Children do it with finger-paints. They also do it with writing. What is the ‘it’ they do? They doodle! They have fun playing around with color, words, music … pretty much any artistic thing you can throw in front of them.Now, why is doodling so important to you and piano playing? Because it is the child in you that longs to explore without having to produce anything. Children create because they enjoy the process of creating pure and simple. They aren’t concerned with producing a masterpiece or something worthy of show.
What they are concerned with is feeling and introspection - experience and joy. The things that really have no intrinsic value in our goal based western society.
This desire to ‘doodle’ may have been lost in many of us adults as we replaced having fun with approval seeking. This is where it goes downhill for so many would be artists because they soon learn to replace the all rewarding experience of exploring with gaining an approving nod from those ‘in the know.’
Once the adult fully realizes the damage caused by this, it’s usually too late as joy of discovery is replaced with the anxiety of creating something worthy, something good, or something that can be used.
For piano players, this can have dire consequences as the child in them yearns for the fullness of expression once felt years ago.
This is why ‘doodling’ is so important … it allows us to enjoy the process of creating without the ego need of producing a product others can admire. For piano players this means improvisation - being able to just play what comes to you.
For those needing help with this, I offer a free piano lesson that shows the beginning adult how to improvise right away in the Key of C Major. Find the lesson at http://www.QuiescenceMusic.com
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