Ten Years Later: 9/11-11

Flowers by the Sea

 9/11 is a very personal memory for me. You see, my friend, Tom McGuinness, was the Co-Pilot on that day, the first plane to hit the tower. He and his wife & their two kids, Tommy and Jennifer went to our church. Many times I saw their smiles out in the lobby or at a friend's home fellowship group. All that changed on 9/11, as you know. They had 2 Memorial services for Tom, one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast at my church. I played the keyboard, along with the worship team, as my best friend sang "God Bless America," while watching a very brave wife, Cheryl and her son & daughter, sit in the front row. 

The military were there, along with the news media and after our song, Cheryl (a very brave woman) made her way for the stage to share her thoughts to a crowd that overflowed from the church, out over the lawn, to the parking lot.  Tom's wife shared that it was a normal morning of having breakfast, sharing devotions,  hugging one another, saying goodbye with a  tender, "I love you."

You know the rest of the story. Where were you when the towers were hit? It is indeed a time for solemn reflection and prayer today. You know, everyone knew someone that was in this terrible tragedy. I thank you for listening to my story. Please say a prayer for the Mc Guinness family and for all, especially the United States of America.

 In honor of Tom McGuinness

Hopefully, you'll be able to hear us on the music file.





Download this file (right click and "save target as")
 

Irving Berlin
God Bless America lyrics

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free.
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer:

God bless america , land that I love,
Stand beside her and guide her
Through the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans white with foam,
God bless america,
My home sweet home.

-- irving berlin

I think my favorite clip that touches my heart is the song from Alan Jackson. How about you?

 

Chords to God Bless The U.S.A

(Words and Music by Lee Greenwood)

Intro:  D    F#m7    Em7    A    D    F#m7    Em7    A

     D              F#m7
If tomorrow all the things were gone
    Em
I'd worked for all my life,
      C
And I had to start again
             Em              A
with just my children and my wife,
    D              F#m7
I'd thank my lucky stars
      Em7           Bm
to be livin' here today.
          Em                    C
Cause the flag still stands for freedom
         Bm                      G
And they can't take that away.

        A
And I'm proud to be an American
         G                D
Where at least I know I'm free
      A
And I won't forget the men who died
    G                  D
Who gave that right to me
             Bm       D                 G                D
And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today
            G                D
Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
    G         A D
God bless the USA

Interlude:  F#m7    Em7    A    D    F#m7    Em7    A

         D             F#m
>From the lakes of Minnesota
       Em
To the hills of Tennessee
 C
Across the plains of Texas
     Em             A
>From sea to shining sea
     D               F#m7
>From Detroit down to Houston
    Em7          Bm
And New York to LA
             Em              C
Well there's pride in every American heart
        Bm                       G
And its time we stand and say

         A
That I'm proud to be an American
         G                D
Where at least I know I'm free
      A
And I won't forget the men who died
    G                  D
Who gave that right to me
             Bm       D                 G                D
And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today
            G                D
Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
    G         A D
God bless the USA

        A
And I'm proud to be an American
         G                D
Where at least I know I'm free
      A
And I won't forget the men who died
    G                  D
Who gave that right to me
             Bm       D                 G                D
And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today
            G                D
Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
    G         A D
God bless the USA

+ + + + + + + + + + + + +

God Bless The USA

by Lee Greenwood

E                                       A
If tomorrow all the things were gone I'd worked for all my life,
     F#m7                             D               B7
And I had to start again with just my children and my wife,
    E                          Abm7
I'd thank my lucky stars to be living here today
           F#m7                                       C#m           A
'Cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can't take that away

Chorus
        B                                A                E
And I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free
      B                                  A                E
And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me
                C#m       Abm7             A                Abm7
And I'll gladly stand up, next to you, and defend her still today
             F#m7             E                   A     B     E      
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land, God bless the USA.

