Here’s something I do occasionally: choose a piece of music you know very well, and then play it while pretending you’ve never heard it before. When I do this, I sometimes play the piece at the usual tempo while at other times I go very slowly, savoring each delicious sound as the music unfolds. I’m always amazed at how much more clearly I hear the piece this way.
This works equally well on any piece and in any style. I’ll do it with Bach, The Beatles, Coldplay, or Charlie Parker. (But I’ve never done it with one of my own compositions. Hmmm…. this gives me an interesting thought….)
Try it for yourself. Better yet, try it with a different piece each day for a week. Have fun and let the music flow!
This might be the most important blog post I’ve written yet.
Get my free ebook: Left Hand Techniques for Jazz Piano
You’ll also get my weekly jazz newsletter with practice tips and inspiration