Ron's blog on piano improv and the role of music in our lives
Pianists of all levels of experience are always asking me, “How do I learn to play jazz piano?” In fact, an accomplished opera conductor recently asked me this question at a party. I was playing Chick Corea’s tune “Armando’s Rhumba” and the guy actually sat down next to me on the piano bench to get … Read More
Want to know the secret formula for musical success? Here it is: 1. Find a source of quality instruction. 2. Pick a specific thing you’d like to learn and spend half your practice time working on it, day in and day out, even if you only have 5 minutes. 3. For the other half of … Read More
There are two kinds of pianists: those who like to practice scales and those who don’t. I confess to being in the first group (please don’t throw any tomatoes!). Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve found the smooth sound of scales flowing up and down the keyboard to be very relaxing. Similar to watching … Read More
Living as I do in the borough of New York City known as The Bronx, I enjoy attending several NY Yankee baseball games per year. It’s a true NYC experience: the local fans, the nearby elevated subway track, and the apartment buildings which are visible from most seats. I’ve always liked the music they play … Read More
Everywhere you look, someone is giving advice to music students. Learn this, play that, try this, go slowly, go fast, listen to advice, don’t listen to advice, etc. As a teacher, of course I do this too. After all, it’s what people want from me. If I don’t suggest things for them to try, they … Read More
One of the things I love about teaching is that it forces me to dive deeper into the musical topics that I share with my students. I’m currently having a wonderful time creating a series of video lessons that explore the style of pianist Keith Jarrett. It’s enabled me to step back and ask myself, … Read More
Improvising on the piano can be an immensely rewarding activity. While it’s true that we need to ‘let go’ and ‘be in the moment’, there are specific ways in which we can prepare ourselves to be in top form, just like athletes do. These piano improv practice tips can go a long way towards helping … Read More
If you open a typical improvisation instruction book, you’ll learn about chord/scale relationships, motivic development, and other information geared to help the student learn the musical vocabulary of the given style. If it’s a good book, it might also mention the importance of developing the ear. If it’s a very good book, it might even … Read More
Bud Powell was one of the greatest pianists in jazz history. He was right up there with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie as an innovator of bebop, and influenced just about every pianist who came after him. However, a few years ago I was shocked to hear the music on his album, Bud Plays Bird, … Read More
In my recent blog post, “For musicians; 10 ways to improve and invigorate your playing,” I suggested that musicians revisit the music they liked when they were 15 years old. For me, this is predominantly classic rock, along with some jazz and classical. Maybe it was all the time I spent playing in garage bands, … Read More