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piano improvisation

Learn the Art of Improvisation At The Piano

by Tania Gleaves on February 7, 2012

Improvisation at the piano typically means making up music as you go along. Is it possible? Yes it is a definite possibility, that’s how great composers make music with their piano. At first, improvising a melody on the piano seems impossible especially if you are just producing random sounds but as you go along, you’ll notice that you are creating your own tune with the trial and error striking of keys.

There is actually an easier way of improvisation at the piano, which we will learn together in this course. You may have watched some movies that show music writers and composers improvising on the piano. After playing some keys together, they pause and tend to write some notes on their blank music sheet. This is how the art of improvisation at the piano works.

Click Here And Get Great Tips On How To Do Improvisation At The Piano!

What are the basic things you need? Well, obviously you need to have the knowledge on how to play the piano such as learning how to read music notes, chords, and a few others more. It would also be helpful if you have a background on how to play different music genres on the piano such as waltz, jazz, pop, rock, classic, and other genres. This allows you to play more than one kind of music during improvisation at the piano.

Before you start, you might want to find a nice and quiet location in your home because this makes you comfortable enough to explore what your heart desires to play. When you are so used to playing the piano with the music sheet plastered in front of you, you have to get rid of those music sheets to avoid being tempted, hide them.

Try to remember those notes and play them. Don’t worry if you hit the wrong keys every now and then. That’s only the start of learning improvisation because this practice process enhances your “playing by the ear” skills. If you hit the wrong key, try the ascending or descending style until you reach the key you were aiming for. Always remember that there are no wrong moves in the art of improvisation at the piano.

Keep on doing this until you get your own rhythm and your own melody while playing a music piece but in a totally different style, your own unique style. When you have mastered improvisation at the piano, you will soon learn that you can now compose your own music. Who knows? You might be the next great composer to lead the music industry in this era!

Click Here And Get Great Tips On How To Do Improvisation At The Piano!

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Top 10 ways to make piano lessons fun

by Tania Gleaves on January 14, 2012

Looking for the top 10 ways to make piano lessons fun?

1. Go With The Flow. Sometimes it’s easier to practice piano lessons when they reflect the mood that we’re in. If it’s a sunny day outside, play some music that complements the weather. If you’re excited about a raise at work or a high grade at school, play some music that complements your achievement. Even if you’re feeling a bit blue, complementary music may prove to be therapeutic and help you cope with whatever has got you down. On the flip side, much of what’s “fun” is creative, so turn the tables and go against the current atmosphere if you dare. Care to brighten up a stormy night outside? Play some of the most cheerful music you can find!

Click Here For The Top 10 Ways To Make Piano Lessons Fun!

2. Play music for your lover. Many of the songs we have today were written for someone else. In fact, love is the theme among a lot of the music we play even when there aren’t any accompanying lyrics. So see how your performance improves by thinking of a lost love, your current lover, or even your fantasy lover while playing. If you don’t notice any significant improvement, you’ll have to admit it was fun thinking about it!

3. Try different kinds of music. Get out of a rut you’re in by playing music you’re not familiar with. As challenging as that idea may be, lively pieces can make practice fun as long as you relax with it. Try some pop music from the 50s or some cool R & B tunes from the early 60s. A little ‘old school’ Diana Ross or Aretha Franklin is often enough to make anything fun!

4. Expose yourself to foreign music. Chances are you’ll find some of the most unique pieces of music originating outside of the United States. For whatever reason, there just isn’t enough of it infiltrating into mainstream radio. But that just kind of makes it more special, doesn’t it? Wrap your ears around some of this stuff and you’ll learn how other cultures exploit the unique sounds of the piano. Perhaps you’ll pick up a few new techniques along the way.

5. Play something else. See how well you can adapt other instruments into a simulated piano just by pressing specific parts of it. The electronic piano is an obvious choice, but why not get crazy and run your fingers across the keyboard you’re sitting behind for example. A windowsill? A coffee table? Your chosen victims may not produce any sound, but it’s this very lack of pitch that will focus your thoughts on finger placement. Go figure!

