What Time Is It?

The 2010s have been a wonderful decade for we pianists. Here are some of the trends we’ve seen over the past 10 years: Mainstream Pop Simplicity triumphed. The basic quarter-note chordal pop piano part was introduced the 1960s, gained momentum in the 200s, and became firmly established over the past decade. It’s the great “leveler,” … Read More

Taylor Swift has given songwriters a real gift: a detailed demonstration on how she composed her song “Lover.” On this video, she shows how she began with a short musical idea and used her craft to develop it into a full composition. It’s a big thing when a songwriter as accomplished as Swift leads us … Read More

In addition to teaching the specifics of piano-playing, my real goal is to help people keep music in their lives, which can be challenging with our busy schedules these days. After all, everything else follows from this. The key is to reconnect with your love of music each day, at least for a few minutes. … Read More

Every day, thousands if not millions of jazz musicians try to play like Miles Davis. Yes, jazz trumpet players, but also pianists, trombonists, guitarists, saxophonists and players of every instrument conceivable. (Even Japanese flutes and conch shells.) But what does it really mean to “play like Miles Davis?” Quincy Jones says that he began his … Read More

Have you heard Paul McCartney’s Christmas album? Neither have I. (sniff…) That’s because, as Sir Paul has explained in an interview, only his family will ever hear the album, which he made exclusively for them. And good for him, to keep some semblance of privacy and family life. But even better than hearing his album, … Read More

When you sit down to play the piano, what tunes do you play? Do you come back to Autumn Leaves and Take The A Train all the time? While this has definite benefits, it’s also important to try new tunes. Even if we just sightread the melody, playing new repertoire stretches our ears, plants the … Read More

As my student Bob reminded me today, we’re all “works in progress.” That’s the real beauty of it all, and the more we each embrace this, the more rewarding our musical journey will be. The more we enjoy being works in progress, the more our work will progress. Ron Learn the 5 Essential Left Hand … Read More

Why do so many Stevie Wonder songs sound great when played in a jazz style? Maybe it’s his harmonies, which include jazzy 9ths and 13ths, as well as ii/V/I progressions and the like. Or perhaps it’s his rhythms, which include the same latin and funk grooves that many jazz musicians use in their own tunes. … Read More

I love Christmas songs. In addition to being beautiful music, they are one of our few cultural inheritances in which we actively participate each year. They also bring together the different generations in a way that few types of music do anymore. Young children sing along with their grandparents and perhaps a teenager accompanies them … Read More

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