How to play piano in a band

Whether it be a garage band, cover band, “dad” band, praise band, jazz band*, or (if you’re in the upper midwest), polka band, most communities have small ensembles who frequently seek keyboard players. And most pianists who have a few years of lessons in their fingers will find themselves approached at least once to play in one of these groups.

“It’s easy,” we’re told.

“The last keyboard player was self-taught,” we hear.

And so we show up at the first rehearsal and are handed music that consists of little more than lyrics, chords, and (if we’re lucky) a melody line. If we dare ask what we’re supposed to play, the answer is likely be, “whatever you want!”

For classically trained pianists, this sort of scenario can feel like being thrust out of an airplane without a parachute—or at least it did for me when, as a teenager, I was recruited to play in a church praise band. I only stuck with it because my arch piano rival—an “ear” player—was the favored praise band pianist and I was feeling competitive. I’m grateful I did (albeit for less than admirable reasons) because once I learned how to play this way I discovered how much fun these groups can be.

Classically trained pianists can become excellent combo players. The fact that we can count, read music, and have technique to burn means that the group is never hindered by our lack of musical skills. All we have to do is learn how to use our training in a new way. If you are a classical pianist who wants to play in a band but is unsure of how to start, here are some things that might make the transition a little easier.

Know your key signatures and chords

Chords form the basis of almost everything a keyboardist plays in a combo. This is why we must know them very well, and we need to know which of these chords belong in which keys. Draw from your knowledge of key signatures and scales. Remember that chords built on the 1st, 4th, and 5th notes of the scale are “primary” chords and that chords built on the other scale degrees are “secondary.” Most band music consists of a whole lot of primary chords with just a few secondary thrown in for color.

Major chords will most likely be marked like this: C (includes the notes C-E-G)

Minor chords look like this: Cm (C-Eb-G)

Dominant 7th chords (almost always built in the 5th note of the scale) look like this: C7 (C-E-G-Bb)

Thankfully, most bands don’t choose to play in all 24 keys. The ones you’re most likely to encounter include C, G, D, F, A, E, Bb, and Eb. The most common minor keys are Am, Em, Cm, Dm, and Gm. When you know the chords in these keys you’ll have a great number of the band’s songs in your hands before you walk into your first rehearsal.

If you feel your knowledge of chords is shaky, The First 50 Chords You Should Play on the Piano by Alistair Watson (published by Hal Leonard) might be helpful. An in-depth review of this book can be found on Pianodao.

Familiarize yourself with the keyboard

Oh that we would all be given real pianos for combo gigs! Sadly, due to pianos being difficult to lug around to performances, band pianists are likely to find themselves confronted with an electronic keyboard. If you’ve never encountered such an instrument, be aware that a cheaper subset of them have fewer than 88 keys, which understandably throws off our sense of where middle C is. If you have a choice, insist on a full keyboard. And whatever the instrument, spend time learning how to work with the touch and the flimsy little pedal that accompanies most keyboards.

Discern whether or not the keyboard has weighted keys (as in, you can make it louder or softer by touch). If not, practice playing with less weight. Spend time experimenting with all the buttons and voices the keyboard offers. Familiarity will allow you to offer a wider range of sounds when you play with the band.

Lastly, if the band asks keyboard players to stand while they play, practice standing up. You wouldn’t think it would make that much of a difference, but personal experience has taught me otherwise.

Listen

Does the group have recordings available? Is it possible to attend a gig or two? Getting the band’s sound and repertoire in your ear before you walk into a rehearsal greatly improves your chances of sounding competent when you begin to play with the group.

Listening becomes even more important when you start rehearsals with the band. As pianists we’re used to listening to ourselves. Playing in a band requires us to listen to everyone and to learn how to play things that will add to the ensemble, not just something that sounds good on the keyboard.

Identify the job of all the instruments

Drums provide rhythm and color. Bass provides pulse and harmonic grounding. Guitars and pianos create the orchestral glue that keeps the group together. Soloists (singers, single line instruments) get the melody. There are moments, of course, when one or another instrument is given a chance to solo, but most of the time everything works better if everyone stays within their musical jobs.

Play notes around the other instruments, not on top of their lines. Let the bass carry the low notes. Stay off the melody unless soloing. And find a balance with the guitars—they’re playing chords just like you are and if everyone’s playing too much, the sound gets muddy and unmusical.

Less is more

Because the piano can be an orchestra, keyboardists have the ability to cover a bass line, provide harmonic color, and solo at the same time. This is rarely appreciated by the other musicians because if we try to do all of this, we stomp all over everyone else. That’s why we’ve got to remind ourselves that even though we have the technique and instrumental range to do it all, it’s best to sit back, play less, and stay out of others’ way. There are moments and spaces, of course, where we have a chance to strut our stuff; we just have to make sure that when we do, we choose places that add color without detracting from someone else’s playing.

Ultimately, being a good band pianist comes down to two things: practice (of course), and choosing to be a team player. Soloists (not keyboardists) usually get the spotlight. What keyboardists lack in recognition, however, we gain in camaraderie—that special bond that forms between musicians when the music soars. In addition, our listening and improvising abilities improve. We learn to respond to others’ musical lines. And, best of all, we get to sit in the middle of the music, contribute our part, and revel in the magic that happens when many people make music together.

*For more information on how to be a jazz band pianist, read one of my old articles, Keeping the Beat: how to teach classical piano student to play with a jazz band.

Photo by Becca Tapert, courtesy of UpSplash