Chords
In order to play the iconic Back In Black by renowned rock band AC/DC on the piano, you need to know the chord progression. The song features a simple progression of four chords. These chords are D major, A major, G major and E minor. Each of these chords is played for two bars in the song. Note that the tune is in the key of D major which means each chord is expressed as a D, A, G, and Em.
Playing the melody
The melody of this song is quite simple. It is mainly composed of rising and descending phrases and is mainly played on the first and third beats with the fourth beat suggesting a silence. The melody is composed of step notes and eighth notes. Step notes are played on beat one and across beats two and three, whereas eighth notes are played on beat four. To figure out the specific notes, you need to use musical notation and listen to a recording of the song where possible.
Rhythm
The rhythm of the song is also quite straightforward. The chords follow a steady 4/4 time signature which means that there are four beats in each bar. The rhythm of the melody is governed by the four-bar phrase. This means that for every four bars, the pattern repeats itself. The pattern consists of a downbeat followed by three upbeat notes. The downbeat is usually the strongest note and is usually the first note of each phrase. The three upbeat notes are usually less prominent than the downbeat.
Structure
The song has an AABB structure. The first two bars are repeated in the third and fourth bar. As mentioned before, the chord changes occur in the ninth bar, which is the final bar of the first section. This section is then repeated for the second and third sections. The song ends with a short section of instrumental which is similar to the first section but can differ slightly.
Techniques
When playing the song, some specific techniques should be used. These include playing with a strumming motion on the keys and using dampening techniques. For the strumming technique, the chords are strummed from the bottom up on the keys, using the thumb on the left-hand and the index finger on the right-hand. For the dampening technique, the thumb is used to dampen the keys slightly to create a more mellow sound.
Dynamic Contrast
When playing the song, it is important to incorporate dynamic contrast. To achieve this, you need to vary the volume and intensity of each phrase. This can be done by playing louder on the downbeat and softer on the upbeat notes. This makes the song more interesting and helps draw the listener in.
Practice Tips
When learning how to play Back In Black by AC/DC on the piano, practice is essential. You should break the song down into smaller sections and practice each section. You should also listen to a recording of the song to learn the melody and timing. Finally, be sure to practice with a metronome so that you can stay in time. With practice and dedication, you will be able to play this iconic song on the piano.
Rhythm Variations
As with any song, it is important to experiment with rhythm when playing it on the piano. This can be done by playing the chords at different volumes and changing the timing of the chord changes. Additionally, playing the chords as arpeggios can add interest to the song. Experimenting with different rhythms can make the song more interesting and help it stand out.
Extensions
When playing the song, you can extend it by adding extra chords, such as minor chords or chords from different keys. Additionally, you can add in extra notes or chords in-between the existing chords to create variations. These additions to the song can help create more interesting arrangements and will make the song sound more complex.
Improvisation
Once you have mastered playing the song as written, you can begin to experiment with improvisation. Improvisation is when a musician creates their own music while playing a song. Improvising while playing the song can add more interest and will help you become a better and more versatile musician. To achieve this, you should practice scales and chords related to the song before attempting to improvise.
