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!

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

Piano Forums - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

We all need community. Especially those of us who play piano. After all, it’s mostly a solitary activity. With that in mind, there aren’t a lot of forums where the focus is on the ‘king of instruments.’

But fear not. There are two ‘biggies’ out there you should know about.

The first one is called PianoWorld and it is the biggest, most active piano forum out there. It’s run and owned by webmaster Frank Baxter. Frank, himself an amateur pianist has been running these forums for over 10 years.

The good thing about these forums is they’re very active. In fact, there are more ‘members’ here than anywhere else. The bad thing is it’s pretty much all about classical piano. Of course, this would not be bad if you’re a classical pianist. But for those who enjoy jazz, pop, or even new age music, the pickings are slim compared to those who post on topics related to classical music.

Which brings me to ‘the ugly’ side of PianoWorld. I used to be a member there. Until I got banned for speaking my mind. I didn’t break any forum rules but I wasn’t well liked. Why? My theory is they didn’t want to hear what I had to say about piano playing in general. But if you know me and read my posts, articles, and other piano musings, you know what I have to say can be controversial and even threatening to those who have devoted most of their lives to playing classical piano.

But I encourage you to check it out for yourself. Find them at http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/

After PianoWorld comes Pianostreet. I don’t know who runs these forums but let me start with the ugly first - the entire site is done in reverse type.

What’s that you ask? It’s white text on a black background. Guaranteed to burn your retinas out after just a few minutes of viewing. In fact, white text with a black background is probably the worst design mistake you can make. Why? Because it’s the hardest of all design styles to read! And assuming you want people to visit, read, and eventually post, it’s really, really stupid.

Now, the bad. It too is mostly classical. And I really don’t understand why. Surely there are more ‘pop’ pianists out there than their classical playing counterparts. But it’s probably due to the fact that classical pianists love to chat about minutiae like, hand tension, fingering, dynamics - pretty much anything you can think of that would lead a classical pianist to perfect his art.

In fact, there are two major contributor’s there who do nothing, and I mean nothing but argue with each other over said minutiae. I won’t name them, but if you visit, it won’t take you long to discover their identities.

As far as ‘the good’ goes, there is a sub forum where people can post improvisations and the like via video. I have a few there and received some nice comments. But once again, if you’re not into the classical scene, the pickings can be slim. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

You can find the Pianostreet forums at http://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php

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!

Musical Doodling - What it is and How it can Help Your Piano Playing!

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

George Winston 'Likes' My Video on Facebook

I've always been a fan. Actually, a huge fan of George Winston. Why? Because in the 1980's he popularized a style of piano playing that shouldn't have become popular.

Click on the picture for a closer look.

Thanks to a glowing 'Rolling Stone' magazine interview, a Grammy, and muli-platinum selling CD's, the genre known as 'New Age' became known worldwide. And it's all pretty much due to Winston.

So, when I posted a video called 'Open Plains' on George's Facebook page, the last thing I expected was for him to 'Like' it. That's actually a huge compliment as Winston is notorious for not giving endorsements, testimonials, or even nods of approval.

I wasn't expecting it so it was all the sweeter. Maybe he 'Liked' it because it's actually an homage to the man who influenced him - Phillip Aaberg.

Whatever the reason, it's nice to be recognized by this humble man who has done so much for the New Age genre ... even if he doesn't call what he does 'New Age.' :)

I’m Not the Best Pianist in the World

If you’ve had a chance to take one of my online piano lessons or watch a video of me playing piano, you already know this fact - I’m not a great piano player.

And, I’ll probably never be a great piano player. It doesn’t bother me.

Why? Because in order to become great, you have to give it your all. And when I say your all, I mean exactly that. I mean spending a minimum of 6-8 hours a day practicing and practicing and getting ready for performance.

This vigorous routine is usually reserved for the classical pianist who wants a career as a performer. The idea is to get so good at playing that expression and interpretation become priority. And there it ends.

For while this pianist can play other people’s music extremely well, the odds are good that this same piano player, who’s practiced for thousands of hours, won’t be able to just sit down and play something original. Something not created by others.

And that dear friend is sad. Because while there’s no denying the music of Bach, Beethoven, etc is ‘good’ music, it makes me wonder why anyone would devote literally their entire life recreating it.

I’m not the best pianist in the world. But I can sit down at a piano and reach for a chord that calls to me. The dance then begins as melody, harmony, and rhythm come to life -right before me. Music flows forth and heart and mind become unified - instantly. What a gift to be able to do this!

I can’t play a Bach prelude or Chopin etude. But I can be myself at the piano and experience an intimacy that always leaves me feeling rejuvenated - like a cool breeze does on a hot summer day.

