I want to learn Rock and Roll techniques on Piano?

[MasakiK]

If I want to learn Rock and Roll techniques on Piano? What should I study? Jazz and blues?

[lenny]

rock and roll techniques are extremely simply

get a piano teacher that is willing to teach this style, and buy some songbooks - whichever band's songs you like best.

jerry lee lewis is interesting, he uses repetetive chords and blues patterns, but also adds glissandos and other fancy things

[Brian Healey]

Rock piano is basically just playing chords in some some of rhythmic manner. There's not a whole lot of technique involved. As long as you know your triads and seventh chords, you'll be straight.


Peace,
Bri

[dinosaurtales]

I used to think that, too, but I subbed once in a local rock band, and they didn't like the way I played "too perfectly"  I didn't "mush" the notes enough.  Also, the jazz players in my theory class are KILLER at theory - 'cause that's what they live on, so YES, there's more to the rock, jazz thing than meets the eye!  Find a jazz prof at a local college if possible and see if you can get lessons!

[twinkly217]

I agree that it seems deceptively simple, and that there's more to it than meets the ear--the suggestion to find a teacher who specializes or a good jazz instructor is right on.

I agreed to play keys in a cover band--the guitarist insisted I'd be a natural because of my classical training. Trying to "jam" and improvise is hard, unless you know the patterns and riffs and scales and runs. I was always thinking chords and theory or learning songs exactly as they were recorded, and that  can sound stilted, "learned" and thin. I absolutely hated it (the pressure more than the discipline itself, at the time) and went back to my guitar for that kind of music. Rock keys is just like learning to play lead guitar--you gotta have the chops to pull it off. So find that teacher or those method books or even a good video to start--and also listen to some good playing you like and try to learn the runs by ear.

[Bassman]

I agree Lenny,

Jerry Lee Lewis is probably the greatest rock-n-roll pianist to ever live.

I learned his Great Balls of Fire, and played it till it was dead.    I played it in competition after competition after competition.  After entering the Coca-Cola Talent Contest, I worked my way up the ladder to become ranked in the Eastern  U.S.A. as somewhere in between #5 and #20!

This song was definately my cruch and was extremely easy to play.  THe solo in the middle sounds really hard and flashy but its not.  It is about 6 chords all together that make up probably 30sec. of playing.  1 chord..............2nd chord........etc.
If you learn this piece, during this solo, flashy middle section, turn your head over your shoulder and grin at the audience!  It  will really drive the audience wild.
Oh, and when its over stand up so fast that the piano bench sails backward across the stage.  Its a real show stopper.

The best way to learn it is to find an old recording, play it over and over and over, and start trying to play the piece with the recording.

-Good luck!!!!!!!!!!

[puma]

Well if you want to learn rock, that's one thing.  Jazz is quite another.  I'd have to say that jazz is more technically demanding than rock (improvisation), but both require a basic foundation.  In any case, I find blues and rock easier to play than, say, some classical music, on the piano. 

[Brian Healey]

Rock keys is just like learning to play lead guitar--you gotta have the chops to pull it off.

Depends on what kind of "rock keys" you're trying to play. Most of the time playing keys in a rock band means you'll be playing chords and pads underneath a Hendrix/Stevie Ray Vaughn wannabe guitar player. 

However, that's not always the case. There are some rock bands that feature the keyboardist prominently, such as Yes (with my man Rick Wakeman). It all depends on what you're trying to do. To play rock keys in the style of, say, Elton John, Billy Joel, or Ben Folds doesn't take all that much technique. It's more about just knowing chords and emulating how those players use them.

If you want to be a lead-type rock keyboardist, then study the blues first, since rock is really a direct ourgrowth of the blues. Even to this day, most rock solos are firmly grounded in the blues (or a blues scale anyway).


Peace,
Bri

[Rez]

Do you have particular bands/artists in mind when you say "Rock and Roll."  This might give people an idea of where to direct you.

For most kinds of rock I agree with DinosaurTales jazz suggestion.  Most of the rock guitarists who have had long and varied careers have a foundation in jazz, and encourage its study even if their own style sounds unjazz like.  Even many hair metal bands have a guitarist who base his/her solos on concepts taken from jazz.   If you can automatically pick out the scale of a riff and you know what chords will work with that scale you'll sound much better than if you are hunting and pecking for notes.  Whether you're improvising a solo or writing a song (piece), Jazz is really good for that off the cuff training.

[christiaan]

You can go and buy the "IDIOT`S Guide how to learn to play piano''. You won`t need anything more than that or any lessons for Rock n Roll...

[thalberg]

hi nasalstein come to the chat room