Play Piano By Ear

Want to learn how to play the piano by ear?



Playing piano by ear 1



The Secrets to Playing Piano By Ear" 300pg Course - Learn the secrets to playing literally any song on the piano with a few simple, "easy-to-understand" techniques and principles! Join Jermaine Griggs in learning tons of music theory, concepts, and tricks that will help you to learn piano by ear! Thousands of musicians have already taken advantage of this excellent program ... why not you?

I personally recommend "The Secrets to Playing Piano By Ear" and through my relationship with Jermaine, I've been able to get him to throw in a few bonus items (3 additional piano software programs).

The Secrets To Playing Piano By Ear

Playing piano by ear 2





Best wishes and much continued success on your journey to learning how to play the piano by ear. Jermaine Griggs shows you how with these great learn to play by ear videos.

~ LadyD

http://www.LadyDpiano.com

Fats Waller

I was celebrating Fats Waller's Birthday (May 21) with my piano students and teaching them this song, Ain't Misbehavin'... love the song! Fats played stride piano very well!



I found this great article online by Rick Busciglio, Swing and Big Band Examiner.

"Jazz great "Fats Waller was born 105 years ago on this date (May 21). Per AllAboutJazz: "He was music's first organist and one of the giants of piano jazz. Thomas Wright “Fats” Waller was born on May 21, 1904 in Harlem into a musical family. His family had moved to New York City from Virginia in the late 1880s and his father was the pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem. His first exposure of music was in the form of church hymns and organ music, an instrument that he was taught to play by his mother and the church musical director. When he was about 6 or 7, his mother hired a piano tutor for him. He learned how to read and write music from his piano teacher but he preferred to play “by ear.”

Read more of Fats Waller's stride piano style and how in 1993 Waller was posthumously recognized by the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
"
http://www.examiner.com/x-2623-Swing-and-Big-Band-Examiner~y2009m5d21-Its-Fats-Wallers-birthday





* Fats Waller Biography

* Born: 21 May 1904
* Birthplace: New York, New York
* Died: 15 December 1943 (Pneumonia)
* Best Known As: Joyous piano player who wrote "Ain't Misbehavin'"

Name at birth: Thomas Wright Waller

Fats Waller played stride piano and pipe organ, beginning his career making player piano rolls in the 1920s. He accompanied singers on the vaudeville stage (including Bessie Smith) and wrote hit songs such as "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Honeysuckle Rose." Waller's rollicking style and sense of humor made him a popular star, and his output was tremendous. He had a reputation for wild living, and it eventually caught up to him: he developed pneumonia and died on a train near Kansas City at the age of 39.

Waller's last performance was in the 1943 film Stormy Weather.

http://www.answers.com/topic/fats-waller



* Fats Waller Songs

"Fats Waller" Original E Flat Blues

"Fats" Waller Stomp

"Send Me" Jackson

(In My) Solitude

(Oh Susannah) Dust off That Old Pianna

(Take Me Back to) The Wide Open Places

(There's Yes in the Air In) Martinique

(When You) Squeeze Me

(You Know It All) Smarty

(You're A) Square from Delaware

(You're Some) Pretty Doll

See complete list of Fats Waller Songs

http://music.msn.com/artist/?artist=16076708&menu=songs

My favorite songs are Ain't Misbehavin', I'm Gonna sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter, and Honeysuckle Rose. You can download the first page for free at

http://www.musicnotes.com


http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/s?q=fats+waller&id=237345

Publish at Scribd or explore others: How-to-Guides & Manu Books music culture

http://www.LadyDpiano.com

Diana Krall Does It Again with Quiet Nights!

Diana Krall at the Orpheum on May 13, 2009, in Vancouver, B.C. She was performing with the Vancouver Symphony.
Photograph by: Steve Bosch, Vancouver Sun

http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Diana+Krall+brings+sexier+than+ever+sound+Orpheum/1593681/story.html

I'm listening to Quiet Nights, playing softly in the background, while typing... do you have a copy? I am one of Diana Krall's fans that admires this artist tremendously! I am not alone on this view point. I believe all of Canada loves Diana... Speaking of fans, you might want to visit the fan forum.

http://www.dianakrallfans.com

I'd like to share a great review with you by Chantal Eustace, Vancouver Sun

"Smooth-voiced jazz sensation Diana Krall brought plenty of heat to the Orpheum on Wednesday night, and her charm wasn't lost on the crowd.

For starters, the 43-year-old's latest sound is sexier than ever, drawing inspiration from Brazil and the bossa nova style, perfect for her come-hither pipes.

