You Cant Force Play

A student once asked me; "How come sometimes the music comes freely while other times, I feel blocked and can't play?"

A perfectly valid question and one that many students of improvisation ask. You see, the problem is that many think they should be able to just sit down at the piano and play anytime anywhere. But this is unrealistic. Why? Because you can't force play!

Improvisation is play. And when you try to force the music to appear, the exact opposite happens. Blocks to receiving the music are set up and the spirit is let down. All this can be avoided if we learn that there is a certain ebb and flow to creativity. Respect this natural tendency. Learn to see the creative force as one that naturally goes away, only to come back again, stronger and revitalized!

There is a natural order to creating that, if respected and trusted, will serve you well. Listen to yourself and don't let your ego get the best of you.

Many students fear that if they can't go to the piano and play, they're creativity is dried up. Not true! They may be experiencing an ebb tide period. During this time, it's best to take a break from playing and come back later on when the creative waters return.

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_lesson s.html for a FREE piano lesson!

---

How to Be in the Moment when Playing Piano

Your best music will always come when you are in... Read More

Music & Intelligence: Will Listening to Music Make You Smarter?

Will listening to music make you smarter? Will learning to... Read More

CD Review: Amber - My Kind of World

Pop/Rock Recording Artist Amber, who has scored seven #1 Billboard... Read More

Guitar Players...Learn About The Point Of Discipline

Have you ever started learning a lick or exercise and... Read More

Musical Improvisation Basics - 8 Vital Things To Remember

This article discusses 8 vital things to remember as improvisers... Read More

Review: Medications - All Your Favorite People In One Place

One of the most intriguing aspects of music is how... Read More

Managing Your Time, when Music isnt Your Day Job

You CAN do everything.Repeat.You CAN do everything. What you cannot... Read More

Social Networking and Music: MySpace Puts It All Together in a Virtual Community

Today's music fan interacts with a "community" that is far... Read More

New Age Piano and Improvisation

There are so many areas in life where one must... Read More

Formal Highland Attire: The Correct Wearing of the Kilt; the National Dress of Scotland

We don't simply wear a theatrical costume; we wear the... Read More

How To Play Piano Using Chord Symbols

Chord symbols (for example, Fm7, Cmaj7 or G6) are a... Read More

Canadian Stars: The Marble Index and the Waking Eyes

Canadian Indie bands are dominating the music scene and it... Read More

Piano Lessons For Adults: More Fun, Easier, & Faster Than Piano Lessons For Kids

Piano lessons for adults is generally LOTS more fun than... Read More

Mp3s ? The Future of Music?

Mp3 music is audio that has been digitally encoded and... Read More

How the Internet Helps Musicians

Everyone talks about the negative impact of the Internet on... Read More

Five Secrets to Playing in the New Age Style

1. Learn how to ImproviseLearning how to improvise is the... Read More

Fiddle Tab Makes Learning Fiddle Fast and Easy

Learning fiddle tab is so intuitive and so easy that... Read More

These MIDI Tools Are Music To My Ears

Curious about MIDI? Want to find out what tools are... Read More

New Age Piano Playing and the Sustain Pedal

There are 3 pedals on most pianos. The one on... Read More

The Top 10 Reasons Why You Suck At Playing Guitar

You don't 'need' to play guitar enough.If you desire to... Read More

Learn to Play the Piano

Rocket Piano is a very professionally done piano lesson package.... Read More

Eminem: A Social Commentator

In an interview given to Musik Magazine in 2000, Eminem... Read More

A Dying Cat And A Nylon String Guitar

"Music isn't just learning notes and playing them, you learn... Read More

Musical Improvisation Basics - Four Strategies For Playing Wrong Notes

While it probably doesn't seem like this would help -... Read More

Surf Waves With Jack Johnson

Lately I've been listening to some pretty cool music by... Read More

Live Music!

"Live music." That common saying may contain some truth, but... Read More

How to Start Your Own Band

Every once in awhile a guitar student will express a... Read More

Creating Your Own Compositions

The idea of actually creating a complete piece of music... Read More

Acoustic Or Electronic Drums - What Is Your Choice?

A debate rages on in the drumming world! You might... Read More

How to Create Interesting Textures

A lot of new age piano music consists of repeating... Read More

All About Eminem

Marshall Mathers, was born October 17, 72, and could be... Read More

So You Want to be President? Learn to Play a Musical Instrument!

President Harry S. Truman, the man in the White House... Read More

3 Secrets To Understanding What Makes Music Tick

It's no secret that virtually everyone loves music in some... Read More