May I accompany you?
Before I begin, please see this article, which details the benefits of away from the piano efforts and be sure to watch the video provided therein to help you even further...!
In addition to the main 12 hour Water Pianism Podcast Collection, I continue to create free online podcast episodes on YouTube which you can even download for free as MP3s and listen whenever you wish on whatever device you wish. I do this of course due to popular request but also because it encourages you to use your mind and master some philosophies away from the piano rather than being distracted by the keys at the piano; some things are just better spoken than demonstrated and the more opportunities I have to get you using your mind a lot more, the better you will be for it!
Herein, I'd just like to encourage you to start listening away from the piano to my (currently a few) podcasts by introducing the first three because maybe you've chosen to avoid them, expecting only to learn something at the piano. Hopefully this article will change that and you will very rapidly see the benefits of doing so...
In addition to the main 12 hour Water Pianism Podcast Collection, I continue to create free online podcast episodes on YouTube which you can even download for free as MP3s and listen whenever you wish on whatever device you wish. I do this of course due to popular request but also because it encourages you to use your mind and master some philosophies away from the piano rather than being distracted by the keys at the piano; some things are just better spoken than demonstrated and the more opportunities I have to get you using your mind a lot more, the better you will be for it!
Herein, I'd just like to encourage you to start listening away from the piano to my (currently a few) podcasts by introducing the first three because maybe you've chosen to avoid them, expecting only to learn something at the piano. Hopefully this article will change that and you will very rapidly see the benefits of doing so...
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This first episode introduces you to the Water Pianism philosophy, which is just a wordy way to encourage you to recognise that to play the piano to any level and in any genre, you must understand that it is first a well-trained Mind, then a well-maintained Body which are necessary before you start acquiring Piano theory and technique. Each relies on the other but Mind and Body must be understood to be more important and the Piano seen as an illusion. After all, no matter your instrument, Mind and Body come first.
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Unfortunately, due to the quick cheats available on the internet to learn pieces, sight-reading has fallen by the wayside; only students with face-to-face teachers are obliged to practise sight-reading while those who use the internet just follow videos which tell the notes to play. This is a shame because reading a score, as I've said for many years, is like having a conversation with the composer: how should I play this part? What should I do with these notes there? And the score answers.
Traditionally, one sits at the piano and literally 'learns to read' off the page but rarely is one encouraged to learn sight-reading away from the piano on their 'internal manuscript'... but Water Pianists do! They understand that sight-reading off the page is a party trick; it's better to master a score through dissection and make it performance-ready behind the scenes than attempt to add pressure to read straight off. For what? In this episode, I give you a clever way to visualise the notes instantly based on some chord types which never change; using them as goal posts to help you see the notes on your internal piano for mastery away from the piano. Give it a go, you may be surprised!
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Even if you're not interested in jazz music or improvisation, being aware of common chord progressions will help so much in deciphering the music you want to play. Even Bach, Mozart and Chopin used what could be considered predicatble chord progressions so I think you'll do well to enjoy this episode and master one of the most common of all. Even the main melody of Liszt's Liebestraum follows a 36251 chord progression which is usually associated with jazz, whereas he published this in 1850!
By knowing common chord progressions, you can better dissect music by ear (no matter the key), improvise with less conscious interference (because the chord progression is second-nature) and even start composing with some success! Songs are easier to remember too since instead of memorising a random collection of chords for each song, you'll see a song instead as a small modification of a 'master progression' such as the 36251 discussed in the episode. I recommend this one no matter your musical preference.
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It remains my purpose to propagate self-mastery through mindfulness and my channel and blog are two ways I can achieve this through the medium of music and piano education. The problem, however, is to break your original thinking; to empty your cup before I can offer a new tea. With this is mind, trust me when I say that you do not learn only when sat at the keys. Once you start using your mind away from the piano and don't become impatient because I refuse to spoon-feed you, you will notice your progress is greater than ever before, and not only at the piano will your new mindfulness serve you well.