She has said of the music from her new album, Quiet Nights, that it's like "you're lying in bed next to your lover and whispering this in his ear."



And then there's the Nanaimo-born beauty's warmth, expressed as she punctuated songs with anecdotes and humour throughout the show.

Krall poked fun at everything from parenting — she is mother of two-year-old twins Dexter and Frank — to her marriage to Elvis Costello and being on tour during the hockey playoffs. She also spoke about growing up in B.C. And even her appreciation of the rain.

"There is no place like home," said Krall, gesturing to her sparkling red high heel shoes, a gift from her husband. "I am so happy to be home, as my shoes will explain."

Dressed in a simple black dress with her famous blond hair worn loose, she crouched at the piano, fingers dancing across the keys, her voice captivating her fans.

The concert began with the jazzy and up-tempo, I Love Being Here With You, before winding down a little with the dreamy song Let's Fall In Love.

The relatively mature audience, a mixed bag of Krall-hards seemed quietly appreciative of the music and her chatter, laughing at her banter and clapping loudly between songs.

It seems easy to enjoy crushing on the Grammy-winning star, who is most famous for her 2001 crossover hit, The Look Of Love.

Backed by talent from the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, as well as Krall's trusty musicians — including guitarist Anthony Wilson and drummer Jeff Hamilton — the charismatic singer held her own.

Especially when the tempo slowed down, as with the simmering I've Grown Accustomed to Your Face, Krall seemed in her element.

She introduced this song by saying it reminded her of Costello, later laughing about their union.

"I was the nerd at band camp who married the rock star," she said, grinning. "And I played third clarinet . . . and I had a perm."

She also spoke about her musical father, who she said, was in the audience that night.

“I grew up with a lot of music in the house,” she said, listing off early influences like Nat King Cole.

She also spoke about another important night where she was engulfed in music at the Orpheum. When she was 16 years old, she said, she saw the late jazz legend Oscar Peterson perform on that very stage.

She was so inspired by Peterson’s performance, she wrote him a 12-page letter that she never mailed. Later in her career, she said, she had the chance to play piano with him.

“I feel ill just thinking about it,” she said, smiling at the memory, before changing gears and rolling into the song, Exactly Like You, embroidered with the singer’s own unique vocal yarn.

Krall's distinctive pipes sound even better live, giving off a chilly kind of heat on songs like Walk on By.

The two-hour concert wound down with I Don't Know Enough About You, eventually getting the crowd out of their seats.

And for a very satisfying encore, Krall gave a whisper calm rendition of her biggest hit to date, The Look Of Love.

Mix all of this jazz with a cool and rainy Vancouver night? You get some serious steam.

Go here for more on this concert

http://www.vancouversun.com

ceustace@vancouversun.com
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun




More related topics at:
“It's not coy. It's not 'peel me a grape,' little girl stuff. I feel this album's very womanly--like you're lying next to your lover in bed whispering this in their ear.”
– Diana Krall


http://pianodiana.blogspot.com/2009/03/diana-krall-quiet-nights.html



"There was no hiding how pleased Diana Krall was to be performing on home turf, Wednesday night in Vancouver." FIONA MORROW

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090514.wkrall0514/BNStory/Entertainment/home



"Lucky Vancouverites get into Krall space" Tom Harrison

http://www.theprovince.com/Lucky=Vancouverites=into=Krall+space/1593695/story.html

I hope you get a chance to see Diana in one of her upcoming tours!

~ Diana

http://www.LadyDpiano.com

3 Method's to Practicing Piano

Have you heard of Yoke Wong?

She's a marvelous piano teacher and you will want to see her videos on YouTube.

Free Piano Tutorials And Video

Yoke Wong offers many piano courses such as:

The Definitive Piano Improvisation Course

Hands Coordination, Runs and Fillers Course

Mastering The Art Of Piano Sight Reading







You may also want to sign up for her newsletter. I know I did. Learn more from Yoke Wong at her website:

http://www.PalyPianoTips.com

Here's a sample of her wisdom of teaching over the years to share with us:

"Have you ever felt as if your piano playing has become stagnant
and is not improving no matter how much you practice? The answer
may not be the amount of time you put in, but rather the strategy
you use to practice properly.

I still remember when I was learning piano in my early years and
the practice session seemed to be so boring and unproductive.
I never went beyond what my piano teacher assigned. Each session
would always be in the same order: scales, arpeggios, classical
pieces, and etc. It soon became tedious and uninteresting.

When one practices piano, one needs to get a balanced
practice (I liken this to a balanced food diet). You have probably
heard of the food pyramid if you live in the US or any other
westernized country. Basically, we are told by FDA that there
are a few groups of foods that we need to take in on a daily
basis to be healthy, such as grains, fruits and veggies, protein,
dairy, etc.

