Playing The Piano And Timing

When you play the piano or any instrument for that matter, you usually have to follow a set time, for example, you can play in 3/4 time or 4/4 time. This means 3 beats per measure or 4 beats per measure. I call this strict time. You hear it everywhere and is especially adhered to in the West.

When you first start making music don't worry so much about strict time. Instead, think about internal time, or the timing we all have naturally. For example, if you start improvising using two chords you, as the beginner, have to consider certain things such as when to change chords, what melody notes to play and so on. What I'd like you to learn is to trust your internal time first so when it comes time to learn and play in strict time you won't be bound by it.

Most of the music I play is played Rubato (robbed time). This means the music has an elastic feel to it. You can hear this in Sunrise on the Cove from La Jolla Suite. I'm not concerned too much with playing in time because it can become (and usually is) mechanical. The "new age" style of piano playing is usually a rubato style of playing. You can also hear this in the works of Chopin and most of the great composers. They too, weren't too concerned with strict time.

What all this means for you is learning to trust your intuition first. So again, the question arises, "How do I know what to play and when to play it?" The answer is that I will give you exercises to help you know what to play. As to how to play it you must stay in the present and let your fingers do the walking. Thinking is no good here. It won't help you. You must rely solely on feeling. While I can teach you technique, I can't help you when it comes to your own special approach to when to press a certain key. Nor would I be doing you any service by telling you which notes to play. How would you find your own voice?

Author By: Edward Weiss

Tips For Performing Your Music For Others

Have you ever dreamed of performing a piece you created for others. Imagining that they are captivated and held spellbound by the music? If you have, you know that it can be a long road from actually coming up with something, practicing it, and then giving it to an audience. In my own case, I had a good opportunity to perform. It was in a coffeehouse that already had a decent piano.

The problem was that I was playing for people who had come to listen mostly to guitarists on open mike night. Young guitarists that sang and played mostly Rock music or a derivative of it. I didn't care so much about that because I had the chance to go in front of people and share the gift of music.

In public speaking it's said that the fear of standing in front of a group of people and talking is caused by the anticipation of losing face - of looking or appearing like a fool. Now, some may be able to get up in front of a group and actually feel better than they felt before getting in front of people, but the reality is that 99% of us are going to feel some kind of anxiety.

There are two schools about stage fright. One school believes that you can completely rid yourself of it (extremely hard to do and a somewhat unrealistic). The other says that you can never fully conquer the fear but you can manage it and reduce it to a level where you can function and perform.

So far, I'm in the second group and I've learned a few techniques that allow me to perform well. One is that I practice enough to where I feel confident that I can perform above the normal level. The second technique is to accept the feelings of fear and reframe it into the emotion of excitement. In other words, I may be scared, but I'm also feeling excited. I focus on that part.

Most of the performance anxiety will dissipate soon after your performance begins anyway. It's usually the first 10 minutes or so when you're the most anxious. My goal when I get on stage is to focus on and enjoy the process of sharing the music with others. My focus is not on the audience.

Author By: Edward Weiss

Finding The Style That Is Uniquely You

Certain people have influenced my own piano playing. One of them is George Winston - probably one of the best out there. What I really like about his playing is his ability to create atmospheres from very little means.

I mean, the man can take a D minor 7 chord and generate interesting music from it for over 5 minutes straight! A pretty impressive thing! I listened to his stuff for quite a long time. Not because I wanted to learn it, but because I liked it. Big difference there.

Then, when I began to create my own stuff, his influence was there. Again, not because I consciously wanted it to be but because his sound seeped into me over time. This is the way it is for all music. No musician is an island unto him or herself. Everyone is influenced by others.

Another pianist/composer that has influenced my own playing is John Herberman. He plays for the Solitude's label. His music is very quiet and gentle yet profoundly moving. So, again, because of my love for this music, I incorporated into my own sound. Not because of conscious choice, but because it became a part of me.

The point, is this: Listen to whom you like and when it comes time for you to make your own music, your own unique voice will come through. I promise you. You really can't steal someone else's sound, unless of course you wanted to sound like a copycat. If that is your goal, by all means.

