Transcription
Merry Christmas guys! Joe here from Creative Piano Academy, and I'm so excited about this video. It's probably the most ambitious I've ever put out for you guys, so stay tuned.
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So, it's that time of year again, guys. It's Christmas, perfect time to spend with friends, with family. Maybe you've got a bit of time off work. I really wanted to think of something special I could give you guys today, you know, something that you could use to spend time with friends, time with the kids, and, you know, quality time. It's awesome musical time. So, we're going to explore piano accompaniment. And as always, I'm gonna try and make sure that we explore some deeper concepts here.
I've chosen "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran. And if you haven't heard that song, then, you know, what have you been? I'm all the jockey. Go check that song out and get familiar with it. Now, this is one of my longer videos. I've crammed a lot into this video, and if you look down below in the information box, there are timestamps on every single section of the video. Now, as always with my videos, it's layered up in ability levels, so you can start off at the beginning fairly easily and then drop off wherever you feel comfortable. That's absolutely fine.
The first half of the video is all about learning the chords, learning the sections, so you can sit at that piano and simply play the song. That's enough for you to accompany somebody, and you could stop right there. But the second half of the video, the more interesting half, is all about exploring the deeper concepts of arrangement and accompaniment in general. And I'm going to give you the most important practical tip you can use to go from being amateur to being professional when it comes to your accompaniment. So, settle in, smash that subscribe button, you know, it's Christmas time, show some love, get yourself a coffee, and off we go.
Guys, I've got a confession. I'm just gonna hold my hands up and say it. I don't have a Christmas jumper. There we go, I said it. I'm sorry. I'm, you know what, can you do? But I have decorated the studio with a little bits and pieces of Christmassy things, just so it feels a little bit more Christmassy.
Now, "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran. I've been teaching this song to a bunch of my guitar students as well as piano students, and this is an absolutely perfect piece to just get your foot in the door with piano accompaniment. And, and, you know, it's really good to sing along to and play at the same time, or if you know somebody who you could accompany, you know, some another thing like a family member or a friend, perfect for that. I'm gonna show you a lot of techniques that you can use to really spice this up. So, this is the kind of thing we're after.
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Okay, so the first thing to do is go over exactly what these chords are for each of the sections of the piece. There's three sections in total. Section one is this bit here, okay? And it's pretty much the majority of the song. Lots of difference. All that this is the verse, and there's a pre-chorus for this bit. There's all sorts. So, it's even if you just learn this bit, you can have some fun with it. So, the first chord is just a normal D major chord. I test, except in the right hand, I'm gonna do the second inversion. Okay, so we've got D major chord, which is a D and F sharp and A. Now, the next chord is, it's got this like, it's a D major chord again, but in the left hand, we move to an F sharp, like this. And even though it's the same chord, it gives it a bit of a melodic difference, a little melodic interest, like this, look. If you take a listen.
Okay, technically, they're just two D major chords, but they sound so. So, this next chord is a D major in the right hand, first inversion. Okay. Now, bear in mind, you could just go, just normal C-major triad together, but I'm giving you a little bit different. I just think it sounds good this way. And another thing to point out, really quickly, is I'm not like strictly copying Ed Sheeran's part here. I am taking little bits and pieces that I think he's playing on the guitar that work on the piano, but I'm also just giving it my own little melodic spill on the piano as well. So, just bear that in mind if you're thinking, "Ah, he's not playing it exactly like Sheeran." Well, that's why. I'm just making it up, essentially.
So, this is our first D major. And now we're going to move to just a normal G and G major chord, sus of G of B and D. And then we're gonna finish off with an A major chord, like this. Okay. So, sometimes a plain A like this, sometimes you can play a note about a major like this as well. It depends how you feel, depends how it sounds, depends what melodic things you're going to be doing. And just, just to get used to it, try this first. So, we've got:
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That's probably the easiest way to play 'em. So, another thing to point out is the rhythm here. So, if I did give you a count, one, two, three, and four, one, two, four, and. So, notice how it's got a syncopation to it, two, crossing those main beats, two and four, okay? So, that's the first section.
Section two is this bit. A bit I'm calling section two is this bit, okay? And by the way, I am a useless singer. I cannot sing for my life, so I'm going to apologize in advance. You might hear me sing quite a bit in this video, or attempt to sing, but just bear that in mind. I am not a singer, okay?
