Learning to Play Different Music Styles:

[MMEIER]

I seem to have trouble with piano musicianship,
and I was wondering if anybody would be able to offer any kind of advice.

I seem to be having the same kind of problem whenever I am playing the piano, and that problem is:
...I can't figure out how to play certain styles of music....like rock,pop,jazz,country,blues...etc.....

Are the built-in styles from the Clavinova "sufficient enough" that you could get by, from learning how to play those different kinds of styles?

Is Yamaha's built-in styles true to "musicanship for styles"...and can I "learn" off of these?
or are they just "easy" rhythmic arrangements of different musical styles...?

Thanks For Reading This Everybody, and I hope somebody would be able to help me out, by replying back, or giving suggestions on books/videos/websites to go to, to learn different piano styles.....

-Mitch-CVP-207

[Steve]

a "Style" is just a repeating pattern dressed up with lots of instruments and a choice of introductions/endings. Take away the dressing, and it all boils down to how many beats the pattern uses before it repeats. Figure out how many beats are needed in a pattern to accompany your melody, and choose a style accordingly. Then you use your left hand to control the KEY that the style plays in, and your right hand to play the melody.

At least that's how I use styles - others may give you different opinions... But the end result is that styles can be alot of fun, and give you a background band that you might not otherwise have access to :)

[MikeinNC]

I feel that the Yamaha artists have done an amazing job of capturing the various styles that are programmed into the Clavinova. I think that they are very stylistically true. As for me, I don't pay much attention to the number of beats that are in each loop. I merely let my ear tell me which style that I think best fits the particular song. Even if you have a book of country songs or rock or jazz or whatever, it won't help you to learn the inflections of that particular style. The book will only give you the melody line and the chords. (If you've ever heard a polka band try to play swing or jazz you will know what I mean). In my opinion, there are only two ways to learn to play a style. The best way is to just listen to many artists' recordings and to pay particular attention to the inflections of the voice or the way a player plays with, pushes or drags the rhythms. Listen to how an artist uses grace notes. A second way would be to take lessons from someone who is very good at playing a style of music and also has the ability to explain to a student what he or she is doing, stylistically. Choosing the best or most appropriate chord structure that is built into the Clav (2- way country, 4-way block, etc.) also will help create the right feel for that style.

[309er]

Hi,
I have a 309 but is new. How can i utilise the styles? I can chose the style for a particular song but what do i do next? do i need a song sheet to play the keys or do i simply make up/compose a song?
Help.....

[Carlitin]

MMEIER and 309er .: As you can see, the CVP has a lot of styles, and become to make you confuset. What I do is to practice with one style,... any one and try to see wath song become better for this one. Can be very easy song, let your feeling folow the styles, the other one is to see wath styles the CVP use for a song in the "Music Finder", he has a lot of song and styles in this memory. Carlitin.
CVP-309PE happy user.

[kempedkemp]

309er: You can use the styles with or without sheets or fake book. Just turn it on and start playing. Don't forget you can adjust tempos up or down to get the right speed for your song.

[mikemilton]

> I can't figure out how to play certain styles
> of music....like rock,pop,jazz,country,blues...etc.....
> Are the built-in styles from the Clavinova
> "sufficient enough" that you could get by, from
> learning how to play those different kinds of styles?

I think the answer is yes. As MikeinNC said some of the styles are really good examples of their genre.

For your purpose, instead of picking a style to match what you are playing, switch between styles and I think you will find that your playing will follow into the genre. Now the particular piece may not sound that great (think a stride piano lullaby, yech) but the point is that *you* can basically not avoid learning a lot about the genres which (i think) was your question.

Besides, this is actually fun

m