The Key is in the Counting

What Makes a Piece of Music a "Good Song"?

Most people say that a song is good if it has a good beat. Do you agree?

Why Do You Struggle with Rhythm?

Even if you think that the words, the melody or the harmony (chords) make a piece of music a good song, you probably agree at some level that the beat is often what draws you to a particular song.

So why do rhythm and counting feel like such a struggle?

If you are like most piano students, you simply want to play the tune, recognize the melody and feel the sense of accomplishment that comes from knowing that you played a song that you know.

When you sit at the piano you might think to yourself:
* Find those notes.
* What fingers should I use?
* How does that middle section go?
* Where do I go when it says 'to CODA'?

You may get so confused that you forget why you liked that song in the first place.

But usually it was the beat of the song that grabbed your attention.

Yet, like most things in life, you end up giving all of your attention to your most pressing problems.

As the old adage says: "Art imitates life." If you draw a parallel from your own life to your piano playing, you will quickly understand why the challenge of counting causes you to put keeping the beat on the back burner.

There are simply too many other musical issues vying for your attention!

You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It Too

Are you one of those people who eats the cake first or do you prefer to start with the icing?

Are you a person who can delay your musical gratification until after you establish the beat? Or do you have to listen to yourself play the melody right away?

You can have your cake and play the melody a few times with the right hand alone at first.

But if you want to eat it too, you will need to look at music differently.

Remember hearing one of your favorite songs sung by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett or Barbra Streisand?

What makes their renditions so special is that they (and other great artists) know how to interpret the melody in their own unique vocal styles. Do you know how they do this?

Frank, Tony, Barbra and others sing so freely because their background ensembles provide them with a great foundation: a GOOD BEAT.

Your Left Hand Is Your "Count Basie Band"

Once you begin seeing your left hand as a solid accompanying ensemble like the Count Basie Band that so often accompanied Sinatra, your piano playing will quickly improve!

You're probably wondering how you can expect 5 fingers of one hand to do the work of 17 professional performing musicians.

But when you look at what having a solid accompaniment does for the great song stylists, you can see how training your left hand to be the "band" can give your right hand the freedom to "sing".

The Secret to Getting Unstuck

If you're like most students, you find that keeping the beat is challenging.

You may often feel like counting restricts rather than frees you as you play a song.

The reason for this is that you are trying to accompany the right hand melody.

You probably often find it hard to fit a left hand umpah or 10th with the right hand melody, and so you get frustrated.

If you want to get unstuck, you will need to turn your thinking around.

Here's the secret to getting unstuck:

Start by giving your attention to learning the left hand accompaniment in strict tempo.

Once you can do this, everything else will fall into place.

7 Ways to Transform Your 5 Fingers into the "Band"

1. Learn the notes to be played by the left hand.
2. Start counting slowly without playing anything
3. Practice the left hand part alone slowly and in strict rhythm (use a metronome if you feel ready)
4. Start playing the song with hands together at a slow tempo several times: focus mainly on one short (2 to 4 measures) section at a time.
5. Use your metronome to gradually increase the tempo
6. Get a sense of being the "band" by using a rhythm unit (drum machine: many of the inexpensive keyboards have wonderful drum sounds)
7. Listen for the right hand melody and make sure that you can always hear it when playing hands together

One Final Note

The next time you listen to one of your favorite artists singing a good song, pay attention to the background. Notice how the solid accompaniment keeps the beat steady, the music flowing and the performer free to express herself.

From now on, give your left hand the long overdue attention that it deserves. Recognize how valuable its role is in creating great music.

Finally, remember that the key to success is in the counting. By starting with the left hand accompaniment and then developing a solid rhythm, you will be well on your way to playing many good songs.

