When most people think of taking piano lessons, the names Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart spring to mind. But not anymore. At least that’s according to Edward Weiss.
Weiss is a pianist, composer, and webmaster of Quiescence Music - an online site that teaches, you guessed it, New Age piano.
When asked why he teaches piano in this style, Weiss responds:
“It’s a very freeing style. You don’t have to read music. You don’t have to spend years playing the ’masters.’ The whole idea is to just learn a few chords and then jump in and improvise. Something I’ve always wanted to do and now that I can, I enjoy teaching others how to do it.”
The course Weiss teaches now has over 2000 members and keeps growing at a steady pace. Students receive over 150 New Age piano lessons when signing up and also receive a free workbook and more.
When asked why he thinks so many people want to learn how to play New Age piano now, Weiss says:
“I think people just get tired of playing other people’s music - no matter how good. They want to create on their own and the New Age style helps them do just that.”
Mr. Weiss is currently offering a try it risk-FREE offer at his site Quiescencemusic.com
Chopin used them extensively. So did Beethoven and Mozart. Arpeggios are beautiful and are perfect for the New Age piano style too!
You can hear them in George Winston's music. David Lanz uses them in many of his compositions, and of course, I use them as well. Why? Because the piano is well suited for this technique!
The left-hand is used mostly to create this cascading flow of notes. For example, in the Video'Autumn Serenade' you can hear me use over an octave of the keyboard in the left hand. This creates a very nice background over which we can improvise (or compose) our melodies.
Because the New Age piano style focuses a lot on improvisation, the arpeggio is an excellent vehicle to use. We pick a Key to play in, choose a few chords from that Key, then create an arpeggio with them.
What gives many students problems with this technique is the crossing over part where the left hand does its main work. But once this technique is mastered, the rest is easy.
Then, you simply practice playing the arpeggio until you can improvise a melody in your right hand. You go slowly and smoothly at first; not rushing but taking your time. The rewards are great because the sound that is created by using arpeggios is full, rich, and very appealing to the ear! 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 more!
Did you know there are only a few patterns used on the piano? For example, there's the arpeggio, the bass-chord technique, crossed hands, and of course, the ostinato. What's so special about the ostinato pattern? It's very easy to use! We take a chord (or an arpeggio) and create a loop with it. This allows the right hand to freely improvise melody. Even a complete beginner can get a simple chord pattern down. For instance, in the lesson "Ocean Dreams," we use a few chords to create a very pleasant harmonic background over which we "paint" our melodies! It doesn't have to get more complicated than this for an absolute beginner (or pro) to experience the joy of improvisation. The chords used for this lesson are modern sounding and are used frequently in both jazz and new age piano music. We take this four-note chord and break it up creating a lovely textural sound. We vary the dynamics (loud and soft) to make our playing more musical and from this we get 2 or more minutes of music! It's all done with chords. Chords and phrases. Actually, "Ocean Piano" is simply a 2-bar phrase repeated a number of times. By thinking "in phrases" the improviser and composer learns how to use the art of repetition and contrast to advantage. No longer thinking in just chords, it becomes easier to block out entire sections of music quickly and easily! 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 Quiescence Music now and get a FREE piano lesso
My biggest creative inspiration in life is nature.... life itself. When I'm in nature, I relax, and have a chance to reflect. There is no need to 'do' anything other than just be. Something we all need to experience more these days. Now, what I like to do as well is 'be' at the piano. No thinking, or need to try and come up with material here (unless I'm completing a melodic sketch). I allow myself to feel and express through music. Which is why I've always enjoyed the New Age style. You see, it's really a 'healing' music and this is because musicians involved in this genre like to transfer feelings of peace and serenity into notes and chords. Visual artists have been doing this for the longest time. Just look at some of the paintings of Monet and the Impressionists and you'll see what I mean. When you try and come up with something, you create a separation between what you feel in the present and what your ego wants to create. This 'divide' must be resolved because you simply cannot have both. And the amazing irony of all of this is that your 'best' product will ALWAYS come when you focus on and enjoy the process. Don't try to create something. Instead, allow yourself to just 'be' at the piano and remarkable things will happen! Try this: Spend some time in nature. Just enjoy yourself and admire what your senses take in. Now go to your piano and play the first thing that comes to mind. What you are doing is transferring feeling into notes. 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 Quiescence Music now and get a FREE piano lesson and more!
