Cocktail piano || Learning A Song In Cocktail Piano Style

Cocktail piano is a really popular style that I get a lot of requests for. So in this tutorial we're going to take the bare bones of a the verse section of a song - melody and chords - and look at the ways we can adapt it to this particular piano style.
My book on cocktail piano: www.billspianopages.com/cocktail
We'll look at the basics of chord extension, basic chord substitution, arpeggiated runs, chordal and melodic improvisation and a few other useful tips.
This kind of lounge piano style is, as you might know, pretty closely related to jazz, and uses a lot of jazz piano techniques when it comes to messing around with chords and using different scales like pentatonic and blues for melodic improvisation. In actual fact, working on the cocktail style can be a very good way into jazz, as it uses many of the same techniques but within the context of a much freer and easier tempo: you don't have the pressure of a solid metronome beat.
+++LINKS+++
Jazz for beginners playlist: goo.gl/NQoxci
Piano for complete beginners playlist: goo.gl/5UqKP2
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[@BillHilton]

I have two GREAT OFFERS running right now: the first is a deal on my PDF/video Piano Packs - get all six for £16.95! More info here: www.billspianopages.com/pianopacks - then there's the bundle deal on the digital editions of my three current books, available here: www.billspianopages.com/bundle

[@andrewtamasy1152]

This style is perfect for me. I love playing piano and can’t wait to learn more!

[@tronlady1]

Bill. You are easy to listen to unlike LOTS of other youtubers who talk too fast. Some are blessed with having brilliant piano skills and some are blessed with being great teachers. You have both 😍

[@BillHilton]

Thank you very much indeed - I do my best! :)

[@christineharmony2375]

I am SO grateful to you for making these videos !

[@estherrooney5264]

Thank you so much for replying Bill! I have been doing exactly that, just plodding along and I am getting somewhere. I've realised that the e c f and b you are playing are i think inversions and in fact probably helping me become a little more practised at inversions. Knowing that I can slow the video down a little is great and I think I may just be flying now😊 Thank you Bill loads

[@kingofmaglos3]

More more more! Love your work so much! You've really helped me learn the piano and come to love the instrument and all its possibilities! Keep up the great work

[@timothyvanpelt_cyclist]

Packed again with useful tips and techniques. I paused after every few minutes to write a down a few things, mostly what to practice :) Just starting out with Cocktail Piano, but it indeed seems like a very good style to get to know your scales and "pretty" chords very well, and improvise. Thanks!

[@DanielAzulay2009]

Beautiful lesson!,,,, Thank you for being so clear and helpful to your students!

[@jacksonmanning5477]

I've been searching through videos for about 3 weeks and finally found this one, which is exactly what I'm looking for. You're awesome!

[@BillHilton]

Thanks Jackson - I’m glad it helped!

[@malcolmharris5277]

Thanks, Bill - you're doing great things to help people and spread the word.

[@BillHilton]

Thanks Malcolm!

[@spencersworldofmusic9686]

Thank you sir. For sharing your knowledge. Im a keyboardist. Now i shift as pianist. Im so inspired. To know this technic and style. Thank you sir

[@BillHilton]

You're welcome!

[@arnoldvallar]

Sat at my keyboard today and started playing a song by ear. It was just jingle bells, but when i subconsciously started applying techniques from your video particularly with various left hand techniques and right hand harmonizations, it started to actually sound jazz worthy. Like you always say, sound flashy, but easy to do. I must have watched this video a hundred times, and i know it works.

[@BillHilton]

Thanks Michael - glad it helped!

[@spencersworldofmusic9686]

Very impormative. Great technic. Very impressive style. Knowing the shape of a scale. And explore on it. You will hear the colors of the melody. Extension. Of the chords. Wow. I will apply this in my gig

[@mattross9980]

Fantastic! Played piano for years but always wanted to explore this style. You’re lifesaver.

[@BillHilton]

No problem Matthew - glad to have helped!

[@philipraposo8324]

More cocktail piano videos please :) Just bought your book by the way.

[@justsam635]

bill thank you for spending your time for teaching us!you have made a lot of difference in my piano playing in a good way!cheers

[@BillHilton]

It's a pleasure Sam - keep practising! :)

[@opustravels3659]

Brilliant stuff!

[@furo66]

Awesome video, thanks so much!

[@joannesharpe6137]

Brilliant tutorial Bill, I followed your start with the basic chord progression, then started putting chords into the right hand and suddenly everything was under my fingers! A few arpeggio'd chords, a couple of experimental 9ths and I was away. That was about an hour and a half. I'm now going to start working on some repeats that get progressively more jazzy and see what happens, Love it! Thank you.