I don’t spend countless hours practicing either. No need to. I’m not entering a competition or preparing for a recital. My interest lies firmly with experience and experience alone. What I’m after is connection and release, mystery and the satisfaction that always comes when I allow the music to ‘play me.’ I let go of the need to create something good, something perfect, or something masterful. Instead, I focus on and enjoy the process and, forever how long it lasts, I am free.

Isn’t this ‘being at the piano’ worthy of respect? Is not the ability to do this priceless? I think so and have devoted myself to getting others to ‘have a go’ at it. Because once students taste the freedom of improvisation and free play, it’s as if a wellspring has been opened inside them. They finally have discovered what’s been missing all those years, namely the ability to play what one feels.

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!

The Concept of 'Key Center' Taught by Family Guy's Stewie Griffin

I was going to produce a video illustrating 'Key Center,' but Stewie does it so much better! Still, a few important things to know here.

He's playing in the Key of G Major. To establish 'key center,' Stewie needs to play just 3 chords ... G Major or the Tonic or the l chord. Next he plays a C Major chord - also called the sub-dominant or lV chord. But he's not finished yet. He needs the dominant or V chord, which is really D 7.

But let's give Stewie a break. He's only one!

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 now and get a FREE piano lesson!

How to ‘Present’ Your Music to Others or Why You Should Never Apologize

A present. Something you give or offer to someone as a gift. Does that sound like you playing your music for others?

Because that’s essentially what giving your music to others is - a gift. And you’d be amazed how many students belittle and try to degrade this gift by apologizing for it in the following way:

Saying it’s my first piece. This is like saying you really aren’t ready to perform or present your music to others either via concert or video. NEVER apologize for putting yourself out there! Even if it is your first piece. Why? Well for one thing, they don’t know it’s your first piece. For another, the unspoken message is it isn’t good. Both are unnecessary. Be bold. Be confident.

For example, if you make a mistake and it’s in your performance, NEVER apologize for it. Most won’t recognize it (especially in the New Age style) and even if they do, what’s important is how you ‘handle’ the mistake. Move forward boldly and act as if it’s nothing. Your audience will too. Unless it’s a huge flub. If that’s the case, you can redo it if you’re recording a video or audio. If you’re in concert and it happens (and it’s happened to me) take my advice and move on boldly.

Now that I’ve discussed the most common mistake newbie’s make when presenting their music, I’d like to talk about the ‘kind’ of artist you are. Why is this important? Because if you decide to market yourself and your music to the world, the world needs an easy way to categorize you and your music.

So, are you a ‘new age’ pianist? Or does ‘contemporary pianist’ sound better to you? Are you a ‘nature artist?’ If so, and if this is how you want to classify yourself, do it! But do it boldly and stand behind yourself with pride.

Take my word for it … people appreciate it when YOU believe in yourself. Need help with this? Listen to my ‘Affirmations for New Age Piano Playing' Mp3. It will help.

Darker Melodies for New Age Piano?

A new student recently asked me about creating a 'darker' sound on the piano.

Traditionally, New Age piano is known for pleasant, consonant harmonies with very little or no dissonance. And that's the way it is for most New Age piano pieces.

Most of them are created in Major keys and stay there. But ... we can also create a 'darker' sound using something called 'modal' playing.

For example, in the video 'Gone, but Not Forgotten,' I use something called the Aeolian mode.

Based on the Aeolian scale, it's simply the white notes A to A. That is, if we start with a A minor chord and build our chords using this scale, we get a dark minor sound. This is also called 'tonality,' a very important concept in music because the sound you get is very much based on how you define it from the beginning.

Another way of looking at this is if you want a 'darker' sound, try playing around with some of the minor keys and modes.

In the video 'Gone, but Not Forgotten,' 3 chords are used ... A minor 7, F Major 7, and D minor 7. I use an ostinato pattern between the hands and improvise.

By the way ... in keeping with my philosphy of not trying to 'come up' with material, I created the music as I always do and then, came up with the title, i.e., I thought this music would work well for the picture and theme of the video!

Piano Gardening? Nature and Music Meet at NewAgePianoLessons.com

When ‘New Age’ pianist George Winston came out with his CD ‘December’ back in 1981, it was a new sound for the time. Quiet and contemplative, the music seemed to ring in the air and go nowhere. But it caught on and became popular. Something you wouldn’t think would have happened back in the 80’s when Madonna and Wham were all the rage.

Yet for reasons unknown, the New Age music scene died a quiet death shortly thereafter.

But now, New Age music is making a comeback. Thanks in no small part to the efforts of piano teacher and pianist Edward Weiss.

Weiss runs a website that teaches, you guessed it - New Age piano. And according to Weiss, the site keeps growing and currently has over 7500 subscribers.

Here’s what this ‘New Age’ pianist and teacher has to say about it:

“I’ve always loved music that tries to describe the natural world. New Age music is really the impressionist music of our time. Many adults would love to create in this style but think they can’t because they can’t improvise - a necessary requirement for New Age piano playing. But I teach a simple method that allows them to just sit down and play.”

