As someone who has played the piano for quite a long time, I can tell you that there is nothing more enjoyable than being able to sit down and just improvise. Now, I don't do this every day, but when the mood strikes I do. It might be a beautiful spring morning, or the sight of something inspirational, but when the feeling comes, I move towards the piano and just play. I take for granted that I can do this because I've been doing it for a very long time. It's now a part of me. And a part I would never want to give up or lose. Now I know that some of you may think only a few gifted individuals can do this, but let me tell you that IT'S ONLY IMPROVISATION AND THIS CAN BE TAUGHT! You don't need much to begin. Just a few chords under your fingers and you're off exploring a world of sound. Once you begin to improvise and experience for yourself how easy it can be it becomes addictive. You'll find yourself wanting to play the piano more and more. That's why I'm not a big fan of routine practicing. I believe that students will play the piano when they see how it can benefit and enrich their lives. Then, they will naturally want to play. In fact, it may be difficult to pull them away from playing. I'm also a big advocate of keeping it very simple in the beginning and focusing more on cultivating a productive attitude in the student. One thing I've learned from teaching piano for the last 14 years is that students who don't believe they can improvise won't be able to. This is the biggest roadblock students have in the beginning. But once they see that they can improvise and create music on their own, the rest is usually easy. |
