If You Don’t Like Your Sound, What’s the Point?

Ah D minor 9 how I love thee. So sad. So wistful. So full of longing and desire. It’s the sound you see. The sound.

Have you found a sound you love? If not, no worries, you can and you will. If so, good! It means you know what you like and you’re not ashamed of it - and that’s a big thing!

Because if you don’t like your sound what’s the point? If you’re not playing piano to please your own sensibilities, then why do you play the piano? Is it selfish to actually enjoy the sounds coming from the instrument; to indulge in the sensual pleasure of overtone and bass notes for one’s own sake? If so, than I am an egoist of the highest order.

From D minor 9, I can go anywhere. But I usually like to define some kind of tonality to make it easier. By using the D dorian scale (d, e, f, g, a, b, c, d) I construct chords and improvise to my heart’s delight. How long will it last? Who knows.

The magic takes place when player and music become one. You know when this happens when you forget that you’re actually playing the piano. You become the music itself.

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 15 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Visit now and get a FREE piano lesson!

　

Days Without Playing Piano…

Believe it or not, I can go for days without playing piano. In fact, I like to. I do this not because of some kind of goal though. I do it because a lot of times, I just don’t want to play the piano.

This may sound like anathema coming from a piano teacher, but let me tell you something… the reason I stay away from the piano is a creative one, meaning, I have nothing to say or express at that particular time.

I don’t play piano to please others or to perform. I play piano because I see it as a natural extension of my creative self. A musical balm I can put on anytime I want to simply because I can.

Now, the rub of this of course is that if you don’t practice, you lose facility. That’s a hard fact. But it’s a fact I’m not too concerned with because what I play is usually therapeutic fare - a note salad of tones and textures that pleases me to no end. I play a E minor 7 chord and it begins - the sound, minor and appealing. Then movement; fingers start playing around with chord tones and music comes forth.

Now, this of course, is more than enough to content me. In fact, there are times where it completes me in a way that no other activity can. A musical nourishment that effortlessly melds into me. Playing and player become one and it is at this instant that the music is at it’s most powerful.

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 15 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet.

Not Everyone Thrives in a 'Do this and Get a Gold Star' Environment

I remember taking saxophone lessons as a child. I was 7. My teacher was a Frenchman. A real nice guy. Until you made a mistake.

Then, he would hit me on the head with a pencil and tell me to start again. As a child, I thought this was playful banter. In other words, it didn’t bother me but what it did was make me afraid of making mistakes or errors as some teachers like to call them.

His approach was to create a technically proficient player who could read music well and play in time and on cue. Now this is the way it is for most music study. Teachers help students meet certain goals and I have no problem with this. But this approach does have a drawback, and it’s a pretty big one in my book.

It’s that the emphasis is on technique to the exclusion of creative expression which to me is putting the cart before the horse. Here’s why. Technique is great. No argument there. In fact, the classical pianist is a master at technique.

But technique by itself does nothing for those who wish to communicate their feelings on their chosen instrument. Sure, they can play scales, arpeggios, etc, but the idea of improvisation, composition, these things are left till the very end if taught at all. And this is what I oppose.

Students must learn to trust their intuition - a skill that can be taught, but isn’t to most music students.

It doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, I encourage improvisation and composition while learning technique. This approach encourages innovation, creativity, and boldness - exactly the same qualities one should have to properly be called an ’artist.’

Hope is Kindled: 'The Power of a Simple Theme'

If you're a Lord of the Rings fan (and even if you're not) here's an example of the power of a simple theme. In this scene, the goal is to give a feeling for hope. And boy does it do it!

It starts out as a slow builiding bunch of chords going up and up until... the main theme kicks in at the 1:02 mark - a simple 8-bar phrase in 4/4 time. This is what it is. It's also pretty sure it's based on the modal scale of D dorian. Interesting because it's a very old 'church mode' and fits well with the 'Autumnal' feeling this composer wants to create.

See? Even these guys use the 8-bar phrase which is why I incorporate it into the lessons. It's a powerful compositonal framework!

My Summer Vacation by Edward Weiss

Well, let me first say that I don’t ‘do’ much. That is, I’m a homebody. I like to relax here in San Diego.

Everything is here. Ocean? Check. Forest? Check. Mountains? Check again. And the weather? The best in the U.S. some say. And I’d agree.

Having said that, I’ve been busy working on my new CD ‘Forest Solitude.’ Those of you who know me also know this CD’s been in the works for a few years.

But I’m very confident of having this new music available by the beginning of 2013. I plan to do a trilogy focusing on nature themes.

The first one as you know is titled ‘Forest Solitude’ and will contain nature sounds mixed with solo piano music from yours truly. In fact, the picture on this blog post is actually a song that will be on it.

Anyway, back to work. I've got a lot to do. :)

Yours musically,
Edward Weiss

Always Room for Improvement?

I was recently browsing the ‘Composer’s Corner’ over at PianoWorld. It’s a place where pianist/composers can ‘lay bare’ their work for the scrutiny of others.