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

Bill, you really have a cool way of teaching. I'm thinking of your book cuz you know what you are talking about.

[@AlexaLoCruz]

You make it look so easy 😌

[@MattDunton]

Thank you very helpful Bill! Brought you r book. Many thanks for demystifying this.

[@BillHilton]

No problem, Matt - glad to be of help, and thanks for buying the book. Shout if you have any questions!

[@anj10730]

I love ur lessons

[@jakeharvey3582]

This is great! Very thorough, clear, and enjoyable! Your playing is awesome as well, glad I've subscribed. :)

[@BillHilton]

Thanks Jake - glad you liked it!

[@lylewyant3356]

Looks like fun but I'm still noodling around in C and looking at a couple other keys. An aside, I have pretty well worked out Desperado-Eagles. I can check that off my bucket list.

[@roccoliuzzi8394]

Great video. I liked what you said about thicker and thinner voicing, right and left hand, and where to focus on the keyboard. You are speaking in a way I can understand. That's often not the case when someone tries to explain what they are doing.

[@BillHilton]

Thanks Rocco - glad to have been of help. Give me a shout if you have any questions :)

[@kuganthambipillai7280]

Brilliant teacher

[@Jonathan-bu7iv]

just bought your book! Thanks for the great videos.

[@BillHilton]

Thanks for buying it! Give me a shout if you have any questions about the contents!

[@floridaman6982]

You give not just information, you give inspiration!

[@BillHilton]

Thanks very much for saying so!

[@BethanyLowe8773]

Love this!! Have been searching on 'beautiful jazz harmonies' and particularly 'jazz arpeggios' for a while (to no avail for the latter) and here it all is!! On my way to the website to buy the book!!

[@BillHilton]

Thanks Bethany - shout if you have any questions about it!

[@stefomate]

Thank you so much. Absolutely amazing tutorial

[@BillHilton]

Thanks Stefán - you're welcome!

[@anthonydear4708]

Very clearly and simply explained. Thanks!

[@BillHilton]

No problem, Anthony - glad you liked it!

[@vtechk]

Thank you so very much for your videos!

[@BillHilton]

No problem - glad you like them!

[@socks1012]

Thanks a lot Bill. I appreciate the videos you make. Helps me to learn a lot. I too would like to play better and become a good player like yourself. You’re friend, Socks

[@johnw1368]

Brilliant, thank you!

[@BillHilton]

You're very welcome!

[@HongChai420]

Awesome tutorial Bill, thank you :)

[@BillHilton]

Thanks Owen!

[@jeffjohnson7381]

Would love to have some beginner Blues and Boogie Woogie styles as Dr.John gospel blues 👍

[@tonygould9323]

Really good ideas. Thanks

[@BillHilton]

Thanks Tony!

[@Alexlinnk]

Wow, I am starting to recognize song, I knew Blue Moon from a Julies London album.

[@kostasvlachos4262]

Thanks a lot

[@patgaff2536]

Beautiful

[@BillHilton]

Thanks Pat!

[@darekwroblewski1090]

I just got back home and I didn't plan to play or learn anything today but you sir are fucking fascinating, I'm going to play my piano now, good job.

[@BillHilton]

Thanks Darek - good to hear I got you going! ;)

[@panchogirl]

Just ordered one of your chord books...very talented and great instructor.

[@BillHilton]

Thank you very much, Sandra - let me know how you get on!

[@panchogirl]

Thanks...still waiting on delivery!

[@ahmedelhariri3471]

i can't tell u how much i learnt from you

[@BillHilton]

Thanks Ahmed! I'm always glad to hear when my stuff has made a difference!

[@tronlady1]

Why can’t you tell him? ............😂

[@arthurrollins9234]

Very nice

[@Jack-fs2im]

cocktail is great cos you go at ones own speed and think and learn,

[@BillHilton]

Absolutely - it’s one of the great things about the whole style!

[@anneden1171]

bought your book, very good, thanks!

[@BillHilton]

Thanks very much indeed, Ann! I hope you like it, and give me a shout if you have any questions about anything in it!

[@anneden1171]

@@BillHilton Happily spending my lockdown time relearning the piano.

[@gustavenk]

Great video - I love these cocktail piano songs, great sound from such simple ideas. I just need to practice my chords more :-) I'm always inspired by your videos. Have you ever thought of doing videos of you simply playing pieces? Even when you're teaching stuff that I'm nowhere near able to do yet, I love just listening to you play.

