Do you know what style of music you want to play on the piano? When you practice a musical instrument, and especially when you start it is important to find the types of pieces that suit you and above all, the musical styles that you want to deepen. Whether you are hesitant or want to explore new horizons, with or without a piano teacher , here is a presentation of the 5 most popular musical genres so that they no longer hold any secrets for you. So, classical, jazz, musical, pop rock, liturgical? Find out which style is right for you!
The classical piano
In the past, classical pieces were performed for royalty and the upper classes in Europe. Three composers were the spearheads of this musical style: Bach, Mozart and Beethoven.
Then, later, classical music evolved with pianists like Haydn, Chopin, Wagner, Debussy and Tchaikovsky during the Renaissance, Baroque and Romantic periods. The classical piano can put off because it is often seen as a must for students who go through the conservatory for example.
However, it is a very rich musical genre, which makes it possible to acquire an irreproachable technique and a great knowledge of musical theories . Without this knowledge of classical pieces, it can sometimes be difficult to understand other musical genres, which derive, in their construction, from classical. The classical style is necessary to forge a good musical culture, but also to acquire a certain level fairly quickly. Moreover, by playing the classical, you will quickly notice that the image given to it is often far from reality, and that it adapts to beginners as well as confirmed pianists by its diversity.
Jazz
1918 marks the great beginnings of American jazz. Pianists like Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton or even Fats Waller participated in the construction of the jazz scene around New York, Chicago and New Orleans. At that time, jazz symbolized rebellion, and derived from classical rhythms, harmonies and technique by integrating notions of swing, improvisation, boogie-woogie or even bee-bop to create captivating melodies and rhythms and much less predictable than the classic. Jazz also made history by allowing black Americans, Asians, Latinos and Europeans to collaborate together to create songs in America. To practice Jazz, it is better to already have some knowledge of the piano becauseits rhythms are sometimes more complex than in classical piano.
The musical, a diversified register
The piano plays an important role in musicals. Pianists who specialize in this musical genre must show great adaptability since each evening, the piece will be played a little differently from the previous time. They can play in bands and orchestral ensembles or accompany artists’ solos on stage. To find inspiration you can listen to some of the great former Broadway pianists, the talented ones: Rodgers & Hammerstein, Rodgers & Hart or even Gershwin.
Pop-rock, unleash your musical creativity
It was in the 1950s that the piano began to be integrated into pop and rock songs. Then, in the 1970s, the rise of the keyboard made it possible to play more electronic sounds. Being a pop-rock pianist these days isn’t easy, but that’s where you’re likely to find the most opportunities and where you’ll have the opportunity to get paid the most if you can break into it. Indeed, you can play in a band, record albums and participate in tours or play in weddings. This musical style leaves you free to explore new sounds and to be inventive: the standards are less fixed in pop since it is still a fairly recent genre.
Liturgy
Liturgical music originally comes from religious ceremonies . Each religion has its own way of performing liturgies, and this music plays an important role in its culture. If the liturgy crossed the times and the generations, contemporary composers are always at work to create new pieces for the services.
The final word
If after reading you still don’t know which genre is right for you, maybe it’s because you don’t like to choose and in a way why? You can play anything! So jazz, classical, pop, the most important thing is that you have fun playing the pieces on the piano!
