Breathing Space in Music
While most students want to know when to play certain notes and chords, it’s equally important to know when not to play. For example, I had a student who knew how to improvise and play in the New Age style. What he didn’t know how to do was to allow for breathing space. I tried to teach him that you don’t have to play note upon note but allow for some pauses.
Eventually he got it. He learned how not to rush and that the pauses between notes are as important as the notes themselves - especially in the New Age style of piano playing. Listen to pioneer New Age piano player Steven Halpern to get an excellent idea of this.
...accomplished with the simple triad. Why piano teachers have their students learn triads first, I'll never know. But when you learn this chord position first, it allows you to create a open vented sound that is perfect for today's contemporary ...
He let’s the spaces in between the notes work for him. There’s definitely no rushing here. It’s very trance inducing and calming. To play in this way, you need to be very much IN THE PRESENT and listen for what’s to come. There’s no planning or forethought here except maybe to choose a Key or Mode to play in. Then you just improvise.
The spaces between the music are as important as the music itself. In fact, without the spaces, you wouldn’t have this style. The
...Remember that your feeling must come first. Everything else is secondary. Let your feeling lead you and your creation will be truly inspired, however, if you try to mold what you have to say into a specific style, the result ...
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_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!