I’m pretty accomplished on the piano, reading music, but could never ‘fill in’ when improvising so thank you so much for the time taken to show us this pattern. I’ve subscribed.
Thank you for sharing these concepts. Going to a chord early is called pushing the chord. In using numbers to describe the single note order, it seems like using chord tone numbers rather the the order from right to left(?) would make better from a technical aspect.
Can’t wait to try this. I’m teaching self again to play from view only as an acoonpaniast i’ll take all the formulas. I really feel like im learning from scratch, thank god i know the basics of piano since playing as a kid. Starting with remastering chords out of sight out of mind and inversions
Elton will be my final kind of i learned alot phase. However this gives me an idea how i will be able to think about learning really cool ways to accompany
This quick tip was pure gold! The fingering is simple and versatile. It's the kind of idea that can spawn tons of new ideas just by experimenting with the pattern.
I can play bennie n the jets Your song n someonesaved My life tonight....only went 2 Piano school 1 yr learned the rest from u tube n now learning jazz from u guys. Thx...playing 8 1/2 yrs
I'm certain you've checked billions and billions and billions and billions and billions and billions and billions and billions and billions and billions and billions and billions and billions and billions
Wow, can't wait to try this. Yesterday for the first time one of the songs I have been practising came naturally. It was the most wonderful feeling and helped me to realise that practising is worth it. The song was I was only joking by Rod Stewart. Today i"m gonna be practising this very valuable lesson. Jonny I can only say a billion thank you's.You take me to God my brother.
Great lesson! Jonny you’ve really been on a roll lately. You’ve put together so many great, practical, and useful lessons. I’ve studied with many piano teachers and also joined some online sites, but you are among the best of teachers and your site is top notch. There’s so much information covering many piano styles presented in an easy to understand manner. For someone interested in pop, jazz, or blues piano I don’t think there’s any reason to look any further. Your site has it all. I really appreciate your hard work, encouragement, and sincerity.
I agree! I am an advanced beginner in piano and wanted to learn how to do solos and improvise. I have joined 2 other online piano lessons and Jonny, I am learning so much from you! you are the best! I intend to keep up my subscriptions with you yearly
It think Elton John, like all good pianists, puts a lot of variety in his playing, so you may hear a bar with this pattern (or a similar arpeggio pattern), then the next bar will hang on the chord maybe. Lots of chords start as a sus2 and move to the 3rd. And LOTS of inversions / slash chords, especially with the 3rd on the bass. That's my two cents for Elton John's style. This pattern is a great starting point. From there you can add the variety.
Exactly. Applying this rule is a stepping stone: if you don't move on, all your songs will sound like "Your Song" by EJ, (his most naive hit) except more formulaic still.
Elton learned a lot from Brian Wilson's chord inversions and the way the bass didn't follow the chords in a conventional way. As a guitarist I loved teaching myself the piano because just for example playing the Am chord but with the C bass note it totally changes it ..
Elton would never play an Am with the C in the bass, as a pianist that’s just C6. Whereas an F major with the 5th in the bass is still an F and would be a very Brian Wilson way of doing it
If i may,...there is another "Elton John Pattern", that is used in F, consisting of: -righ hand doing F-(Fsus4-F). -left hand: 3 fingers F C F8-(F D F8-F C F8)
Thanks Johnny...The left hand anticipation of the chord is critical to improving the rhythmic feel/flow of the right hand pattern, and by using the fifth of the chord outlined in the left hand, there is also strong movement/resolution to the anticipated chords root.
Hi great video! Can you please do a cover on St. Thomas? Its a very simple tune but its so hard for it to sound interesting on solo piano and improvise,since the changes are so simple
I hope I’m not repeating a question, but how do the numbers correspondence to the notes. For example C E G = Root ( or 1) 3rd and 5th. I don’t understand why C is now 2 , G is 3 , E is 4, ect. How do you come about these numbers for each tone? Thanx.
This is great ! By the way, I call those "closed triads". For instance C-E-G-C. To differentiate them from the 3-note kind. If there's an official term for them, I've never heard it. I would practice them in their inversions for every key. Was helpful for Chopin. But, jeez, never thought it would have an application in pop music - so cool :-)
That is a great accompaniment technique. How would you change the left hand pattern if you were playing with a bass player? Or would you just have the bass player play the root and fifth in unison with the left hand.
