A student recently asked me; Why is improvisation so mysterious. My response was that there is nothing mysterious about it at all.

Of course, I’m saying this because I have years of experience under my belt, but truthfully, once you understand that all you need to improvise is chords, the mystery disappears and satisfaction takes it place.

Most of the problems students have with improvising is their fear of trying it. They think they need to know college theory or advanced harmony first in order to begin creating in the moment. Nothing could be further from the truth! In fact, extensive knowledge of harmony and theory can actually create more problems than they solve.

For instance, in one of my piano lessons, Lesson 3: Rainforest, I have two chords down in my left hand. I then use the G Major scale to improvise a melody and that’s that! Nothing hard about it. No mystery here – just fun!

Once you have a definite exercise to play and know what your hands will be doing, it frees you up to create. You no longer have to worry about which chords to play or how to play them. You can focus your attention on the act of improvising melody and experience the joy of improvisation!

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music’s online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/pianolessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

Remember the old ad that used to run endlessly in magazines and newspapers:

They laughed when I sat down at the piano…but when I started to play… ?

I remember very well the first time I played piano for a group. They DID laugh. It was a disaster. I overheard the leader say Let’s get somebody with some rhythm in there to play.

Ouch!

That hurt. But I told myself right then and there that I would learn to play the piano so well that no one would ever laugh at me again.

Guess what?

Nobody laughs anymore. And they don’t laugh at my students, either.

Why?

Because I discovered…

– The BACKDOOR to piano playing –

What in the world is the backdoor to piano playing?

Chords.

Chords are a way in to the world of piano playing without having to go through the front door: years and years of scales, drills, rote practicing, etc. Chords are really a shortcut to understanding and playing music without all the formal training.

Formal training is fine if you have the time and money. But most adults don’t want to wait forever before they can play something enjoyable on the piano. I took lessons when I was a kid, but found it boring. Not only that, but all I could do was play the written music exactly as it was written. Without the sheet music in front of me, I didn’t have a clue what to do. So I lost interest in piano playing until the incident described above. But shortly after that, I had the opportunity to play in a school combo — but to do that, I had to learn chords, and learn them fast.

I didn’t really know where to turn, so I sent for a $2. chord chart advertised in Popular Mechanics, and within hours after I got it I was playing the Dm7 chord and the C6 chord in my left hand while I played the tune with my right hand. Talk about excited! Within a few weeks I could play dozens of songs using chords. And I discovered that my sight-reading speed greatly improved at the same time, because now I understood what I was seeing on the printed page!

So I came in through the back door instead, and now I enjoy what I used to hate! Why? Because I understand what I’m doing because now I understand chords and chord progressions. I eventually went on to get advanced degrees in music and literature from Southern Oregon University — and it was easy because of all I had learned about music theory and harmony due to playing and understanding chords.

Can you do the same?

There’s really no reason why you can’t if you have the desire. Start looking at sheet music with new eyes: look for notes that make up chords and then analyze those chords. Before long you’ll start seeing a pattern of recurring chords; in other words, chord progressions. Do this for a few months while simultaneously learning about chords and how they are formed, and music will take on a new dimension for you. You’ll no longer view sheet music as something you are tied to, but rather you’ll see it as a map that you can follow to create the sounds and styles you choose.

Duane Shinn is the author of the popular free 101-week online e-mail newsletter titled Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions Piano Lessons for Adults with over 84,400 current subscribers.

The following is a process designed to get your brain to assimilate new musical material. This system will let you memorize music fast and help you reprogram your mental synapses and learn music the right way rather than relying on muscle memory only. This process applies to all music and all instruments and assumes that you have some competency on your instrument.

1. Look at the page you are about to learn and make mental notes of all the new music.

2. Break this material into small sections. i.e. (One measure or two measures or a Phrase)

3. Focus completely on the first of these small sections and allow all the details to register clearly in your mind. For example you may ask yourself what octaves, what rhythm, what fingering etc. Try to picture in your mind how you are going to play the section, then when you have an absolutely clear mental image of the section of music, PLAY THROUGH ONCE SLOWLY.

4. Try to associate this new material to something which you are familiar, for instance it may remind you of some song you have heard, etc.

5. Now, turn away from the music and PRACTICE REMEMBERING what you saw. Try to avoid taking a second look at the music. Go ahead and practice the entire section of music entirely from memory.

6. Always practice new material very slowly at first and gradually build up to a faster tempo this may take a week to reach a desired tempo. Use a metronome to help build up to tempo.

7. Once you have mastered the first small section, put down your instrument and take a short break for longer sections take a longer break.

8. When you have mastered all the small sections then start stringing them together by playing the piece from start to finish. Do not stop if you make a mistake, keep on playing through to the end. Afterwards, go back and clear up any problem spots individually. Refuse to go over and over things you already know.

Repeat this process on any music or sections of music you are learning EXACTLY and include the rest period. Immediately begin to look for places to apply what you have learned. Always be on the lookout for new ways to use what you know.

