Piano Master here

Piano Master here.
Ask me piano, songwriting, and theory questions.

Other urls found in this thread:

youtube.com/watch?v=QF78tvS6w9w&list=PLXHmt3UiXOi9sSg-38F5cA4BDHbUh7ohJ
soundcloud.com/eddieeight/golden-plane
youtube.com/results?search_query=bass concerto
youtube.com/watch?v=94LRaMC5qz4
youtube.com/watch?v=Kkqbi6c_40k
twitter.com/NSFWRedditGif

tell me about the black keys

why are they black

my guitar teacher once told me something about "piano voicings" on guitar and I never understood. what the fuck is the difference between a "piano voicing" vs the way any other instrument would play chords?

>66343847
why are all pianofags asian

they are not they are white.

How did you stay motivated while practicing?
What's the number one thing most people don't understand about playing the piano?
Do you ever wish you could trade your proficiency in piano for equal proficiency with a different instrument?
What's your favorite usage of piano on a rock track?
Which rock bands/musicians do you think best utilize the instrument?
What's the best classical piano piece most people have never heard of?

>scanners.gif

Also, what makes you a "master," so to speak? What are your accomplishments?

whats the easiest way to separate your hands? I'm barely starting to learn and I'm having trouble doing different things on different hands. any techniques or something?

well guitar strings are not too far apart octave wise. when it comes to playing chords on a piano, like a C7 chord, you could easily have a low C in the bass, then a G in the tenor, a high Bb in alto that is a full 10th above that G, and a high E soprano above that.

So the OCTAVE SPREAD may be greater on piano bc your fingers are spread out

Not op but a voicing is a way to play chords. Like you can play an A major in many different ways with different added notes and different octaves. Because of the limitation of both instruments the choice of notes and voicings are different. Hopefully this was understandable, i suck at this.

piano is heralded in asian culture, especially china. one of my best friends is a piano professor who spends much of his time in china. families spend a LOT of $ on their kids learning piano. he also makes a LOT of $ playing concerts in China, bc pianists are literally like rock stars over there. in america we worship the Guitar or the vocalist, in china, it's the pianist!!!

what makes bill evans sound so unique

How did you stay motivated while practicing?
I set my goals before practicing --- i don't practice by the CLOCK, i practice by the GOAL. I don't stop when it's been an HOUR, i stop when i finish my GOAL for the session. plus, i only practice what i LOVE!!!

What's the number one thing most people don't understand about playing the piano?
That it's about as punk rock of an instrument as guitars or drums. ANd if you can visualize a song on the piano, you can visualize it being played by an orchestra, a band, etc.

Do you ever wish you could trade your proficiency in piano for equal proficiency with a different instrument?
No. Piano is my VOICE. i love it. however I am VERY proficiient on drums too!!

What's your favorite usage of piano on a rock track?
A very unknown guy from a very unknwon band called "Return of Simple" has a lot of great rockin tracks no one has ever heard
youtube.com/watch?v=QF78tvS6w9w&list=PLXHmt3UiXOi9sSg-38F5cA4BDHbUh7ohJ


Which rock bands/musicians do you think best utilize the instrument?
Ben Folds is great cuz he is not afraid to bang on the piano. Elton John and Billy Joel both SERIOUSLY understand music theory, like REALLY well. And honestly Tom Waits uses it so soulfully

What's the best classical piano piece most people have never heard of?

Prokofiev 1st piano concerto

I've been professional for 21 years.
I play every style fluently.
I've got conservatory training.
I'm a composer.
I make a living playing the piano and teaching music

It takes time. Focus on chords LH and melodies RH. Be patient w/ yourself. Make sure you spend time practicing hands SEPARATELY and MASTERING them separately

bill evans is known for his extreme COMPLEXITY. he is extraordinary at SPEED. combine those with the fact he is IMPROVISING much of it, and you have a brain and fingers that are a force to be reckoned with. Go ahead, i dare YOU to try making shit up on the fly as fast as him. Thnk Busta Rhymes on coke.

What is your most embarrassing piano-related story?
How do you play while drunk?
Let's say the most skilled pianist in the world is a 10/10, skill-wise. If he's a ten, then what are you?
Is your practice intense as it used to be? Do you find you're still as driven to improve?
What do believe are the most common mistakes made by music teachers?

Have your skills on the piano ever helped get you laid?
Let's say there are people reading this thread who would like to learn the piano, but are intimidated by the time and financial investment. What would you say to them?
Do you suffer from performance anxiety?
Do you think people can truly "appreciate" music without a solid grasp of theory?

i dig the paige gif my friend but dont forget about his 8th notes, touch, and concept for the pianer trio.

in case anyone is interested I'll throw my hat in with the piano master here and answer any questions.

