| Recently, I had a student ask me to offer some | | | | in different ways. New Age piano usually relies on a |
| techniques for using the right hand. Usually, it's the | | | | softer sound although there is a "minimalist" style that |
| left hand that causes the most difficulty but I had to | | | | uses hard sounding chords in the right hand ala |
| think about it because up till then, I really did not | | | | George Winston. |
| have any "techniques" for the right hand. | | | | You see, the problem is that you have to know the |
| I thought about it and tried to think about what I do | | | | numerical relationship between the root note and the |
| as far as improvising with the right hand goes. | | | | rest of the notes that make up the chord to "know |
| Basically there are really only a few things you can | | | | what you're doing" on the keyboard. |
| do. You can: | | | | A book I highly recommend, although it may not be |
| 1. Play single note runs - this is where you just play | | | | on the market anymore is Alan Swain's Four-way |
| one note at a time | | | | Keyboard system. It's not an easy instruction book, |
| 2. Play arpeggios - broken chords up and down the | | | | but it is one of the best for how chords are |
| keyboard | | | | constructed - thus allowing you to know when you |
| 3. Play chords - using 3rds or sixths or any | | | | are playing 3rds or 4ths and so on. Not necessary for |
| combination of the chord-scale relationship | | | | making music, but nice to know anyway. |
| Different genres of music use the above techniques | | | | |