Q. I know a decent bit of music theory, but I'm far from an expert. How/what should I study to improve my ability to turn my thoughts into sound and put them on paper (I know how to read/write sheet music)? Should I just study lots of sheet music I like and take notes on the chord progressions and techniques used? Do I just need more experience playing various styles of music? I play guitar (classical and electric) and keyboard.
A. <<<books>>>
Music majors are required to take a four-year course in music theory, which consists mostly of harmony.
The textbook by Walter Piston is good, but there are others.
A course in form and analysis is important, too.
The only textbook on the subject I know is Form in Tonal Music by Douglass Green.
If you want to write for different instruments, it is important to study orchestration.
It is impossible to describe in words the sounds of the instruments and combinations of instruments, so the newer textbooks come with a CD attached.
Counterpoint is important, too.
I took a one-semester course in that, but I didn't learn much.
See if you can find a good book on fugal counterpoint.
<<<scores>>>
For the simpler forms, such as binary and ternary, I recommend Anna Magdalena Bach's Notebook and Schumann's Album for the Young. Analyzing those two books was my secret to passing the first part of Form and Analysis class.
For the sonata and rondo forms, I recommend the Mozart piano sonatas. Then see how your analysis compares with that of J. Raymond Tobin, author of Mozart and the Sonata Form or that of F. Helena Marks, author of The Sonata: Its Form and Meaning.
For counterpoint exercise, analyze some Bach fugues. I suggest the Well-Tempered Clavier, along with David Ledbetter's book on the subject.
For exercise in harmony, the Bach chorales can't be beat. You can get them all in the Riemenschneider collection.
I don't expect you to do all this in one day.
How long does it take for one to learn how to improvise on piano?
Q. Alright, I really want to make my own music on the piano and I am currently taking piano lessons. She says what I am learning will lead up to improvising. She says I am making leaps in my progress. So how long does it take to learn improv?
A. All of these answers are correct...... what style are you wanting to learn to improvise? If you are just starting out, you can improvise in one piano lesson!!! (Using C major.... no black keys to have to worry about!)
Meter: 4/4
Chord progression: C---\Am---\C---\Am---\F---\F---\G---\G---
(repeat)
For an easy left hand part, try:
CGC'--\AEA'--\CGC'--\AEA'--\FCF'--\FCF'--\GDG'--\GDG'--
Then, with your right hand, improvise your own melody. Obviously, the most beginner of improvisers will feel most comfortable starting and ending your improvisation on the "home tone" or "key" which in this case is C. Whenever you improvise, you need to have an understanding of your chord progression and what notes sound "right" or "wrong" in a certain chord. This all will come down to an understanding of music theory which you will learn as you go!!!
For this first exercise, just play whatever you want in your right hand!
Your piano teacher knows you best, but I would always recommend studying and practicing your scales, arpeggios and cadences in order to have a better understanding of how music works and how improvisation works. If you are eventually wanting to improvise jazz and blues, you'll need more than just the classical understanding of theory. The blues is the best place to start in jazz improv. There are a lot of resources out there to start you on that journey! Check out anything that is published by Jamey Abersold. (www.jazzbooks.com)
Start by learning left hand chord progressions (blues progression) and then experiment by playing blues scales and licks in your right hand over your voicings in your left!
How long would it take me to learn jazz piano?
Q. I have very little experience in piano and want to start now. I have a lot of spare time so I could dedicate a few hours a day, 7 days a week. I need all the advice you can give me. Any good books or videos on youtube etc. How long before I can play waltz for debby? And what's the easiest jazz song to learn first?
A. Okay here's the deal.
I am a pianist in the loosest sense of the term. I have taken Royal Boards to Grade 8 and I have played classical, jazz, and even composed some of my own four part harmonies to play for some events.
One day, my aunt at her wedding asked me to play for everyone, so I got up, walked over to the piano, sat down, and shat myself at little. I couldn't improvise!!! At most, I would need five minutes to develop a melody, maybe figure out chord progressions in my head from what would sound "right," and then compose a robotic sounding but totally "correct," piece. But I couldn't leave the piano alone, I played a memorized piece and that was that.
I went home, pissed that after 12 years of piano, I could play, but I couldn't PLAY. How did these musicians create these beautiful works of art? Clair de lune! MY GOD! If I could improvise that I would be some godly panty dropper.
So I sat down, thought about theory a little bit, but more or less started simple, touching keys familiar to me and put them together, strung with a little bit of theory. It sounded 10x better than my robotic piece imitation even if it was just one chord up and down the piano. Why? Because it had soul. For the first time in my life I had a real genuine tremble go through my spine from a piece of music that I played!
Waltz for Debby. I played that during a recital along with a Fats Waller song that I cannot remember. Like any piece, as a classically trained pianist, it only took an hour to learn, but days to memorize and perfect. If you are totally new, but know what all of the signs on a sheet of music mean, you can easily learn it in a few days. And I mean LEARN it, like copy and play perfectly.
Unfortunately, I don't really advise doing this. Actually I advise against playing sheet music period. I can't believe I wasted all of my time doing all of that. I now play by chord and by ear. My improvisation still isn't where I want it to be but at least when people say, "Hey, play something for me," I'll be able to play something for them.
Here's some stuff to get you started.
Learn the keys, the name of the keys, all of them.
Then begin slowly, you will have to learn all of the scales. Major, minor, harmonic minor for example.
How you decide to learn them.. whether through Circle of Fifths .. memorization.. whatever, is totally up to you, but you should know the names of the keys (CDEFGAB, etc, and what sharps or flats are in them.)
There are just so many resources available nowadays that it makes it pointless to buy any books, really..
Again, I really advise against learning songs for the sake of playing them to others.. I was lost in that mindset for twelve years. TWELVE YEARS!! I only saw the light after that incident.
Regardless, here's a little taste of jazz.
Pick a major scale.. for example G major.
G major has one sharp, which is the first sharp, F#.
So this means to play G major, you can play any of these notes: G A B C D E F#, and it will sound good.
Go to your piano and play.. G A B C D E. That's G major.
Now play G A B C D# E. How did that sound to you? Pretty jazzy right? But D# isn't a part of the G major scale, why are you allowed to play that note, you ask?
Well, that's jazz for you. And if you'd like to learn more, BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY!
Powered by Yahoo! Answers