6. Play with a partner. Are two pianists better than one? Well in all honesty, it depends on how well they get along! If you can find a partner who complements your playing style, then congratulations — the two of you shall make beautiful music together. Literally. If not, consider playing alongside a violinist, tuba player, or someone who can sing really well. Remember that the key behind this strategy is to have fun with everything from choosing music all the way to entertaining a small crowd or two.

7. Play along with the songs that you hear. This strategy could be more challenging than fun, but if approached with the right mindset, you just might find yourself giggling all while you learn new things at the same time. If you’re a little bored with your current collection of CD’s, try playing along with songs on the radio or TV. You’ll find the jingles that accompany TV commercials especially entertaining.

8. Write your own music. This is another challenging way to practice the piano — but it will at least strengthen your skills. Just don’t try to write a masterpiece in one day.

9. Improvise when you’ve mastered a song. Instead of writing your own music from scratch, try improving the music that already exists with a little improv. Take a somber piece and attempt to liven it with a few interesting runs. Or do the exact opposite with a happy piece. Insert some questionable yet interesting and thought-provoking pauses into a piece where there ought not be any. In other words, have fun!

10. Switch the genre. What would a Chopin piece sound like in a gospel church? How about a Gershwin piece? What if you were to play it with an MC Hammer twist? Try changing the rhythm of a song and see what you get. A lot of the creative pieces we have are the result of mixing different elements of music together into one.

What else can you add to this list of top 10 ways to make piano lessons fun?

Click Here For The Top 10 Ways To Make Piano Lessons Fun!

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Learning To Play Jazz Piano From Traditional Training to Improvisation

December 15, 2011

Opportunities To Extend Your Expressions Exist In Jazz Piano In learning to play jazz piano and other known styles, you’ll not only find opportunities to express yourself, you’ll also find opportunities to improvise. The same opportunities follow jazz music and although they provide for great fun, we want to warn you that learning to play [...]

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Top 10 Ways To Improvise On The Piano

October 15, 2011

1. Use fake books. Fake books, as one of the top 10 ways to improvise on the piano, are gentle introductions to what could be interpreted as the Wild West of improvisation. Improvisation is largely based on freedom of expression. Without having a good foundation of the basics, beginners may feel intimidated by the possibilities. [...]

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Play Piano By Ear – Learning To Play Without Any Experience

October 4, 2011

Which is better? By ear or notation? Learning to play piano by ear has always been a controversy probably since the piano was invented. Proponents of this approach claim that it’s easier and it reinforces key listening skills while critics claim that it doesn’t teach people how to play – it teaches people how to [...]

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Top 4 Reasons to Learn to Play Piano

September 16, 2011

The Piano Has Its Own Unique Sound One of top 4 reasons to learn to play piano is the unique sound it makes. No other instrument comes close to the type and quality of music generated by the piano, which consequently, is a good thing. High quality music requires that its instruments sound different from [...]

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The Play Piano Roadmap – Your Journey From Beginner To Advanced

August 5, 2011

Whether you already play piano or want to learn, I’m glad you stumbled across this page. It means there’s one more person out there looking for a better way to add music to his or her life, or perhaps to improve on an already established skill set. Either way, welcome. The good new is, I’ve [...]

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The Many Benefits of Taking Piano Lessons Online

March 16, 2011

If you’ve ever wanted to play the piano but think that you don’t have time now that you are a working adult, think again! Piano lessons online make it easy to pick up your old hobby or learn a new one. When most of us think about taking piano lessons, we think about having a [...]

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Play Piano Like a Pro – Deal or Dud?

December 10, 2009

Product Overview Learn to play piano like a pro, and get it from a performer and instructor who knows how to get you the results you want quickly. There are three coures in the full collection. “Mr. Ron” Worthy uses straight-forward, time-tested methods to break down piano playing to its basic elements. Then, as you [...]

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