Pianists & Composers
Profiles of notable pianists and composers.
14 articles
Who’s Who Big List – 100 Piano Players
A sweeping list of 100 essential piano players across jazz, classical, rock, pop, and beyond, from Mose Allison and Bach to Ray Charles and Chopin.
Keith Emerson
Discover the progressive-rock keyboard idol behind The Nice and ELP, celebrated for his showmanship and classically-influenced virtuosity that shaped the prog era.
Elton John
Meet the pop superstar and inventive piano stylist who, with lyricist Bernie Taupin, blended pop, rock, and soul into a string of 1970s chart-topping hits.
Chick Corea
Meet Chick Corea, the ever-reinventing pianist who moved from Miles Davis's Bitches Brew to high-octane fusion with Return to Forever and beyond.
Keith Jarrett
Discover Keith Jarrett, a defining pianist of the past fifty years renowned for his spontaneously improvised solo concerts as well as his celebrated jazz trio work.
Bill Evans
Meet Bill Evans, the jazz pianist behind Kind of Blue whose impressionist-inspired chord voicings and relaxed touch shaped the cool jazz sound and modern playing.
Art Tatum
Get to know Art Tatum, the largely self-taught jazz pianist whose astonishing boogie-woogie, stride, and swing playing was a full generation ahead of its time.
Franz Liszt
Discover Franz Liszt, the Romantic-era virtuoso and showman often called the greatest pianist ever, whose dazzling technique made him a true rock star of his day.
Ludwig van Beethoven
Meet Ludwig van Beethoven, the German composer and pianist whose groundbreaking symphonies, quartets, and sonatas reshaped classical music even as he lost his hearing.
Introduction to Classical Styles
Trace the evolution of classical piano across the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and modern periods, from Bach's contrapuntal harpsichord works to the composers who shaped the keyboard repertoire.
Introduction to Pop/Rock Styles
Get into pop/rock piano of the '70s and '80s, with driving left-hand patterns and right-hand triads behind artists like Billy Joel, Elton John, and Journey.
Introduction to Rock ’n’ Roll Styles
Explore the energetic 1950s rock 'n' roll piano of Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, with repeated right-hand eighth notes and showmanship flair.
Introduction to Boogie-Woogie Styles
Discover the fast tempos and driving left-hand patterns of boogie-woogie, the percussive blues-rooted style pioneered by Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson, and Meade Lux Lewis.
Introducing 3/4 Time
Count in threes with 3/4 waltz time, tracing its roots to Strauss and Lanner before playing a folk tune in this lilting meter.