The course Weiss teaches now has over 140 lessons and comes with a free workbook. Weiss, who also has a bestselling book on Amazon.com ’Free to be Creative at the Piano’ says he knew teaching New Age piano was what he wanted to do as soon as he was able to connect his digital piano to a computer some 10 years ago.

Weiss explains…

“Back in 2000 or so I tried to hook up my Roland digital piano to an old Dell computer. To my surprise, it worked and I’ve been teaching online ever since.”

A free piano lesson ‘Summer Morning’ and report ‘5 Secrets to Playing New Age Piano’ are currently being offered at Weiss’s website http://www.newagepianolessons.com/

Stressed Out? Play New Age Piano!

Stress … it affects us all. But it doesn’t have to put a damper on your creativity. At least that’s according to pianist/composer Edward Weiss. Weiss is also the webmaster and creator of NewAgePianoLessons.com - a website that teaches beginning adults how to play piano in the New Age style.

New Age music was extremely popular in the mid 1980’s and is making a big comeback now. When asked why this may be so, Weiss comments:

“I think people always used music to reduce stress. The great thing about New Age piano is that it’s also easy to create on your own.

By actually making music, students get the additional benefit of getting their creative juices flowing at the same time. It’s just a beautiful genre of music.”

The piano course offered at the website includes over 100 piano lessons and comes with a free workbook. Students sign up via paypal and pay a small monthly fee of $19 to access the lessons.

The course has been going strong for over a decade now has been praised by Grammy nominated pianist David Lanz.

Weiss, who also has written a book ‘Free to be Creative at the Piano’ offers his own unique philosophy on playing piano:

“I think many adults want to be able to go to the piano, sit down, and just play what they feel. But there aren’t many (if any) courses or lessons that teach this. Once I could easily do it myself, I wanted to share this beautiful style of music with the world by teaching others how to do it as well.”

Weiss is currently running a 'special' where prospective students can get over 140 New Age piano lessons for $19. A Free workbook is also provided. More information at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/#offer

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.

Yoga for Piano? ‘New Age’ Piano Lessons Soothe Stressed-Out Students

Twisting, stretching, and holding a pose … that’s what yoga students do to tone and relax the body at the same time.

But piano teacher Edward Weiss doesn’t want all those benefits to go just to yoga students.

Weiss, a pianist, composer, and teacher has developed an online piano course where students can learn how to play something called ‘new age’ piano.

The ‘new age’ genre has been around since the early 1980’s and remains a legitimate style of music. Even the Grammy awards recognize it. So it’s no surprise that someone somewhere would create a place where those wanting to learn this style of music can go.

Weiss explains…

“I’ve always loved the sound of New Age piano and wanted to bring the benefits of playing in this style to as many people as possible. The great thing about this genre of music is that no note-reading is required and students can simply sit down at the piano, relax, and play what they feel at the same time.”

The course now has over 100 lessons and 1000 members. Students have access to videos, audio, and personal instruction from Weiss who charges a small monthly fee for access to everything on the site.

When asked what his ultimate goal is for students, Weiss responds:

“If someone can just walk over to their piano or keyboard, sit down, and just play what they are feeling, then I feel I’ve accomplished what I set out to do which is give people a way to relax, unwind, and get creative at the piano.”

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 http://www.quiescencemusic.com/ now and get a FREE piano lesson and book!

Doodle 4 Google Inspires New Age Piano Teacher

Well, Google‘s done it again. And this time, it has nothing to with search - at least not directly.

Doodle for Google is a competition that, according to Google, is open to K-12 students of U.S. schools to create their own Google doodle inspired by the theme, "What I'd like to do someday..."

Serious art students may put down doodling as a non-productive art form, but not New Age piano teacher Edward Weiss.

Mr. Weiss, is the creator of an online piano course that teaches adults how to play New Age piano. He's been teaching online for over 10 years so when he saw all the coverage the 'Doodle for Google' competition was generating, he got inspired.

Here's what Mr. Weiss has to say about it:

"A lot of people see New Age piano playing as doodling without really creating anything. But I see absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, I encourage students to just have fun and play around with chords and piano keys. This 'musical doodling' has a high value in that as long as students are enjoying the process, they've succeeded.

The course Weiss teaches takes complete beginners from not knowing anything about how to play piano to being able to just sit down and play using a chord-based approach.

New Age pianist Weiss says:

"So many adults would just love to be able to play what they feel without having to read sheet music. My approach allows them to do this quickly and easily using something called open position chords. If people want to call it doodling, so be it."

When asked how doodling and New Age piano go together, Weiss responds:

"The beauty of the New Age piano style is that it's very reflective. Many people draw and doodle to get away from the worries and hassles of the day. New Age music is really no different in that students are able to just relax and play whatever's on their minds."