If you could do a lot more of these piano "grooves" I would be a very active subscriber! Piano is not my first instrument, so I am always looking for resources to expand my playing outside of learning specific songs. It makes all of my other arrangements better to just have these patterns under the fingers
Very cool but I must say it's confusing you counting from right to left 1,2,3 ,4. It's taking mw longer to learn it because I'm flipping the chord in my head.
Nobody on earth can play like Elton (but that doesn’t stop millions of us from trying). Not only does he play better than anyone, but he can write some of the most classic songs. The entire package.
Para cuando ofrecerás todo tu material en español? Sería fabuloso. Yo con tus vídeos de youtube ralentizo la velocidad y me voy apañando pero se me quedan un montón de cosas en el tintero. Gracias en cualquier caso. Haces que parezca fácil lo que para mi es difícil.
Hey Johnny Just joined PWJ and SO EXCITED!!!! Was trying to locate this lesson and its related download in the membership area but can't locate it. Any advice?
Rhona Campton Welcome Rhona! You find find Quick Tups under the Library, or by searching in the search bar on the top left. Here is a direct link to it: pianowithjonny.com/piano-lessons/elton-johniffy-any-pop-accompaniment/
Excuse me, Maestro, but i'm stupid...When You plays the exercises and count °One, Two, Three"... what is numbers referred to? they-re not the degrees of the chords...they-re not the classic number referred to fingers (pinky 5 etc...)...What they are? I don-t get it...
Hello Johnny, I would like to try monthly course at $39.95 on your website for one month but I wanted to know if I enter my card details will the amount be debited automatically every month? Please reply. Thanks. PS You look like Nick Vujicic
What would you say that the time measure is for this pattern? Is this for a 3/4 beat or a 4/4? I'm trying to think of some actual songs that this pattern would work for. Any examples? Thanks!
Thanks Jonny. At first I thought this pattern would be hard but it fell under my fingers on the second session. It's even better with the anticipated lead-in bass note on some bars which you demonstrate so effortlessly.
i'm new on the piano, can anyone help please. When i play the two harmonic chords, because my fingers aren't wide enough to stay in place my thumb leaves the keyboard altogether is this ok? It's actually about 2 inches away. Anyone got any thoughts? I'm worried that i might be developing a bad habit and i can see it affecting my speed later/maybe - or is it a case where we have to stretch our fingers and keep them on the keys ready at all times?
About the numbers: Jonny explains there are 4 voices. He is talking about *4 part harmony in a choir* where there are 4 separate parts. The highest women's voice is the *Soprano which he is calling #1.* The lower women's voice is the *Alto which he is calling #2.* The men's voices are lower in pitch than the women's, *Tenor is #3.* The lowest is *Bass #4.* The numbers have nothing to do with fingers or scale degrees.
Thanks. You don’t really explain how on chord C you start on the G (5th note of the scale) but then on G you start on a G, the Am you start on an A, and then the F you start on an A. It is a bit confusing to understand the theory behind this with your numbered voicings. Sorry, I normally love your tutorials Johnny.
I know he is using inversions for some of the chords, which is why the F starts on an A. But the top-down voicing of the chords doesn’t come from standard music theory so he lost me there. I suspect this is really meant for people who are trying to comp from fake books or chord charts.
Thank you, but I play piano, different genres etc and you said start off on voice 3, but yet you start off on g for the second chord? I think you rushed that part to be honest it didn't make much sense to me I'm sorry!
The numbering simply refers to the top through bottom notes. Regardless of the chord, the top note is 1, the next note down is 2, then 3, and the bottom note is 4.
Piano With Jonny Thank you very much for replying. Is this standard way to "spell" a pattern in jazz or standard as to how harmonic voices are described? Just wondering where I can find more info on this pedagogy if you will. I love your videos. I’mthisclose to becoming a member. Thanks bunches.
Danielle Celeste This is a common way of describing arpeggiate patterns on a chord. Thinking of it this way allows you to apply the pattern to other chords. It might be helpful for you to think of it like a choir. The top voice, soprano is called voice 1. Alto, the next voice is called voice 2, and so on.
Hi Jonny, I'm subscribed to your channel and have watched many of your videos. I am learning. A comment though, please try to speak slower. You are rushing, almost catching your breath sometimes :-)