From the lakes of Minnesota, to the hills of Tennessee,
Across the plains of Texas, from sea to shining sea,
From Detroit down to Houston, from New York to LA,
Well there's pride in every American heart, 
And it's time we stand and say,

         B                                 A                E
That I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free,
         B                               A                  E
And I won`t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me
                C#m       Abm7            A               Abm7
And I'll gladly stand up, next to you and defend her still today,
       F#m7                   E                   A           C#m / A
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land, God bless the USA
        B                                 A                E
And I'm Proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free,
      B                                  A                 E 
And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me,
                C#m       Abm7            A                Abm7
And I'll gladly stand up, next to you and defend her still today,
             F#m7             E                    F#m7   Abm7 A  B7  E
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land, God  bless  the  U  S   A 

+ + + + + + + + + + + + +

God Bless The USA (This is the key I play)

by Lee Greenwood

F                                      Bb/F
If tomorrow all the things were gone I'd worked for all my life,
     Gm7                            Eb7               C7
And I had to start again with just my children and my wife,
   F                         Am7
I'd thank my lucky stars to be living here today
           Gm7                                       Dm           Bb
'Cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can't take that away

Chorus
        C/E                                Bb/D                F
And I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free
      C/E                                 Bb/D                F
And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me
                Dm      F/A             Bb                Am7
And I'll gladly stand up, next to you, and defend her still today
             Gm7             F/A                   Bb     Gm7/C  F      
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land, God bless the USA.

From the lakes of Minnesota, to the hills of Tennessee,
Across the plains of Texas, from sea to shining sea,
From Detroit down to Houston, from New York to LA,
Well there's pride in every American heart, 
And it's time we stand and say,

        C/E                                 Bb/D                F
That I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free,
         C/E                              Bb/D                  F
And I won`t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me
               Dm      F/A           Bb               Am7
And I'll gladly stand up, next to you and defend her still today,
       Gm7                   F/A                  Bb           Gm7/C F
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land, God bless the USA
       C/E                                 Bb/D                F
And I'm Proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free,
      C/E                                  Bb/D                 F 
And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me,
                Dm       F/A           Bb                Am7
And I'll gladly stand up, next to you and defend her still today,
             Gm7            F/A                    Gm7   Am7 Bb  C7  F
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land, God  bless  the  U  S   A 

More music resources available:

4 Free Video Lessons

Blessings,

"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

5 Music Apps for Kids

http://creativemamma.com

Here is a list of some favorite music apps. These apps work with both iPhones and iPads.

• Baa Baa Black Sheep by Duck Duck Moose ($1.99 – iphone) – Explore the island of Baa Baa, where you can row-row your boat, see Baa Baa and his friends, explore 3 underwater worlds, all while looking for matching puzzle pieces hidden throughout the island!  – This app combines two songs and it’s fun and interactive – Music plus puzzles equals lots of fun!   

• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star by Kiboomu ($.99 – iphone) – Aspiring toddler & preschool pianists now have a new way to take piano lessons. Kids will love the song and they will love to “play” the piano along with the song.

• Kids Song Machine by Genera Kids ($1.99 – iphone, there’s a free version to try) – Kids Song Machine is specially designed for young children, where they can sing and learn the song lyrics, with interactive animations by simply touching the screen. This is a fun app that has 10 songs included!  There is also cute characters that the kids can interact with.

• Ocarina by Smule ($.99 – iphone) - One of Apple’s All-Time Top 20 Apps, Smule’s Ocarina turns your iPhone into an ancient flute. With no musical training required, you’ll blow away your friends and family with your new talent. 

• GarageBand by apple ($4.99 – ipad) – GarageBand turns your iPad into a collection of Touch Instruments and a full-featured recording studio — so you can make music anywhere you go. Use Multi-Touch gestures to play pianos, organs, guitars, drums, and basses on your iPad. They sound and play like their counterparts, but let you do things you could never do on a real instrument. I love how this app is perfect for any age group!  Jude loves playing with the piano and the drum kits and I love the bass guitar!  The app is great because it introduces the kids to different instruments and they learn how to use them – a plus, if you are planning on having them take actual music lessons.  Do you have any favorite music apps for kids?