Bass Master Here
Electric and Upright
Mainly jazz and classical musician but have played it all

Inversions

>>What is your most embarrassing piano-related story?
I've never been embarrassed at the piano. I've played drunk as fuck and broken the piano bench. But that was fun. I've always been the master. Ever since i was a little kid.

>>How do you play while drunk?
This is where muscle memory kicks in. Plus i entertained in a piano bar every weekend for like 12 years so i got used to playing wasted off my fucking ass. it's hard to turn down shots when the audience is buying

>>Let's say the most skilled pianist in the world is a 10/10, skill-wise. If he's a ten, then what are you?
9/10 --- but only because there's always room to grow. most piano players focus on one STYLE. i play ALL styles

>>Is your practice intense as it used to be?
no, unless it's classical. my practice skills have become honed that i can get a LOT done quickly. also i can practice WITHOUT a piano, just reading the music.

>>Do you find you're still as driven to improve?
absolutely, right now i'm wotrking on becoming a better jazz player. and a better improviser. and a better composer.... here's a little something i'm working on:
soundcloud.com/eddieeight/golden-plane

>>What do believe are the most common mistakes made by music teachers?
only knowing ONE style of music --- only knowing how to teach classical or only knowing pop songs, etc. i think teachers should be trained in how to teach MANY styles.

Answer those, except replace "piano" with "bass"

>>Have your skills on the piano ever helped get you laid?
yes. LOTS of girls. it's also how i met my wife - she heard me play. i have also on multiple occasions gotten a girl to take her top off on the piano during a show --- but you need the right girl and right environment for this to happen. music is magick.

>>Let's say there are people reading this thread who would like to learn the piano, but are intimidated by the time and financial investment. What would you say to them?
Go buy Alfred's Adult All in ONe course books for piano. You could literally teach yourself piano with these from the ground up. Very easy, very fun, very simple. ALso plenty of great online Youtube tutorials if you want to play your fave pop songs...
And as far as time --- well anything worth doing is going to take time. Do it if you WANT it.

>>Do you suffer from performance anxiety?
Occasionally at weddings because the pressure is on to put on an absolutely perfect show. I mean especially if i am the main entertainment for the night -- you gotta be careful not to mess up what could be one of the most memorable nights of a couple's life. On standard gigs, not so much. I'm past it for the most part. However, nerves are perffectly natural for most people!!!

>>Do you think people can truly "appreciate" music without a solid grasp of theory?
i have a solid grasp of theory. and it helps me appreciate music in different ways -- it helps me differentiate GREAT composers from GOOD ones. but of course -- millions of people appreciate music every day without knowing a thing about theory!!

Cool -- OP here. welcome aboard!

Nice Soundcloud OP! Im following you.

>motivated while practicing
Ive never struggled with this, i like to let my practice ebb and flow, some days im really feeling it and i practice for 16 hours without thinking about it and sometimes i just dont wanna practice at all. if u love it enough you will practice plenty.
>least understood part about bass
its easily the most physically demanding instrument (answering all of these refering to upright cause thats my main axe) also its tough to hear yourself alot on stage and bass is all about very very subtle nuances in time feel and harmonic clarity/understanding.
>trading proficiency
not at all, my second love instrument-wise is the organ but thats more of a hobby.
>favorite bass on rock track
oh god, uh fuck, maybe Hey Bulldog that shit grooves. idk man, thats tough, real tough. I dont like flashy technical stuff, i like stuff i can sing like its own melody.
>best rock group bass stuff
huh, i love geddy lees playing, very contrapuntal and melodic. Also phil lesh of the grateful dead. Probably phil, again, super melodic but grooves hard.
>best classical bass piece youtube.com/results?search_query=bass concerto not obscure but a personal favorite.

What is that grid technique called that randomizes every note of the chromatic scale? I dated a girl that studied music at the Schwob and she taught me but we broke up five years ago and I forgot.

Do you like the sound of an overdriven/fuzzed-out Rhodes

thanks man! i liked the thread and figured id jump in. Always cool to have an honest dialogue with not particularly well studied cats.

The way I visualize it is that piano works on a horizontal plane, while guitar works on both a horizontal and vertical plane. So on the guitar, you can play two exact same notes at the same time, like the fifth fret of the B string and an open E. It's also somewhat more difficult on the guitar to play notes from a chord that are close to each other. For instance, to play an E major chord, you play the open bottom (low E) string, but you don't get the 3rd (G#) until the 3rd string, which is an extra octave higher than you would play it in a normal, noninverted triad on the piano. Things like that change the way the chord sounds. It's not that there's different notes in the chord, but they sound different because certain voicings are more conducive to playing on the specific instrument.

