Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner - Non Classical Can someone identify this harmonic technique?

Hello,

Today, i came across a piano cover for a song. The person in the video definitely arranged it in a different style, likely jazz, but he implements harmonic techniques that i'm not familiar with whatsoever. This is first time I've seen something this and I would like to Identify this style to further study it. Here's the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ecRysYiLw8&index=1&list=LLuICIqL37GhtwO87xn_mAAQ

The harmonic technique I'm referring to starts at 1:18 - 1:30

Thanks in advance!

Windham Hill (record label) produced music that was difficult to define, with elements of classical, folk, and jazz, nearly all of it instrumental, acoustic, and mellow. California-based Tower Records stores gave Windham Hill its own section.[2] Billboard magazine called the music soft jazz in 1983, but later listed the label as new age.[3] The roster included acoustic guitarists Michael Hedges, David Cullen, John Doan, and Andrew York. The label's albums topped the New Age and Contemporary Jazz charts in Billboard magazine. Albums of solo piano by George Winston crossed over into the Pop and Folk charts. Seven albums by Winston have been certified Gold and Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[4]

Windham Hill pianists:

Pianist Jim Brickman
Pianist Scott Cossu
Pianist Pat Gorman
Pianist Bill Quist
Pianist Liz Story
Pianist George Winston
Pianist Yanni
Pianist and composer W. A. Mathieu
Pianist and composer Øystein Sevåg
Pianist and singer Barbara Higbie

The right hand plays a repeated (is it pentatonic?) figure in octaves. The left hand plays a repeated counter line. It's a fast 2 part duet.
I would slow it down with Transcribe! software and loop it to hear what is exactly going on. I would use the Transcribe! EQ filter to hear each hand;s part more easily.

Greetings Horde42.

Yes, it can be explained.

The left hand techniques define the sound.
The performer is playing a combination of elements.
The first and main LH element is root 5 10th.

So, since the opening chord progression is
G maj7, A maj, Bm9, the left hand is playing
G D B A E C# B F# D B F# D.

That's the root of the chord, followed by the fifth, then the 10th with the thumb.
This continues for most of the piece until the player switches to 4 note left
hand pattern which is mostly just arpeggios of the chord progression..
G B D G A C# E A B D F# B

The right hand is a combination of sixths, thirds and octaves.

Cool piece of music.

Hope that info helps you out.

Oh, and PS I just saw the last part of your question about the time frame you were curious about.
Performer is doing a simple counter line LH against the same previous RH style.
Sounds a bit more classical during that part.