Are you ready to take your piano playing to the next level? Or perhaps you’re simply curious about what’s possible on this incredibly versatile instrument? This article explores creative and advanced techniques that push the boundaries of traditional piano playing. Whether you’re looking to add flair to your performances or just experiment with new sounds, these techniques offer exciting possibilities! Read on and see how many you can master!
Tremolo and Rolls
Tremolos and rolls are both thrilling yet relatively simple ways to enhance your piano creativity. Tremolos involve the rapid alternation between notes. This technique can be used to create tension or add texture to your playing and can be notated in a few different ways depending on the composition. For instance, a tremolo between two notes might be indicated by slashes across the stems of the notes.
Meanwhile, rolls (sometimes called arpeggiated chords) are notated with a wavy vertical line and produce a harp-like effect by playing the notes of a chord in quick succession, either ascending or descending. Rolls are a great way to breathe fresh life into a static chord progression and can be applied creatively to both classical and contemporary pieces.
Grace Notes and Trills
If you want to add a bit of personality or flair to a simple melody, grace notes and trills are fantastic options. Grace notes are small, ornamental notes played quickly before the main note of a melody. They don’t contribute to the harmonic structure but can give the music a more expressive, fluid character. They are usually written as smaller notes in the score and are meant to be played almost as embellishments.
Trills involve the rapid alternation between a written note and a note either a half-step or whole step above it. This back-and-forth creates a shimmering, vibrating effect that adds liveliness and intensity to a melody. Depending on the music, trills can be notated either with a “tr” symbol above the note or with small auxiliary notes indicating the pitch to alternate with.
Interior Effects: Strums, Knocks, Plucking, and Echoes
If you have access to a physical piano, you can explore the instrument beyond the keys! The interior effects available on a piano open up a world of unique sounds and advanced piano techniques. For example, lifting the lid of the piano and strumming the strings creates a sound similar to that of a harp or guitar. This technique can add an ethereal, shimmering quality to your music.
Another intriguing effect is to mute the strings while you play the keys. By lightly touching the strings as they vibrate, you create a percussive, muffled sound that’s perfect for adding rhythmic texture or creating a haunting atmosphere.
You can also explore plucking the strings with your fingers or a guitar pick. This gives the piano a very different timbre, resembling a harp or guitar and providing an intimate, distinctive sound.
Many adventurous pianists also explore the rhythmic potential of the instrument by knocking, slapping, or tapping different parts of the piano, such as the body or lid, to produce drum-like effects. This can introduce a whole new percussive layer to your playing.
Harmonics
Harmonics on the piano produce a pure, bell-like tone. By lightly touching certain points on the strings while pressing the corresponding key, you can evoke these ethereal tones. Harmonics are softer and add a shimmering quality to your sound, giving an almost otherworldly effect, particularly in quieter, more atmospheric passages.
Glissando
A glissando is a dramatic slide across either the white or black keys (or both) in a sweeping motion. It’s a flashy technique often used to transition quickly across octaves and adds flair and excitement to your performance. Glissandos can be heard in everything from classical pieces to jazz improvisation.
Sympathetic Resonance
Sympathetic resonance refers to the subtle, lingering effect created when certain strings vibrate in response to other nearby strings being played. You can enhance this resonance by holding down keys silently (without striking them) and playing others, allowing the unstruck keys to ring sympathetically. Combined with the sustain pedal, this can create a beautifully resonant and fuller sound.
Prepared Piano
The prepared piano technique takes things even further. This approach involves physically altering the piano to produce otherworldly sounds. By inserting objects such as screws, bolts, pieces of fabric, or even cutlery between the strings, the piano can be transformed into a percussive, experimental instrument. Each item affects the way the strings vibrate, giving the prepared piano a distinctly odd, yet fascinating tone. This technique has been popularized by avant-garde composers such as John Cage, and it’s perfect for those looking to create something truly unconventional.
Pedal Techniques
The pedals on a piano offer far more than just sustaining notes or softening sound. For example, half-pedaling can create a more controlled, nuanced sustain that allows for subtle changes in resonance. The sostenuto pedal (often the middle pedal on grand pianos) can be used to sustain specific notes while others are played normally, giving you more control over which notes ring out and which don’t. This can open up creative possibilities in layering sound and managing dynamics.
Closing Notes
Feeling inspired to try out some of these advanced and extended piano techniques? Whether you’re experimenting with tremolos, tapping into interior effects, or venturing into the world of prepared piano, there are endless possibilities to explore! If you’re looking to refine your skills, our school offers lessons with some of Toronto’s best music teachers. Reach out to us today and take your piano playing to new heights!
