Piano Rolls – The Ultimate Piano Embellishment
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Music Style
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This week, I was answering questions from our PWJ members at our weekly “Ask Jonny” live event, and one of our students asked this:
“Jonny, what is your go-to fill when there are gaps in a song?”
And I had to take a moment to think about it.
I thought about all the fancy runs, and those crazy reharms.
And then I realized, wait a minute… those aren’t it.
And then it hit me like a ton of bricks…
Of course I know my favorite fill, because I use it all the time.
In fact, I use it so much that I would consider it a “signature Jonny May fill”.
It’s so powerful because it works across nearly all genres of piano, it’s easy to play, and it sounds really good.
And if I’m playing a song “on the spot”, and I just need something to fill, this is my go-to.
If you want to confidently add fills “on the spot”, you need to develop a signature fill that is reliable and tried-and-true.
And this fill has never let me down.
A great fill is like a loyal friend.
It completes your sentences.
It knows just how to respond.
It complements you in just the ways you need.
Today, I encourage you to identify your “loyal musical friends”.
These are select scales, chords, fills, and the like. I know mine. Do you know yours?
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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