So, this section, we've got A minor, okay? It's our first chord. What I recommend you do here is we play an E, B in the left, like this, and we just rock away and with the right hand. So, we've got one, two, three, four. And then we're going to move to an A major chord, like this. Now, technically, this is an A7 chord, but if you want to play an A7, then it's like, it's like a normal A major, part of the G, but if not, don't worry about it. You play normal A major chord, sounds just as good, just a bit more interest. And so, we've got an A major chord, and then we're moving to a D major chord. Okay? So, those chords again, we've got A minor, and I've got the second version of Moroni had a major chord, sauce, and an A sus, A lady, or an E and a massive shot. And then notice how here, from this position, I can bring my little finger into the D and left them up to the F sharp, and my first finger, you can stay on that A here, okay, which is just the D major chord already played. So, so timely, three, four, one, two, three, four. Alright, the next bit is easy. The bachelor, we're just gonna stay on the line up, two, three, four. Okay? So, that's A minor.
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Okay, so, so far, go one, two, three, four, one, two, three, four. Okay, next.
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So, it's exactly the same as the first little bit that we've done, you know, this back and except you said it roll up to the D of the top, we're just going to a B minor. Okay? So, we go for a B in the left, and instead of playing this chord here, we're gonna swap this A for the B. Case is very, very similar. B minor number again.
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Okay, and then to finish it off, not thoughtful. Okay, so yourself stab on that chord five times. Okay, so that whole section, we've got:
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[Applause]
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So, darn anybody to that bit. So, those are the two main sections. Whilst you're practicing this, by the way, if you're looking at why I'm playing and getting a little bit confused because I might have like little rhythms like that, just ignore all that for now till you get used to the chords. I am going to know the second half of this video is going to be exploring different ways we can create some melodic interest with this. But for now, just get used to those chords, okay?
And section three is this bit, which is actually my favorite. But just, I love these kind of things where they, they move down in thirds. Okay, we've got a B minor chord, starts a B, A D, and an F sharp. And then we've gone A major chord, okay? So, that's an A, A C sharp, D. So, we're just moving down in these triads like this. G, B, D. And then we're going to move to this familiar chord. Should we cry familiar? This by analysis D, first inversion. So, to D chord, starts on the F sharp. Now, this is an interesting chord coming up. I'm going to play a G major in the right, but an E in the left, which actually actually results in an E minor seven chord. And then it's a quick A major, like this. So, A in there in the left, and then an E and an A sharp in the right, like this. And then to the D here. Okay? And that's actually quite fast. So, after, sorry, that's a D in the left, and then that same first inversion position in the right. Okay? So, if you put that together:
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Okay, so those are our three sections. And I want to point out something. If you're at a stage in your piano playing where, and that's pretty much all you're comfortable learning right now, then that's absolutely no problem. Just, you know, stop the video, just learn those chord sequences, learn those sections, and you'll be able to sing and have somebody sing and play at the same time, instead of just doing that, okay?
And, but the rest of the video now, I want to explore ways we can take those sections, those chord progressions, make them a little bit more interesting, give you a few ideas to play around with. Okay? So, the first thing we need to establish and get familiar with is our key. Okay? The key of this piece is D major. So, when we come to applying our melodic little bits and pieces, we need to be using notes out of the D major scale. There are, of course, different ways you can approach this when you get a little bit more advanced, but for now, that D major scale is your go-to batch of notes, which will sound awesome.
So, let's quickly run over the D major scale so you can get used to it, and then we'll dive into making this, this chord sequence a little bit more interesting. So, D major in the right hand, get your thumb, your first finger onto the D, and the notes so we're interested in is a D, E, and F sharp here. So, we've got D, E, F sharp. Okay, with your third finger, then your thumb comes underneath to this to the G, and then we move up to the A, the second finger, B, with the third, C sharp, but fourth, D with the little finger at the fifth, and that's the D major scale. So, we've got F sharp and A. Two sharps to worry about, yeah? Okay. And then back down, third finger. Okay, staff. Really slowly with this, just get used to it. And one thing I want to point out is a little bit of scale stuff. Don't sort of twist the wrist over like this. You want to tuck your thumb. So, see this? My thumb tucks underneath. I'm not doing this, I'm not twisting, I'm just tucking. So, you can try and get used to those notes until it becomes a fight, until you become familiar with them, okay?