Dennis St Germain is a jazz musician located in Eugene Oregon. Currently he is playing in two bands, Ritmo de la Noche a Latin Jazz band as well as Calango a Brazilian Dance music band. If you want to learn an instrument or become a better musician visit http://www.music-lessons-on-dvd.com

There are beginner piano books begin by introducing five notes i.e. CDEFG in right hand (RH) and CBAGF in left (LH) by using the same fingers position such as on RH note C played by thumb, D played by index finger, etc. On LH note C played by thumb, B played by index finger, so on. I called as five fingers same position.

The benefit is before added the new note, beginners have practiced some similar exercises so they, especially kids will not confused by rhythm, names and positions of notes.

Because of many exercises that using the same fingers position, mostly kids tend to read the fingers numbers as notes positions. For instance, they mean no. 1 on RH is C – always played by thumb, no. 2 is D – always played by index finger and so on, likewise on LH.

In early lessons, students seem fluently in notes reading but the problem comes when start playing pieces with no five fingers same position.

If students have to use five fingers same position books, as teachers, we have to explain from the first lesson that one note can be played by any fingers and fingers numbers are never changed such as on RH no.1 always for thumb, no. 2 always for index finger and so on, likewise on LH.

To make students remember the fingers numbers quickly, we can ask them to play as fast as they can such as Play C with finger number 1 ?. Now play C with finger number 2 and so on. The kids will love this fun game! Then ask them play the same piece with any fingers by writing a new fingering on their book. For instance, for RH play C with finger number 2, D with finger number 3 and so on.

There is no perfect method in notes reading, as teachers, we can only find the suitable one for each student by merging one method with another. I prefer using five fingers same position book at first lesson by using any kinds of fingers positions, not just as written in book.

It is much benefit and easier to learn right at first than re-learn after made mistakes. However, if students have made misunderstandings on notes reading, no matter with our ?own? students that have been taking lessons with us since their first day on piano lesson or transferred ones, just do not ever blame them, their old teachers (for transferred ones) and ourselves especially beginner teachers. It will not make notes reading of students better.

The solution is re-teaching them as first lesson. Of course, it needs much time, patiently and often rather difficult to train ?a new habit?. The students could be frustrate and complain but with fun game as I mentioned above, kids usually enjoy the lesson again. If happens on teens or adults (so far, I never found yet), we can support them by positive words so that they have ?new spirit? to continue their lesson. Moreover, as teachers, we should not ever stop learning.

Yen Yen (Sujanti Djuanda) has been teaching piano about 14 years. Currently also learn and work on music composing. http://yen03.bizhat.com

So, you’re just not that into playing the piano lately? Not inspired? Feeling less than enthusiastic about putting fingers to keys?

I understand. I’ve been there and still experience what is commonly called creative blocks. But you’re not really blocked. You just don’t want to play. Sounds weird I know but let me explain.

Art, any art is essentially a play activity. Let me ask you something. What happens when children are forced to play? They end up rebelling and doing exactly the opposite of what they were told to do.

Do you think you’re any different? I’m always amazed at teachers who suggest students bang their heads on the keyboard until they get it right. This is OK I guess if your goal is to become a concert pianist. But if your goal is to rise above the mundane realm of what I call typist piano, then you best get used to the idea that forcing never works.

Why is this? Because the artist part of you is really a child who just wants to play. Remember when you were young and you were in the zone? You didn’t have to think about it. You didn’t have to worry if it was good enough or if you knew enough. It could have been paper mache, finger-painting, sprinkles?anything. The point is, your elementary school teacher understood that the process of play was far more important (and educational) than having you compete in an art contest to see who was better. The ironic part of all of this is that we ALWAYS discover more about our art when we do just play.

Look, life is hard enough already. Let’s ease up on ourselves and actually enjoy the act of piano playing.

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music’s online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/pianolessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

Many piano students spend much time learning how to play the piano. Years upon years of study time devoted to perfecting technique, tone, dynamics, etc. All the while, many of these same students have never really played the piano. That is, they have spent their time practicing in preparation for the moment when they can perform for others.

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if instead of learning how to play other peoples music, we could feel confident enough to create our own? Why is it so daunting a task for most of us? I think it’s because we’ve been taught that only a very few gifted individuals are capable of producing music from scratch – whatever the genre. Rock, jazz, classical etc. Unfortunately, this belief is enough to stop most dead in their tracks and for those, whose spark of interest was lit in childhood, it soon turns cold and lifeless.

Now, playing the piano is entirely different than learning the piano. Here we are at home. Why? Because we are playing. So different an approach it is too! Children are allowed free-play and are even encouraged to do so. But as we grow up, we decide we must make something worthy of performance. What a tragic error in thinking! Yet one that pervades the music world.

The solution is to understand that we all have our own special music inside of us and each and every one of us has something wonderful to share with the world. This something comes through when we stop learning how to play the piano and begin to play it truly for the first time.

