KVR Audio

alphonse · Post by **alphonse** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 12:44 pm

How to 'bluff' being a pianist?

Maybe 'bluff' isn't the correct word, but let me explain. This is going to be a long post, if only to justify myself to the people who will simply respond "Take some bloody lessons - there's no shortcut".

Years ago I could 'play' the piano. I was given piano lessons as a child. I never took any exams, but could read music slowly and most of the time my hands would do the right thing.

I always flitted between what I was playing - I never had a repertoire of pieces I could play, but had a handful of pieces I could play the bits I liked from. For instance, the piano part from Herbie Hancock's Cantaloupe Island, parts of famous classical pieces that interested me (The first couple of pages of Rondo alla Turca, the first few pages of a couple of Bach's fugues spring to mind - maybe Fugue in Gm, and the first few pages of Toccata and Fugue in Dm)

At college one of my modules was playing piano, and I was allowed to skive the lessons as long as I turned up for the grading as my teacher at the time said "You're probably about grade 5, which is better than we need for this course". I played 'The Heart Asks Pleasure First' by Michael Nyman from teh movie 'The Piano' for that exam (which was pretty much brand new at the time, so we are talking some years ago!).

After leaving college, I moved house several times, my musical interests changed, space became more of an issue, and so since college I have not had the opportunity to actually 'play' a piano. Sure, I've used Keyboards as an input device, but it's been 15 years or so since I actually *played*.

A few weeks ago I found a box of CDs in my attic, which had some old Jazz albums I used to listen to. I spent the next week listening to them in the car on the way to/from work. I have rarely felt such an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia. I want to play the piano again.

So, I would definitely not describe myself as someone who can play the piano - merely as someone who is competent enough to figure something out if I put my mind to it. What I would like to do is build a repertoire of classics - pieces of music that if played to a non-musician would scream "this guy has got skills!". I'm not bothered about the style. In fact, I'd like a varied repertoire. Due to simply growing up and having other commitments, I simply just don't have time to do this the proper way and start from scratch. I'd love to go back and get some grades and learn some pieces on the way, but I think my time would be much better spent learning half a dozen amazing arrangements well, especially as this is a personal quest rather than a professional one.

So, as my music history knowledge has pretty much gone out of the window - can anyone make me any recommendations?

Thanks for listening, and thanks for your help!

TristezaOrange · Post by **TristezaOrange** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 12:48 pm

Play a blues scale, some dominant 7ths on the left hand and some minor/blue notes on the right hand. Instant piano expert (at least to non-musicians

). I suck at keyboards and that's what I do.

duncanparsons · Post by **duncanparsons** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 12:49 pm

rustle up a copy of Debussy's Clair de Lune.. that's a good one for bluffing.. Fur Elise as well

dacaumodo · Post by **dacaumodo** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 1:09 pm

Check out Bill Evans.

And learn five or six jazz standards inside out (chords, theme, voicings, improv).

gambaytheunspoken · Post by **gambaytheunspoken** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 1:11 pm

Three suggestions for you to check out. First one, Chucho Valdes, "Live in New York." Second One, Keith Jarrett, "La Scala." Third one, Kenny Kirkland, "Kenny Kirkland." Very different styles, a lot of piano. Kenny passed away a few years ago, but I love his playing. Played with sting back in the eighties, and was pianist with Branford Marsalis. Keith Jarrett needs no introduction, but this particular album is remarkable for the level of seemingly spontaneous music and improvisation that just comes out of him as if from nowhere. Chucho Valdes, a Cuban icon, leader/founder of Irakere, now doing his own thing. Truly scary pianist. Makes you sometime want to stop playing. But always enjoyable.

Ciao!

Aircrash · Post by **Aircrash** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 2:17 pm

Chucho Valdes made me, more than one time, want to never again get near a piano... what for? did you see his fingers? well... yours are never gonna do that. NEVER...

anyway, here is a good example of bluffing... Michel Camilo playing Caribe.[/url]

robogone · Post by **robogone** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 2:32 pm

Buy a Player Piano

gambaytheunspoken · Post by **gambaytheunspoken** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 5:23 pm

Aircrash, agreed. Michel Camilo is beyond stratospheric. I remember when I first got my hands on that record back in the nineties when he first recorded "Caribe." I simply couldn't believe it, especially his duet with the late great Mongo Santamaria on Kenny Dorham's "Blue Bossa." Truly fantastic stuff. His album "Triangulo" with bassist Anthony Jackson and Horacio Hernandez is definitely worth having. By the way, did you catch his performance in the film "Calle 54." No words. Here's the link. Everyone on KVR should check this out if you haven't seen it already you will be floored.

Ciao!

Optomadic · Post by **Optomadic** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 5:25 pm

TristezaOrange wrote:Play a blues scale, some dominant 7ths on the left hand and some minor/blue notes on the right hand. Instant piano expert (at least to non-musicians ). I suck at keyboards and that's what I do.

LMAO holy shit too funny!

sockofgold · Post by **sockofgold** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 5:28 pm

TristezaOrange wrote:Play a blues scale, some dominant 7ths on the left hand and some minor/blue notes on the right hand. Instant piano expert (at least to non-musicians ). I suck at keyboards and that's what I do.

Sadly, yes. I am a pretty decent bluffer. I can "fake book" it all the way. But try to get me to learn exact note phrasing... never going to happen.

Anyway, this will work. Same as guitar bluffing. Pentatonic all the way!

vurt · Post by **vurt** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 5:49 pm

tell them you're a huge cecil taylor fan.

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:24 pm

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

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:29 pm

One time I was in a bar with some unfortunate piano, and was terribly bored, so I went on that thing and started just playing some sonorities, not even playing the piano, since I cannot play the piano at all. But just trying out some voicings I had up in my little head.

This woman comes up to be like it's just amazing. And "are you into George Winston". Who was kinda big in this whole whatever the heck it is kind of laid back new age music at the time. And who apparently doesn't really play the piano either. But, sold some record, yeah boy.

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

ughnonumus · Post by **ughnonumus** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:30 pm

alphonse wrote:So, as my music history knowledge has pretty much gone out of the window - can anyone make me any recommendations?

Are you looking to play the whole song (i.e. solo) or be part of a band/group/etc...? This makes a huge difference in the approach. Some people who can play solo have no idea what do when playing with other people; verse visa. In fact, just building a tune in a host (e.g. Reason, Cubase, FL, etc...) ordinarily involves just playing bit that are compiled by the host. This is quite different from the skills required to entertain a room full of people for an hour or more. I would advise you to figure out this aspect firstly.

ughnonumus · Post by **ughnonumus** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:34 pm

sockofgold wrote:
TristezaOrange wrote:Play a blues scale, some dominant 7ths on the left hand and some minor/blue notes on the right hand. Instant piano expert (at least to non-musicians ). I suck at keyboards and that's what I do.
Sadly, yes. I am a pretty decent bluffer. I can "fake book" it all the way.

What are you talking about?

Fake books are huge! Many professionals use these...no shame there. Me loves fake books.

(They are much more efficient.) Besides if one knows how to take the basic structure and make it there own, the fake book elements (e.g. melody line; chords; lyrics) are typically all one requires to get the job done.