How to 'bluff' being a pianist?

[vurt]

That's dumb, vurt. Anyone who knows from Cecil motherfucking Taylor knows he has total technical command of his instrument.

i love me some cecil

[jancivil]

That's more like it!!!!!!

[Nystul]

I suspect the word "bluff" isn't giving yourself enough credit. It sounds like you are a real pianist (a very different standard from professional or virtuoso of course) who happens to be a bit rusty, and you'd like to work up a small repertoire for public play when the opportunity happens to come up. Most of us don't take lessons or play seriously forever after all. If your left hand is up to it, I'd suggest to throw in a Joplin rag. That would be a fun change of pace from either classical or more contemporary arrangements.

[Download SOphist]

Check out Bill Evans.

you don't mean that as an example of bluffing, do you?

[TristezaOrange]

Check out Bill Evans.

you don't mean that as an example of bluffing, do you?

Surely not. I almost cry every time I listen to his solo on Flamenco Sketches.

[Download SOphist]

Check out Bill Evans.

you don't mean that as an example of bluffing, do you?

Surely not. I almost cry every time I listen to his solo on Flamenco Sketches.

that's what i'd assume. to me this seems a luminous example of non-bluffing: .
Cheers!

[chj]

stick to crowds what don't know what in the world is going on, you'll do FINE as far as impressing people.

Made me think of a time I had time to kill before my train so I popped into a bar next to the station. The sound guy was messing around on guitar on stage and there were only a few customers. There was an extra guitar so I started playing with him. I'm not very good at guitar, I basically just play bar chords and mix it up with muted rhythms. Next thing we know the customers are actually paying attention and giving some applause. When I was leaving some kid came up to me and said Wow you're awesome. I looked at the sound guy and he gave me a smirk. We both knew I basically sucked, but hey it was fun.

[alphonse]

I suspect the word "bluff" isn't giving yourself enough credit. It sounds like you are a real pianist (a very different standard from professional or virtuoso of course) who happens to be a bit rusty, and you'd like to work up a small repertoire for public play when the opportunity happens to come up. Most of us don't take lessons or play seriously forever after all. If your left hand is up to it, I'd suggest to throw in a Joplin rag. That would be a fun change of pace from either classical or more contemporary arrangements.

Thanks

You've pretty mcuh summed-up exactly what I want to be able to do. I'm going to revisit Joplin, and I've just found a nice solo piano arrangement of Girl from Ipanema on Music Notes that I'm going to work on.

It's been great to listen to everyone's suggestions - I've not been this thirsty for music in a long time.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, this is a real education!

Cheers!

[kara]

Bluffing an ignorant public in 3 simple step

1. Learn a slow 12 bar blues progression in A (example) with the left hand.
2. Learn to play over it with the right hand, start very simple it will get better with practise.
3; Go to a bar where there is a piano and play

Success garanteed

k

[Musicologo]

Oh, just grab minimalistic pieces and Soundtrack ones!

Pick up some themes from Yann Tiersen from Amelie or Good bye Lenin soundtrack.
Those from Michael Nyman and the piano are good too. John Williams on Harry Potter or ET.
Enya is very easy and peaceful. Wim mertens or Ludovico Einaudi.
Try some new age chords, or Joe Hisaishi...

If you want to go classical pick up Satie and the gymnopedies and similar. Gershwin!!
Scott Joplin is wonderfull!

Grab an Argentina Tango or a Portuguese march! Grab a Brazilian Samba.

Play some pop hits, if you can sing you throw a voice sometimes in easy songs. Pop songs with Jazzy flavour, you just play the bass with right hand, chords or arpeggios with left hand and then sing the voice on top. With 4 or 5 chords you can sing tons of songs and delight an audience. Even if you sing bad, and have a small range you can always sing bits like "Edelweiss" or those Jazz tunes that are mostly more Spoken than sung like "Under my skin" or "Unforgettable" or "Smile".

You can pick up a repertoire of two hours or more very easily and entertain and audience with very little talent if you look confident and know the tricks and the moves to make a show off. To throw a chromatic scale in the right place, to throw a pianissimo when it fits. Impress the crowd. That's easy.

[Ogg Vorbis]

Just act like that piano playing dog on the Muppet Show. There will be so much laughter that no one will hear your bad playing.

[K-Bee]

If you feel like a rusty piano player DON'T press the youtube link below

It will make you cry! He's only 19 when this was done imagine how he plays when 40!!

[peppy197]

Check out Bill Evans.

you don't mean that as an example of bluffing, do you?

Surely not. I almost cry every time I listen to his solo on Flamenco Sketches.

I play Flamenco Sketches on the piano but I thought it was by Miles Davis, arranged for piano by Evans, as Miles was a horn player.
My edit is arranged by Brent Esdstrom so in no way is it near Evans technical proficiency....

allen

[vurt]

It will make you cry! He's only 19 when this was done imagine how he plays when 40!!

really badly, due to a bizzarre gardening accident at 39.

[DocAtlas]

Buy a Player Piano

Even cheaper, the Monty Python Song Book has instructions on playing the piano. I seriously doubt they're what you're looking for, though.