, enjoy the luxury of playing whatever they want anywhere on the piano and having the band fit their parts accordingly. Look to the bandleader for a cue. Even if you’re playing a supporting role in the group, the leader may want you to dig in or lay back, depending on his or her tastes. When I worked with Meat Loaf, he wanted as much piano as possible. Left hand octaves, right hand octaves, melody doubling, the kitchen sink: The whole piano was fair game. On the other hand, the late, great Count Basie led his legendary big band for decades, and his piano parts were sparse, tasteful and deadly swinging (with especially amazing use of the upper range of the piano). Sergio Mendes uses subtle changes in his own piano parts to add dynamics and contrast in “Mas Que Nada,” at times doubling the bass notes, and at other times keeping in the “sweet spot” of the piano. It’s all about give-and-take, and when the group is listening to itself, it is sweet indeed. Play Audio and MIDIThese audio and MIDI files correspond to the lessons and full song transcription beginning on page 40 of the April 2006 issue of Keyboard. All files performed by Michael Gallant. |
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