If you've ever imagined being the sort of pianist that can play freely on the piano, listen up...
Playing 'off-page' is a skill (not a born talent). I want you to start thinking this way every time you think "I'll never get there" or "I'm not naturally talented".
Replace those thoughts with -- "I just have to practise being naturally talented", or "I just have to practise playing freely" - or whatever your particular brand of piano dream is!
Because in the end - hard work and passion beats out natural talent.
The problem with most pianists is that they're working hard at practising traditional skills and waiting to be good enough for the creative skills to just arrive...
But they're not going to simply show up!
If you want to play freely, you've got to practise playing freely! Makes sense when you think about it, right?
And how does one practise playing freely?
I have 5 activities for you to start doing that will draw that 'natural talent' for playing freely dramatically closer!
1. Flip the script on your pieces.
Take a piece you already know and make some small creative adjustments to it. If there is a melody line hidden in a busy right hand, you could pick out that melody line and simply play that. You can do the same thing in the left hand.
You could simply play bass notes rather than the bass pattern.
You could try playing the right hand up and octave or the left hand down an octave.
Try making the piece swing instead of straight, loud instead of soft, or minor instead of major.
These small tweaks are a great starting exercise to being creative with what you know.
2. Random chord generator
Type those words into google and find your own, or use this one.
This is a great tool to use for just about anything creative you feel like doing!
Use the chord progressions that it generates to play through and improvise on. Try applying some rhythm to those chords. Pick out a simple melodic line. Play a fun bass movement using the root notes of the chords. Even play along with the drum beat like you’re in a band (available through my linked example above).
3. Build your riff bank
Learning & memorising riffing patterns is essential to playing piano creatively. Learning riffs and being able to apply them to chords and chord progressions gives you the confidence to improvise, play freely, solo, compose, play from lead sheets and even playing by ear. It also helps you with the next tip which is to play songs that don’t have piano.
How do you begin to build your bank of riffs? Check out my new course ‘Riffing Pro!’.
4. Actively listen
Practise listening actively to the music you hear. Don’t just hear the music, or even the emotive result it gives you, but listen for the details. Once you can hear the details, you can start to insert details into your free playing.
Want some help to listen actively? Check out my free 5-day ear bootcamp online!
5. Play non-piano songs
Playing songs that don’t have piano in them is a great way to challenge yourself at problem solving and creativity. Problem solving is required in order to discover how to play a piece that is intended for another instrument or even a band, and make it fit with your 10 fingers at the piano keys. The creativity is where you make your own decisions, after actively listening, as to what elements of the song to include and how!
Playing freely at the piano is not something that will just happen one day from training the traditional piano methods.
To play creatively, you need to train creatively! So put these 5 activities into your regular practise sessions and watch your creative skills improve as you outgrow your training wheels and set yourself FREE at that piano!