How to Get Past Creative Blocks

When I first began playing the piano and improvising, there were times when the music just wouldn't flow. No matter what I did, I couldn't make it go any further. Blocked and frustrated, I wondered why this happened. One minute I would be in flow and enjoying the process of playing the piano. The next, I would find myself trying to come up with material

I soon realized that the more I tried to "come up" with something, the more blocked I became. The solution to this particular problem is simple, yet many find it to be frustrating in itself.

The answer is simply to walk away. That's right! If you're playing the piano and it just won't come anymore, I suggest getting up and finding something else to do. Why? Because you can not force play! It's that simple. And that difficult because we want to get back into the "groove." But getting back to this place requires you to ease up a bit.

You see, the creative process is somewhat similar to meditation. Meditation can't be forced or willed into working. It must be allowed to work. So too the creative process. There are times when I won't touch the piano for weeks on end. This used to bother me until I saw that I needed time away - a regenerative period so to speak.

Natalie Goldberg of "Writing Down the Bones" fame describes this lackluster period as composting. Don't worry about losing your creative ability. You never lost it. Just give it time to compost and when you return to the music, you will hear something new and wonderful!

Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Visit www.quiescencemusic.com now and get a FREE piano lesson!

Affirmations for Piano Playing? Free Mp3 and Video Coming!

Affirmations ... something you hold to be true and affirm. That's what they are. And a new Mp3 and video containing over 20 of them are coming to all QM members next week!

That's right! I've just written out 25 affirmations that will help you 'free' your piano playing up.

Now, you won't be hearing me say them (my voice is terrible) but I've hired a pro to record them for you over some soothing music.

I used to think affirmations were a waste of time. That is until I needed to change some deep seated beliefs about what I could or could not do at the piano. Anyway, I think these affirmations will benefit you in ways you may not even fathom now.

I worked with affirmations a whole lot in the beginning when I first started playing and noticed that I had a lot of the 'critical parent' voice in my head. The main one was 'I'm not good enough.' But, with patience and persistence, I overcame that incorrect belief.

Piano Therapy? Piano Teacher Edward Weiss has Novel Approach to Music Making

Music … it has so many therapeutic uses. From a soothing background in hospitals to a relaxing ambiance in restaurants.

But the use of music as a healing agent isn’t anything new. It’s been around since people started making music thousands of years ago.

And now, pianist and teacher Edward Weiss wants to spread that message.

Weiss owns and operates a website that teaches beginning adults how to play New Age piano music. The site now boasts over 1000 subscribers and offers over 100 lessons teaching students from all over the world how to create their own healing sounds on the piano. Weiss remarks:

“Many adults just want to be able to sit down at the piano and connect with music on a personal level. The great thing about my method is no note reading or experience is required. Anyone who wants to play piano can do so. All that’s required is knowledge of a few chords and the willingness to try.”

Traditionally, piano lessons consist of a live teacher, a method book, and weekly visits that include back and forth trips on the highway. The Internet is changing all this as more and more are searching for what they want online.

Weiss, who also teaches privately has this to say…

“The Yellow Pages used to be the first thing prospective students reached for when thinking about taking piano lessons. Not anymore. Thanks to the Internet, anyone can find what they’re looking for. They can also find many non-traditional types of instruction that simply don’t exist in the brick and mortar world.”

Weiss is currently offering a 'Summer Sale' where prospective students can get over 100 New Age piano lessons for $19. A free workbook is also offered at Online Piano Lessons by Quiescence Music.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Harmony

It was discovered centuries ago in Europe. Harmony that is and it’s ‘secrets.’ You see, someone discovered that a certain ‘tension’ exists between certain chords.

Especially between the Tonic and Dominant chords. In the Key of C Major, the Tonic would be C Major and the Dominant would be G Major.

Roman numerals were assigned to these chords and they are still used today. For example, the tonic chords would be written as l while the dominant would be notated as V.

Now that’s out of the way and we can focus on what’s really important here and that is THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CHORDS!

Especially between the 1 and V chords. Classical composers used that very special relationship between these chords to create ’tension’ in their music. This is called ’functional harmony’ and it’s still being used today!

The other important chord in this equation is something called the sub-dominant chord. This is the lV chord and in the Key of C Major, this would be F Major. These chords … l - lV - and V comprise the backbone of 99% of western music. It’s called functional harmony because the chords function as tension and release - beginning and end.

Interesting isn’t it? Yet this is the most important thing you can learn when it comes to harmony. Learn the basic 3 chords in the Key of C Major and you’ve effectively stripped harmony down to it’s essentials.

Now, how that tension is used is where it gets really interesting! I’ve been using this in most of your lessons when I end an 8-bar phrase in the Key of C Major with a G Major chord.

You can add even more tension when you play the G major as a G7 chord. This ’seventh’ chord has the most tension in it and easily resolves into the tonic or C Major chord.

In your next lesson this Friday, I’m going to illustrate this so you can hear exactly what I’m talking about, and more importantly, how to use it in improvisations and compositions of your own!

Membership expired? Take advantage of my 'Summer Sale' now and get ready for a very cool and useful lesson!

Piano Lessons by Quiescence Music Announces ‘Summer Sale!’

Summer is in full swing. And the online piano lessons site Quiescence Music is offering a ‘summer sale’ where prospective students can get over 100 piano lessons for $19.

The site, owned and operated by pianist/composer Edward Weiss teaches a style of piano playing known as ‘New Age.’ The New Age style has been around since the early 1980’s and has recently seen a resurgence in popularity.

Asked why this may be so, Weiss responds:

“I think people have always used music as a stress reducer. The style of piano playing I teach allows the beginning student to use a few chords to play what they feel right away. It’s a very therapeutic approach that offers much in the way of relaxation, but also creativity.”

Classical piano lessons have always been the style of choice for most people. Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart have left us so much beautiful music, but Weiss believes it’s much better if students can create on their own.

Weiss says…

“So many students have taken classical piano lessons and have left disappointed. I think that’s because there’s not much in the way of creative expression here. Plus, it can take years and years to even be able to play something well. My approach bypasses all that and give students the ability to just sit down and be at the piano.”

Weiss is currently offering a free piano lesson ‘Summer Morning’ and a free book ‘Free to be Creative at the Piano’ at his website Online Piano Lessons by Quiescence Music.