I received an email today which made me very happy. It was from a young man who said he’s a beginning musician and is spending a lot of time writing songs using texts that are close to his heart.
This is EXACTLY the right thing to be doing!!!
Too often, piano students put off the very thing that can help them attain mastery until they’re “good enough” (or so they think!).
I hear things like:
“I can’t play in a rock band until I’m better.” (Well, why don’t you find a few musicians that are at the same level as you. You’ll all improve faster by jamming together.)
“I can’t start writing music until I understand chords better. (But writing music will help you understand chords better than any other way.)
“I can’t accompany singers until I can play accompaniments better.” (So start by accompanying yourself, even if you don’t have a great singing voice.)
My point is that often, the thing we’re putting off until the future is the very activity that will get us there in the first place. It’s like saying, “I can’t start eating well until I’m healthy.” Ridiculous, isn’t it? Eating healthy foods is the very thing that will help you get healthier!
Of course you don’t want to be foolish about this. Don’t learn one jazz tune and then go sit in with the best jazz musicians in the land, like the young Charlie Parker did. (He was laughed off the stage!) Use your head. Find a way to do the activity at your level, in a comfortable environment at first, until you get more proficient.
Life is short; don’t delay.
If you’ve been putting off learning to improvise, here are some free lessons to get you started. Enjoy!