Now, you don't need to get absolutely 100% efficient at that D major scale. Just, you know, practice it a little bit, make sure that you, you, you've fairly comfortable with it, and you will still be able to do a lot of the stuff I'm about to show you. Left hand D major send-up. So, we've got a D with the fifth finger, fourth, third, second, first, D, F sharp, G, A, third over onto the B, C sharp, and F them onto the D. Okay? So, we've got this.
Okay, so again, and we're going over the top. I'm not gonna to turn like this, I'm just gonna nicely let that third finger fall. Okay? So, as I said, that's just a little bit of extra stuff. It's and that's a nice little tool you can use to get familiar with the notes you need to start adding some melodic interest. But now we're going to get into the interesting stuff.
So, I'm going to apply these to section one. So, if you're gonna get familiar with any section, I'll get familiar with section one, which is this one, okay? So, first things first, what I can do is I can add this top note. So, when I get used to these chords, I can play around with this top note here.
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So, we're simply going to play the top note of that chord on the two and the four, like this.
Okay, so that's already introducing a little bit of rhythmic kind of variety in there, a little bit of a rhythmic push. But let's explore what else we can do. So, we can start hinting at some melody here. We can keep this rhythm going, this tom-tom, but watch this.
Okay, so what I'm doing here is I'm bringing in this C sharp. It's like a little passing up, don't on this top note. My chord here is a D again. So, I want to go here. Okay, then that D again. And now here, I'm borrowing a little bit from Ed Sheeran's guitar part. Listen to this.
Okay, now what he does is like, okay, which I think sounds really nice. I'll show you a simpler way first, and I'll show you that more complicated way. So, from the beginning, we've got:
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Okay, so in the right hand, when I get to, when I get to the, I'm just gonna use my little finger and then my follow finger on the C sharp. So, we get this, and anology D at the top. And then, and now this is where things get a bit more interesting. I'm going to move back to this G position. I'm gonna play the D and the A together with the second finger, and there's a little thing on the fifth finger. Okay, then I'm gonna resolve to the B. So, my pedals down here, and I'm gonna go like this.
Okay, so I'm going:
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Okay, so:
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Okay, thought out of the game. Now, that's a slightly easier way of doing it. If you find it not difficult, then you could just simplify it a little bit long.
Okay, so you just go. So, that's just that enmity resolved to the B string, back to that D chord. Now, what about that more interesting, complicated version? Well, here. So, it's quite fast, and I'm gonna, it's very similar, but I'm going to start with the A and the D, and then B, then I'm adding this A in here, and then back to the G.
So, we're going plant that bar. This D is held down at the top all the way through.
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With the left hand:
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Okay, so now we've got some really nice melodic interests. Do not worry about playing octaves in the left. You can play with single notes as well. Now, one more thing you can play around with is when we get to the A at the end of that sequence, that's like the moment that we can start bringing in something to resolve as back to the beginning, if that makes any sense. Again, that's why we're expecting something. So, if we go from here, we can play relatively simple things now, but now, now is where we can just do something nice and twiddly, melodic, before coming back to the D.
So, another thing you can do with just on this look, and we've gone here, that's what we did, but we could do something like here. Am. So, yeah. Or we could go:
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Anything we want, as long as we use those nuts. So, you could do all sorts of stuff. So, really, you can start experimenting with this yourself. But one other solid kind of little melodic thing you can play is just got DC mini back the view about this one as well. It's not a big deal. I hear it's quite a big job to get from here back to the D for here, you know, it's not that difficult to get back to that D major chord, sauce.
Okay, so hopefully that's given you loads and loads of ideas. Now, for this last section, this is where we're gonna dive a little bit deeper into how accompaniment works. Okay? This is really important. This is what elevates yourself as an accompanist, an accompanist above a lot of other people. So, next time you listen to music, okay, listen to the arrangement that's happening. What you'll notice is in the good quality stuff, the music and the voice work together really, really well. So, what you'll find is the accompaniment, let's say, let's say for instance, you've just got channeling, it's a piano and vocals, or just guitar and vocals. Every time the vocalist is singing, the accompaniment is nice and relaxed. It's just, it's, you know, fairly laid-back. But then when there's little gaps in the vocals, there's little bits of the accompaniment which poke out. And this is what we can play around with. The digits off pork here and there. Now, this is, this adds that melodic interest because we always want to be giving the ears something to listen to. We never want to be boring in music, okay?
