Categories of Piano Music - learn all to be a Master of Piano

Categories of Piano Music

If you are studying the piano, you'll find that there are many different categories of piano music out there today. Generally it is a great idea to learn as many categories as you can if you want to master the piano music, and teach yourself all of them is a great idea. When you are knowledgeably about various categories of music for the piano, you are able to play in a variety of categories yourself and it also helps you learn to improvise. Let's take a look at some of the most popular categories out there that you'll want to study and learn to play.

Many modern piano categories are based on the blues. The blues involve an emphasis on the major and minor pentatonic scales, with an additional note included. The flatted fifth is added to the minor pentatonic to create the blues scale. Many blues songs are based on a simple chord progression, known as 12-bar blues. This uses the I, IV and V chords of a scale to create a foundation for melodies and solos.

Here some categories of piano music you should to learn :

Classical Piano

The oldest category of piano is the classical category and it is very varied as well. This category of piano has been around for hundreds of years and for many, it is the proper category of music to learn when playing the music. Various other categories of piano music actually come from the classical category as well. Classical music usually requires intense training to master, though there many pieces designed with the novice player in mind.

Jazz Piano

Another great category of piano music that is well worth studying and learning is jazz piano. It includes a variety of different categories within it and it difficult to describe. Many piano categories incorporate ideas borrowed from jazz, such as improvisation. An emphasis on extended chord forms also stems from jazz piano.

Gospel Piano

Gospel piano is often similar to the blues, jazz and R&B. It emphasizes certain extended chords, such as the 11th, and usually has the swinging feel associated with jazz and R&B. There are some extended chords which gospel piano tends to emphasize, but it has that lilting or swinging feel that you often see in both R&B as well as in jazz. While gospel songs may appear to be quite simple, the musicality of them is usually quite complex. You'll notice that syncopation is often used and provides a very spiritual category overtone to the gospel piano music.

Rock Piano

Another category of piano music is rock piano. This category of piano actually came right out of blues piano music, although later it would begin to get a new category of it's own. Some great pianists, such as Billy Joel, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elton John would go on to make rock piano the popular and beautiful category that it is today.

Cocktail piano is a category generally connected with Liberace, Eddy Duchin, Roger Williams, and others who play popular tunes with lots of great technique — lots of notes, runs, flourishes, and so on. But I hate to catagorize and of these great pianists, as many of them play in other categories as well.

Boogie-woogie is a piano category based on the blues. It started as a solo piano category, but has expanded into other genres, such as county-western and gospel. It differs from the blues in that it is considered dance music, while blues music traditionally expresses sadness and frustration

Rhythm and blues piano is based on blues, jazz, and gospel categories. As the name suggests, the emphasis is on the rhythm of the song. Most R&B has a particular swing to it, with a strong feel of syncopation in the rhythm. Syncopation involves placing the stress on a normally unstressed beat. This often results in an almost off-time feel to the untrained ear.

Ragtime piano also incorporates syncopation. Ragtime uses syncopation in its melodies by placing melodic notes between the stressed beats of the rhythm. Ragtime is often considered the first completely American genre, even predating jazz.

Country and western piano has similar roots as blues piano. Both categories stem from earlier folk categories, often developed by the less fortunate people of the era. Many early country songs stem from Appalachian folk songs. Country and western piano is highlighted by very bright playing, with simple chord progressions underneath the melody.

Traditional sacred piano categories involve the playing of liturgical songs and hymns. These can range from the harmonically and rhythmically complex to simple two and three chord songs. Many hymns stem from folk songs of centuries past. The variety of sacred piano categories is as numerous as the liturgical songs themselves. These piano categories often involve a strict reading of notation, with less of an emphasis on personal interpretation than other categories.

New age piano often involves less chord changes than other categories, instead relying on simple two-chord progressions and polychords. A polychord occurs when two different chords are played at once. This technique is taken from earlier classical works by composers such as Stravinsky.

Today, there are more of different categories of piano music that are out there today. You'll find that there are many other categories to listen to, learn, and play. Some of them include new age piano, ragtime piano, rhythm and blues piano, boogie woogie piano, and even cocktail piano.