Sitting In: Rock Piano: Keyboard/Piano Book & Online Audio/Software

Gold doesn't just show you rock piano vocabulary; he embeds you in the rhythm section with full-band recordings and professional minus-one mixes, so you're learning in the context where these techniques actually live. The TNT 2 software integration lifts this beyond a standard book, letting pianists isolate, loop, and slow down the exact passages they need to internalize. For students who want to understand how rock pianists comp and voice chords in real time, this is uncompromising and thoroughly practical.

You're in the rehearsal space with a tight band, trading ideas and locking into the groove. The energy is immediate, the grooves are authentic, and the challenge is real; you have to stay locked with the rhythm section and find your voice within the rock idiom.

Rock pianists and keyboardists who want to deepen their comping and soloing skills by playing alongside real musicians rather than practicing in isolation. Intermediate to advanced pianists benefit most, though ambitious early-intermediate players can use the software features to customize the pace and focus.

• Study the full-band recordings first without the book to absorb the groove and energy, then use the minus-one mixes to find your place in the arrangement.
• Isolate individual parts using the TNT 2 software to hear how the bass, drums, and guitar interact, then layer your own voicings on top.
• Slow down sections you find awkward without losing the feel; use the software to work at 80 percent tempo until the rhythmic pocket becomes second nature.
• Reference the authentic recordings frequently as you progress through the book; your ear is the final judge of whether your comping sits right in the band.

Assign this as a supplementary resource for students preparing for jazz ensemble, rock band, or contemporary music contexts where keyboard comping is essential. It also works well as a bridge for classically trained pianists who want to build credible rock and blues vocabulary before joining a band.

• Rock piano comping patterns and voicing choices
• Listening and locking with bass and drums in a rhythm section
• Soloing strategies over blues and rock changes
• Rhythm feel and pocket in rock grooves
• Left-hand independence while comping and soloing
• Customizing practice with audio software (isolation, tempo control, looping)