Copyright © 2007 by Ed Mascari
http://www.edmascaripianostudio.com
ed@edmascari.com
508-651-2590 (Natick Studio)
Mail: 57 Hunter Ave, Hudson MA 01749-3043

Ed Mascari has been teaching piano privately to children and adults for nearly three decades. He is a seasoned performer (pianist/ jazz organist) of show tunes, jazz and popular music as well as a published classical composer and church musician. Ed combines his extensive experience to guide students in a variety of styles as he helps them achieve their unique potential.Search Engine Optimization Service
Advertising Rate Newspaper
Source Blogging Software
How To Sell Ebooks Armand Morin
Money Make To Ways
How To Make Money At Home The Easy Way
1 Internet Marketing Online Marketing Web Site Promotion
Email Marketing Solution Internet Marketing Strategy On Line
How To Make Money Day Trading Online
Work At Home No Experience Necessary
Associate Program Affiliate Program
Bush Blogging Illeagel
Make Money Online Business Internet Marketing And Web
Easy Money Fast Earn
Pay Per Click Management Service
Pay Per Click Internet Marketing
Free Harry Potter Ebooks
Webmaster Tools Black Label Edition Iii
Internet Marketing Seo Seo Service Optimization Site Web Seo
Make Money For Free
Seo Expert Seo Software Seo Tool Seo Services
Affiliate Affiliate Clickbank Program
Realistic Ways To Make Money From Home Computer
Web Marketing Resource Search Engine Optimization
Review Plr Bank Blogging Real
Best Easy Ways To Make Money
Information Marketing Adsense Adwords Google
Adult Anime Affiliate Programs
Email Marketing Uk Internet Marketing Strategy Search Engine
Mlm Work From Home Business Opportunity Network Marketing
Best Price Search Engines
Easy Earn Money
Work At Home Internet Business Opportunities
Adding Pdfs To Blogger
Make Money Quick On The Internet Free
Make Easy Money Fast Online
An Internet Marketing Strategy That Works By Joy Gendusa
Internet Marketing Web Site Design
Webmaster Best Results On Phrases Web Site Promotions
Free Online Paid Survey Make Money Online Auction Multilevel
Ways To Make Money Eith My Pc
Click Engine Pay Per Script Search Umaxppc Dimattic
Online Social Work Make Money Fast At Home Chooset
Network Marketing Opportunities Mlm Agel Enterprises Agel
Quick Ways Earn Money
How To Make Easy Money At Home And Fast
Internet Marketing Strategy Arizona
Best Medical Search Engines
How To Make Money Teaching Online Courses
Home Based Internet Business
Free Online Store Home Business Accept Credit Card
Bloggers
Make Easy Money Free Credit
Marketing Information Adwords Google Adsense
Austin Internet Marketing Strategy
List Search Engines
Online Pharmacy Business Opportunity
Site Submission Seo Seo Submitprobiz
Free Websites For Internet Affiliate Programs
Work At Home Career
Blogging For Teens
Make Money Fast Online Home Based Business
Webmaster Tools Site Submitting Page 6 Free Submission To
How To Make Money With The Sims Online
Minnesota Internet Marketing Strategy
Ways To Make Money When
Submit To Search Engines
Products And Technology Home Digital Entertainment
How To Make More Money Online
How To Make Money Online With Out Up Front Fees
How To Make Lots Of Money On The Internet
Make Money Earn On The Internet
Make Money At Home Ideas
Earn Money At Home Search
Make Fast Money Online Legally Credit
Domain Registration Online Web Business Domain Name Register
How To Make Money Online Free
Do Money Transfers Work At Home
Internet Marketing Strategy Phoenix
Affiliate Programs Fitness
Engine Internet Marketing Optimization Search Strategies
Make Money Pay Per Click
Based Business Home Internet Legitimate Opportunity
Advertising Click Pay Per Web Web Site Promotion F
Good Internet Marketing Strategy
Work At Home
Web Site Optimization Service Seo Marketing
Domain Registration Internet Marketing Strategy Network
Local Search Engine Optimization Services
Microsoft Blogging Software
Internet Marketing Strategy Affiliate Marketing Domain
Make Money On The Internet Without Investment
Internet Business Marketing Affiliates Home Based
How To Make Money Online With Little Or No Investment
Malaysian One Stop Blogging Site Where Everything Also Have
Lipitor Advertising
Google Page Rank Promotion Submission Seo Dreamrycom
Work At Home Make Money Online Opportunity
Webmaster Resources Website Hit Counters
Affiliate Lead Marketing Mlm Network