However, if your goal is to find a style that is uniquely yours, I suggest this one thing - improviseand keep playing. A good place to start doing this is by playing the chord changes in my book "New Age Piano Made Easy." It's got chord progressions designed to give you a "new age" sound when you play them. Plus you'll be learning to play the Open Position Chord in all 12 keys.

Author By: Edward Weiss

Common Thoughts that Kill Inspiration

Do you sit down at the piano and feel anxiety or peace? Are you anxious to begin creating or does the thought of being at your instrument bring you a sense of well being? It all begins with what you're telling yourself. If you think that what you are doing is not good enough, it's sure to kill off that quiet little motor of inspiration.

The thought of not good enough can put you into a deep freeze. It can stifle creativity and keep you stuck in doubt - a very nasty place to be in. Let's examine this thought of not good enough.

The first question that comes to mind is 'not good enough for whom?' Who are you comparing yourself to? If you hold yourself up to someone think about why that is. For example, I admire the playing of George Winston, but I'm not him and don't expect to be. His right hand technique is amazing and as much as I want to be able to play that succinctly, I just can't do it.

I accept that and really don't care so much about it. What's important to me is to be able to connect with my own creative source. This is the thought that keeps me grounded. If I begin to compare myself to another than I'm hopelessly lost and not focusing on what is truly important.

Another thought that kills inspiration is 'I'm not ready.' When will you be ready? Ten years from now? Next week? The fact is you don't need years of technical expertise to begin creating. If you wait another week or month or year to start, you will never begin and the world will miss out on your own unique voice. You are ready the moment you sit down to play. It all depends on what your goals are.

If your goal is to create a piece of music to perform for others, it will be ready after a certain amount of time. You, however, must be ready now. This means sitting down at the piano and being present in the moment. It all adds up bit by bit.

And last but not least is the thought that you don't know enough. Here's some news. You will never know everything and you will always be learning more. It never ends. I don't know everything there is to know about theory, chords, and harmony. Nobody does. But it doesn't stop me from experiencing the joy that comes from creating. This is your birthright and every creator's birthright.

Don't let the idea that you don't know enough stop you from your music. Even if you just learn what is in the free piano course you know enough to begin composing, improvising and creating. Fortunately, in the new age style, you don't need to know sophisticated chord voicing or how to read music. You can jump right in and taste how sweet the act of creation is right away.

Author By: Edward Weiss

Chords, Chords, and More Chords

How many chords do you need to create a piece of music? Would you believe that it doesn't really matter and that whole pieces of music have been created using just one chord? For example, if you play a D minor 7 chord, you could use the bass note D to create a drone effect and anchor the whole improvisation. It could last for a few seconds or many minutes.

The important thing is were you in the moment when you created it? If you were, then it will be a good piece of music. If you weren't it will be notes in the air without communication. What communicates is your feeling. It's your feeling that gets across through the notes. The notes themselves are meaningless if you are not present behind them.

I usually do not use more chords than 4 or 5 when creating. I use the chords of a certain Key, for example A major and stay within that key until the piece is done. I may change to a different key, but I will always begin with the intention of staying within one, always keeping the possibility open for change. Remember the power of limits, especially in music.

When you have too many choices it can be overwhelming and will stop you from being able to go forward. That's why learning to play in 4 and 8-bar phrases is important. It gives you the limit of chord changes. New age music is mostly a static music meaning that the chords do not change too much. In fact, you can have the same chord going on for 8, 16 and even 24 bars or more. The amount of change is dictated by personal taste and that you will acquire after you freely experiment with the music.

Remember that attitude is the number one thing. You must allow the music to tell you where it wants to go or you will most likely freeze up and stop the forward momentum. That's why I always tell students the principles for creativity must come first. Without that you are really starting on shaky ground. So, don't worry about how many chords to insert in your music. For a good example of chord changes, look at my book "New Age Piano Made Easy." It's filled with 84 exercises completely comprised of different chord changes in all 12 keys.

Author By: Edward Weiss