playing without looking at keys
is it beneficial to be able to do this?
There are 4 comments, leave a comment.
it's mandatory for sightreading.
but while taking a solo, i find i enjoy watching the keys (not my hands, so much) more than staring into space. maybe not quite a bill evans posture, but it seems like a reasonable area to focus on with the eyes, more than anything else to me. i guess they could be shut, but i never do that for more than a few seconds if feeling out of pocket or trying to think of something.
even then, if you're playing stride bass, or something else complicated in the lh, you're not going to be looking at your lh except maybe peripherally.
putting aside visual communication with other players (or audience members) during key moments, it's just plain more interesting sometimes to look around a bit while playing r&b/blues accompaniments -- so long as you can tone it down and tuck it in as far as the deer-in-the-headlights-staring-straight-ahead mode goes. or frightening your bandmates with a steely, blank gaze.
Scot is available for skype jazz piano lessons (and google hangouts, phone call, etc...)
Use the contact link at the top of the page.
by Scot Ranney on 03/28/2007, 15:25
7
addendum: as regards the comment above on stride lh, yes! it is very difficult to be accurate and not keep a visual cue.
Jazz Piano Notebook Series
Volume 1 of this educational jazz piano book contains 15 jazz piano exercises, tricks, and other interesting jazz piano techniques, voicings, grooves, and ideas Scot Ranney enjoys playing.
"Latinesque"
Volume 2 has 14 jazz piano exercises and tricks of the trade, and quite a bit of it is Calypso jazz piano related material, including some Monty Alexander and Michel Camilo style grooves. Jazz piano education is through the ears, but books like this can help.
Volume 3 contains 12 jazz piano exercises and explorations by the acclaimed jazz piano educator, pianist, author, and recording artist Tim Richards.
Tim wrote the well known "Exploring Jazz Piano" and "Improvising Blues Piano" books and has several others to his name.
Volume 4 is by Jeff Brent, a jazz pianist, composer, teacher, and author of "Modalogy" and other acclaimed jazz theory and education books. In this book Jeff shares detailed analysis of transcriptions of live performances. He covers everything from the shape of the songs to the tricks and licks he uses in improvised lines to the ideas behind his lush chord voicings.
Most Recent Discussions
Articles
Piano for Adoption Scam
Aprender Jazz en Piano
BEWARE: FREE BABY GRAND PIANO SCAM
Oh Tannenbaum for Jazz Piano
Volume 5 of the "Jazz Piano Notebook Series" is Available!
LearnJazzPiano.com File Downloads News
more...
Top Sheetmusic Picks
Jazzy Christmas Arrangements
Cocktail Piano
Best Songs Ever, 6th Edition
Christmas Medley
Moana Songbook
Late Night Jazz Piano
Jazz piano education is cool.
Rock on. Follow your passion.
Sign In
LearnJazzPiano.com Copyright © 1995-2024 by Scot Ranney • website software and design by scot's scripts
LearnJazzPiano.com is For Sale - Serious Inquiries Only