Free Piano Sheet Music with Video!

A while back I posted a free piano sheet music piece titled "Wisteria" Basically, this piece is a left hand crossover pattern using an 8-bar phrase.

In fact, that's exactly what it is.

Anyway, those of you who take my online piano course know that I'm a big fan of mastering the 8-bar phrase because I believe it's crucial to understanding the art of composition.

But, I never really wrote out - note for note - what it looks like.

So, if you'd like to get this free piano sheet music along with a corresponding video with me playing the piece, click here.

Interview with New Age Pianist Jim Gibson

The following is from an interview I did with Jim. I asked 5 questions I wish I had the answers to when I first started playing piano in the New Age style. Enjoy!

Edward: How Did You Get Started Playing New Age Piano?

Jim: I My mother was a piano teacher, so I just grew up playing...had a job playing for a small church in the country near my hometown (Columbus, GA) during high school, and just "fell into" playing with a dance band while I was in college. I majored in English, got an MA in English, but was playing jobs all the while, and eventually left teaching just to be a full-time commercial pianist (in Atlanta). I've been doing that since the early '70s--playing all kinds of social and commercial piano jobs...some with bands, some with small combos, many just piano.I got interested in New Age music when...

Click here to read the rest of this interview.

Summer Slow Down

Summer is almost here. Almost. Yet I find it strange how things in the piano world seem to slow down during the summer season.

What ... no one plays piano when it's hot out? Got better things to do?

I for one don't let the summer heat phase me. Perhaps it's because I have air conditioning. Or maybe it has something to do with me not taking many vacations.

I still play piano. So what about you? Does your playing slow down in the summer?

Paint Your Own Musical Landscapes!

I don't know why, but I find the idea of interpreting nature musically to be very appealing. Maybe it's because I'm attracted to nature's beauty, but the notion of communicating that beauty musically has always intrigued me.

Not being a very patient person, I wanted to find a way to capture a musical idea very quickly and sketch out an entire piece all at once. Visual artists do something called a thumbnail sketch and I wanted to do the same thing for music.

It then occured to me that if I just sketch out the first 8-bars of the piece, and write in the first 2-bars of melody, I could capture an idea that would be remembered weeks or even years later. It's amazing but this actually works!

Happy Mother's Day from Quiescence Music!

Moms. They do a lot. That's for sure. In fact, mother's do things most father's can't even contemplate.

Hence - the holiday we know as Mother's day.

My own mom used to make soup and sandwich for me during my lunch breaks in grade school. It was a heart warming ritual we both enjoyed.

I'd get off from school for an hour and come home. I only lived 2 blocks away. And I know I'd have something tasty waiting for me.

Anyway, happy Mother's day to all the hard working and thoughtful moms out there. -- Edward

Arranging For New Age Piano

A while back, I wrote an article that compared flower arranging to music arranging. While this may seem a world apart, it really isn't.

In flower arranging, the goal is to create a pleasing whole using different flowers, colors, textures, etc. If you've ever seen a beautiful flower arrangement, you'll know what I mean. The eye takes in the various contrasts and colors and is pleased when it forms into one satisfying whole.

In music the object is the same. When arranging a piece for New Age piano, we work with sections. We can label the sections (A) and (B) and then "arrange" the sections into an order. The most common order is ABA form. It has the benefits of simplicity and is a good place to start with New Age piano.

Most times, I'll use an 8-bar phrase for the (A) section. This gets repeated 2 or 3 times. Then it's time for some contrast - the (B) section. This can be a 4 or 8-bar phrase depending on taste. Then the (A) section is repeated one last time.

Now, there are other elements that go into our arrangement such as introductions, transitions, and endings. Using these elements, we can create a pleasing musical arrangement that satisfies the minds need for order and beauty creating art