1. Learn how to Improvise

Learning how to improvise is the cardinal to playing in this style. Period. You must larn to experimentation and take musical hazards - within certain models of course. You're not going to knock on the keys and anticipate to do music. This is not the sort of hazard I'm talking about. Students boom best when given a certain set of rules or guidelines to travel around with.

For example, in the lesson "Reflections in Water" you are given a few chords and a specific scale of measurement to do music with. In other words, I give you a set of bounds from which you play the game of improvisation. This volition free you up from the thousand and one picks you could possibly have. In fact, if you didn't have got a set of limitations, you probably would stop up banging on the keyboard because while it is of import to be free and spontaneous, it is equally of import to understand how the game is played.

2. Develop the proper attitude

This 1 neckties for first place. In my opinion, what halts most pupils from learning all they can from this style is the mental attitude that they either aren't good enough, or are not ready to larn how to improvise and play piano. Please don't believe that. No 1 individual will ever cognize all there is to cognize about any 1 topic allow alone pianoforte playing. You will always be growing but you must start somewhere and you must start from simple means.

Here's a quotation mark that sums of money it up best: "In the novices head there are many possibilities, but in the experts head there are few." This agency that you have got an advantage over so called experienced pianoforte players. Your mental attitude should always be one of receptivity. That is, never coerce anything to go on because when you coerce you are already setting yourself up for failure and disappointment.

3. Forget what you were taught

Perhaps you were taught that you must larn your scales of measurement first and that you must larn how to read music before you can make anything else. I'm here to state you that I can't read music, yet somehow, I've been able to set out two CD's of original music! In fact, if anything, reading music will decelerate you down creatively! If you desire to make your very ain music, you must bury what you were taught about music in general and focusing on learning how to improvise first and compose second. Both of which can be taught!

I believe I read every book at the library on composition and improvisation and what helped me out the most was a very slender volume on chord alterations using 8-bar patterns. By playing the chords in a set model (8-bars) I was able to see how to utilize repeat and direct contrast to make with. And of course, I listened to the people I loved and learned a batch from just listening. So bury about what you were taught and start thinking about what you desire to carry through and you can make it!

4. Learn chords

You've heard it before. Learn chords and you can do music. Just larn the 144 chords and voila - you can make it all. Don't believe it! You necessitate to larn chords, but you don't necessitate to larn one hundred chords right away. No. You necessitate to larn probably about 3 chords or less to get improvising in the "new age" style. And if you believe that you necessitate to larn more than than this at the beginning you are wrong.

Of course you can larn as many chords as you desire but what's the point if you never utilize them? It's wish learning a new vocabulary word each twenty-four hours for the interest of massaging your ego. Nice, but unnecessary.

5. Learn how to utilize Chords

Let's presume you've learned a few chords. Now what? What are you going to make with your new chords? You are going to utilize them to make music with and the best manner to make that is to take a cardinal or manner to play in. This automatically restricts your choices.

For example, let's state I sit down down and start improvising and I start using a Degree Centigrade Major 7 chord. I like what I hear but a job originates - where make I travel from here. Now this won't be a job if you state to yourself. "OK. Iodine started on Degree Centigrade Major 7. Let's just remain in the Key of Degree Centigrade Major and see what happens." Now, you are ready to travel forward because you make not have got a thousand and one confusing picks ahead of you. Bash you see how this tin free you up? You've limited yourself to using just 6 chords from the Degree Centigrade Major scale.