[Post #17] This is the first of 2 posts on how to make a left-hand accompaniment. Obviously, there are no rules but only some advice we could give. In fact, everything depends on several elements as the kind of music we play (classic waltz, instrumental easy listening music, pop song etc.), the melody, personal taste, inspiration, etc.
Anyway, we can try to learn some accompaniments that fit many musical styles and learn how to modify them or to create ours. As always these are only examples and not a complete list (it would be impossible to make one).
Last advice: start the audio file and then enlarge the scores, so that you can follow them.
Last advice: start the audio file and then enlarge the scores, so that you can follow them.
Standard accompaniment in a major key (part 1)
Standard accompaniment in a major key (part 2)
These are typical left-hand accompaniments. The chord progression I used in the first file is the I - VIm - IIm - V (C - Am - Dm - G). I explain this progression in this post at the number 20. In the second file I use different progressions, but they are mostly based on I-IV-V degrees.
The first example (part 1) is an accompaniment based only on the root notes of the chords played in octaves. We have then the root notes played alternately on different octaves (the lower one first then the higher one, but you can also do the contrary) and the classical arpeggios based on chord notes: C-E-G (I-III-V) for the chord C; A-E-A (I-V-VIII, or I-III-VII with the 7th G) for the chord Am, etc. We can simply say that for these accompaniments there are endless ways to alternate the chord notes: we could choose the notes I-III-V-III, I-III-V-VIII, or I-V-VIII-V of the scales, etc.
The second part contains some other typical accompaniments that sometimes use bichords (2 notes played together), while the last two are mostly used in classical music. In these accompaniments, the left hand has quite a melodic function.
The following file shows similar accompaniments but in a minor mode. In this case, I use the chord progression Im - VI - IVm - V (Am - F - Dm - E) that I explain in this post at the number 5:
Standard accompaniment in a minor key (examples)
Starting from these standard accompaniments we can build a huge number of alternatives. Let's start with the arpeggios that play only the notes of the chord. This is an example in C, it is the 5th of the upper list of "standard accompaniments in a major key (part 1)". We take now a look at the first bar:
Continuous accompaniments and arpeggios in a major key (part 1)
Continuous accompaniments and arpeggios in a major key (part 2)
Continuous accompaniments and arpeggios in a minor key (part 1)
Continuous accompaniments and arpeggios in a minor key (part 2)
Continuous accompaniments and arpeggios in a minor key (part 3)
Copyright © Piano Feeling. All material on this site is free, please quote and add a link to the source (this page) if you want to copy somewhere else all or only part of this article. Thanks.
Starting from these standard accompaniments we can build a huge number of alternatives. Let's start with the arpeggios that play only the notes of the chord. This is an example in C, it is the 5th of the upper list of "standard accompaniments in a major key (part 1)". We take now a look at the first bar:
With some little changes this bar could become the following one (we still use only the notes of the chord C):
If we now add a note that does not belong to the chord (in the example below D) we could build the following accompaniment:
Obviously, we can add more than just one note that does not belong to the original chord. Below I introduce a list (as always not complete, it would be impossible) of accompaniments made by changing an arpeggio that uses only the notes of the chord.
I still use in the major mode the chord progression I - VIm - IIm - V (C - Am - Dm - G) but you can change it as you want.
Please note that all these accompaniments have something in common: it does not matter which notes we play, the whole bar is filled with eight notes. This is the reason why we could call these accompaniments "continuous accompaniments". The patterns with a red dot are included in my audio records:
Please note that all these accompaniments have something in common: it does not matter which notes we play, the whole bar is filled with eight notes. This is the reason why we could call these accompaniments "continuous accompaniments". The patterns with a red dot are included in my audio records:
Continuous accompaniments and arpeggios in a major key (part 3)
I suggest printing these pages and practicing the left hand. After learning these patterns you could try to change the progression or the accompaniment itself. Another useful exercise is to use my recordings to improvise some melodies with the right hand.
All this information are also valid for the "continuous accompaniment in minor mode":
In the next post, we will take a look at some accompaniments that we could call "discontinuous" because the bar is not filled with a flow of eight notes.
Copyright © Piano Feeling. All material on this site is free, please quote and add a link to the source (this page) if you want to copy somewhere else all or only part of this article. Thanks.
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