Many families are now purchasing digital pianos to learn on. And why not? They're relatively inexpensive, take up very little space, and produce high quality grand piano sound. But there are certain drawbacks to owning one. For example, it's a good idea to play an acoustic instrument before trying a digital one. Why? Because no matter how well the piano sound is sampled, it will never match the pure acoustic sound and richness of a "live" piano. This factor is very important to some because they want to experience the organic sensibility only a true acoustic can give them. When a key is struck on an acoustic instrument, it produces overtones that reverberate around the room creating a sound that no digital instrument can accurately capture. I don't know why this is but I've played on the best digital pianos and have never experienced that "woody" feel an acoustic gives out. If this doesn't concern you, then you've passed the litmus test for owing a digital piano because while they can't give you the exact feel of an acoustic, they come pretty darn close to giving you the deep, rich, full sound of a grand piano! For most people, this is all that matters and I for one agree! Today's digital pianos are so good that most listeners can not tell the difference between a "live" piano and a digital one. Add to that the fact that they are the most affordable of the kinds of pianos you can buy and you've got an instrument that's hard to beat. It really all depends on what your needs are. Do you need to experience a cacophony of overtones? If so, don't go digital, But if you want that full grand piano sound without paying $50,000 for it, digital is the way to go! 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 Quiescence Music now and get a FREE piano lesson and more!
So you've got a few New Age piano pieces under your belt (or not) and you want to share your music with others. Can you do it? Yes! Here's a working plan for you.
Create 3 pieces of music - For those of you who are just beginning to improvise, don't worry about this. But for those who are beginning to compose, you'll need to have 3 complete pieces to play. Why? Because this will come to around 10-15 minutes of music - the perfect amount of time to have a mini-concert! If you're in the process of creating your 3 pieces and haven't finished yet set an end goal date. For example, it's a good idea to write something like this down:
By August 12, 2017, I will have 3 complete and polished pieces of music to play for others.
This is a time-based goal and will work wonders if you write it out and place it where you can read it everyday. Most likely, you will try and find excuses for why you can't finish something on time. This goal with time and date on it will continually remind you to stay on track.
Practice your 3 pieces - Practice is the only way you will build up your confidence level. Practice each piece slowly at first. Never back up if you make a mistake. I repeat… NEVER back up if you make a mistake. Why? What are you going to do when you're playing for an audience and you mess up. You're not going to stop everything and go back. No! You go forward. Chances are very good that the audience won't even notice. I can testify to this from personal experience.
When you practice, be with the music. The audience isn't really concerned with you. They want an emotional experience through the music and the best way to give that to them is for you to be in the moment.
Overcome Performance Anxiety - To do this, you must first practice until you can play all 3 pieces straight through and you must first perform for a very small audience. Perhaps one or two people. You see you have to get used to the idea that eyes will be watching you. This makes most very self-conscious. By playing for very small groups of people, or even one person first, you get used to this and you can simply shrug it off. Playing for others should be a joyful experience. It can be if you follow these simple guidelines. 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 for a FREE piano lesson and more including how to compose.
In her bestselling book “The Artist’s Way,” Julie Cameron suggests keeping a journal. She refers to them as morning pages where each morning, you just write off the top of your head.
This free writing exercise is nothing new. It’s been done and popularized for quite some time now. But “The Artist’s Way” really brought this practice back.
I was wondering how piano players might apply the concept of free writing to improvisation. It then dawned on me that if you time your improvisations, or more accurately, set a time limit for how long you’re going to play, it creates a space where the muse is free to express.
To this end, I created a lesson titled "Timed Piano Improvisation Exercise.” It is a lesson that uses a 3-5 minute time limit. Students are encouraged to play whatever comes up within the given parameters - 3 chords in the mode of A Aeolian.
The beauty of these kinds of exercises is that the choice as to what to play has already been made! Now, all that is required is for the student to sit down and play within the limits set.
Some fight the idea of limitations thinking it constricts creativity. Not true! It actually helps you to focus in on self-expression. That’s because you’re not thinking about the next chord to play. This choice has already been made. All that is required now is to simply create in the moment.
And when the moment is a timed practice period, it gives students the freedom to just be at the piano.
After successfully trying these exercises myself, I realize how powerful they can be. Material comes that may have never appeared any other way. Why? Because we aren’t focused on creating a product. Instead, we allow the improvisational process to lead us and this always leads to the “freshest” sounding music.
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 http://www.quiescencemusic.com/ now and get a FREE piano lesson!
After you learn technique and theory and a little bit of improvisation skill, you will be able to grow and create in proportion to your ability to get out of the way and let the music take over. To do this requires a listening ability somewhat similar to meditation. That is, you must be open and receptive to what comes next - never forcing, never trying to come up with something.
When you are in this frame of mind, wonderful things begin to happen. When you try to create, you set yourself up for blocks. Why? Because the trying blocks the listening, receptive attitude necessary for improvisation. The key to getting around this is to walk away and come back later. Believe me, you can try and try but if nothing is coming, it probably won't come at this moment.
So, just get up and come back later when you are in a more meditative, receptive mood. Try to improvise in the new age style when you're angry or upset and what comes out might not sound that good. Art appears when you are in the moment. The Art of New Age piano, like any other art requires you to learn the skills and techniques - then forget about them and begin to play. 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 http://www.quiescencemusic.com/ now and get a FREE piano lesson
