Ron's blog on piano improv and the role of music in our lives
With January and winter snowstorms comes the Super Bowl and the annual debate about the proper way to sing the Star-Spangled Banner. This year, the American National Anthem will be sung by Idina Menzel (or, as John Travolta calls her, Adele Dazeem). Menzel is a wonderful singer and a pretty middle-of-the-road choice for the event. … Read More
I don’t know why, but when the majority of piano students play a wrong note during their piano lessons, they immediately stop playing and say “sorry.” I’ve even seen them do this while playing informally for their friends. “Sorry” for what? For trying hard? For being human? Why apologize? I used to do this too, … Read More
We don’t have to practice scales; we get to practice scales. We don’t have to learn songs; we get to learn songs. We don’t have to struggle to develop hand independence; we get to struggle to develop hand independence. We don’t have to expand our brain capacity by memorizing Bach fugues; we get to expand … Read More
Music has been an active, participatory activity in human culture for at least 40,000 years. (Here’s the evidence.) People in every culture, and in every time period, sang and played instruments as a vital, life-affirming part of their daily lives. They sang while they worked, played, rejoiced, and mourned. They passed their long evenings by … Read More
Hey everyone! It seems like my daily posting last week resonated with a lot of you who are interested, like me, in topics like piano, improvisation, and how music can be an enriching, rewarding, and integral part of our daily lives. The practice of writing every day brought me close to these questions in a … Read More
After 7 days of daily blogging, I can honestly say that it’s been amazing! For one thing, it’s forced me to dig deeper into how improvising on piano enriches our musical lives in wonderful ways. (If you’ve never improvised before, it’s not too late to learn.) For another, it’s been a chance for creative thinking … Read More
Isn’t it magical when we see someone go way beyond their usual, everyday ability? We’ve all seen instances of this, such as a quarterback who throws the football farther than ever before to win the big game. Or a speaker who steps in at the last minute and ends up giving the most exciting presentation … Read More
If you love playing piano but are stuck at a plateau, the remedy is simple: Move laterally Play lots of simple pieces. Aim for fluency. Begin improvising, using the C major scale. Learn just the bass lines to 10 pop songs. Play 5 Beatles songs using just the chords. Learn the simplest piece Schumann ever … Read More
Piano improv is fun, and maybe a little scary to try at first. But it’s actually very easy. So easy, in fact, that a 5-year old can do it effortlessly. If you’re a teen or adult who wants to learn, these 3 steps will get you started improvising great music in a fun, easy way: … Read More
Yes, there are some amazing piano teachers out there. And yes, many piano students are thriving. But on the whole, the system is broken. Each year, countless 5-6 year olds start piano lessons. While most of them do indeed benefit from the study of piano, the great majority of them stop playing between the ages … Read More