This is done a lot in the classical music world. And it can be very useful for feedback. The budding composer is told that this or that about the harmony. Melody may be picked apart as well as the entire composition itself.

The purpose of the scrutiny is for the budding composer to grow. But I have a problem with this and it has to do with the word ’art.’

You see, you really can’t improve on art and here’s why -- it’s unique and original in the moment it was created. No two pieces will be the same. Each one a perfect representation of the artist’s inspiration. Each one a stepping stone to the next and so on.

If the purpose of critique is improvement, I have to ask “what is being improved?” The answer, of course, is technique. And technique, while important, shadows in importance when compared with the artist’s capacity to trust themselves and what comes out of them.

By asking others if this or that can be improved, what you’re really doing is giving others permission to tell you what they think is good, bad, etc. And this usually is not very useful.

For example, how helpful would it be if I told you I didn’t like a certain harmony you used and suggested something different. Or, suppose I took a listen to your music and said “the melody doesn’t do it for me” or anyone of a thousand suggestions I could possibly give.

By trusting yourself … by giving yourself permission to create without judgment, you won’t need others opinions on whether something can be improved or not. You will bypass the need to garner approval and reap the rewards of this - the ability to create unfettered!

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 15 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Visit now and get a FREE piano lesson and 342 page book!

Summer, Piano Playing, and Getting Inspired

I’ll admit it … summer’s not my favorite time of year. I’m almost 50, have a bad back, and can actually feel my body contract and expand in ways I never thought possible.

To say that I’m not inspired to play piano would be an understatement.

And yet, when I do take the time to sit down at the piano and play, I find, once again, how easy the heavy feelings can be lifted once I let the music wash over me.

One of my major teaching philosophies is that you can’t force play. And that’s true! Which is why I suggest that when you’re feeling down and don’t’ feel like playing piano, you shouldn’t.

But, there’s a competing philosophy that suggests you ’show up’ at the piano even if you don’t want to. I tried this myself and found about a 70% success rate. That is, there are times when I really don’t feel like playing and won’t. I’ll go to the piano, place fingers on a chord and when I play, it sounds lifeless and flat.

Of course, the reason it sounds this way is due to my own emotional state.

Yet, if I stay with the music regardless of how I might be feeling and play anyway, there’s a good chance that something will ’click’ and the music will feel new and fresh again. This actually happens and has happened to me on numerous occasions.

So, if you don’t feel like playing - if you’re miserable and the last thing you want to do is play piano, try it anyway. It might be just the thing you need to reinvigorate and inspire you once again.

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 15 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Visit now and get a FREE piano lesson and book!

Adding to Your Repertoire of Sound!

There are a lot of ways to play chords. How many ways? An infinite amount. So how do you find new ‘sounds’ you like?

I usually start students off playing seventh chords in open position. This gives you a nice open sound that’s perfect for the beginner who wants to express in a modern musical language.

But open position chords are far from the only sound available to pianists. Far from it.
In your next new lesson, I’m going to show you how to use the humble triad to create a sound you would not believe is actually coming from this simple structure.

The trick is what I do with it! It’s a different ‘sound’ than what I’ve been teaching you. Somewhat reminiscent of the classical composer Debussy, these interesting triads are used to create an ambiguous, ethereal tone. Something you can use and add to your repertoire of sound. It’s coming very soon. Stay tuned!

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 15 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Visit now and get a FREE piano lesson!

Coming Soon… Quiescence Music Singles!

They’re not cheese, that’s for sure. QM singles are individual lessons I’ll be selling as stand alones. The good news is, if you’re already a course member, you get them FREE!

Each single lesson includes a video with yours truly demonstrating and explaining techniques and other goodies and also has comprehensive lesson notes and a chord-chart when necessary.

Why am I doing this?

More options for those who don’t want to jump in to my course right away. The first one in the series is titled ‘August Fields’ and shows you how easy it can be to create music when you start with the most important thing first - the musical idea and how to ‘frame it’ so you can then use repetition and contrast to either enhance or expand the idea. Price? A very low $3.95 per lesson!

It’s coming very soon! Stay tuned.

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 15 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Visit now and get a FREE piano lesson!

Recommended Listening: Stanton Lanier - Awaken the Dawn

A New Age piano concert? Can you believe it? Yep. The pianist is Stanton Lanier at a Whisperings House concert given in Seattle I think.

Anyway, the reason I posted this is so I can 'break it down' for you. Let's take a look at how this pianist uses repetition and contrast to compose with. As far as I can tell there are just 2 sections here. Not a lot of material to be sure. But just listen to what he does with that!

The main theme is played and lasts a bit. Actually sounds like an 8-bar phrase. Then, at the 51 seconds mark, something new. Nothing drastically new here - but you can tell that new material is being used.

Then, it's right back to the main theme. Nothing complicated to be sure but a beautiful piece of music nonetheless. By going back and forth between sections, contrast is created. This keeps listener attention (hopefully) as a complete musical 'journey' is created.

If I were to break this piece down into it's final form it might look something like this: ABABA