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music’s online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/pianolessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

Some consider melody the most important aspect of music making. Of course, there’s harmony and rhythm, but melody is the one part that listeners hold to memory more than any other, and, it’s also the easiest part to create!

For example, in the lesson Oriental Sunrise, we have two chords. Now if we just play these chords, if we just fool around with them, we get textures and whiffs of sound that drift away and do not hold. But, as soon as we add in melody, the whole piece becomes alive and discernable.

To create a melody really requires nothing more than playing around with the right-hand. The left has the chords and creates the harmonic background – an aural canvas if you will. Now, we can add in highlights to our sound painting using melody.

We improvise and are amazed at the fact that just a few notes is enough to create a wonderful sound – especially since you use the pentatonic scale. You can’t go wrong by playing on the black keys. Every note you produce will sound good. We let go and allow our intuitive mind to come up with the melody and the music pours out of us.

Once you know the scale you’ll be playing in, (in this case, minor pentatonic) you are free to play any note you want from it to create your melody. The focus is now on making music and not on choosing melody notes – a very freeing experience!

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music’s online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/pianolessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

There are basically two ways to compose music. One way is by starting from the bottom or the harmonic approach.

A composer/arranger takes a few chords, a phrase to hang them on and arranges the harmony in some kind of pattern. An example of this is the loop you often hear in contemporary music. A loop is simply a harmonic background over which a melody (or not) is played.

The second way to compose music is by starting with the melody. Composers may or may not have some idea of the finished idea (I prefer not to) but the melodic idea is fitted into some kind of phrase. The most common phrase used is the 8-bar phrase.

I find that starting with the melody to be the easier approach. Why? Because melody is easier to move forward then harmony. Sure, you can block out a few chords and arrange them to create a loop, but this becomes static over time. Melody is much easier to go forward with.

By using the principles of repetition and contrast, we can create a simple ABA form in no time at all. Then we can go back and harmonize each section.

I used to favor the harmonic approach at first. It was very easy to simply jot down chord changes on an 8-bar phrase, create some kind of arrangement, and improvise a melody on top. There is nothing wrong with this approach at all. But I soon found myself learning towards the melody first. Not because I think it’s better, but simply because it’s the method I like right now.

Either way, it’s a good idea to compose music using one approach or the other. If you try to harmonize a melody while you’re creating it, it will slow you down and may stop the creative flow.

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music’s online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/pianolessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

Have you ever marveled at how artists can quickly sketch out a beautiful landscape scene and convert it into a full-fledged painting? I have and I’ve always been jealous of their ability to do so.

I’ve often wondered why music couldn’t be more like this. Of course composers know how to go about creating a complete piece of music, but I didn’t want to spend years learning theory and harmonic analysis. I didn’t want to study form and compositional technique. Not because I was lazy or unmotivated but because there had to be a simpler way of taking what I felt inside and turning it into a piano improvisation or composition.

Fortunately for me, I discovered my own unique method for quickly creating what I love to create and that is New Age piano music.

A few chords and a Key to play in are all I needed to begin quickly creating my own unique piano journeys. You see the problem most aspiring composers have is that they think they need to learn everything that was ever written about how to compose music. This isn’t necessary and only serves to delay the experience of jumping in the water and trying it first hand.

My method is really simple – improvise first and let the music tell you where it wants to go. That is, let go and allow the music to flow through you. I ALWAYS START WITH IMPROVISASTION because this is where the raw creative energy is. If something strikes me as particularly nice, I’ll draw out 8-bars on a sheet of paper. It doesn’t have to be notation paper either. I just use a blank composition journal I bought at a Borders bookstore to do this.

After the 8-bars is drawn, I’ll write in the first 2-bars of the melody to remember the initial idea. I then use the chords from the Key I’m working in to complete this small 8-bar section. Working within 8-bar sections is, I think, the best way a beginner can actually complete a musical phrase. It’s a very attainable goal and works very well.

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music’s online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/pianolessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!

One of the things that makes New Age piano so enjoyable is that it’s easy to get started.

One of the tricks of the trade is to play an ostinato pattern in the left-hand while the right improvises a melody. Just listen to George Winston’s lovely piece Colors/Dance to hear an excellent example of this technique.

He uses just two chords in the beginning. But just look what he does with them! He maintains interest for a good couple of minutes before any contrast is introduced. Remarkable! And not as easy to do as many people think!

The artistry in this is how he maintains interest. The improvised right-hand melody carries the music through and propels listener attention forward. The left-hand however, is just playing the same ostinato pattern.

Complicated? Hardly. A beautiful piece of music? Absolutely. And all that’s required is the ability to trust your intuition. Trusting intuition is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING A TEACHER CAN HELP YOU LEARN! Why? Because when you trust yourself, you allow the music to come as it should – naturally and easily.

Technique can be taught by most anyone and can be learned readily. However, the ability to trust yourself is something that takes a bit of introspection. Most of us have an internal critic that tries to condemn any creative effort. We must learn to listen to what we say to ourselves and allow for the creative impulse.

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music’s online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/pianolessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!