Charlie Puth: Star Spangled Banner Chords Broken Down
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I thought I would do something a little different this week by breaking down a piano performance that you may have seen.
A few weeks ago, many of you likely watched the Super Bowl.
The National Anthem was sung by none other than Charlie Puth.
If you aren’t familiar with Charlie, he is an exceptionally talented pianist and songwriter — definitely worth checking out.
In this video, I take you on a deep dive through his Star Spangled Banner piano accompaniment.
Because Charlie does some really cool stuff!
In a few magical moments, he re-harmonizes the tune in a surprising unique and fresh way.
l break down these special moments, showing you his exact techniques so that you can use his techniques in your own playing.
What is so interesting about Charlie’s performance is how he blends the old and the new.
Some moments, he stays true to the traditional chords.
And at other moments, he takes us to musical “outer space”, hitting some of those really tasty, unexpected harmonies.
In doing so, Charlie demonstrates one of the most important principles of great piano playing:
If you want to connect with the audience, it’s essential to blend the familiar with the new.
If you rely only on the old chords, listeners may not find the performance uninspiring.
But if you completely re-harmonize everything, listeners may feel it’s out of touch.
Charlie’s performance is an excellent example of how to respectfully and tastefully find that balance.
This week, I encourage you to blend the old and the new. That’s where the magic is.
Writer
Jonny May
Jonathan May is a pianist from Southern California who specializes in many styles of piano. At age eighteen, Jonny became the youngest pianist to perform at Disneyland. Each week he entertained thousands of guests with his arrangements of American classics and Disney songs. Jonny has also performed with the Youtube...
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