Music is a universal language. It is an art that gives every single person, regardless of their racial, economical, educative or religious background the opportunity to express themselves and make their ideas available for the world to listen and enjoy.
Being such a broad field, there are an infinity of musical styles. Classical, jazz, rock, latin (salsa, bachata, reggaeton), pop and electronic are just some of the most famous and popular styles known to humanity. This diversity is precisely what makes music so beautiful, and in this article we are going to discuss precisely how to educate ourselves and face our piano lessons to be able to explore, understand and enjoy performing and listening to all kinds of piano styles/genres.
Overview of Piano Styles
Piano was invented a long time ago, in the 18th century! This new instrument revolutionized keyboard music. Piano brought to the table the possibility of producing all kinds of sounds, high and low pitched, intense and soft, etc.
During the Classical era, many renowned composers like Mozart and Beethoven harnessed its growing expressive capabilities, and the instrument’s design continued to evolve. IFor new figures such as Chopin and Liszt to squeeze its capacities to a maximum.
As time went by, and modern styles started to emerge and gain popularity, piano was also incorporated into them. Piano became the key of jazz harmony and allowed for musicians to have a base platform for improvisation.
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Piano’s versatility can be elongated by looking at the ways it has been used in even popular and urban genres. From Elton John’s crazy performances to the simple but iconic patterns used by Kanye West in his beats (Runaway is a great example of piano being used as the main element in the introduction section of the instrumental track using no more than 5 notes). Among it’s many sound and technical qualities it is its adaptability that makes it such a timeless and essential instrument in all musical styles and eras.
Benefits of Exploring Different Piano Styles
As performers, we are always looking to improve and be more versatile and polyvalent in the way we play, assuring that our listeners (and ourselves) can enjoy as much as possible. One way to enrich our toolset and acquire new skills that we can put in practice for any performance is to listen and learn the specifics of different musical styles.
A very common mistake of beginner classical pianists is to underestimate the power of other genres and how much resources acquired from playing styles like jazz, rock or latin can help a musician grow because of their liking of the different genres. You have to keep in mind that the more you learn -regardless of your initial interest for that area of music- about all kinds of styles is going to impact positively by enriching your performance and allowing you to have many different interpretative perspectives, which will help you make your performance much more charming and magical.
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“As a professional musician, the more versatile you are, the more jobs will be within your skillset. As a composer, there are musical ideas that you can draw from any genre of music as well.” — |
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Success Stories: Pianists Who Mastered Multiple Styles in New York
New York, what a better place than this in the world to learn about diversity in music. Finding piano lessons in New York and getting hands on to the job has been the only thing that some have needed to go from being ordinary people to international stars that will be forever remembered throughout history.
The amount of musical diversity that can be found in New York, because of its multiculturalism and diversity is incredible. From classical, to asian folklore going through jazz, rock and techno. Below are two of the most amazing pianists that mastered their skills and became legends of the instrument in this city that doesn’t sleep:
- Billy Joel. His nickname speaks for itself, “The Piano Man”. His incredible ability to merge his advanced classical piano skills into his sensible pop and rock music allowed him to create something wonderful.
Even though he was a singer, his main hits “Piano Man”, “Uptown Girl” or “Just The Way You Are” are so impressive because of the way he showcases certain classical music resources and playing attributes in them.
This ability to combine genres and styles with such freedom and wonderfulness earned him a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
- Chick Corea. This man was the definition of versatility. Dominated the instrument as much as humans possibly could. From classical to fusion jazz and all the combinations of the genres in between that could be thought of, this man could perform like the best.
He nurtured his artistry in the city that doesn’t sleep and later succeeded there as well. He performed multiple times in some of the most important venues in the United States such as the Carnegie Hall, where he showcased his endless skills and abilities on the instrument.
Final thoughts
Taking piano lessons in New York and opening the mind to the expansion of your musical horizons can allow you to embrace the city’s rich, multicultural musical culture, helping you discover and master a wide variety of styles. Learning about the different piano styles allows you to make the most out of the infinity of possibilities that a piano provides. So now you know, beginner or an experienced pianist already, New York City is a unique place in the world to nurture yourself and become a master in the art of piano music.