[@BillHilton]

Thanks Paul! Yup, get working on those chords - you'll find that having them kind of instinctively under your fingers makes a big difference to what you can do. You're not the first to mention performance videos, actually, and I might start doing a few soon. One thing I'm definitely doing is producing more original material for people to learn and play for themselves: two of the planned December tutorials are based around a song I've written: we're going to go through the songwriting process and look at the piano skills involved, and there'll be a score to download. I'm planning more of that in 2018, possibly with another collection of original pieces coming out. In short, watch this space!

[@lshwadchuck5643]

@@BillHilton "Yup, get working on those chords - you'll find that having them kind of instinctively under your fingers makes a big difference to what you can do" is the understatement of the year! I tried your lessons (prematurely) years ago and I've got quite a bit of foundation now, I love your teaching and some day I'll be ready. I see no point in trying to copy exactly what you play in one video. I guess a lot of the people commenting here are already accomplished and you're giving them the elements of a style.

[@BillHilton]

@@lshwadchuck5643 you’re precisely on the right track with not trying to copy exactly what I do. Mine my stuff for ideas, but make it your own - I always feel I’ve really succeeded when people use my stuff and wind up sounding different from me.

[@lshwadchuck5643]

@@BillHilton Thanks! I'm doing Phil Best's fluency training and I'm out here 'outside the box' shopping for my future, but quite happy to keep on keeping on till the things you teach are within my grasp.

[@JeroenvanKleef]

Great video, nice topics and good speed. In walz, the stride is kindof there already when you think of the most stereotype walzes, bass on 1 and chord on 2 and 3 ;)

[@BillHilton]

Excellent point from Mr van Kleef, as usual. (Btw we're moving - will be sending you the new address: hope you and M both well!)

[@pgtips4240]

Hi Bill you are obviously an AMAZING player and this is a top notch tutorial. This is the type of piano I have lived to try and play only I am on the search for the more jazz sounding chords. Every tutorial I watch does not teach this elusive jazz sound. Is this a trade secret? 😁

[@BillHilton]

Thanks very much, KZbin user who is named after my favourite brand of tea (my wife prefers Yorkshire tea, which personally I find too bitter, but that's by the by). ANYWAY, have you had a look at my playlist of tutorials for jazz piano beginners? There's quite a bit in those on jazz harmonies. Have a look, and if you have any questions, give me a shout: kzbin.info/aero/PLpOuhygfD7QmN-lQYtSAULCvdomKraZ1S

[@travellingbear]

Hi Bill I love your stuff, but don't like Eb, why don't you use an easier key like C? Is there some underlying benefit for Eb?

[@estherrooney5264]

Ps. Hello again Bill, Would it be helpful if I were to purchase the cocktail book you mention in this video, or do you think it would be too advanced. Thank you and sorry to trouble you again

[@BillHilton]

Hi Esther: sorry to take a while to reply - it's been a bit of a mad week! That's quite a tricky one to answer: if you drop me an email at billhiltonmedia at gmail dot com I'll happily send you a sample so you can decide for yourself. Just let me know, and I'll try to get back to you a bit faster next time!

[@estherrooney5264]

Hello Bill, I can't keep up with where the fingers are going. I know that sounds dumb,but i'm not a piano player and am learning. I've learned loads from you and love just sitting messing with chord progressions,but I feel frustrated when I can't keep up with what you're doing. I do have your 'how to really p!ay the piano' which I love. Is there any book I can buy to go with these cocktail videos,which I won't find daunting? Thank you and Thank you for your channel which is fabulous.☺

[@BillHilton]

Hi Esther: sorry for the delay in getting back to you! There are a couple of strategies you can use here. The first is plain old boring "keep plugging away", because the chances are that if you do, you will make some progress - it might just take a while! The second, especially if you're having trouble following exactly what's happening on the keyboard, is to take advantage of KZbin's slow replay feature - down in the bottom right of the video screen (on desktop, it's probably slightly different on mobile/tablet) is the little cog icon which, among other things, lets you change the playback speed - so you can, if you like, watch what I'm doing at half speed. Maybe that will help? In terms of other books, none that I know of - this really is a genre that starts with a certain level of complexity! You might possibly find some beginners' jazz tutorials handy (there are loads on YT, both from me and other people). Let me know how you get on!

[@armin0815]

Great tutorial as always, thanks! Did you change the mic setup, though? Never noticed the mechanical noise your keyboard makes as much.

[@BillHilton]

Thanks Armin! I didn't, but we're in the process of moving from this house, and my office is gradually getting emptied of things like bookcases that affect its acoustic properties. I've been experimenting with muffling (hanging coats from the walls, sticking duvets in the corner - hi tech stuff like that...) but haven't quite nailed it yet: hence the increased prominence of the key noise, I'm afraid...!

