|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A lot of new age piano music consists of repeating patterns, or textures in the left hand while the right hand improvises a melody. This approach is really a good one! It frees you up to create in the moment. First you decide what chord or chords you'll be using in the left hand. You then create an ostinato or arpeggio that lays the foundation for the entire piece.
It's like the background a painter uses before the foreground is drawn in. In the case of music, the background would be the textural patterns in the left hand. Then the right hand comes in "to paint" in the rest of the picture - in this case, the improvised melody.
George Winston used this approach in the piece "Rain." First you get this beautiful textural background created exclusively by the left hand. He covers more than an octave with the left hand using the thumb to reach past and make the music sound fuller. Now, in this piece he uses only a few chords, but interest is maintained through the improvised melody. In my piece, Flashflood, from Anza-Borrego Desert Suite, I use the same technique.
I start by playing an ostinato in the left, than add in the melody in the right. I keep playing the ostinato for as long as my intuition says, "this sounds good," then add in some contrast, either by changing chords, or by adding in new material.
It's important to realize that complete textural backgrounds can be created using the left hand alone. In fact, entire pieces of music can and have been created using this very versatile approach. It's especially suited for new age music. So, here's a step-by-step procedure for creating textures:
1. Choose your chords - These can be triads, or Open Position Chords, or any chord structure
2. Create a pattern for your left hand
3. Improvise a melody with your right hand
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. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lesson s.html for a FREE piano lesson!
Wind Chimes and more... As a vocal coach, I hear it all the time.... Read More Stuck in a music rut?It happens. After listening to your... Read More Did you ever wish that it was your song playing... Read More Here are six very good reasons to learn how to... Read More Author Interview with Ryan Thomson, seacoast New Hampshire resident, and... Read More In the world of music, many Jazz improvisers and Classical... Read More With the increased proliferation of online guitar and musical equipment... Read More For years, you have been searching for a song lodged... Read More Here's the method I use every time I want to... Read More If you're a fan of New Age piano, no doubt... Read More How is it that a little white boy from Kansas... Read More The Suzuki violin method has come to dominate the way... Read More You have to find radio airplay time if you're going... Read More Do you have a wide variety of things that you... Read More A student once asked me; "How come sometimes the music... Read More Today's music fan interacts with a "community" that is far... Read More While many people think that the mixing of the separate... Read More Kenny "Axil" Rose (Lead vocals), D.J. "Slash (Lead guitar), Joshua... Read More You've got your recording (or songwriting) contract in hand and... Read More Boy, I really detest how some people do websites. Bands... Read More Whenever I go to a Borders bookstore here in San... Read More We don't simply wear a theatrical costume; we wear the... Read More Three battles at the end of the 8 Mile movie... Read More It has become increasingly popular for U.S. military veterans and... Read More Like starting with any instrument, beginning clarinet is a process... Read More
Windchimes
for great gifts!
SOUNDS GOOD TO ME - Eliminate Throat Tension
Try Some New Music!
How To Write A Song
Six Reasons to Play New Age Piano
Making Music As A Lefty
Polychords and the Jazz Improviser: How to Practice & Apply Polychords to Improv
How to Buy an Electric Guitar Online
Name That Tune - Tips For When You Can?t Remember The Song Title Or Artist
A Quick and Easy Composition Method
Composing George Winston Style
How Has Eminem Risen to the Top?
Suzuki Violin Vs Traditional Violin
5 Sure Fire Ways to Get Radio Play for Your ?Independent? Music!
Guitar Players...Get a Balanced Guitar Practice Diet
You Cant Force Play
Social Networking and Music: MySpace Puts It All Together in a Virtual Community
An Introduction to CD Mastering
The Strange Days (mostly nights) of Guns N? Roses
?Who Else Wants to Get Screwed When Signing a Recording or Songwriting Deal?!?!?
One Way to Improve Your Music Journalist Relationship
Painting with Sound
Formal Highland Attire: The Correct Wearing of the Kilt; the National Dress of Scotland
The Three 8 Mile Battles
Taps; Piping Military Honors: A Ceremonial Guide for Highland Bagpipers
Beginning Clarinet: The Very Start
If you've been playing piano for some time, you may... Read More
The previous two Tech Tips took a look at eight... Read More
It is no secret that over the past couple decades... Read More
You may have heard that bagpipes are a Scottish invention;... Read More
The Rickenbacker 4003 electric bass guitar is one of the... Read More
The violin is a bowed stringed instrument and is the... Read More
One of the Appalachian Mountain region's greatest contributions to the... Read More
This is counterintuitive, I know. Our natural response to seeing... Read More
Piano lessons provide a wide range of benefits to young... Read More
Les Paul vintage Gibson guitars were first produced in 1952.... Read More
Lately I've been listening to some pretty cool music by... Read More
Welcome to the wonderful world of music. As you begin... Read More
There are basically two ways you can compose a piece... Read More
One of the reasons I picked up the violin was... Read More
This article gives the essential basics for how to play... Read More
It's really not your fault. You see, you've been taught... Read More
Already making plenty of noise in the marketplace is a... Read More
"Live music." That common saying may contain some truth, but... Read More
"How do I buy a violin, (or fiddle)?"That question has... Read More
That's a fair question!Basically, you can call music any noise... Read More
Imagine asking a beginning writer to write a short story... Read More
We all know that music can be inspiring, entertaining, and... Read More
In the late 1940's, the 45-RPM record replaced the 78-RPM... Read More
Many students ask me a question that goes something like... Read More
When memorizing music there are several things you can do... Read More
Music & MP3 |