| LearnJazzPiano.com archives: Player Looking For Some Guidance | |
| Signet -- 02/07/2005, 22:26:12 -- #11058 | |
| Hey, first I’d like to say I really feel blessed that I found this resource and these forums, I’ve been looking for something like this for awhile. Let me start off by saying strong desire to get better and am willing to put the time in for that. Whenever I hear someone perform in a band, hear a recording I like, or even listen to some of the great midis on this site, I wish that someday I can get to that level. So I guess the point of this post is asking how to get on the road towards that. Thinking about this I’ve asked what exactly does it mean to be a jazz pianist and a pianist in general? I ask because I want to be able to say ‘this is where I am, that’s where I want to go, this is what I need, this is what I need to practice to get there’ I just don’t see exactly where the skill for the improvising, being able to make something out of a lead sheet, that awesome solo I heard at the one show, etc comes in. I recently saw a thread about “feeling the music,” but this seems so foreign to me. So about me, I started off the standard way of just learning how to read. I know basic theory, the major scales, how the chords are formed. I am working on putting different thing through the 12 keys. I can read pretty well (depends on what well means to you). I’ve went through most of the lessons in the different rooms on this site, and while I haven’t totally mastered them (working on it) I am asking ‘well whats next?’ Right now I have the teacher I’ve always had, been its gotten to the point where he just gives me harmony exercises to put through the keys, some sheet music to practice, and that’s it. And while I know these are important do I really need a teacher to do this? I guess I’m asking, at this point, what exactly should a teacher be doing for me? Well I feel like I have a lot more questions, but I’ll stop for now and see what you say to this, thanks for reading. By the way, I know I shouldn’t do this but I find myself wanting to compare myself to others. Anyone want to share a little about when they became serious about their playing and where they were at my age(14). | |
| Dr. Mike -- 02/08/2005, 03:30:29 -- #11061 | |
| There is a point for most of us I think when we dont make any more real progress until we start playing other people. We are doing chord exercises and all this work but we dont really completely understand why until we play in ensembles of some sort. That is when there is some pressure to perform accurately at a specific moment. All of a sudden you wish you had 50 more years of just exerceses behind you and it all makes sence like it never has before. Try playing in two ensembles and if it still hurts in the morning give me a call, Dr. Mike | |
| marksdg -- 02/08/2005, 09:03:43 -- #11064 | |
| Signet, I played piano in high school, and even played trombone in a jazz band, but I never did jazz piano until I was 31, and have now been doing it for a year and a half. All I can say is to get a different teacher, if they are not teaching you anything useful. Get out there and play with others. You don't have to be super good to start jamming. Go ahead and practice lots now. If you pursue a career other than music, your free time will dwindle rapidly as you get older. Also, listen to lots of CDs. | |
| mike_a -- 02/08/2005, 09:05:24 -- #11065 | |
| Once I asked the jazz piano prof at MSU something similar and he told me to 'learn more tunes'. Apply the excercises you've been working on to real songs. I would suggest "Autumn Leaves" because there is a goodly amount of 2-5-1 progressions there. There is a list of Top Ten Tunes on this website that you can reference. Get your hands on a "real book". Per your 2nd question, At 14 I had just completed intermediate level classical piano, but I did not get serious about playing until I was about 31. With a lot of hard work I've managed to play out passably quite a few times, but sometimes I imagine how well I would be playing if I never had gotten away from it. | |
| Dr. Whack -- 02/08/2005, 10:10:57 -- #11067 | |
| Well I never would have guessd by your writing style that you were only 14! You have a lot on the ball already. As everyone mentioned above - you have to play with others, listen constantly, and take lessons with a few teachers. More important than all of that is your mind set. Don't aspire to be a jazz pianist - just be one. From this moment forward, you are a jazz pianist - it's a never ending journey - live it and enjoy it:) | |
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