What do I do when there is no bass clef?

[idler95]

I have been teaching myself piano for the past few months. Went through the first Alfred book and know a bit of theory (chords, scales, a bit of harmony and such). I feel, however, that I only know how to play music that is already written down in a specific way, which works well on classical pieces, but what if I want to expand to other genres?

In particular, what happens when I don't have a bass clef in the sheet music? Sometimes all I have is the melody and a bunch of chords. Playing a chord per measure in the bass and the melody with my right hand is way too simple. I could break down the chords, change the rhythm or play arpeggios but it doesn't seem like enough for most pieces. Usually in this type of sheet music the melody comes with no harmonization either. Should I be using the chords to harmonize the piece too?

Also, do you have any suggestions as to where I should be going from here? Every "teach yourself piano" book I find is meant for beginners. I know I should get a teacher, I might eventually but not just yet.

EDIT: Just found out that these things are called Lead Sheets. Still don't know what to do with them haha.

[dima_76557]

What do I do when there is no bass clef?

Do a Google search for "piano: how to arrange melodies". You will get useful YouTube clips and other resources with very good info, for example:
Guide To Quickly Arranging Lead Sheets.

[gregh]

EDIT: Just found out that these things are called Lead Sheets. Still don't know what to do with them haha.

Guitarists seem to know what to do with them. I'm not a guitarist.

[hfmadopter]

Guitarists seem to know what to do with them. I'm not a guitarist.

So what. If you had a piece of music in front of you at the piano that was written as the OP mentions, then what would you do with it ? if you are some what accomplished it seems to me that you could create something from that.

[indianajo]

Good luck finding a teacher that can do this.  I asked my teacher in 1964, no luck.  "it's obvious" she said. "Look up the chords in the theory book" she said. 
All the people around here that know how to do this, smoke, and probably smoke a nasty weed, too.  Bar bands are the center of this knowledge. Just because I like the music, doesn't mean I can put up the fumes of that stuff. 
I've got the Frank Slaughter music course.  Don't waste your money on it.  Boom chick boom chick boom chick.  I tried that at the contra dance and got removed from the stage by the bouncer while the regular pianist was still in the ladies room. 

[gregh]

So what. If you had a piece of music in front of you at the piano that was written as the OP mentions, then what would you do with it ? if you are some what accomplished it seems to me that you could create something from that.

I'm not accomplished at that kind of thing. But a guitarist might be a useful person to talk to, that's why I mentioned it. I'd probably play chords with a rhythm that seems appropriate to the music, and maybe arpeggiate them when the lead is playing long tones. Otherwise, I don't know.

But guitarists do that sort of thing-- "jamming" is more part of the guitar culture than the piano culture (not to say that pianists never join in on jam sessions, but many pianists seem more comfortable when they have printed music to play). Bass players do that sort of thing-- they can only play one or two notes at a time (okay, they can play more, but it sounds bad), and they play them according to the chords and make it sound like a bass line. Get a few guitarists together and they'll start jamming and it will sound like music. Ask, and they might have something to say.

[hfmadopter]

Good luck finding a teacher that can do this.  I asked my teacher in 1964, no luck.  "it's obvious" she said. "Look up the chords in the theory book" she said. 
All the people around here that know how to do this, smoke, and probably smoke a nasty weed, too.  Bar bands are the center of this knowledge. Just because I like the music, doesn't mean I can put up the fumes of that stuff. 
I've got the Frank Slaughter music course.  Don't waste your money on it.  Boom chick boom chick boom chick.  I tried that at the contra dance and got removed from the stage by the bouncer while the regular pianist was still in the ladies room. 

No it would not be included in a standard classical program of most sorts. I took a summer course that worked in several ways differently than the standard classical routine  and it touched on this approach ( my teacher took summers off, so I decided to try this out, with her knowledge of course).

[hfmadopter]

I'm not accomplished at that kind of thing. But a guitarist might be a useful person to talk to, that's why I mentioned it.

That's fine, I apologize for my abruptness in that response actually. It could have been written better than that !