Similarly, in the piano playing world, there are three main
"ingredients" that we all need to consume in our practice
sessions to become "healthier" pianists.

Here are the Three Vital Ingredients:

Ingredient 1. Technical skills (scales, arpeggios,etc) -
This is what I call the carbohydrate or "grains" of piano practice.
Often these techniques can be used as fillers or runs on melodies
that have long hold measures as well as modulation,
transposition and etc. It can be uninteresting or even boring if
you do not know how to practice and how to apply them. The truth
is that few piano players know how to make use of the techniques
and how to practice them without getting bored. A suggested
session of 5 to 10 minutes daily technical exercises is often
helpful.

Ingredient 2. Repertoire--This is the collection of musical pieces
one knows how to play well. I like to call this the fruits
and veggies of piano practice. A good piano player can
easily play anywhere from 25 to 75 pieces comfortably.
Repertoire can range from classical pieces to hymns, or
popular songs and other pieces. By the way, repertoire
is often performed without the player reading from sheet
music. A good sight reading skill is essential to develop
broad repertoire. Piano player is suggested to learn a new
piece every 2-4 weeks in order to broaden the repertoire
collection.

Ingredient 3. Improvisational abilities--This is what I commonly
refer to as the protein of piano practice. A player that
possesses excellent sight reading and technical skill but
has limited ability to improvise is lopsided. For many years
I was able to play piano well, but knew deep in my heart that
if I didn't memorize the pieces there would be no way that I
could play any song without constantly referring to the sheet
music. This is similar to a public speaker who must constantly
refer to their notes during a speech.

One should spend at least 15-30 on improvisational practice
exercises on a daily basis.

In addition to the Three Vital Ingredients mentioned above,
I also suggest a minimum of 60 minutes of active listening and
60 minutes of passive listening to recorded music on a weekly
basis. This can easily be done when one is driving in their
car or exercising.

The main difference between active listening and passive
listening is that with active listening you are trying to hear
what is going on in the recording where as in passive listening
you are relaxing and not paying much attention. I often check
out recordings of famous performers and composers from my local
library. There are hundreds of great recordings you can borrow
from your library for free..."

Visit her blog

http://playpianotips.com/blog

Happy Practicing!

http://www.LadyDpiano.com

Antonio Carlos Jobim- Dindi

One of the most played and recorded songs is The Girl from Ipanema. Another all time favorite of mine, a song by Antonio Carlos Jobim - Dindi. Here is a video peerformed by Peer Neumann




Midi Sequence of Dindi:

http://www.songtrellis.com/sounds/viewer$2513

http://www.songtrellis.com/soundstor/Dindi.mid

Printable Score for this progression:


http://www.songtrellis.com/picture$2514


Dindi Motif Study:

http://koka.phpwebhosting.com/~scarterfrogs/lesson_diindi_motif_1.html



Lyrics to Dindi by Antonio Carlos Joabim:

Sky, so vast is the sky, with far away clouds just wandering by,
Where do they go? Oh I don't know, don't know;
Wind that speaks to the leaves, telling stories that no one believes,
Stories of love belong to you and to me.

Oh, Dindi, if I only had words I would say all the beautiful
things that I see when you're with me, Oh my Dindi.
Oh Dindi, like the song of the wind in the trees, that's how my heart is
singing Dindi, Happy Dindi, When you're with me.

I love you more each day, yes I do, yes I do;
I'd let you go away, if you take me with you.

Don't you know, Dindi, I'd be running and searching for you like a river
that
can't find the sea, that would be me without you, my Dindi.
can't find the sea that would be me without you Dindi.

Like a river that can't find the sea, that would be me without you, my
Dindi.

http://www.musicdocz.com/wiki/index.php?title=Dindi


Chord Chart:

http://www.bossanovaguitar.com/antonio_carlos_jobim/chords_lyrics/dindi.html

Antonio Carlos Jobim:
Born 25 January 1927, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Date of Death:
8 December 1994, New York, New York, USA
Father of composer Paulo Jobim.

Personal Quotes

"The guy who created the beat of bossa nova was João Gilberto. He appeared as a light, as a big star in the firmament, in the heavens. He became a focus, he was pulling the guitar one way and singing in the other way. It created a third thing that was profound. Brazilian music before João Gilberto had an excess of percussionists, so I think his great virtue was in taking off the excess ornaments and jewelry."


More bio can be found at:

http://us.imb.com/name/nm0423388/bio


http://www.LadyDpiano.com