Music Quotes: Albert Einstein and Les Paul

 "It occurred to me by intuition, and music was the driving force behind
that intuition. My discovery was the result of musical perception."
(When asked about his theory of relativity) 

        - Albert Einstein

Here's a 50's smash hit from Les Paul and Mary Ford

A7                Dm7                  Dm7  G7
Somewhere there's music, how faint the tune.
                  Cm7                  Cm7    F7
Somewhere there's heaven, how high the moon?
Bb+7        Em-5            A7      Am7       Em7-5
There is no moon above when love is far away, too.
     A7       D9         Em7      A7     Fm7    F7 Em7
Till it comes true, that you love me, as I love you.

#2.
    Em7   A7      Dm7                  Dm7  G7
Somewhere there's music, how near, how far?
                  Cm7                    Cm7 F7
Somewhere there's heaven, it's where you are.
    Bb      Em7-5                A7                   Dm7
The darkest night would shine if you would come to me soon.
A7-9      Fm7       F7       Em         Em7  A7-9  D6
Until you will, how still my heart, how high the   moon???

The earliest recorded hit version was by Benny Goodman & His Orchestra. It was recorded February 7, 1940 and released by Columbia Records as catalog number 35391, with the flip side "Fable of the Rose".^[2] In 1948, bandleader Stan Kenton enjoyed some success with his version of the tune. The recording, with a vocal by June Christy, was released by Capitol Records as catalog number 911 (with the flip side "Willow, Weep for Me")^[3] and 15117(with the flip side "Interlude").^[4] It reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on July 9, 1948, its only week on the chart, at #27.^[5]
The best-known recording of the song is by Les Paul and Mary Ford, made on January 4, 1951. The record was released by Capitol Records as catalog number 1451, with the flip side "Walkin' and Whistlin' Blues",^[6] and spent 25 weeks (beginning on March 23, 1951) on the Billboard chart,^[5] 9 weeks at #1. The record was subsequently re-released by Capitol as catalog number 1675, with "Josephine" on the B-side.^[7]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_High_the_Moon

If you are looking for music software with free lifetime updates at a low cost (Hear and Play accepts PayPal now) for your PC computer that has a virtual keyboard that lights up so you can learn how to play songs from free midis, take a look at
Song Robot


"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

Esperanza Spalding: I Know You Know (chords)

Cover of Esperanza Spalding


Chords to I Know You Know by Esperanza Spalding

Some say it's a simple blues scale A and D:
http://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/e/esperanza_spalding/i_know_you_know_btab.html

The main progression is switching between a plain D and a Bbmaj7+5,
which is just Bb and C added to the D major scale. For improvisation,
this is pretty much just a D mixolydian scale.

Harmony vocals open, and the Wurlitzer enters with the chord D/C ...


 Interlude:
| D | % | Bbmaj9+5 | % |

| D | % | Bbmaj9+5 | % |



 A:
| D | % | Bbmaj9+5 | % |

| D | % | Bbmaj9+5 | % |

| G#o | Gm11 | C13 | %  A13 |



 Chorus:
| D | F#7+9+5 | Bm9 | E13b11 |
                                                 1.
| Bbmaj9  D(add9) | F#7+9+5  Bm7+5 | Em7 A11  D | %  A6 :||


(from here it's back from the top, down to the 2. ending,
 which is leading on to the C-part.)

 2.
| %  C#�  C9 |


 C:
| Bm9  Bbmaj9 | Am11  G#� | Gmaj9  F#7+5 | Em11  A#o |

| Bm9  Bbmaj9 | Am11  G#� | Gmaj9  F#7+5 | Em11 |



 Interlude


 D:
| Emaj9/G# | Gm6 | D/F# | Bm7  -/A |

| Emaj9/G# | Gm6 | D/F# | Fmaj7 | Em9 | Bb+5 |



 2x Interlude

 2x Chorus

 C

 Interlude + harmony vocals

http://www.yourchords.com/225232/Esperanza-Spalding/Precious-Chords/

 

http://playbassnow.com/playing-styles/fingerstyle/esperanza-spalding-i-know-you-know/ 

 Hope this helps!
All the best,
"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

Related articles

• I Know You Know by Esperanza Spalding (pianodiana.blogspot.com)

Steps To Video Making and Marketing

Image via Wikipedia

Three Steps To Add the Power of Video to Your Website
1. Shoot Your Video
2. Upload It To YouTube
3. Link or Embed Your Video Broadcast

What should your first video message be? 

