Thursday, September 25, 2014

Can The Song "black Widow" Be Played On Piano?

By Luke Davis


The latest sensational song today is the abrasive "Black Widow" by Rita Ora and Iggy Azalea. Along with the dark words; the energetic tune and gloomy chords give the song edge and grit. It seems like there could be no way to make the song beautiful. It also seems like it would be impossible to play this rap song on piano. Its like putting the left foot in the right shoe.

Playing this song on piano would seem like an impossible undertaking. It doesn't seem like it would be a great fit. As rap is the kind of music that cannot really be played as a piano instrumental, playing Iggy Azalea's part can pose a real problem. Also, on piano the piece could be too edgy. Nevertheless, if other rap songs can be turned into piano covers, then it is achievable.

The part when Iggy Azalea raps can be circumvented if the synth background riff is improvised over. And the gloomy harmonies actually sound really good in the lower keys of the piano. Rita Ora's part is simple to transfer to a piano instrumental, and because there is so many gaps between her phrases you can even play the background riff in between the melody line.

There are truly lots of different things you could try for the accompaniment. What could work well is to follow up the gritty bass note with a lighter mid scale configuration. In other words: jump bass. In order to obtain a soft yet mysterious sound you can arpeggiate the chords. Following the bass drum rhythm for the arrangement and playing block chords could create a thicker texture.

Blending various styles for different energy levels can be good for the melody line. Playing only solitary notes for the intro could work. Then for the verse you can add a harmony note with the right hand to be able to pick up the energy a notch. Lastly for the chorus you could play in octaves or full chords to produce a huge effect.

In conclusion, although it seems strange for several rap songs like Black Widow to be played on piano, they may still sound great.




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