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Description
Piano cover is a genre of instrumental music where popular songs from other genres—typically pop, rock, R&B, and film soundtracks—are arranged and performed on the piano.
Unlike traditional classical transcriptions which prioritize technical virtuosity, modern piano covers often focus on emotional expression, accessibility, and preserving the recognizable melody of the original song.
These arrangements strip away the production elements of the original track (drums, synths, vocals) to present the song in a raw, acoustic, and often more intimate form. The genre serves a major functional role in the streaming era, widely used for studying, relaxation, sleep, and weddings.
Sources: Spotify, Wikipedia, Discogs, Rate Your Music, MusicBrainz, and other online sources
History
The roots of the piano cover lie in the 19th-century tradition of piano transcriptions, where composers like Franz Liszt arranged orchestral works for solo piano to make them accessible to home audiences.
In the mid-20th century, the style evolved through Easy Listening and Cocktail Piano artists like Liberace and later Richard Clayderman, who popularized lush, romantic arrangements of pop standards.
The late 1990s and early 2000s saw the rise of New Age pianists like Yiruma, whose simple, emotive style became the blueprint for modern covers.
The genre truly crystallized in the 2000s and 2010s with the advent of YouTube. Visual-centric artists like The Piano Guys combined high-production video with pop arrangements, while others like Rousseau popularized the 'falling notes' (Synthesia) visualizer style.
Today, the genre is a dominant force on streaming platforms, driven by 'functional' playlists for focus and relaxation, leading to the rise of prolific studio projects like The Piano Tribute Players alongside virtuoso soloists.
How to make a track in this genre
To compose a piano cover, start by identifying the vocal melody and playing it clearly with the right hand; this is the most critical element as there are no lyrics to guide the listener.
The left hand should handle the harmony and rhythm, typically using broken chords, arpeggios, or octaves to fill the sonic space and maintain momentum.
Re-harmonization is common to add a fresh emotional flavor, such as changing a major pop chord progression to a more melancholic minor key.
Vary the texture between sections: keep the verses sparse and intimate, then expand into full octaves and rich chords for the chorus to mimic the dynamic build of the original song.
