Creating Rhythm With Right Hand Chords Under The Melody

Here is a transcription of the video if you would like to follow along:

Good morning. This is Duane. Today I’d like to talk about rhythmic undertones in your right hand. Rhythmic undertones with right hand chords under the melody. What do I mean by that?

We’re going to use chords in the right hand. You can use them in the left hand too, but I’m going to use chords under the melody. Listen.

(Duane is playing) And so on, okay?

What we’re going to do is focus on the chords. I’m playing the melody. The melody goes like this.

(Duane playing)

Under it, I’m putting the chords : like I’m using the C major 7th nine there.

I’m playing the note, and then on the offbeat :

(Duane playing)

Okay, really slow now.

(More music)

You can get into an improvisation after that. The point is to use chords in the right hand, so that frees your left hand for a little more rhythmic. In the left hand, I’m kind of playing a baseline, like a bass player would play.

(Duane is playing the piano.)

See that? Okay. So, you hold the melody down, and under that you use rhythmic chords. I guess I’d call them under-chords.

(Duane is playing)

To do that, you have to know your chords really well, of course. You’d have to know what chords are coming. Then you play the melody with your little finger for the most part, and then on the offbeat play those chords.
That’s it for today. Just another idea about rhythmic under-chords in your right hand.

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Thanks for being with me and we’ll see you tomorrow with another piano tip. Bye-bye for now.

Here is the video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvC39Z-Zf64