A free piano lesson ‘Summer Morning' and a free book ‘Free to be Creative at the Piano are currently being offered at Weiss's website at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/

Painting with Sound - A New Approach!

Have you ever watched an artist demonstrate how they create a painting? If not, you’re missing something wonderful … how to go from nothing to something.

How to create beauty where before there was only blank canvas.

Let’s take a landscape artist as an example and assume the subject has already been chosen - a peaceful woodland scene.

Now, how does the artist go about capturing this idea? Easy! They have a working method already in place! In art, the background is usually composed first. Foreground details are added in later. We can apply this same concept to music as well; specifically New Age piano. You see, we can also lay in the background and set the mood for the entire piece of music. And the best part about this is it’s quite easy to do.

For example, in Lesson 131: “Watercolors” you learn how to use chords to color in the background. We use chords, time, and 2, 4, or 8-bar phrases to accomplish this.

Once we have our harmonic background, we can add in more colors with a right hand improvisation. This is the technique George Winston uses in much of his early work. A left hand pattern lays in the “wash” so to speak, while the right hand creates a lovely melodic foreground. Why this isn’t taught by most piano teachers is a mystery to me. Especially since the use of this technique gives immediate satisfaction.

Entire pieces of music have been and are created using this technique. All we need to know are the chords and when the chord changes occur. This is done by placing the chord symbols on something called a chart. The chart is simply bars of music drawn out that indicate when you change chords. The cool thing about creating harmonic backgrounds is you don’t have to chart out more than 8-bars to create your musical canvas.

Even 2-bars is enough. Why? Because once you have the chord progression down, you simply keep playing it over and over. Eventually, this will get monotonous. But if we wanted to, we can add in a new harmonic background and keep the piece of music fresh!

Recommended Listening - Jane Leslie: "Southampton Sunset"

A couple things I like about this one. First, there's melody. So many 'New Age' piano compositions disregard melody in favor of textures. As I've mentioned many times before, I love that style as well, but why leave out the most memorable thing music has to offer? Melody will stay with you far longer than mere whisps of texture.

Another thing I like about this is 'how' she plays - with sensitivity and artistry. Notice too how the theme is developed through various repetitions. Nothing complicated here. Just a nice melody harmonized and then performed well. Learn more about Jane at her website http://janelesliemusic.com/_/Home.html

Recommended Listening: Siren - Louis Landon

Here's a good example of a left-hand ostinato pattern and right hand improvisation. Louis gets the left hand down and plays all kinds of nice arpeggios in the right.

Notice how he uses contrast to alleviate the 'boredom' that occurs if too much repetition is involved. Nothing complicated. Just some nice melodic contrast and then a return again to the original 'idea.'

Louis is a 'Whisperings' artist and performs regularly. More info at his website http://www.louislandon.com

Recommended Listening - Joe Bongiorno - Beyond Forever

This one's interesting. First thing I noticed with this one is the 'tremelo' in the right hand. Do you see what Joe is doing here? Tremelo is a technique where the fingers rapidly move back and forth creating a kind of sustaining sound. And while this is going on, an arpeggio in the left hand.

Actually, you never hear tremelo being used in most New Age piano music. I know George Winston used it for one of his piano pieces (forget which one) to good affect.

Joe has a recording studio in Seattle where he records and gives piano concerts usually featuring Whisperings artists. Find Joe's site at http://www.joebongiorno.com/

Help Me Name my New CD - And Win a Free Month of Lessons!

Well, things are moving along nicely now as far as composing the music for my new CD. Problem is, I need a great title to go along with the music.

The CD will be a combo of nature sounds and piano music - my 2 favorite things!

I'd like to have the word 'Forest' in the title so if you come up with something, be sure to include that.

Here's what I have so far...

"Forest Moods," "Forest Dreams,"
"Quiet Forest," "Forest Rain," "Autumn Forest"

Out of these, I like 'Forest Rain' the best.

By the way, 'Forest Piano' is already taken by another composer. :) If I like a title and use it, I'll let you know and you'll recieve a FREE month of lessons and a free CD when it comes out - hopefully by or sooner than April 2011.

P.S. Please post your suggestions in the 'Comments' section below. Just click the link.

Recommended Listening: Michael Jones ~ Water's Edge

What I like about this one?... Lots of things! His style, the melody, the chords he plays. But what I really wanted to share with you here is that it's not JUST solo piano. Many other instruments are also playing here.

Someone once asked me if you can play with other people in the New Age piano style. "Of course," I responded.

And here you can hear it done. Michael Jones was one of the first to record for the Narada label. New Age piano was 'hot' back in the mid 80's. But I think it will come back even stronger in this decade as more and more people search for peace and respite. Especially in the music they listen to.