A singer who wants to learn to accompany himself or herself on the piano, organ or other keyboard instrument, usually needs a simpler way of playing. The following method is simple enough for a soloist who is sight-reading, playing and singing.
With this method, chords are played with the left hand and single notes with the right. Here each song is transposed into the key of C. Only chords shown on the chord chart in this book are played. Each chord is always played the same way using the same fingering. With the chart, fingers of the left are numbered 1 to 5 starting with the little finger. Most chords are played with fingers 1, 4 and 5 of the left hand. Chord G7 is played with fingers 1, 4 and 5, after chords Em and F. The second finger is used to play G7 after Dm and Am chords. Chord G may also be played with fingers 1, 2, 4 and 5 if this comes easy. The second finger is also used to play B flat.
G7 chord is played as a bridge which links other chords. That is why chord G, which can be played with fingers 1,4, 5 or 1, 2, 4, is not used so much in this method. Always play G7 to the 1,2,4,5 pattern, even when you cut it to three notes.
Even after method of playing is practised and mastered, using alternative fingerings for chords may not help with sight reading over all, although it may seem to help with playing a particular song. That is because this method is for reading and playing, unrehearsed, any song from sheet music without looking at the keyboard.
Mark up the sheet music. Transposed chords, crossovers for fingering with the right hand, and other changes need to be marked with pencil on the sheet music before a song is played.
Learn the lyrics.
Practise the progression of chords in the song, using the patterns and fingering shown on the chart.
Practise playing with the right hand using this simple method. Learners play with the right hand, the root note of any chord being played with the left hand. Fingers of the right hand stay over keys D, E, F, G and A, just above middle C. The thumb plays notes C and D. Note D can be played instead of B for chord Bb. This position anchors the right hand ready to play other notes in accompaniment.
The fingers of the right hand are positioned with the thumb on note D beside middle C. The right hand stays in this position for all chords. The thumb also plays note C. The other fingers play as follows: finger 2 plays note E, 3 plays F, 4 plays G and 5 plays A. The little finger is not used to play note B as note D is played instead. Each finger has only one note to play and only plays that one note.
Practise playing the notes this way with the right hand.
Try to sing and play a familiar song with only a few chords in it.
Keyboard musicians accompanying another singer can play more notes with the right hand. The right hand with this method plays all chords using pattern four; fingers 1, 2, 3, 4, with the thumb being 1. The right plays with open fingering. The fingers are always over the same chord that is being played by the left hand. Any notes the right plays will match the chord being played with the left.
As a singer sings the words and melody, an accompanist can play any harmony that fits the right chords. An accompanist does not have to play what is written on the bass clef of the sheet music.
Copyright © Wallace William Baker; all rights reserved.