Improvising with Just Black Notes
Creating vs. Re-creating: How to Make Your Own Music on Piano
One big "road block" I hear from recreational piano players learning to play is this: "If it's not written on sheet music, I can't play it!"
The idea that formal written notation is music, is a fallacy. It is simply a recording of music. The music is the sound that you create on your instrument. It's a big mental hurdle for many people who were taught to play exactly what is written, to realize that they have what it takes to make beautiful music without any notation at all. Now, that's what I call recreational music making!
Here is a fun exercise that will prove it. In your left hand, get comfortable playing the two chords shown to the right. Although you should use whatever fingers you find comfortable, I would probably use (from bottom to top) pinky, middle, and thumb for Chord #1, and pinky, index, thumb for Chord #2.
Spend four to five minutes practicing these, until you can comfortably switch from chord to chord without a lot of effort.
Now we'll get to the fun stuff! Your right hand's job in this little exercise is to simply make up a melody by playing only black keys. If you do that, you'll be guaranteed to never hit something that sounds like a wrong note (or in my vernacular, a clam).
At the beginning, this might feel like pulling teeth to some of you hard-core note readers, but just give yourself the freedom to spontaneously create. Simply keep moving back and forth between the two chords slowly and steadily in your left hand, and let your right hand wander over the black notes making up a melody from within you, not something someone else has notated previously.
Think of this exercise as the difference between having a conversation and reading a book. You don't need to read written words to communicate with someone. Similarly, in this exercise, you'll realize that you don't need written notation to express yourself musically.
It's a magical realization to experience this for the first time. Let it be a springboard to give you the confidence to know that you have what it takes to make music, not just recreate what others have previously written. Have fun!
Scott Houston is a Public Television personality, piano teacher, educator, and professional speaker also known as "The Piano Guy." For more information visit the websites: www.scotthouston.com and www.playpianoinaflash.com.