So, if you're just accompanying, and then there's a huge gap in the vocals, and you just play the same old stuff with nothing else, the listener will get bored really quickly. We are not very patient people. So, the principle here is whenever there's a gap in the vocals, fill it. Yeah, fill it with something interesting that will set you on the path from being an amateur towards being a professional.
Now, I said before that "Thinking Out Loud" is the perfect soft entry-level song into this, and that is because in that vocal part, there's huge long gaps that you can really bring out some lovely piano playing, or if you do get Irish, some lovely guitar playing as well. So, for instance, and again, I'm going to apologize for my voice, but you know, bear in mind I'm not a singer. We've got:
And so, we could go: "When your legs don't work like they used to before, manna can sweep you off of your friend." So, I'm not doing anything particularly special there, but what I am doing is, you know, I'm just doing what I've shown you. But, but you can see how it pokes out through the vocals. "When your legs don't work like they used to before, but I can sweep you off of your feet." I'm just adding something in there.
So, I want to give you something that you can use to play around with, and this is, now we're at a stage now where you can start experimenting and making this your own. But a really nice starting point is to just use these four notes: A, D, E, F sharp, and A, like this.
So, let's look at some solid examples that you can do here.
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Okay, so that's your first time around. And you second time around to make it a little more interesting. "And maybe my heart could still fall as hard at 23."
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Okay, and then of course, can start mixing and matching those two. So, "And darling, I will be loving 17." You know. So, there you go. Those are some examples for those sections. Now, that is a big long gap of no vocals, but equally, you could do this at the end intro as well. So, I'm, "When your legs don't work like they used to before." Just simple things like that, just bah.
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"Sweep you off of your feet."
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"You master remember a taste."
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"I still smile from your cheeks."
So, I really hope you get the idea. I mean, the chorus is well. "I'm so honey now."
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"Kiss me."
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Yeah, so you get the idea. So, I'll finish off this video by just playing through a few of those sections and adding a bit of that melodic interest for you. So, maybe you can pause the video, have a look at what I'm doing, and see if you can emulate that. But the main thing is, use that D major scale and just dive experimenting and playing around. My real hope for this video is that no matter where you are on your piano journey, I mean, I mean, okay, so if you're a complete beginner, you'll find this extremely difficult. So, that's does it perhaps not for the complete beginners. But if you've got a bit of experience about you, maybe you can just stop at a certain stage along this video. You know, even if it's just those basic chords. And over the Christmas period, over this holiday period, this family time, what my real hope is that you can just accompany yourself, you can accompany our friends or family, and just have some real good, you know, fun with this song because it is a good entry into this. And, you know, I've taught this to my students, they've had a lot of fun with it. And that's firstly, you know, it's a beautiful song, it's got a cracking melody. I really hope you have fun with it. So, and I'm not gonna sing this time.
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So, you've got the chords for all those sections. You've got some solid examples of how you can add that melodic interest. And also, remember when you are accompanying somebody, listen to those gaps. You know, always keep the listener intrigued, always keep the listener interested. And that's your time to shine as an accompanist as well. When there's gaps in the vocals, bring out that melody. Yeah. A huge, huge Merry Christmas from me. Have a fantastic New Year, and just have as much fun as you can with this over the Christmas holidays, okay?
Guys, thank you so much for watching. And, you know, I did structure this video so it starts out fairly simple and gets a bit more advanced as we go along the video, you know, layer upon layer upon layer. So, if you're getting towards the end of the video and you're like, "Why is he talking about, you're pulling your hair out and stuff?" Please don't worry about it. There's lots to digest and lots of concepts in this video. So, you know, it's gonna be here forever, so keep coming back to it, learning and growing. Head to creativepianoacademy.com for my latest resource on learning the piano. At the time of this video, it's the best adult piano practice plan. I hope you have a fantastic holiday season filled with family, friends, and music. Liked the video if you liked it, subscribe to the channel, and I will see you and will see you in the next video.
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