[@armin0815]

Bill Hilton All the best for your move, then. Pack your keyboard and vlogging equipment safely, but not too far down!

[@LukeSalvatoreDalli1988]

Hi Bill great video, very informative, quick question for you, are you able to do a tutorial on a Frank Sinatra song, One for my baby? I'm struggling to workout what to play! Any info would be appreciated? Kind regards Luke!

[@BillHilton]

Hi Luke! Thanks for the request! Unfortunately I tend to avoid tutorials on specific songs because I'm verrrrry careful about copyright, especially since UK law on "fair use" tends to be tighter than elsewhere. Can I offer you a cop-out answer? Keep trying to work it out for yourself, using the major pentatonic scale as a starting point (it's quite a pentatonic melody). The chords aren't that difficult, apart from the distinctive key change in the A section: the various online chord sites might be of use to you there. I'd use C major as a starting key.

[@ashtonclyde1507]

Hi Bill, thanks for all the great videos, and for your book ("How to Really Play the Piano"), which I recently purchased and am learning a lot from. A question about this tutorial: When playing the stride pattern in the left hand, is it musically acceptable to shift your right hand up one octave? I find it much easier that way, especially given I only have a 61-key digital keyboard, and I don't constantly have to worry about my two hands clashing or overlapping. (Like all 61-key pianos, my keyboard only goes as far down as C two octaves below middle C, which limits what I can do a bit.)

[@BillHilton]

Hi Ashton: basically, yes, that's absolutely fine - although, as ever, the standard advice is "use your ears", as whether what you're producing sounds good or not should be the basic guide to whether it's musically acceptable. The thing to listen out for with stride is balance: if you start going higher in the right you'll get good "cut through", but the middle frequences might sound a bit empty - basically you want to avoid sounding like a piccolo being accompanied by a tuba, if you see what I mean. Thanks very much for buying "How To Really..." and I'm glad you like it!

[@ashtonclyde1507]

@@BillHilton Hi Bill, thank you for the helpful response. Have a good weekend!

[@BillHilton]

@@ashtonclyde1507 No problem - you too!

[@mimosooo]

Can you make a tutorial on how to create your own unique progressions like the one in this song?

[@BillHilton]

I did something kind of along those lines back in 2016. It's not specifically cocktail/jazz themed, but see what you think - if it doesn't answer the questions you need answering, come back to me and I'll have a think about making another one :) Here's the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/opeZaaxjqreLfbM

[@michaelburke508]

Bil, It's easier to make the Cm as Eb G C. likewise the Fm FG#C, and the Bb as FBbD. Is this Ok ? The transition seems smoother and is easier for me.

[@BillHilton]

Sure thing, Michael - that's a good, smooth set of inversions there. The only minor quibble I'd have is that it's best to think of G# as Ab in the context of an Fm chord, but it's a fairly minor (geddit?) thing.

[@christineweatherford5852]

Anymore books on the horizon? How about a cocktail #2???

[@BillHilton]

Hi Christine! There's a new book coming out April(ish) next year (if I ever get it finished) and hopefully some more cocktail resources soon after that.

[@romain5920]

Thanks a lot! That's very inspiring. Can we find all these explanations in your book?

[@BillHilton]

You’ll certainly find all the fundamental principles I’m talking about in the book, Romain, although there isn’t a blow-by-blow walkthrough of this particular tutorial (not least because it was produced a couple of years after the book came out). Let me know if you have any more questions about it. By the way, the cocktail book is part of a bundle deal I have running at the moment - three books for £18.95: www.billspianopages.com/bundle

[@romain5920]

@@BillHilton Ok, thank you very much, Bill, for your detailed answer.

[@taylor-jamesgreen1805]

What is the song called that you played in the intro?

[@BillHilton]

It's just a brief improvisation on a I-vi-iv-V chord progression. That progression is incredibly common - it's the basis of songs like Heart and Soul, Blue Moon and Let's Call The Whole Thing Off. It's sometimes called the Fifties Progression because it crops up in so much doo-wop and general pop music of that decade.

[@taylor-jamesgreen1805]

Bill Hilton thanks for the background information it's helped me a lot, it's nice to see you reply to me and go the extra mile. I'd also like to request more cocktail themed music as it has helped me out over the past few weeks. I am 16 years old I have obtained a job in a bar as a cocktail pianist, it's good experience for me as well earning me some pocket money. I'd appreciate it if you could do some more videos jazzy cocktail chord progressions but if not that's fine. Anyway thanks for all your help with my practice and keep doing what your doing ;-)

[@BSnedeker]

What kind of keyboard are you playing there. It's hard to find a weighted electronic keyboard that doesn't make a lot of noise.

