Don't Put the Piano On a Pedestal

The piano. It’s a musical instrument that many would love to play. Yet for most, it’s got a rarefied air about it. Something almost mystical as if touching a key would cause a Steinway lid to shut tight around unworthy fingers if the note wasn’t perfect.

The above scenario is humorous yet sad. Because my friends, in the classical music world, this is what we have. A reverence for ritual and the ‘masters.’ God forbid one should just go over to a piano and play off the top of one’s head. No. This isn’t usually the case as children are taught that to make music, ‘real’ music, one must study. And study hard!

It’s not enough to just learn a few chords and go off exploring. That wouldn’t be right now would it?

It’s so sad that some children learn the ‘Tiger Mom’ approach and then, after the policeman with a stick is gone, the adult never goes near the piano again. There’s no one threatening to punish them if they don’t practice so why bother.

Think I’m kidding about this? This is the rigmarole that some kids are put through right from the beginning. If a creative approach is taught, and that’s doubtful, it’s relegated to background status - a thing not to be valued.

Yet I argue that the creative, playing part is where the value really is.
I’m not saying that one shouldn’t practice. But music should be a place primarily for play and recreation, not a testing ground to see if one has mastered a piece or not. The reward for getting it right of course, is an atta boy or that’s great from an authority figure - the dreaded piano teacher.

And sadly, this turns into deadly approval seeking as the child now is programmed to give a good performance for a pat on the back. The piano is a great instrument, there's no doubt about it. But don't make the mistake of making it more important than you - that is, don't put it on a pedestal. It might be hard to reach.

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 16 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Visit Online Piano Lessons by Quiescence Music now and get a FREE piano lesson!

The Piano and Music Therapy: A Perfect Match!

If there was one genre of music perfect for music therapy, it would have to be New Age piano. Soothing and relaxing, the piano offers many benefits to those in need of respite.

The wonderful thing about this style of music is that it's also easy to learn how to play!

A few chords, a scale, and you're able to make music. And not just any kind of music, but one that's conducive to alleviating stress.

Let's look at how one might go about learning how to play piano in the New Age style.

First, it's best if you learn one chord position that will give you a nice modern sound right away. The open position chord structure accomplishes this. It's easy to learn and can be used by the beginner right away to make music with. And it uses both hands as well to cover more than 2 octaves of the piano keyboard.

Once this chord structure is practiced, it's time to add in a few chords. Just a few chords is all that is necessary for the beginning adult to experience the joy of improvisation. The hands are placed on the open position chord structure and the fingers move around creating melody. Nothing more is required than an openness to explore the possibilities.

And once students get started, they find that they can't stop playing. The therapeutic aspect of this comes from the free-form improvisations students are able to play only after a few minutes of practice. They begin to unwind, relax, and forget about the problems and cares of the day. It's a music therapy that goes one step above just listening to 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 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Visit now and get a FREE piano lesson