Pop Ballad Piano for Beginners

This is the definitive guide to playing pop ballad piano for beginners, by the world-renowned author and educator Mark Harrison. This book is also ideal for singer-songwriters needing to accompany themselves in a ballad style! You'll get started right away, learning some essential pop ballad comping patterns to use on your next gig or “open mic” night. The material is organized and explained in the clearest possible way, and all of the twenty-three music examples are very authentic and fun to play. All fingerings for the music examples are also provided.

Once you have purchased this book, you can then email us to receive a FREE download of mp3 recordings and pdf versions for all of the music examples in the book. Most of the recordings include play-along tracks with a rhythm section, so you can have fun jamming along with the band!

Here is an overview of the sections contained in this book:

Section One – The Basic Pop Ballad Comping Pattern

Section Two – Using Triad Inversions in the Right Hand

Section Three – Comping on a Pop Ballad Progression

Section Four – Adding Root-5th Arpeggios in the Left Hand

Section Five – Adding Open Triad Arpeggios in the Left Hand

Section Six – Adding Closed Triad Arpeggios in the Right Hand

Section Seven – Playing the Melody with Right Hand Single Notes

Section Eight – Playing the Melody with Right Hand Octaves

Section Nine – Playing the Melody with Right Hand Triads

Section Ten – Playing the Melody with Right Hand Sixth Intervals

Mark Harrison is one of the highest-rated contemporary music educators and authors in the world today. His instruction books are endorsed by Keyboard Magazine, Jazz Times, and Performing Musician Magazine, and are used at numerous music colleges and universities. Mark's books have helped many thousands of musicians in over twenty countries worldwide.