Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Common chord/arpeggio patterns? any advice?

Some people might remember that I am working on making piano parts for two songs that don't have published piano versions (one is Time After Time, the other is a Japanese song). Well, this is HARD!!! Now I know why most of us just rely on the score as it's written

I found a band score for the orignal of the Japanese song, but there's actually too much info there (synth and percussion part, e. guitar, a. guitar 1 and 2) and the arpeggios (as written for guitar) sound funny on the piano.

Time After Time is really hard because the original is... well, what? Mostly electric guitar and synth, I guess. It's as if there's not a lot going on in the music, not individual notes, just a sort of wall of sound (but a very mellow wall) and I am having a hard time figuring out how to recreate that on the piano.

So my question, what kind of patterns are there for breaking up a chord? For example, on the RH part with C major (which consists of C, E and G) you could play quarter notes in the following patterns:

C E G E
or
C E G C
etc

Or you could play 8th notes going up and down like this:

C E G C G E C E
or
C E C E C E C E

Or you could play C with the LH and play on the RH:
E G E G E G E G

So these are the patterns I could think of off the top of my head. But there must be more, that are sort of standard ones. Right? Any advice?

Also, what kind of patterns are there for the LH? You could play octaves in half notes, or you could play thirds (C E) etc. Or you could play dotted quarters with 8th notes
(1&2 & 3&4 &)

Or you could play arpeggios on the LH as well.

How does one decide all this?! Is there some reference anyone could recommend? Any other random advice?

Is the song you are working out called "Time After Time" the song sung by Cyndi Lauper; I have a piano/Guitar accompiament of it in a book of songs sung by Eva Cassidy.

If so , the book I have it in is titled "THE BEST OF EVA CASSIDY" PIANO/VOCAL/GUITAR". (I am not shouting it... the title is in all caps so I am typing it the way it is printed) Her version is in key of D with lots of suspended chords going on.

The other "Time After Time" I know of is an old standard; Rod Stewart recently covered it.
But that one doesn't sound like guitar and synth. stuff... as his was a big band arrangement.

Hope this helps.
Wolf

Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time is in 4/4 time, but it is played finger picking style on guitar. Mostly eighth note arrpegios. Except for the last bar of each phrase.

Maybe it isn't the same song... I don't think of Eva's version as a "wall of sound" whatsoever. But Cyndi Lauper's version was done more in a pop style and maybe that would be more like a "wall of sound", than Eva Cassidy did when she covered the song.

Oops, sorry, it's Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time. Wall of sound isn't really the right word I guess, it's just that there's not a lof of "stand out" notes in the original music. I think I'll be able to use the bass as a reference for how to do my LH, but I'm worried that the RH I've worked out is too boring. I'd love to see the arpeggios for the finger picking guitar version, is it in tab or treble clef? (I can't remember how to read tab!) Can you tell me anything about those arpeggios? Have you played that? (Does that mean you play guitar as well as piano?)

LOL
I think that Cyndi purposely wrote the tune with those "boring arrpegios" to remind one of a ticking clock.

Now Eva played guitar (she passed away at 32 of skin cancer) ; but she also has had some great piano players back her up.

I play both guitar and piano. I would describe the arrangement as the treble clef having eight note arrpegios; and the bass clef having single line bass notes. Nothing fancing really. The "wall of sound" you might be hearing is probably all the suspended chords happening on the chord progressions (to be honest I haven't heard Cyndi's version in a while, I have a dvd I haven't opened up yet).

Wait a few minutes and I will post a description of the intro bars... as they sort of lead you into the feel of the whole arrangement. I can see that just by looking at it here. LOL.

Personally, I would arpeggiate the left hand during the chorus and verse and play just the melody with the right. You can try adding a few notes on the 1st and 3rd beats like the 3rd and 5th. But I like the clean melody notes of this song. In fact, for the sections between the verses, I would only play the root in the left hand or maybe root-5th or r-7th or r-8th, (all fairly low down) while playing all those melody notes in the right.

It's repetitious qualities do remind one of a clock; here is the first two bars. I'll send a few more after I eat some supper. And I will pm you some extra info you might really find helpful on this tune.

Bar 1 of verse
guitar chords
Dsus4 D DSus2

TEXT
Lying in my bed

treble clef
8th note arrpegio
G A D F# A D E A

bass
D whole note
------------------------

Bar 2 verse
GUITAR CHORDS
Dsus4 D Dsus2

TEXT
ed I hear the

Treble clef
8th note arrpegio
G A D F# A D E A

Bass Clef
D whole note

-----------------------
bars 3,4,5, 6, 7, 8 are all the same...
I do believe the verses were crafted to seem "clock like".

I just had a funny thought; this song was crafted in 1984 by Robert Hyman and Cyndi Lauper. Back then there were fewer digital alarm clocks around; today I would bet there are some kids out there that have never heard a ticking clock in their house.

It's amazing how much things have changed in such a short time. LOL. Interesting song.... now I will have to go revisit the song myself and the rest of Eva's book.

