| > | | | | the mechanical aspects of playing, you need to spend |
| Too many pianists seem to have forgotten that their | | | | years focusing on them — working out |
| instrument is classified as part of the percussion family. | | | | note-choice, fingering, and technique minutiae. And you |
| They spend so much energy and focus on the minute | | | | need to know theory: the task of analyzing a tune for |
| details, such as which note goes where, that they lose | | | | scale-choice (another non-creative act) should feel |
| (or never get) the visceral connection with their | | | | automatic. But all of this disciplined detail work is a |
| instrument, the relaxed physicality that drummers have. | | | | means to an end, and you’ll progress much |
| Too many pianists seem to have forgotten that their | | | | more quickly if you have a clear image of that end. |
| instrument is classified as part of the percussion family. | | | | Image an odd-looking keyboard with keys, just two |
| They spend so much energy and focus on the minute | | | | touch-sensitive drumheads where the keys used to be. |
| details, such as which note goes where, that they lose | | | | The drumheads are digital and there is also a built-in |
| (or never get) the visceral connection with their | | | | computer that can instantly analyze chord to |
| instrument, the relaxed physicality that drummers have. | | | | determine the most appropriate improvising scales. |
| It’s no mystery why drummers tend to make | | | | You simply insert a card that has a recording of your |
| the best jazz pianists. Listen to the great Cuban pianist | | | | style of playing, so the computer can adjust its scale |
| Gonzalo Rubalcaba. He was originally a drummer, and | | | | analysis to match your style. |
| you can always hear it in his playing. To be able to | | | | Before you play, you insert the sheet music into the |
| spontaneously craft beautiful melodies on the piano | | | | data slot. During your solo you tap rhythms on the right |
| while functioning also as a percussionist is just one of | | | | drumhead, shifting your right and left to indicate higher |
| the many tightropes you must learn to walk as a | | | | or lower pitch. While your right hand is busy tapping, |
| musician. | | | | you comp on the other drumhead with your left hand |
| In the following metaphor I have used absolutes to | | | | —again, just by tapping the rhythm you want. |
| make appoint strongly. I’ve minimized the | | | | The computer selects one of your favorite voicings |
| important of individual notes in favor of the larger | | | | for each chord. Your only concern is the rhythm. |
| elements of rhythm and shape. Certainly this is an | | | | Playing this piano is almost as easy as playing a set of |
| injustice to a more complex truth. Undeniably, tension | | | | bongo drums. You can express your rhythmic impulses |
| and release, occurring as one melody note moves to | | | | freely through the instrument without the usual |
| the next, is a vital and emotional part of music. | | | | complications of being in the right key, making |
| However, much of the emotional content in music is to | | | | transitions from scale to scale, or searching for the |
| be found in its larger elements: the rhythms and the | | | | right voicing. |
| contours of the line as opposed to the individual notes. | | | | Do you want to buy this piano? Sorry, it hasn’t |
| If you want to express your emotions freely, you need | | | | been invented yet!The point of this metaphor is to get |
| to be able to focus your attention on those elements. | | | | you to envision what being a pianist is like after |
| And you can only do that when the smaller, | | | | you’ve learned all your theory, scales, voicings, |
| mechanical tasks have been hard-wired into | | | | and other structure thoroughly. It’s a way for |
| your hands. For instance, shifting scales as the | | | | you to imagine the physical, loose, big-movement, |
| harmony changes is not a creative act. It is largely a | | | | conductor-like, drummer-like way of being at the |
| bookkeeping issue that should be delegated to your | | | | instrument. It’s to help you keep that end vision |
| hands — it should become automatic. | | | | in mind so that you don’t end up boxing yourself |
| In order to thoroughly program your hands to handle | | | | in. |