Stride

Definition: a style of playing the piano that involves striking the root of the chord with the left hand on the first and third beats, the harmonic content of the chord with the left hand on the second and fourth beats, and the melody with the right hand. Stride was developed in Harlem around World War I, and remained popular until the 1930s when the swing style developed. Elements of stride found their way into bebop, especially in the case of Thelonious Monk. James P. Johnson and Fats Waller were two of the most notable stride pianists.