Chords for How To Come up with a Piano Part for a Folk Song

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I'm Mike Hartigan.
Thanks for joining me. _
[C] In this series for keyboard players working on developing a musical career,
[F] we're talking about playing chord changes in the various styles of music
and sounding appropriate and authentic.
_ This week, our focus [F] is on contemporary folk and folk pop.
_ [C] _ _ _ So far throughout this series, we've spent a [G] lot of time discussing notes
to add to our chord voicings to color the sound and make it more interesting.
[F] _ _ For folk music, we're doing almost the opposite.
One [C] of the hallmarks of today's folk is the simplicity and purity of the chords.
To determine if you're in a folk situation, look for a strip [G]-town band.
_ Oftentimes, there's no drummer, and the band keeps time by [F] stomping their feet.
_ Bonus points if the lead singer strums a guitar and plays [C] quarter notes
on a bass drum with his right foot.
_ Also, listen for unusual vowel pronunciation. _ _ _
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_ _ If you find yourself in a folk situation,
[F] you're probably better off altogether without this keyboard.
[C] If you can't, get your hands on one of these, _ _ _ or at least one of these. _
_ _ _ _ [G] If you are going to play piano, there are two basic paths you could go [F] down.
_ Option one is to go for [C] the purest root position chords.
Pick a good rhythm and stick to it. _ _ _ _ _
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Option two is to construct [C] an ostinato melody
that will sort of work over all the chords and play that.
_ _ Twos, ones, fives, and sevens tend to work well for this.
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Maybe do one of those techniques during [G] verses, _ and the other during choruses. _ _
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_ _ Although it's theoretically simple, it can be a lot of fun to [G] play.
If you have any thoughts on how keyboards can fit into folk music, leave me a [F] comment.
And if you're here for the first time, I'd encourage you to subscribe
and [C] follow along with keyboard videos I have coming out every Tuesday.
I believe a good career playing keyboards is within reach
for anyone willing to put in the work to get [G] proficient.
And that's why I'm sharing what I know in these videos.
[F] Thanks for watching. _ _ _
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