This also sort of plays into why sheet music for the guitar is different from sheet music for the piano. My sight reading for the piano is decent, but not for the guitar, because the traditional staff isn't great for mapping out the neck

this is a great example of how learning to read music on the traditional staff for the guitar is difficult. on the piano its much simpler; literally up and down/side to side

Sounds like you talkin bout serialism.
Put all notes of chromatic scale in random order.
Then use that order backwards, upside down, faster, and slower, etc to create a song.
Profit.
Popular composers: Schoenberg, Webern, Berg,

Personally no. I don't like Leslie speakers either. I just never liked the sound. But plenty of folks dig it so.....

brilliant answer

Hey man different strokes, no worries

Thanks

Does it ever frustrate you that, technically speaking, you're much more skilled than, say, Katy Perry, but she makes millions of dollars while you live on (I assume) a relatively normal salary?
What's a piece that's much easier to play than it sounds?
What's a piece that's much harder to play than it sounds?
Have you ever met another player that viewed their instrument as more of a job/profession than a passion?
Do you think there's a secret to sounding authentic while playing?

bass answers part 2, sorry it takes me forever to type.
>most embarassing story
mid solo, very big gig, was in a residency playing 20 something shows in 2 weeks, finger fuuucking rips open and i have to get stitches. blood everywhere.
>playing drunk
yeah, your muscle memory takes over and your ear training is usually still working okay. not a big fan of playing under the influence of anything, it fucks with my time feel.
>best bassist is 10/10 where am i?
fuuuuck man, idk, maybe like an 8 or so? i can play anything but theres people who can do it better.
>practice as intense
same answer as the other guy.
>mistakes teachers make
not paying any attention to the kids emotions relating to the music, i've always learned more from more abstract teachers who discuss things like colors and feelings and the art of it and all the fun shit.

OP what is your approach for reharmonizing a jazz standard?

Who is your favorite jazz piano player who currently records and performs?

What is your favorite jazz album?

Are you the same person as JTG?

>>Does it ever frustrate you that, technically speaking, you're much more skilled than, say, Katy Perry, but she makes millions of dollars while you live on (I assume) a relatively normal salary?
Yes it can be frustrating. However, my bandmate grew up with Taylor Swift's guitarist. He asserts that he's not necessarily a better guitarist than a normal pro, it's just that he happened to "get the job". and it's the same with katy perry. she just happened to "get the job". anyway, I do fairly well for a musician, just into the low 6 figures which i can't complain, plus all the free food and alchol i can drink at gigs --- but i also work my ass off on multiple jobs to make it happen

>>What's a piece that's much easier to play than it sounds?
1000 miles vanessa carlton

>>What's a piece that's much harder to play than it sounds?
Bohemian Rhapsody maybe

>>Have you ever met another player that viewed their instrument as more of a job/profession than a passion?
it's rare. because most of the folks who play music are doing it because they FUCKING LOVE IT!!!! but yeah, i've seen guys taking gigs just bc of the $$ offered.....

>>Do you think there's a secret to sounding authentic while playing?
Tap into the great feelings within your own soul

I've never had a formal piano teacher, so my technique is probably not very good. I don't know how to describe this properly, but where should the force that presses the keys be coming from? Like further up the arm or in the fingers? I'm sure there's a proper balance, but it seems like my playing during quicker passages flows better and is more comfortable when I focus on relaxing my wrists and fingers

What do you think of bi tonality is it wack or is it sack

>>OP what is your approach for reharmonizing a jazz standard?
no real approach -- just fuck around with the chromatics of it.

>>Who is your favorite jazz piano player who currently records and performs?
keith jarrett hands down. especially his solo improv though because it's so free wild and unpredictable. i had the opportunity to see him at carnegie hall doing a solo concert and MAN that fucker taps into a higher power. and he has the TECHNICAL chops to back that shit up

>>What is your favorite jazz album?
keith jarrett koln concert

>>Are you the same person as JTG?
The professional wrestler? nope.
Otherwise, nope.
Not my initials.