Bob, thanks for your comment, you brought up something that I've been thinking about a lot with the other song I'm working on, but hadn't thought about with this one: which hand to use for arpeggios and which to use for block chords. I am going to sing, so I don't want to have the melody in the piano part, or at least not most of the time. That kind of arrangement was the only one I could find (in books from a few different publishers) and it was the original motivation for me to make my own arrangement.

So for the beginning, I'm starting off very quietly, since I'm playing in what I think (hope!) is the original key, I start with DmC, LH plays C in octave and RH plays block chords, first Dm (F A D below middle C) and then on the half beat (what do you call that, the "and" before 3) move to C major, again below middle C. that's most of the first verse, no arpeggios in either hand. Next, when the lyrics sing "Flash back, warm nights..." I play arpeggios in the RH and again block chords in the LH. Then when the lyrics sing "Some times you picture me..." instead of just playing block chords, I add a little more rhythm in the RH so there's a little more action than the first time through, but still no arpeggios. For the chorus, much more action (comparatively speaking) with arpeggios in the RH and thirds in the LH.

Hmm, is this totally incomprehensible?! I wonder if I can get the score I'm making into a PDF or something, I'm using a software called Print Music. It might be easier just to record the piano part that I've written so far and post that.... though I'm not quite ready for that... Plus, my husband is the warden of my page, so I can't quickly post something there. Though I could email you guys (and anyone else here who wants to help) if you were interested in taking a minute to give me some more specific advice. I'm going to talk with my piano teacher, but I want to use my lesson time more for the other song (which is much harder) and also, she's really a classical teacher, so I'm not sure how much she'll be able to/want to work on this.

Anyway, if you could make heads or tails of my description, what do you think? If the piano part is block chords and arpeggios, is there any standard for putting the arpeggios in the RH or LH, or should I just do what sounds best?

Remember, I'll be singing, so that will take care of the melody. (although I haven't figured out what to do about the bridge yet.) But it also means that the piano part can't be too complex....

P.S. Wolfindmist, great comment about the ticking sound. BTW our living room (where the piano is) has 3 clocks in it, and they all tick tock fairly forcibly! Whenever it's time to record, the first thing I do is move all the clocks into the kitchen.

"I am going to sing"

Oh, well, throw my melody comment out the window then, except for the bridge of course. So you can just play arpeggios in the LH and 3rd/5th/6th or whatever in the right while you're singing.

Hmm, except I've written my arpeggios into the RH part. Is that strange? There's not really a rule, is there? As you said, the music is fairly low, more than half of it is probably below middle C, so I thought it would sound better with the arpeggios in the RH, thus closer to middle C.

Anyway, sorry to run this into the ground. You folks on the N. American continent are all probably in bed by now, whereas I am just about to go for a walk in the sunshine (it's almost 3pm here) And when I get home, it's back to the piano. I love holidays!

The reason I suggested the left hand is that if you arpeggiate the right hand while you're singing, you might need to be careful that the notes don't override your vocal melody notes. I'm thinking this would be easier by playing harmony in the right hand. But then, I'm still new at this myself.

ShiroKuro,

Have you read my post called "Chord Voicing Techniques (A Primer)"?

http://www.pianoworld.com/ubb/ubb/ultimatebb.php?/topic/32/1258.html

I think you'll find everythng you need to voice the chords for accompaniment.

Anyways, here is a suggestion:

Start by simply open voice block chords with the left hand playing root-octave between middle 'C' and one octave below. In the right hand play and hold the chords (at or above middle 'C'). Since you'll be singing, the block chords are fine to start with as the melody is covered by your voice.

Now you can start spicing things up with various patterns (both left hand and right), but remember to mix up the patterns so as to not get too boring.

For example, continue to play the right hand as a block chord, but with the left hand, play root then octave (or 7th as required by the chord) as eighth notes.

Alternatively, hold the left hand root-octave (or 7th), and arpeggiate the right hand. Why not do this in reverse (arpeggiate the left hand and hold the right hand as root-octave (or 7th)),....

During sections where the lead singer would normally have a backup singer repeat the melody, rather than you singing the part again, play the melody with the right hand, while holding a close voiced chord (or apreggiated chord) with the left.

Take a look at David Sprunger's piano course at:

http://www.playpianotoday.com/nfindex.html

He does a really good job of introducing open chord voicing patterns for accompaniment to vocal leads. His course is REALLY simplified so that people who don't read music will understand it which can make a pianist cringe, but this shouldn't discourage you as the fundamentals are there.

Rodney

Rodney, thanks for the link and comments. My understanding of these things is all coming together slowly, and I am getting starting to think that I might actually be on the right track.

You know, I think that thread of yours needs to be "preserved" as it were. There are FAQs for most of the other forums, but the AB forum doesn't have its own FAQ section. Maybe they could create one, and your chord voicing thread could be the first addition. Who do we ask about that, the moderator?

Eventually, I will have my accompaniment version worked up and entered into my music notation software program, and I'll post a recording, so you can all tell me if you think I've done a passable job or not.