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Joined: Oct 2009
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I would like to start a thread about left hand accompaniment patterns. This is to accompany playing melody/improvisation in the right hand.

There is a proliferation of online "teachers" who will sell you a collection of patterns for $20 or more. You may get 15 patterns or so and then they want you to buy more. But usually, these are for accompanying a singer and not for playing a song on piano. I just wasted $20 an hour ago purchasing one such program.

I wish for this thread to be a free resource for solo piano pattern playing. I did a search on this forum and did not find a thread dedicated to pattern playing.

I am looking forward to contributors giving their ideas. Thanks.

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Which program did you spend the $20 on? It's OK to say. We've all wasted a lot of money on various "methods".

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Off the top of my head (this is by no means an exhaustive list):

-block chords in root or inversions, played in various rhythms (on beat and/or syncopated)
-open chords (5ths or 6ths) played blocked or alternating
-open arpeggios (root, 5th, 3rd) played going up and down, or R5353, R35R, etc. - a favorite of Chopin
-close position Alberti Bass
-Root held down while playing 5th or 3rd in a rhythmic pattern (usually off-beat)
-octaves either blocked or broken in various rhythmic patterns
-root alone in varying rhythms, legato or staccato
-ostinato or drone
-counter-melody
-imitation of RH
-parallel motion with RH, usually in 3rds and 6ths
-octaves with 5ths in middle, blocked or broken



private piano/voice teacher FT

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David Sprunger. Waste of money!

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This s what I collected on this a few months ago, some from me, but mostly from others on AF:

1) Play the C major chord in the LH on every count (4 times), or variations thereof (once for the whole measure, or even roll the chords, like C E G E, or C followed by (E G) together three times, etc.).

2) Play a ballad style: on 1/8th notes, counting 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &: C G E G E G E G.

3) Play Alberti Bass style.

4) If the chord changes every 2 beats, plunk out that low root on beat 1. For beat 2, bring your left hand up to a higher two note chord consisting of 3 and 7. Then, repeat process for beats 3 and 4

5) Alternate inversions on the beat. Example, CEG, move lower GEC, back up CEG, lower GEC, etc. Lots of variations possible.

6) Oompah. C, EG, C, EG.

7) Arpeggios at various speeds. C, E, G, E quarter notes. CE, GE, CE, GE. (eighth) CEGE, CEGE, CEGE, CEGE. (sixteenth)

8) A woman at my church did this particularly smoothly: C, C octave, above that G, E, C, Repeat.

9) boogie. C4, C5, E4, C5, G4, C5, C4. with a dotted rhythm.

10) root-fifth. C4, CEG4, G3, CEG4, C4, etc.

11) I play a walking bass line with the left and play the melody and occasional rootless chords between melody notes with the right. Alternatively, I play 1 & 3 in the left hand and 7 and melody in the right or 1 & 7 in the left and 3 and melody in the right.

12) Play a full arpeggio: In ascending order, C G E G C, then back to G (for 3/4 time).

13) Play low C, then higher C, then C Major.

14) Play low C, then 2nd inversion of C chord, then C major. If in 4/4, play C major twice.



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I've got some free sheet music with an interesting left hand pattern ala George Winston. You improvise your own melody on top. Find it at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/xmaspeace1.pdf

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Originally Posted by russcycles
But usually, these are for accompanying a singer and not for playing a song on piano.

I always focus on teaching each left-hand pattern right along with a melody so people can see exactly how they work together.

Samples:

Ballad Pattern: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ9npaNOMmo

Stride/Swing Pattern: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ghTlm80zIg

Chromatic Bass Pattern: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8PJEFl48tU

Shuffle/Boogie-Woogie Pattern: http://www.box.net/shared/os1es4ay2e

Full Demo Videos: http://www.learnpianowithelssa.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=10

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Here's Sprunger's patterns for $20.00. Now you don't need to buy it.
It's not that it has no value. I feel $20 is too much for how little that is provided.

Last edited by BB Player; 12/30/09 07:06 PM. Reason: Copyrighted material deleted
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Thanks for the replies so far.

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Elssa, without showing a step-by-step demonstration of how these styles work, along with a clear sheet music for the pattern you are using, it woud not be something I want to buy. I have seen my videos, bought many, and most of them skip the critical details. I don't know what you include in your videos, but if it's along the lines of watch how I do it and good luck figuring out how it works, then I don't know... smile



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I have been waiting for my order to arrive from Sprunger, but I'm already turned off by any method that uses nonstandard notations!

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Originally Posted by Music_in_Me
Elssa, without showing a step-by-step demonstration of how these styles work, along with a clear sheet music for the pattern you are using, it woud not be something I want to buy. I have seen my videos, bought many, and most of them skip the critical details. I don't know what you include in your videos, but if it's along the lines of watch how I do it and good luck figuring out how it works, then I don't know... smile

My instructional videos demonstrate all techniques very slowly along with detailed captions, and lead sheets are provided for all songs studied, with the videos and in my forum. In addition, all questions regarding the video techniques are answered fully in my forum for continued free instruction. I know how frustrating it can be when instructors play too fast, so the instructional demos are played at a slow pace and the techniques repeated several times. The normal-tempo videos, as above, are posted along with the instructional videos for reference. smile

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good stuff anyone have some other good patterns? for gospel music.. I keep repeating the aspergio (or whatever its called) and I need some diversity.


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