Doc Severinsen , age 89, blowin' the house down with the Guardians Big Band on "I Want to be Happy."
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![]() We signed up with the best intentions. Now we sit guilty and discouraged. Getting inspired to practice is difficult. What to do? Before you throw in the sheet music, so to speak, try this. Put on your walking shoes and go for a long walk. Long enough to perspire. This will get the "happy" hormones firing on all cylinders. Happy hormones will inspire you to sit down and tackle the music. Try it, it really works. Proof? Google "Happy Hormones" For a longer read click on this. http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/12/exercise.aspx Cheers, David This blog is full of posts on how to practice. It dawned on me today that the phrase: Connecting the heart with the eyes, ears, hands, and intellect sums it all up.
Eyes: Traditionally this has been the main focus of piano pedagogy. Worked great if reading was your strength. Frustrating if not. Ears: Many amateurs play by ear. Works great but, a real limitation for most. In my professional experience the ceiling of your potential is reached much too early. Too many amateurs play the same limited repertoire year after year. Hands: The pit of mindless repetition. Musician as robot. Married with the eyes, it has bored countless students for centuries. The belief that if one just repeats the darn piece enough time you can master the work and express it's beauty is a self-limiting paradigm that needs to be put to rest. Intellect: Rarely do music students ever consider the role of the of the intellect. Specifically, knowledge of the structure and history of the music they are playing. Knowledge of how the body makes music. Knowledge of how to connect the eyes, ears, and hands into well-polished and creative process. Recently in Rome Italy I spent a week at the Rome Summer Jazz Workshop. They believed the first step to playing Jazz was imitation. They had this down pat. It was nothing like I experienced in all my education to date. It was intense, it was fun, it was effective, it was inspiring. I've taken those ideas and put them together in a form practical for piano students to do at home. We've been at it for a few weeks now, everyone is very happy. The practice process goes something like this.
Tools required
Conclusion Music is an aural art. Why not change the way we practice to take advantage of new effective methods and technologies? More on this in the next post. Cheers, David Story You will be recording your practice sessions. The equipment needed for your practice session includes a professional recording of your work, pencil and eraser, cell phone equipped with a recording app, and earbuds.
The first step is listening to a professional performance of your piece. If it is short, listen to it all. If it’s long, listen to the part you will be working on. Watch the score while listening. The second step involves writing the fingerings on every note in the piece. A key step is to use the editor’s suggestions as a starting place; you fill in the missing fingerings. The third step is to record yourself playing slow enough to execute the expression markings and fingering patterns before you while visualizing, in your mind, the professional recording. Now, listen back to your effort and assess yourself while watching the score. Now with your corrections in mind repeat the recording, playing, and assessment steps. I practice this way to prepare music for the Toronto Concert Band. I hope this helps! Updated May 2023
David Revised January 2023 Yes, yes, and yes, followed by a why not?
30+ Fingers will resume where you left off in short order. With some time and effective work, they will be better than ever. Welcome back. 40+ see 30+ 50+ and more. The bucket list crowd. I say this with affection and experience. I started drums at fifty. Still at it. Assuming arthritis and other physical ailments aren't going to get in the way, you can work your way back. Slowing, patiently, and with faith, day by day your skills will return. Will they return to their former glory? Maybe. Will they eventually surpass what they were when you were 12? They might. It's been done. With a good attitude will the joy return? Bet on it! With a more seasoned and mature attitude than you had as an adolescence, will you have fun? Ditto. Can I help? Yes. Call me. David Story, B.M., ARCT, Pianist, Music Educator, and Drumming Enthusiast p: 905-330-1349 I’m back from a week at the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops in Louisville Kentucky. My third year. I will be back next year.
This year I interviewed “successful” campers. What characteristics do successful adult jazz students possess? Here are my unscientific conclusions.
Cheers, David Story Here is a list of tunes to prepare for such a camp as this one. List One
Learning to play a musical instrument is, ultimately a self-directed activity. Blake Boles present a two-hour audio primer on getting it together for successful learning.
From the publisher: The Art of Self-Directed Learning is a collection of 23 stories and insights that will help you become a more motivated and self-guided learner. Drawing on a decade of research, adventures, and interviews conducted by Blake Boles (author of College Without High School and Better Than College), this book will inspire you to craft your own unconventional education, no matter whether you're a young adult, recent graduate, parent, or simply someone who never wants to stop learning. Tips on getting organized, setting goals that make sense, and how to find a coach. Illustrated with inspirational stories drawn from his experience working with teenagers. I'm on my second listen in a week. Goodreads gives it 4 stars out of 5. Cheers, David Story Koerner Hall
Year round opportunities.