[@BillHilton]

It's a Nord Piano 2. Key noise is *the* bane of any keyboard/digital piano. Of the big manufacturers, Roland has probably cracked it best.

[@DarshanSenTheComposer]

Good!😊👍

[@hongkongtennis]

Hi bill. This is great but I am a bit confused. I thought the fifties progression was 1-m6-4-5, but here you've got 1-m6--m2-5. Can you please clarify. Thanks

[@BillHilton]

Thanks Bruce! What you're running up against there is the fact that m2 and 4, although different chords, have the same function - i.e., they do the same harmonic "job". They share two notes, and if you play the m2 as a seventh it contains all the notes of the 4 triad (e.g., in Dm7, the iim7 chord in C major, contains F, A and C, the notes of F, the IV chord in C major). So basically, there are two ways of expressing the progression, and you'll find that if you use the 4 chord (Ab) instead of the m2 (Fm) for Blue Moon, the progression will work just fine. I've used I-vi7-ii7-V because it marries up with the "2-5-1" resolution that's so often used, and so often expressed in those terms, in jazz.

[@hongkongtennis]

Thanks Bill.

[@S24W2]

Thank you Bill, just wondering could you recommend a few jazz standards that use a looped type progression like this? I really enjoy messing around with "blue moon" like in this video

[@BillHilton]

No problem Shane! "Heart and Soul" and "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off" use a basically identical progression (at least for their "A" sections: the bridge passages vary). "LCTHTO" is a really good one for improvisation in general, I find. For something a step up in complexity (at least in terms of its chord progression) try "Ain't Misbehavin'". Let me know how you get on...!

[@S24W2]

@@BillHilton Thanks a mill

[@tronlady1]

“You may be sat there for......4 hours!!!!!!!!” 11.14

[@favier167]

this is excellent...what grade level would you say this might be...say grade fourish

[@BillHilton]

Yes, probably around there Steve - it's pretty hard to say for sure, though, because the parallels with classical grades aren't exact. I'd certainly say that someone who had Grade 4 piano would have the necessary physical abilities on the keyboard to play this (although obvs they'd also need to learn some concepts, skills and ideas that aren't typically part of the classical curriculum).

[@arthurrollins9234]

Can I download the sheet music

[@BillHilton]

Which particular bit, Arthur? I've got some bits of cocktail score transcribed and not others...

[@vou7696]

Woww 12:56

[@davidfriedman7823]

Also called Ice Cream progression

[@jshackelford31]

Can you do a blues piano series. How to play blues piano?

[@BillHilton]

I made just a series several years ago, James - it's beginning to look a bit tired so I might give it a refresh, but all the info is there! Here's the playlist link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJ3VdWCfa5uKiqs

[@thegood9]

hoping nord has improved their piano samples since this. I had the first stage and was never really happy with the sounds, and this one almost sounds the same...

[@ryanpenn90]

:)

[@stevenadia2298]

Hey Bro, how are you doing? I would love to buy your book can I get your email please. Have a blessed day

[@nicosjazz71]

where is the sheet music, and the circle of the fifths progression, without what?

[@thephilosopherofculture4559]

People who don't know harmony theory and chords have no place in cocktail piano.

[@travellingbear]

Hi Bill I love your stuff, but don't like Eb, why don't you use an easier key like C? Is there some underlying benefit for Eb?

[@BillHilton]

It's because you don't like Eb that I'm using it, Stephen! Or, to put it in a way that sounds a bit less hard-hearted (!) it's because if you're going to play this sort of stuff you need to get used to a variety of keys, and getting "trapped" in C major is dangerous. If you find Eb hard, that's good - it'll make you work harder. I'm aware that sounds more than a bit sadistic on my part, but it really is done with the aim of helping you! :)

[@travellingbear]

Thanks Bill, that answers the question. I was wondering if there was some subtle reason to do with patterns. I've seen some "cheat" tutorials that use only the black notes, and the piano solo in Thomas Dolby's I Love You Goodbye seems to be only black notes. I know from the guitar that some keys have a fingering advantage. Fantastic lessons BTW, I've just bought another copy of your book for my Daughter on whom I inflicted dreary piano lesson as a child. She is now 32 and wants to learn for her own pleasure. Stephen

[@irProteus]

C is so boring... Eb is much more interesting and a prettier sound. A wise man once said, "Man does not live by bread alone" And so it is in Music.