If a visitor stopped by your show room you'd take the opportunity to show them around. Do the same thing on your website or blog. When a visitor arrives, welcome them to your site with your instruction video. In essence, you want to show them around your "virtual Internet showroom."
Tell them how you're different and the benefits you or your products offer. If your site has links, then tell your visitor what information they will find if they follow those links.
I offer lessons and instructions online. I play the piano and offer certain music resources to take your piano playing to the next level.

Step 1: Shoot Your Video 

Set up your camera and position yourself about two or three feet in front of it and start talking. In the beginning, I used a digital camera and set it on a tripod. Then I set the camera on video and sat down and started talking.

Don't worry about what you will say, just start talking and recording. If you were a first time visitor to your website what would you be looking for and what would you want to know?

Don't worry about scripting out what you will say. Just talk off the top of your mind and don't be afraid to record several takes. The delete button is powerful and allows you to re-take the shot many times over.

Then watch them back and pick the best one. The exercise of being in front of the camera and just talking will help you perfect what you say. It will also help you get past your fear of being in front of the camera. By recording several takes, it will help you to look, sound and feel natural. And that's important! Remember to smile and just be yourself.

One of the greatest powers of using video in your marketing is that it gives your customers and prospects the opportunity to meet you face to face. Once you are happy with the take, put it up on YouTube.

Step 2: Upload to YouTube 

If you do not yet have an account go to www.youtube.com and sign up for a free account. Once you have it set up, which will take a few minutes, connect your video camera to your computer and upload your video to YouTube. Most video cameras come with software that may require you to transfer the video to your computer before you can move it to YouTube.

The hardest part of the whole process is often getting the video off your camera. If you have trouble then you might want to consider investing in a video camera that is made specifically for putting video onto computer or uploading it to the Internet.

Step 3: Link or Embed Your video for broadcast. 

Once you have your video on YouTube you will find two different sets of Internet coding to the right of your video. The URL code lets you link people to your YouTube video and the Embedded code lets you place that video directly onto your Website.

I recommend you place your videos on your Website. Keep your visitors on your site rather than sending them away to another site. If you maintain your own Website then simply copy and paste this code onto your Web page. If you have someone who maintains it for you, then send the code to them. It can save you hundreds of dollars in getting video on your Website. The key is to just do it.

As a music teacher, I enjoy recording students playing their favorite songs and then sharing the link with family members and friends. I also have enjoyed making a video of pirate images and children's books with background music on one of my blogs.

Once you have put a welcome video on your website, there is a lot more you can do. Most importantly, put your website or blog URL in the Description Box. That way you will be directing more traffic to your site and increase effective newsletter sign ups.

Indeed there is power in adding video to your website.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Video-Making-and-Marketing&id=5353121

All the best, LadyD

Related articles

• Promote Your Website With YouTube Comments | Top Website Placement ... (topwebsiteplacement.com)

Image by The Pop-up Kingdom via Flickr

 Sometimes you just have to play the songs that you love and are good at playing. You just might find yourself on a roll like this person in the video. It is good to combine a medley of fun pop songs that have been famous and played by many. So many songs here are my favorites as well. Do you have a special song that you are fond of? Why not play it over and over and get real good at it and polish it up for others to hear as well. They say repetition is a good thing and I agree!

Funny Piano Songs (Mario Theme, Titanic, Jurrasic Park, Peanuts etc.)

Jurrasic Park 

1,000 Miles

Peanuts Theme

Mario Theme

Theme form Charlie Brown


Titanic 

Pirates of the Carribean

The person in the video is playing the piano by ear. With practice it becomes easier to transition into the next song. Get comfortable playing in a certain key and learn a medley of popular songs in that key. Themes from famous movies, pop stars and game videos is a great beginning to learning the piano. Music should be enjoyable wouldn't you agree?

All the best,


-- LadyD I Write For Fortitude! http://fo.rtitu.de/1014

Celine Dion: My Heart Will Go On - Music

A popular song requested by many of my students is the oldie but famous classic song:

Celine Dion singing My Heart Will Go On from the movie Titanic. Here it is in the Key of C. Why not move all the chords up and play the song in the key of D and then finally in the key of E. Give it a go!