See you there. David ![]() It is difficult to improve if we don't know how we sound. Try this. Use your phone to record yourself, listen back on ear buds or headphones. Watch the score as you do. What do you hear? Listen for:
Question of the week: Do you know the meaning of all the text in your pieces? Example, Allegro? These words give us direction on the interpretation of the music. Cheers, David Story Try this
More next week. I'm off to find a notebooks myself. One for piano, one for drums. Cheers, David
Cheers, David Here are some tips:
Cheers, David Daily practice takes work, but time is short. Short, both literally and figuratively. More times than I care to admit events overtake me too. Demand out strips capacity. On these days sometimes the best thing is just to sit quietly and really listen to beautiful music. Let it just wash over you, pour a class of wine and bliss out.
Cheers, David ![]() Forget, "how to play Jazz in ten easy steps". That's a hustle at worst, come-on at best. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. The following ten steps are my contribution to a realistic approach to learning to play Jazz. I suppose it would be the same for Classical piano. These steps come from my research in books, online, consultations with other teachers, jazz camp experiences, personal experience, and in my teaching studio.
Conclusion: It's a journey not a destination. With good guidance and a commitment to learning how to practice it is a thrilling experience. Who knows? Someday we may jam at the Rex together. Cheers, David Story www.davidstory.ca Metacognition
Big word I think of it as "thinking about thinking", or better yet, "learning about learning". The following link to the blog sonicbirds puts it well. Geared to adult learners, it makes some good points on the advantages of the adult learning methodology versus kid's. Basically adults can be intentional. Please have a click below. http://blog.sonicbids.com/how-to-learn-an-instrument-using-metacognition#.VxaIh4DwNGo.twitter Cheers, David Story Yes it is.
Cheers, David ![]() I was jamming this evening at the Cavern Club in Downtown Toronto this evening. A room full of adults making music. I will admit most were much younger than I but not all. Hobbyists, music students, and a few aspiring Divas and ambitious Punk bands. Yep, quite a banquet of fun. Next month I plan to join a local classical music night where adults also get up and strut their musical stuff. Here are a few thoughts on the activity:
Cheers, David ![]() The internet is completely overwhelming for classical piano students looking for information. Some recommendations are always helpful. The "Pianist" magazine has a series of very helpful articles which support piano lessons. I recommend their channel. https://www.youtube.com/user/PianistMagazine Graham Fitch, the presenter in many for the channels videos has a wonderful site of information as well. http://grahamfitch.com/articles.htm Cheers, David Story ![]() I instruct many adults who, later in life, are returning to the piano. They are keen to realize their dream of playing Classical, Jazz, Blues, or Boogie Woogie piano with style and panache. Why do they restart? They want to reconnect with beauty. Regardless of why they quit, everyone returns filled with high hopes and noble intentions. I welcome them into a studio where lessons are given guilt free. And enthusiasm is supported and encouraged. Here are some of the titles they are currently working on.
Cheers, David updated October 2023 What are the keys to playing the piano beautifully?
Some random thoughts.
David Story updated: October 2023 ![]() What can you accomplish in one hour of daily practice? With a good plan you can accomplish a lot. Here is a sample plan. 1. Warm up 2. Technique 3. Sight reading 4. Repertoire development 5. Reviewing completed material Warm up: Best advice I ever got? Go for a brisk walk before practice. Work up a sweat. Then your brain will be ready to work. Technique: Start slowly concentrating on playing with a lovely tone your assigned scales, chords, and arpeggios. Sight reading: Good sight readers read music like others can read a book. This is a skill that can be learned with practice. Repertoire development: Attack those annoying bits in pieces in the following way.
Away from the piano? Listen to the music you are playing or want to play. Go to concerts, be inspired. Cheers, David Story revised October 2023 Today I've posted a slightly tongue-in-cheek set of random thoughts on practicing.
Have fun. David revised July 2023 ![]() What are the takeaways for students?
David Story revised October 2023 I'm off to Louisville. I expect it will be a great learning experience and hang.
I'm rooming with my former Berklee College of Music professor and adviser Andy Jaffe. I expect to meet other folks from my musical past including Ed Soph, Bobby Shew, and lots of Berklee folks. I will be posting details of the workshops and concerts here over the next couple of days. Drum workshops will be posted on my drum blog. Have a look here: Drum blog Piano inspiration of the week is found here: Pianist magazine. Hundreds of instructional videos on the fine art of classical and jazz piano. Cheers, David Story |
You've got to learn your instrument. Then, you practice, practice, practice. And then, when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wail. AuthorI'm a professional pianist and music educator in West Toronto Ontario. I'm also a devoted percussionist and drum teacher. Categories
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