Classical Piano and left hand block chords?

[D2sX9ek8w3]

Hi,
I am starting a new project that primarily features solo piano and chord progressions based on song keys that are selected for lack of familiarity.

I feel self-conscious about the overuse of simple left-hand "blocks" of whole note triads, which form chord progressions played underneath the right-hand melodies.

The melodies I am writing are very much the focus of the songs. They seem interesting, at least to me, because the keys are unfamiliar and offer possibilities that differ from my routine.

The process seems too simplistic, so I feel guilty about that, yet when I add rhythmic movement by breaking the block chords up, it seems to undermine the expressiveness of the melody.

I just finished a project where the left-hand parts were quite active and intermingled with the rhythms and harmonies of each song, but that project featured less pronounced melodies and was focused on harmonic texture.

I don't have much formal training, and I wonder how the use of simple block chords played underneath ear-candy melodies will be regarded by listeners of serious music.

I am not fishing for "if it sounds good, it is good" reassurances. I am hoping someone might be able to point out if there is a history of solo piano, such as I am describing being accepted as serious music.

I know it's a stupid question, but I don't get out much and live in a tiny town with no one to bounce ideas off.

Thanks for sharing insights etc.

Thank you!

[jancivil]

I strongly recommend checking out what's been done. I have no sense of what music you gravitate to or anything.

But check out Debussy and Ravel for how piano is done. Clair de Lune, Arabesque. Pavane pour une Infante Defunte.
actually, here, I wanted to hear this after I mentioned it and found it with score, played by the composer. Pavane pour une Infante Defunte played by Maurice Ravel.
This reveals what you want, it's cantabile melody and the harmony is not in the way but it moves. This piece is pure magic.
https://youtu.be/7ASYm3K_PwM?si=ZnHWZyuTC4095FVF

one technique here is called Alberti bass, the lower strata of the harmony broken into arpeggi.

[D2sX9ek8w3]

Thanks for the reply. I enjoy Debussy and Ravel very much. The piece you linked to is beautiful.

Here is an example of one of my current favorite listens. The interpretation seems to transcend the perceived limitations of digital delivery. In my opinion it is uncommonly effective at conveying emotion.

https://youtu.be/jNqX_jWhUzY?si=nmEM-klHB7hvx4Hi

This is not a good match of what I described my goals are. It's just an example of what I am currently gravitating to.

Thank you!

[FranklyFlawless]

I don't have much formal training, and I wonder how the use of simple block chords played underneath ear-candy melodies will be regarded by listeners of serious music.

...

I know it's a stupid question, but I don't get out much and live in a tiny town with no one to bounce ideas off.

I have a very similar self-taught music background, but I rely on developing my own idea of music myself instead of relying on external validation.

Your issue is rooted on triads, so use inversions to broaden your voicing options. I am self-conscious about the timing of the left-hand, so if you always play on beat 1, consider varying it to be a quarter/eighth note ahead/behind. You can also use this strategy with chord tones to make them sound more alive, even though they are still simply triads.

If your melody is very rich, you may want to simplify your left-hand even further, even down to just the root note. Conversely, if your melody is simple, you may want to perform more complex harmonic content in the meantime.

[D2sX9ek8w3]

Listening to Pavane several times in the past few days has left me with the understanding that the dynamic control and use of harmony needed to present that piece at its best was done at a level far beyond what I am currently able to conjure, but it is a great example to aspire to.



I realize that I have heard it many times before without knowing its name, but having just "studied" it ( thank you for the link with the notation ), I have a whole new appreciation for what is going on in that composition.

Wow.

Thank you.

[jancivil]

One tip I would offer is, you don't have to do anything by a playbook. I was looking at piano music I composed a few years ago, which has always seemed quite strong, and the first statements are the melody with no support at all, ie., nothing in any left hand. The melody tells you what it is, rather than force the thing.

Even as I was first called "composer" in like 1981, I didn't write a piano solo before... I think it was 2012.
I was planning on getting my old musical partner in crime, a Pianist, to do the thing but he couldn't, so I had to do it. I set it up as two [MIDI] tracks, one for each hand, and a third track for pedaling. To force myself to think pianistically. This one is definitely a two-hand job.
https://youtu.be/73uS7rrAd_8?si=9Z3z0tjfNVKGOc2m&t=77 (possibly unavailable in some countries)
URL cued for the piano solo

[D2sX9ek8w3]

I just worked with the piece that instigated the original post.

I took most of the left-hand whole-note triads and split them into half-note durations and then used inversions to reinforce the movement of the melody line I had already played with the chord progression.

I also lowered the sound level of the second half-notes in each measure to deemphasize the rhythmic pulse, which I felt was distracting from the pace of the melody. The inversions added harmonic texture in a gentle but very pleasant way.

Thank you.

[LocrianLocrian]

Depends on the effect you are going for. I replied to another thread of yours and ended by saying trust your ear. I say it again here, but I do recognise you might want more meat on the bones.
I'll point you in a few directions for consideration that haven't already been mentioned above, which are all good suggestions by the way.
Schubert's Lieder is a great example of voice and piano writing, a still towering achievement. Simplicity and complexity, it's all in there. All in service of the meaning of the text.
Running in a different direction Steve Reich's approach might be of interest. Steve comes from a drumming background. He tends to shift more straight forward chords against one and other rhythmically over time which produces interesting effects. Desert Music off the top of my head is worth a listen.
Einaudi's piano stuff might be of interest and give you some confidence in how you are writing. It's not my thing, not enough tension in the chords and their movement, but his approach has resonated with many a listener. Philip Glass is another example of this, sitting somewhere between Einaudi and Reich.
As for examples of piano arrangement Bill Evans is a favourite of mine. Check out his playing on Miles Davis' "Kind Of Blue". Those opening chords. Ahhh.
If it sounds good to you and taps into a feeling or idea or whatever you are trying to express then run with it. Don't be worried about the occasional listener with their arms crossed shaking their heads. I recognise I have potentially done this this with Mr Einaudi, but I don't fault him for following his own path here. To borrow from Liberace (in a different context) I'm sure he's crying all the way to the bank.

[D2sX9ek8w3]

Hi,
Thanks for contributing your ideas and suggestions.
I'll give the examples a listen in the next few days.

I just wrapped up the first phase of my current project and have twelve solo piano songs written in twelve keys. I was anxious to avoid making the left-hand parts seem repetitive throughout the project. I managed variation with arpeggiated movement and inverted chord voicings.

In most cases, I found the variance of inversions very helpful.

I found working with arpeggios more challenging because they institute an unmistakable rhythmic pulse, and in many cases, I was not ready to commit to the rhythmic form before improvising and discovering possible melodies. In the best cases, I was able to work with the left-hand arpeggios after playing a melody with the right hand to make the relationship seem subtle and nuanced rather than formative or constructed. I hope to improve my ability to work in this manner.

The project taught me a lot. In phase two of this project, I will attempt to learn how to better understand the sonority of the lower register of the piano. After setting the arbitrary context of the key center prior to writing each song, I found several instances where the bass tones would sound more pleasing if the song were transposed either up or down the spectrum.

I am finding that despite the notes of the chord being appropriate, the lower left-hand voicings can seem occluded, while the higher left-hand voicings can produce an unnatural additive synthesis effect.

So, after taking a break to freshen the ears, I will work with a mindset of less is more to clear up the voicing by removing some of the constituents of the triads now that the song is more or less laid out and I am confident that the chord progression can be inferred or recognized without each chord being implicitly represented.

Thanks again for your suggestions.