Creating Within Limits

When I first started playing the piano I wanted to learn how to compose. The idea that I could create something tangible really appealed to me.

So much so that I read everything I could get my hands on to learn the great art of musical composition. The problem was that these books assumed that you knew certain things like form, structure, harmony, and counterpoint. What a disappointment! It was hard trying to take the feelings I had on the inside and put them down on paper.

The real problem was that I had it backwards. Instead of trying to learn composition first, I needed to learn how to improvise - how to free the inner voice from criticism and judgement so I could be free to create the music that was inside of me.

And so I began to read about how to improvise, Again, I was disappointed. I couldn't find good books on the subject, or books that would show me how to play in the New Age style - the style I loved. Eventually, I stumbled on a simple book that showed how to play using chord changes with 8-bar phrases. Now, here was something I could do! All I had to do now was learn chords. Once I knew how to play a few chords I began to see that in order to really be creative there had to be a set of limitations. An irony, yet one that works!

By playing chord changes within a set framework, I was learning how to create within limits. Even so called "free improvisation" has certain rules. For example, you may decide that you'll improvise using the chords and scale of D Major. That's creating within limits. It's not necessary to use limits to create music, but it definitely helps one to focus in on expressing yourself. Instead of thinking about what to play, you've already made that decision and are now free to create.

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!

---

Performing, Whats the Big Deal?

Performance anxiety is not something that only happens to musicians, singers, actors and dancers. It happens any time we feel pressure to "perform" in a specific situation... Read More

The Art of Music

Music is the art of arranging sounds in periodic time so as to produce a continuous, unified, and evocative composition, as through melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre.It... Read More

A Quick and Easy Composition Method

Here's the method I use every time I want to capture an idea. I draw out 8-bars (or measures) first. Why 8 bars? Because it is an... Read More

Six Reasons to Play New Age Piano

Here are six very good reasons to learn how to play piano in the New Age style:1. It's easy. No months spent learning theory here. Just a... Read More

Thomas Jefferson and the Chinese Gong

While Richard Nixon's diplomatic visit to China may have created a minor thaw in Sino-US relations, he was not the first President to try to get in... Read More

Interested in Improving the Sound of Your Stereo? Consider Records

Introduced in 1982, the compact disc was intended to provide better sound than the 40-year-old long-play record album, popularly known as the LP. Using a laser rather... Read More

Record Collecting Still Thriving in the Twenty-first Century

It may surprise many to find that the hobby of record collecting, long thought dead after the introduction of the compact disc, is still alive and well.... Read More

How To Overcome The Lyric Writing Hurdles That Are Keeping You Behind

The lyric writing side of songwriting is known to create an enormous number of problems for some folks. No matter how hard they try, they are unable... Read More

3 Secrets To Understanding What Makes Music Tick

It's no secret that virtually everyone loves music in some form or other. After all, music is the universal language. In one way or another we all... Read More

The Open Position Piano Chord

Chords. They're amazing. There's no doubt about it. Especially when it comes to piano playing and the Open Position Chord. Here we can use both hands to... Read More

Piano Lessons and Perfectionism

Are you a perfectionist? Does every note have to sound right before it comes out of your piano? If so, you might be cheating yourself out of... Read More

Music Mini Course: Learn The Basics Of Reading Music On A Keyboard Instrument

Welcome to the wonderful world of music. As you begin reading this Music Mini Course it is fun to realize that you are also participating in a... Read More

Do You Know What a Didgeridoo Is?

Do you know what a didgeridoo is? There are so many things in this life that are unknown to us. I bet you could find out about... Read More

Win Friends & Influence People Through Music -- Is It Possible?

The idea that studying music improves the social development of a child is not a new one, but at last there is incontrovertible evidence from a study... Read More

Fiddle Tab Makes Learning Fiddle Fast and Easy

Learning fiddle tab is so intuitive and so easy that a student picks it up in five minutes. This is true even for five-year-olds.Before starting this examination... Read More

Quick and Easy Violin Mute

One of the reasons I picked up the violin was because it was easier to travel with than a guitar (not that I haven't found some nice... Read More

Music as Therapy?

Frustrated in a gridlocked?Job got you stressed out?The children have you going crazy?You pop in your favorite tune and you take a deep breath and as if... Read More

Why New Musicians (Rappers) Fail: Three Reasons and Solutions

Despite the title of this article, the purpose of it is actually to HELP new emcees AVOID some common traps on their journey to learning how to... Read More

Avoiding Injuries When Playing Guitar

To avoid any sort of injuries when playing guitar a common sense approach is recommended. Just what do I mean by that?Well, there are many simple and... Read More

Legal Free Music Downloads - Songs You Want at No Cost

It's all over the news these days. Download music from the Internet and you could be sued, fined, and/or go to jail. The truth is free music... Read More

Bang on Your Drum All Day Long - Without Annoying Your Neighbors!

Bang! Bam! Bang! Have you always wanted to play the drums, but are afraid your neighbors would call the police on you?Do you want to bang on... Read More

An Introduction to CD Mastering

While many people think that the mixing of the separate audio tracks is the final step, a recording must be mastered well in order to sound good.... Read More

How to Buy an Electric Guitar

For most of us, making any major purchase, such as a new refrigerator, or a new car, is a cacophony of options and confusion; do we want... Read More

Play Piano As Fast As Possible!

One of the rules of practicing we all hear over and over is "Be sure to practice slowly." (I'm guilty of this too!) Often the result of... Read More

Inspiration Wanted - Apply Within!

One of the biggest stumbling blocks for music students is knowing what to practice. In the early years students listened to their teachers and did what they... Read More

Learn to Play the Piano

Rocket Piano is a very professionally done piano lesson package. It includes a number of ebooks, audio tracks, and video tracks to support the instructional material. In... Read More