The document describes several styles of piano playing including stride piano, New Orleans, boogie woogie, Fats Domino style, Nashville sound, Lennon & McCartney's songwriting style, and Roy Bittan's rock piano style. Stride piano uses alternating bass notes and chords played between hands, New Orleans uses a broken triad bass with rolled chords, and boogie woogie relies on a persistent left hand bass ostinato. Fats Domino style combines a New Orleans bass with even triplet chords. Roy Bittan redefined the piano's role in rock with melodic treble phrases and classical-influenced arpeggios.

1. Piano Styles

2. Stride PianoA technique used by early solo jazz piano playersThe left hand alternates between root bass notes on 1 & 3 and mid-octave chords on 2 & 4This provides harmonic foundation for right hand solo/melody lineshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdHZ-RkF4L0

3. New OrleansA style initiated by Professor Longhair & Huey Piano Smith & popularised by Dr John & Jools HollandA left hand bass broken triad with an early 3 rhythmic accent provides the foundation.Right hand plays rolling chord patterns which smear a flat 3rd and trill 3rd/5ths or 5th/7ths http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0Zj5x281Johttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gmmokq6cWmEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05x5HxkJskA

4. Boogie WoogieA style reliant on a persistent left hand bass ostinatoA triplet style shuffle bass rhythm: 1st 5ths ‘boogie’ with 1st 6ths ‘woogie’Alternatively ‘walk’ 1st 3rd 5th 6th 7th 6th 5th 3rd bass notes on the beat and play right hand chord stabs in on the half beatshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfHCMIuEZOwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAckUu0nJQEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHmmid1pLi8

5. Fats Domino StylePlay the standard syncopated bass triad New Orleans left hand.Play even triplet chords with the right hand. (123 123 123 123)This laid back rhythm is the heart of many of RnB classics:I Hear You Knockin Blueberry Hillhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQQCPrwKzdohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbdOEE5LvIw

6. ‘Nashville’ soundFloyd Kramer introduced a country piano style.His instrumental hit ‘On the Rebound’ showcases the styleIt tends to play softer whole tone smear notes and passing 6ths notes rather than flat blue notes of New Orleans styleListen to the piano on ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ or the intro to ‘Handbags & Gladrags’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM2OJZn5Kkwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCEIehhb2E4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npFRQWiisro

7. Lennon & McCartneyAs songwriters L & Mc recognised the potential of composing on piano.Their simple skills: octave root bass/triad chords influenced other writer/performers: The metronomic ¼ note chord rhythms of ‘Penny Lane’ ‘Instant Karma’The right hand: fingers/thumb+ /1+2+3+4+/ rhythms of ‘Hey Jude’ ‘Imagine’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE2-D02WBzAhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Hd85mM6ptE

8. Roy BittanPiano player on Bruce Springsteen & Meatloaf albums in the 1970’s Bittan re-defined the role of piano as a lead instrument in rock music.Defined melodic treble right hand phrases and classical style chord arpeggios/octaves dominate his playing.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4wlGguXcb0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FocIlccCBsYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ksDUUkaoqY