How To Capture Your Musical Ideas!

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 composition as well; specifically New Age piano composition. 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.

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!

Learn how it's done! Visit Quiescencemusic.com now for a FREE sample lesson and more! 

Chord Changes for Piano and How to Chart Them Out

As much as I like to just "fool around" on the piano, there comes a time when I want to remember or capture what I've been doing. But what's an easy way to do this you ask? I'll tell you.

By charting out your chord changes on a piece of paper, you'll remember the harmonic background easier. Here's how... First, get a sheet of paper. Any paper will do. It doesn't have to be lined or ruled and it doesn't have to be music paper. Next draw out 8-bars. I usually just draw 4 bars, skip down some and then draw another 4-bars.

This is your chord chart! It doesn't have to be more complicated than this. In fact, this quick sketch method will serve you well when inspiration is running high and you want to very quickly jot down your chord changes. You can do it anywhere! On a napkin, on a piece of paper in your purse or wallet. In fact, I've actually used ATM receipts to jot down chord changes on.

After you draw out 8-bars, you know have a template to use. You simply write your chord symbols on top. The chord changes may last for 1 bar, 2 bars… whatever. Eight bar frameworks are excellent to work in because they give you your first section of music! Plus, it's a nice space of time to work in. In fact, you could use just 2 chords and fill out the 8-bars, i.e., C Major for the first 4 bars and F Major for the next 4.

After you fill up this 8-bar space, you have basically captured the harmony aspect. But, you'll probably want to jot down the first 2-bars of melody as well. This will really help you remember what you are creating. You might also want to sketch out the arrangement of your chord changes. For example, if you are playing arpeggios in the left hand, indicate the pattern by writing it in for 2-bars. Well, there you have it. My quick sketch method for creating with.

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!

Move Over Classical Piano lessons: New Age a Hit for Spring

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   

Arpeggios for New Age Piano Playing

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!

How to Use an Ostinato Pattern to Make Your Piano Playing Sound Incredible!

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

Allow Yourself to 'Be' At the Piano

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!

Digital Pianos: Are They Right For You?

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!