ok the whole arm works as a unit.
elbow / arm leads large motions up and down.
wrist provides circular flexibility for moving around the black / white keys --- generally upward moving passages the wrist "dips" a low semicircle., and downward passages the wrist floats up a high semicircle.
fingers provide electrical feeling impulses for playing the notes -- they should strike the key and return to relaxation positioin immediately after playing the note --- almost like the way a scorpion strikes its prey then returns the stinger back, or the way a frog grabs a fly then returns his tongue back inside --- NEVER any tension in the fingers, hand, wrist, or anywhere.

pic related

>getting laid
maybe, im not sure, ive never played with the intention of getting laid from it but i wouldnt be surprised if its helped me out on a few occasions.
>Learning bass
yeah, do it. the financial investment is alittle steep for the upright bass but not electric. as far as time is concerned, whats the rush, you have your whole life, music is a beautiful thing and making it is good for the soul and will absolutely increase your quality of life. there is no rush to get good or anything and no reason not too.
>performance anxiety
weirdly yeah but it happens in weird ways. i dont get it from every gig, it seems to be pretty random but it is never so bad that i cant perform.
>appreciating music without theory
of course, theory is great and very important for anyone who wants to create music but i dont think its very important for listening. it does make you realize the absolute genius of some composers, again the GOOD or GREAT thing that paino man said but music is supposed to register an emotional reaction and you dont need theory to be touched or have your world affected by music.

anymore questions for bass fag supreme?

Thanks, that makes a lot of sense

sheet music is tab for the piano

At what age did you start playing and did you ever get any formal teaching?

I am learning bass right now but as I am diving deeper into Music Theory I am afraid I am missing out on stuff because I don't have a teacher.

kind of.
fake books are tab for the piano really

play us some funk carioca

bass fag supreme here.
started upright bass at 9 (im tall) and yeah, a ton, at first just kinda the typical local private teacher and orchestra class but around the age of 14 i started studying with more well known people and just kept moving up.
>missing out cause no teacher
yeah, honestly man, you probably are. i never had a teacher on electric until i studied with victor wooten for a bit in high school so maybe not but my electric playing is mostly BS.

how tough is this youtube.com/watch?v=94LRaMC5qz4

Do you have any recommendations for beginner music theory books?

bass guy answering too just for the sake of it.
>professional bassist for 9 years
>played with some relatively well known people
>masters degree from NEC
>make a living as a musician

hey! i know Edicson! uhm, pretty tough, i actually have played that piece, i love elliot carter. extended technique and its use in avant garde is a big interest and specialty of mine. its very tough and holy shit man, i could never make it sound as good a Edi! but yeah, its hard, not necessarily too hard to get the notes under your fingers but to play it so expressively and musical as that is harder then you might ever understand.

>tfw

huh? btw heres a full vid of Edi doing preludio e fuga.
youtube.com/watch?v=Kkqbi6c_40k

piano master sigining out gotta go to bed
carry on bass fag

'the feels when'... cause you emphasized the difficulty

edicson seems to be a nice dude, btw

fuck, that's crazy, it's the kind of thing that one shouldn't see before taking up an instrument, because it's too intimidating

haha oh yeah, like i said, theres harder stuff in the classical bassists canon (also im more of a jazz musician but i have a particular interest in avant garde music in general), but god man, edicson...what a cat. he's been very cool the few times i've met him. not a huge ego for someone who joined the Philharmoniker at 17 but then again, hes a bassist, its a pretty chill crowd over all.

nice thread man, ur doing gods work.
bass fag supreme is about to sleep soon too. any final questions before i sack out?
haha man i wish someone had told me from the beginning it was okay to do that stuff. when i first picked up bass i always loved doing that kind if experimental shit but no one ever told me it was valuable or anything until i was in college.

thanks for answering the questions

i'd only ask you to leave a few words for people who are considering taking up the bass in their 20s, 30s

sometimes we get questions about the possibility of becoming a professional musician if you start this late and we mostly get unqualified opinions, so... what's your take?

see ya

of course man, I love answering questions and having honest discussion about this kind of stuff. it is my lifes work.
please take up the bass. please. there is nothing better for your soul then pulling notes out of thin air and organizing sound into something beautiful, sensitive, artistic, and moving. there is no reason not to man. there is no rush to get good, you have the whole rest of your life. please, pick up the bass, relax, and enjoy it. play as much as you can and your life will be better.
now, when it comes to being a professional starting at that age. it depends on your definition of professional. you will probably not play in a major symphony orchestra or tour in a jazz group. thats not to say you cant make money, maybe even a living doing it. it is very, very, very hard work. theres no such thing as too late to start and you could very realistically play in a small local orchestra or something similar to that. you could also realistically get good enough to play in bands, local pit orchestras, local string quartets, church groups, etc.
please pick up the bass man.