| |
| |
|
Music Information |
|
|
|
Improvising On The Piano: Jazz Musicians Do It -- Why Not Other Styles?
Why jazz piano improvisation? Why not gospel piano improvisation? Is it not possible to improvise classical music, or sacred music, or any other kind of music? Bach improvised many of his fugues and inventions while playing organ in church. Many others in all musical styles have improvised within the context of their own persuasion. So why study improvised jazz? Why not study improvised classical music, or improvised gospel music? The answer is access. Jazz piano improvisation is so much more accessible than is improvisation in other areas. Some classical pianists do improvise, but at performances they are generally expected to play Chopin or Debussy or Mozart, rather than to make up their own music. There are gospel pianists who do improvise, but the expectation of their listeners is not primarily to hear music created on the spot. But the expectations of a audience of jazz fans is expressly to hear music created extemporaneously, without benefit of written score. And so jazz, far more than any other musical style to date, has become the music of improvisation. Not because there is anything inherent in the tunes jazz musicians play that calls for improvisation, but because of the expectation of improvisation that has built up over the years. This fact makes it possible for an interested observer to study jazz improvisation like he could study no other kind of improvisation. He has easy access to concerts, recordings, transcriptions of jazz recordings, and even local jam sessions. When can he attend a classical concert and be sure of hearing music improvised? When can he attend church with assurance that the pianist will improvise? But with jazz, his sources are many and are readily available. Can the principles derived from jazz improvisation be applied to other musical styles? Of course. Every pianist uses the same 88 notes of the keyboard. All music consists of some kind of melody, some kind of harmony, some kind of rhythm. Elements from one style can be transplanted to another style; in fact, this is happening all the time. Notice lately how much of contemporary pop music is flavored with elements from jazz, country-western, and even classical music. Cross-pollinization of styles abounds in contemporary music. So improvisation can be studied by the student of classical music, the church pianist, the worship team keyboardist, the new-age pianist, the country-western piano player, and any other style of music. The benefits and rewards of learning to improvise on the piano are enormous. So next time you see or hear a jazz pianist play, pay close attention to what she or he is doing. Ask yourself what's going on musically -- what chords and chord progressions are being used, what rhythms are in play, and how the tune of a song is being altered as the pianist improvises the melody line. Then go home and apply what you've learned to your style of music. You'll be surprised how much you can learn by simply observing and then applying what you've seen and heard to your own playing. 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. He is the author of a CD-DVD course titled "How To Make Up Music As You Play -- How To Improvise On The Piano!". 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
The History Of Drums - A Journey Of Sound Music and musical instruments are an extremely important part of human history. The use of rhythm and song has long been used to express meaning, and feeling and accompany rituals. Health Insurance for Creative Artists -- A Multi-Talented Health Investment For the Creative Artist -- Good Health Insurance is Truly a Lifetime InvestmentFellow artists, buying good health insurance is the best investment you can make in your lifetime! You can purchase fine jewelry, art works, vintage cars -- but none of these can assure you the value, well-being, and peace of mind that a comprehensive health insurance plan will bring you. And you don't have to pay for expensive expert advice before buying, either. Launch Pad Introduces Subliminal Who would have ever thought that a call out for a guitar player from the audience would turn into such a wow! Beginning the night off at Launch Pad playing excellent covers of Eagles and Jimi Hendrix it could only follow by something as extraordinary as beat boxing.Subliminal was the one who amazed me and everyone else by doing what famous beatboxing legend Rahzel is known for, which is spitting out the chorus and the beat at the same time using only his vocals. Guitar Facts: A Glossary of Terms It is said that the forerunner of the guitar, the lute, was created by the Greek god, Apollo. In India, it is believed that the sitar, another stringed instrument from which the guitar is descended, is sacred to the goddess Saraswati. The Art of Music Music is the art of arranging sounds in periodic time so as to produce a continuous, unified, and evocative composition, as through melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre.It is also the vocal or instrumental sounds possessing a degree of melody, harmony, or rhythm. The Revolution has begun - and it will not be Televised The new Artist Development Paradigm In reflecting on the world of the Music Business in 2004, there were some very profound and dramatic changes that changed the nature of the Music Business itself. 2004 will always be remembered as the year the 'Big Five' became the 'Big Four' and don't be surprised if you're reading at this time next year and we're telling you about the 'Big Three'! Beside the Sony/BMG merger, 2004 will also be remembered as the year labels utilized aggressively utilized video games as a marketing vehicle for the launching of many of their artists. Do you really need college to learn to play music? Music courses are a great way to learn about virtually any area of music; history, theory, and musical instrument instruction -- you name it and somewhere music courses specialize in it. Though generally found through colleges, universities or high school programs, music courses are also offered via one-on-one instruction with a private teacher or community-based workshops. Celtic Music: The Japanese Connection My friend, guitarist Brian Hughes, toured with the Chieftain's in Japan as an opening act with Loreena McKennitt. He then went on to perform with the Chieftains in North America and Europe when they were promoting their album Santiago. Canadian Stars: The Marble Index and the Waking Eyes Canadian Indie bands are dominating the music scene and it just so happened that three of them took over the Rivoli on Queen St. for a night of true entertainment. Flaming Guitars! Minarik Fuels The Excitement of a New Generation of Musicians From the Telecaster to the Flying V to the Iceman to the Warlock, some guitar designs are forever branded on our consciousness, and now there's a new one: the Minarik Inferno X-treme. The body shape erupts in furious fingers of flame. All About Eminem Marshall Mathers, was born October 17, 72, and could be by far the most notorious and recognised rap music musicians of this age, having the alias Slimshady. Slim Shady is perhaps best known for being one of the very few influencial white rappers in the hip hop industry, and not only one of the most critically acclaimed. History of the Clarinet From the 19th Century While composers had already begun to write music for the clarinet, such as Mozart with the Clarinet Concerto and Clarinet Quintet, it was the 19th century that saw an explosion of use of the clarinet in the music of most composers of the day. This was mainly due to two factors. What is Guitar Tablature and Can I Find It Online? The guitar is one of the most popular musical instruments and the online guitar community probably the most popular of its kind. There are thousands of guitarists connected via online communities sharing guitar tabs, tips and stories and there are many of websites dedicated to sharing guitar music, tablature and even guitar lessons. Why Do Music Lovers Still Prefer to Buy Records? In the late 1940's, the 45-RPM record replaced the 78-RPM record. The 45 was smaller, less breakable and could be made and sold more cheaply. The Didjeridu In Northern Australia the Didjeridu is seen as a phallic symbol and therefore a male instrument. Women are prohibited from playing. How to Improvise Using a Few Chords When a painter is getting ready to paint, a color palette is usually chosen first. For example, if a forest is to be painted, the artist may choose browns, greens, and blues for the sky. The Need To Perform I can't believe how much of the year has gone by, but all the same, it's unbelievable how much I've grown through the year and most of it, from demolishing my need to perform.I grew up playing a lot of hockey, being captain of both my schools when I was in Nigeria and London. Learn to Play the Piano Rocket Piano is a very professionally done piano lesson package. It includes a number of ebooks, audio tracks, and video tracks to support the instructional material. Dont Censor the Music and Artistic Expression Ann Powers said: "Don't censor the music and artistic expression. Eminem's music, in particular the songs "Kim" and "Stan," is a continuation of a tradition in music and American art in general: the Gothic murder ballad, which has been with us ever since the blues or Appalachian folk music. Guitar Humidification Problems with humidity can lead to heartbreak for the classical (or other) guitarist. Excessive humidity or dryness can ruin an instrument probably quicker than you think.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