My Heart Will Go On

(Theme to "Titanic", by J. Horner/W. Jennings (in C with no key change for the beginner)

                                                                                                                                                                                     

            Intro             Am             G             F9             G                                                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                                                     

            Verse 1                                                                                                                                                            

            C                                     G                                     F                        C             G                                                  

            Every night in my dreams I see you, I feel you

            C                                     G                                     F                                                                                         

            That is how I know you go on

            C                                     G                                     F                        C             G                                                  

            Far across the distance and spaces between us

            C                                                 G                                     F                                                                             

            You have come to show you go on

                                                                                                                                                                                     

            Chorus                                                                                                                                                

            Am             G                       F9                      G                                                                                                      

            Near, far, wherever you are

                          Am                                  G                                     F9             Em             Dm                                               

            I believe that the heart does go on

            Am             G                       F9                      G                                                                                                      

            Once more you open the door

                                      Am                                  G                                     F9                      C             G             C          

            And you`re here in my heart and my heart will go on and on

                                                                                                                                                                                     

            Verse 2

             

            Love can touch us one time, and last for a life time

            And never let go till we`re gone

            Love was when I loved you one true time I hold to

            In my life will always go on

             

              (Chorus)

             

            Link                   Am             G             F             G             Am             G             F             Am             G                                    

             

            Chorus 3

             

            You`re here there`s nothing I fear

            And I know that my heart will go on

            We`ll stay forever this way

            You are safe in heart and my heart will go on and on

    http://www.easy-chords.com/songs/titanic_guitar_piano_chords.html

My Heart Will Go On in Key of E ( for the intermediate player)

C#m  B  A  B  C#m  B  A  B  (intro)

E   B/F#  A/E  E  B 

E  B/F#  A

E  B/F#  A/E  E  B 

E  B/F#  A

G#m  C#m  B  A  B

C#  B  A    G#m  F#m

C#m  B  A  B  C#m  B  A  B  E

 
Warmest Regards,
~ D.

Learn to Play the Flatted 6th on Piano

Image by New York Public Library via Flickr

Learn to Play the Piano Easy - Flatted 6th Example




http://learngosppelbyear.com
- Learn how to play the piano fast and easy. Learn to play the piano with professional techniques. Learn how to play the piano by ear. This is absolutely the fastest and easiest way to learn to play the piano today.

Jamal speaks quickly through this scale but your ear picks up this cool mysterious sound that I love, especially being Greek! lol Anyways, he's pulling the D to Eb. Jamal
plays with broken, arpeggiated chords in the l.h. and reaches for those octaves. here are some of the chords that I hear him play:

C/G Ab Ab

C G/Ab C D Ab

C G C/G E

C G/Ab C D Bb

/G E

/Ab C D G

/F Ab C G (F minor)

C/G Ab C Eb

C/G Ab C Eb Bb

G C/G D E

G/Ab D F

The melodic minor second (m2), which is formed by playing two notes one step apart on the piano, is the smallest interval that can be played with two different notes. It represents the smallest possible amount singers are usually asked to slide their voices while singing. This interval has the connotation of something slipping or sliding when it's played slowly. It can sound mysterious, sad or strange.

The melodic minor sixth (m6) is formed by playing notes that are eight steps apart on the piano. This interval is quite dissonant and is very active sounding. This is a very wide interval and is used infrequently in melodies.

http://www.songtrellis.com/concepts/interval

* A whole step up from C is D -- the 2nd tone of the C major scale.
* A whole step up from D is E -- the 3rd tone of the C major scale.
* A half step up from E is F -- the 4th tone of the C major scale.
* A whole step up from F is G -- the 5th tone of the C major scale.
* A whole step up from G is A -- the 6th tone of the C major scale.
* A whole step up from A is B -- the 7th tone of the C major scale.
* A half step up from B is C -- the 8th tone of the C major scale.

So the C major scale consists of the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and C -- no sharps or flats!

