| Piano arranging is the process by which you take | | | | music is an extremely valuable skill, one that even |
| a written piece of music and rework it with | | | | some of the most famous musicians don't |
| chords, adding new bass accompaniment, fills, or | | | | possess. And while you don't necessarily need to |
| even slightly altering the song's structure. And | | | | know the skill backwards and forwards to create |
| while it's a process that takes years to truly | | | | great arrangements, it's a tremendous help. |
| master, anyone with a basic education in piano | | | | Think about it this way. Some of the most |
| and a working knowledge of a few key | | | | revered modern artists create paintings that look |
| techniques can create an inventive, satisfying | | | | very simple, very rudimentary. But the majority |
| arrangement. It all boils down to one thing: chord | | | | of those artists went to art school for years |
| recognition. And anyone who plays a little piano | | | | before they began creating that sort of work. |
| can learn piano chords to add excitement to their | | | | They learned the fundamentals of drawing and |
| piano playing. | | | | painting, of color composition and light; they |
| Most people learn to play the piano by playing just | | | | learned to draw or paint something exactly as it |
| the written music. Playing by written music is | | | | actually looks. Only after they mastered those |
| exactly what the phrase says it is; playing the | | | | skills did they move on to create the simple, yet |
| exact notation on a piece of sheet music. But | | | | often innovative, work that hangs in galleries and |
| playing by chord symbol is a little different. | | | | museums; work that still abides by several basic |
| Instead of following the harmony note by note, | | | | principles. They learned the craft before bringing |
| you follow the chord symbols (i.e. C7 or F) written | | | | their imagination into it; after all, you have to |
| above the harmonies, filling in the gaps with | | | | understand the rules in order to break them. |
| whatever you want as long as it sticks to those | | | | So after you have learned the basics of reading |
| chords. Of course, you'll still read the melody (it is, | | | | piano sheet music, consider learning chords and |
| after all, often what makes the song recognizable) | | | | chord symbols (such as G7, Fm, etc.) and chord |
| but even that is completely open to interpretation. | | | | progressions. There are many places online where |
| Playing by chord symbol allows you a freedom | | | | you can learn all about chords; just type in "piano |
| that playing by written music simply doesn't. The | | | | chords" or "chord piano" into your search |
| freedom to create. The freedom to invent. The | | | | browser, and you will find several to choose from. |
| freedom to arrange chord patterns in the way | | | | When you can both read the written sheet music |
| you want. | | | | and then add chords and chord progressions to |
| Does that mean playing by written music is less | | | | your piano playing, you have the very best of all |
| important than playing by chord symbol? | | | | musical worlds. |
| Absolutely not! The ability to play by written | | | | |