| Every style of piano playing has its share of tricks and | | | | how it's played. Another good example of this |
| techniques. New Age piano is no different. The New | | | | technique is used in George Winston's piece |
| Age piano style has 3 main techniques that are used | | | | "Thanksgiving." Here he uses a few chords in the left |
| over and over. These are the ostinato technique, the | | | | hand broken up into arpeggios and creates a nice |
| crossover technique or arpeggio, and the broken chord | | | | harmonic "loop" with them. Then the right hand |
| technique.The Ostinato technique - A Repeating | | | | improvises a melody and the piece is created. Very |
| PatternYou've probably heard this technique numerous | | | | easy and quite nice as well.The author's lesson piece |
| times and may or may not have knows what it was. | | | | "Morning Mist" uses a few chords along with the |
| Ostinato simply means repeating pattern or obstinate | | | | crossover technique as well. First you learn how to |
| pattern and that's exactly what it is. For example, in | | | | play the left-hand crossover, then you slowly add in a |
| New Age pianist George Winston's piece "Rain," we | | | | melody of your own. Creative? Yes! And easy as |
| have a left-hand pattern that uses over an octave of | | | | well!The Broken Chord Technique - Both Hands In |
| the keyboard to create a beautiful aural background | | | | PlayHere we have a technique that sounds a lot more |
| over which a melody is improvised.This technique is a | | | | complicated than it really is. Both hands are used to |
| very quick and easy way to create New Age piano | | | | create music with. The hands are placed on a chord |
| pieces. The ostinato is played over and over while the | | | | and that chord is broken up.For instance, the lesson |
| right hand is able to "mix it up" and create change with | | | | "Reflections in Water" uses broken chord technique |
| the melody line. Of course, you can change the | | | | along with open position chords to create a very nice |
| ostinato pattern as well as Winston does. With just a | | | | "New Age" sound! Beginners who listen to this piece |
| few small note changes, freshness is maintained and | | | | won't have a clue as to how it's accomplished but |
| the piece moves listener attention forward. The | | | | once you learn how to play the open position chord, |
| author's one lesson piece "Rainforest" does the same | | | | insight will follow and you'll begin to see just how easy |
| thing. Two chords are used in the left hand while the | | | | creating in the New Age style can be!Edward Weiss is |
| right improvises a melody.The Crossover Technique - | | | | a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence |
| Arpeggios Up and DownThis technique is used | | | | Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping |
| everywhere in New Age piano and elsewhere. Usually | | | | students learn how to play piano in the New Age style |
| spanning an octave or more, the pianist uses the left | | | | for over 14 years and works with students in private, in |
| hand (mostly) to create a cascading pattern of notes | | | | groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at for |
| that can ascend or descend or both depending on | | | | a FREE piano lesson! |