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That's what I love about it - pretty much anything goes. Yes, all different styles can be done with cocktail piano, including George Shearing locked-hands block chords, etc. Thanks for the interesting story. Couldn't you play some of the tunes/standards you play with your group at the bar, or were you playing mostly chords with the group? Above, someone says you need to take requests.. Can you do that - play by ear? If I know of and like a tune, I can usually play it by ear, maybe not too fancy but recognizable. I think playing solo cocktail piano is very difficult, but nice to have the freedom to do what you want at least. "Feelings" is a good old song..descending bass, C05, etc. I bet they loved it. Wow, five free drinks! I remember Robin "Piano Girl" talking about that in her book, people always wanting to buy her drinks. She was underage when she started playing cocktail piano and and had to refuse them all.

Hehe, Elssa glad you enjoyed my experience. Actually at that time I was in an 80's type pop band and only knew about 10 standards memorized like, "Misty", Feelings, Girl From Ipanema, stuff like that. If I had my RealBook with me, I could have done more faking of some standards. Now I am at a whole other level because I am only playing numerous jazz standards with 2 trios and quartets. Also in the 80's era, I wasn't really learning many standards because the gigs I was doing didn't require it.

I have done tunes by ear and can read also, in fact I learned by ear first, reading second. I would imagine that a cocktail pianist just starting out could work on the 100 most requested lounge songs like "Piano Man" As Time Goes By, some Beatles, Cole Porter, Gershwin, show tunes, bossa novas, etc. That would cover a lot of eras and a lot of requests.

We did play a nice wedding party in Pasadena last week with a trio, drums, acoustic bass, me on keys and a female singer. They wanted swing music, so we did a lot of Diana Krall, Ella, some bossa novas, all standards. They danced on every tune we played on all 4 sets and they seemed to like what we did.

Most of the work I get now just requires standards and cocktail styles, so bye bye 80's bands for me until further notice or need.

katt

Well, Katt, thanks again.. I'm still chuckling at your experience and admiring your gumption/bravery for playing on the spur of the moment like that. I think it's really tuff to play solo in any setting, but especially something/someplace like that. I recently went to a local Music Meetup, very casual, played along with a flutist and harmonica player, and it was just about the most fun ever. When I'm home playing alone, I'm usually not too inspired, but playing with a small group like that, bouncing ideas of what to play off each other (mostly standards - Georgia, Stardust, etc) was great. Of course, we don't expect that there will be much call for a trio of keyboardist, flutist and harmonica player anywhere professionally anytime soon, but what the hey. You sound like a very well-rounded musician. I'd be lost with requests for 80's music now, though I enjoyed listening to it, avant-garde, The Clash, etc.


How did you learn to play by ear?

An interesting link on playing piano in a bar. not that I think this guy is necessarily the greatest piano player either, but I thought it was more then ok

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXsUHVTfKwc

Kind of interesting that he doesn't read music and plays only by ear. I would have a hard time remembering so many songs without at least peeking at the lead sheet

Thanks for the link.

It led me to the topic "bar piano", which comes closer than anything else so far to what I am looking for to emulate.

Hop

It's unfortunate, but in the times we are in now, piano bars are becoming scarce and it's harder to find them in our local communities. Many places that used to have a decent piano and nightly entertainment removed them.

Basically piano bars came with interest from the baby boomer public and those people frequented them. As the boomers got older, so did the novelty of piano bars and newer styles of music didn't fit into the piano bar scenario anymore.

Personally, I really miss the fun that we used to have hanging out and playing in a piano bar. I don't know if they will ever catch on and come on strong again unless the public tells their local bar owners to bring them back a great entertainment form.

The last time we were in Las Vegas, we had dinner at one of the hotel buffets and they had a white Yamaha grand acoustic piano on a small stage. There was a very attractive young asian gal cocktail pianist playing her buns off and she never got any applause, attention, maybe a few requests and that was about it. I felt a bit bad for her as being so ignored by the diners. But people are at buffets for one reason and that is to eat and talk. They don't seem to care about listening, just eating.

Cocktail pianists seem to be most successful in smaller bars, lounges or clubs. I'll never forget that in the early 80's, there use to be a cocktail pianist in a local bar at the mall. I worked in the mall and used to hang out there along with a drummer I knew and his manager. We wanted to get a night in the room, so we wanted to check out what he was doing. But honestly, IMHO, he was about the worst live performer we ever heard. He played and sang in the wrong key, played the strangest changes on common standards and other things that were irritating if you were a musician of any caliber. But, he was a real nice personable fellow that the older crowd loved and that's what kept him on the piano bench. In fact, he allowed anyone who could play to sit in any night. He didn't seem to feel threatened by other players. There were also rumors he was a male escort for older rich widows and used the gig to draw in potential "clients." Who knows.

Personality of a performer will sometimes win over virtuosity and that is a trait which seems to be important in succeeding or failing in the cocktail world.

katt

I don't know about books but I found this video very interesting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UkFi3vMsTs

Thanks for plugging my video, Artur!

No problem mate, enjoyed it!

In response to the OP (and I realise I'm waaaay late on this thread - though, on the bright side, it's brought me back to PW after an absence of some years), I'd agree with the guys saying that you need to work on the chord side of things. *Don't* dump the classics, because they'll really help you with dexterity and lightness of touch.

The good news is that once you've got a good understanding of the way chords work, cocktail is really pretty straightforward: it's about being lush rather than complex, and you can be quite free with rhythms. The chords you really need to get your head around for good cocktail playing are at the simpler end of the jazz spectrum - straightforward major/minor sevenths, ninths and elevenths.

As with anything piano-related, the trick is to stick at it and practise, practise, practise until your girlfriend leaves and your neighbours take you to court for disturbing the peace.