There are seven different tones in the major scale. The 1st and 8th tones are called the root, tonic, or key note. They are the same note but are an octave apart.


http://www.ezfolk.com/guitar/Tutroials/Music_Theory/Major_Scale/major_scale.html

Have fun practicing with the flatted sixth and let me know how it goes for you.

Warmest Regards,
~ D.

How To Improvise in D Minor

While surfing the net, I discovered this great teaching video on how to improvise in D Minor by Yoke Wong on YouTube. I found the video very informative and wanted to share it with you. Learn these easy steps to improvising with your right hand with a few minor sounding songs that are great to play in October for setting the mood for Halloween.


Themes from Classical pieces for Halloween music!

* J.S.Bach- Toccata and Fugue in D Minor

* Improvise in D Minor Scale (relative to F Major Scale)

* D Harmonic Minor Scale

* In the Hall of the Mountain King

* Online Piano Lesson - Classical Music For Halloween



For more information, visit Yoke Wong's site:

http://www.yokewong.net

For more related Topics, visit:

http://ladydpiano.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-to-play-minor-piano-scales.html

Happy Autumn,
~ LadyD

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

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

Coldplay

Many of my students play Coldplay's songs. You can see some of their clips on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/LadyDpraying

Who is Coldplay, you ask? I found this cool article online and wanted to share it with you. You will get a glimpse of their stardom! :D

http://www.articlehubs.com/Coldplay_link.html

Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in London, England in 1998. The group comprises vocalist/pianist/guitarist Chris Martin, lead guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Will Champion. Coldplay have sold 40 million albums,[1] and are also known for their hit singles, such as "Yellow", "The Scientist", "Clocks", "Speed of Sound", "Fix You" and "Viva la Vida".

Coldplay achieved worldwide fame with the release of their single "Yellow", followed by their debut album, Parachutes (2000), which was nominated for the Mercury Prize. Its follow-up, A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), won multiple awards such as NME's Album of the Year. Their next release, X&Y (2005), received a slightly less enthusiastic yet still generally positive reception. The band's fourth studio album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), was produced by Brian Eno and released again to largely favourable reviews, earning several Grammy nominations.[2] All of Coldplay's albums have enjoyed commercial success.[3][4]

Coldplay's early material was compared to acts such as Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, U2, and Travis.[5] Since the release of Parachutes, Coldplay have drawn influence from other sources, including Echo and the Bunnymen,[6] Kate Bush and George Harrison[7] on A Rush of Blood to the Head, Johnny Cash and Kraftwerk for X&Y and Blur,[8] Arcade Fire and My Bloody Valentine on Viva la Vida.[9] Coldplay have been an active supporter of various social and political causes, such as Oxfam's Make Trade Fair campaign and Amnesty International. The group have also performed at various charity projects such as Band Aid 20, Live 8, and the Teenage Cancer Trust.[10]

The members of the band met at the University College London (UCL) in September 1996. Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland were the first members of the band, having met one another during their orientation week. They spent the rest of the college year planning a band, with their efforts culminating in a group called Pectoralz.[11] Later, Guy Berryman, a classmate of the two, joined. By 1997, the group, who had renamed themselves to Starfish, performed gigs for local Camden promoters at small clubs.[12] Martin also had recruited his longtime school friend Phil Harvey, who was studying classics at Oxford, to be the band's manager.[13] (To this day, Coldplay consider Harvey to be the fifth member of the group.[14]) The band's lineup was complete when Will Champion joined the band to take up percussion duties. Champion had grown up playing piano, guitar, bass, and tin whistle; he quickly learned the drums, despite having no previous experience.[11] The band finally settled on the name "Coldplay" which was suggested by Tim Crompton, a local student who had been using the name for his group.[14][15] By 1997 Martin had also met then Classics student Tim Rice-Oxley. During a weekend on Virginia Water, they asked each other to play off their own songs on the piano. Martin, finding talent on Rice-Oxley, asked him to be Coldplay's keyboard player but Rice-Oxley refused as his own band (Keane) was already operational. Days after, this event would shape the second line-up of Keane and keep Coldplay's unaltered, thus leaving both bands as quartets.[16]



http://www.LadyDpiano.com