 |
 |
 |
           |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
What All Do I Have to Know to be a Really Good Piano Player?
Many students ask me a question that goes something like this: "What all do I have to know to be a really good piano player?" The trouble with a question like that is that it ignores individual differences such as talent, motivation, freedom to practice, and a hundred other variables. How much did Mozart have to know? How much did Erroll Garner know? Mozart could play far better than I can when he was 3. And Garner was barred from joining the musicians union because he couldn't read music. Does that mean I don't have to practice, since Mozart could do it without practice? Does that mean I shouldn't learn how to read music since Garner couldn't, and it sure didn't stop him. Obviously, no. I wish I had the talent of a Garner or a Mozart, but I don't. Nowhere close. But God gave me some talent, and it's that talent that I need to develop to it's maximum. Same with you, unless you're in a class with those guys, in which case you certainly don't need me. Back when I operated Piano University & Keyboard Workshop, we had a list of skills that we attempted to inculcate into our students, at least to some degree. Here is that list: Technique Fingering Chords Scales Ear Training Music Theory Sight Reading Rhythm Styles Runs & Fills Transposition Modulation Accompanying Repertoire Improvisation Arranging Pedaling Dynamics Feeling & emotion This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but it's a start. So as you play and practice, think about each of these areas individually, and focus on improving them one at a time. Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music books and music educational materials such as DVD's, CD's, musical games for kids, chord charts, musical software, and piano lesson instructional courses for adults. His book-CD-DVD course titled "How To Dress Up Naked Music On The Piano!" has sold countless copies around the world. He holds advanced degrees from Southern Oregon University and was the founder of Piano University in Southern Oregon. He is the author of the popular free 101-week online e-mail newsletter titled Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions with over 57,400 current subscribers.
MORE RESOURCES:
Music - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Make Money with Your Music - the Top 5 Ways Songwriters dream of making their living by writing, and sometimes performing, their songs. But until that day comes they've got to make a living somehow! Sound familiar?With a little imagination, you can probably find a way to convert your love for music and songwriting into a means of making money. Buying a Violin "How do I buy a violin, (or fiddle)?"That question has risen to the top of the fiddle FAQ list, even above "What's the difference between a violin and a fiddle?"This is an account of how Richard Blackwell, my student, actually purchased a violin.He had been using a good quality student violin on loan from his sister. Piano Lessons Can be Fun! There are essentially two ways to learn piano - note reading or chords. For those who want to spend years learning how to play other peoples music, note reading is the way to go. Legend Vega Releasing New Pop CD Legend Vega is scheduled to release her newest CD this summer, Personal Space. Fans characterize Legend's style as a cross between Mariah Carey and a female version of Ricky Martin. Shut Up And Sing What is it with these performers and their politics? Do they really think that people who pay $100 or more to hear them sing want to hear them utter political opinions? The audience pays hundreds of thousands of dollars to see and hear a performer PERFORM. You want to spout politics, run for freakin office, you moron! When performers use a paid venue to play politics they are abusing the paying audience, the venue, the sponsors and everyone connected to their artistic performance. New M3 with Competition Package The new competition package available for the BMW M3 is almost sad as it is wonderful. With everyone knowing of the strong rumors of the M3's power plant changing to a V8, it's almost heart breaking to think about the legendary straight 6 cylinder being laid to rest. The Record Industry Continues Battle Against Free Music Downloads Movie and record producers alike are saying file-sharing networks that permit its users the ability to make copies from other network member's computers are infringing on the copyright laws and costing billions of dollars in lost revenue.The recording industry claims to have lost 25% of it's revenues since computer, so called thieves, have been using peer-to-peer file-sharing networks to obtain free music downloads. How to Create a Multi-artistic Piece - Part II In the last article, the creation of a theme, its development, and the use of a libretto were discussed. As one may recall, the theme is the kernel of a production, which dictates the nature of the piece. How To Overcome The Lyric Writing Hurdles That Are Keeping You Behind The lyric writing side of songwriting is known to create an enormous number of problems for some folks. No matter how hard they try, they are unable to write a single line that they can be pleased with. Origins of the Mathers Family Eminem's roots can be found in Scandinavia through his mother Debbie Nelson and in South Wales through his father Marshall Bruce Mathers II.But Eminem has mostly Scottish blood running through his veins. Do You Know What a Didgeridoo Is? Do you know what a didgeridoo is? There are so many things in this life that are unknown to us. I bet you could find out about something outside your normal sphere of vision and experience everyday for the rest of your life and still not get close to knowing about everything out there. Its Jewish Music, But Is The Music Jewish? A while back I was driving along the Jerusalem highway scanning the radio stations. On one frequency, a very intense dance beat was exploding out of the speakers. Liberate your iPod When Akio Morita came up with the idea of the Sony Walkman all of his colleagues at the thought he was completely insane. The general consensus was that people wouldn't want to walk around the streets wearing headphones. Piano Teachers - Whats Wrong with Them? Most of us like to use what we learn right away. So why is it that most piano teachers tell you you can't really play music until you learn 2 years of theory or more? What hogwash!If I had to wait that long before I could launch into my own creations I would go nuts. Music and Emotion The Age-old Puzzle of Human ResponseIf you've listened to more than a little music, you've most likely received an emotional reaction from some of it. You've probably noticed that whenever that happens, the effect is initially unexpected and varies in its intensity. Review: The Dissociatives - Self Titled In 1994 Daniel Johns and his group Silverchair were catapulted into the mainstream by winning a demo competition in Australia. Their single 'Tomorrow' is still widely regarded as one of the defining songs of the early 90s. Micheal Jackson I bet your wondering all about the Micheal Jackson Trail. Do you think he's guilty. Guitar Tuning Tips Most new guitar players and even some experienced ones have trouble staying and playing in tune. I'll try listing here some of the common mistakes and there solutions. Formation of a Song (Recording) As industry insiders, we sometimes forget that when discussing the recording process, the rest of the world really has no idea what we are talking about. Hopefully this will provide an explanation of the song formation process in layman's terms so that there may be less disconnect between the professional and the consumer. Good News for the Musically Untalented Have you ever been told that you were good at something but not good enough to make it a career or life ambition? Especially with music, if you're passion is music you are hopelessly outnumbered right from the beginning. "You better have a back-up job" or "Don't put all your eggs in one basket" are common refrains heard from well meaning adults who inadvertently had their dreams crushed out of them.
|
 |