Beginner Improvisation - The Candelabrum

[ranjit]

I have been learning piano on my own, and have been trying to improvise for a while now. I would really appreciate some feedback on my playing.

PS. I look forward to posting more on this forum!

[ted]

You are obviously starting to find your way around the keyboard quite well. The moments I found interesting were the chord passages at 1:30 and 3:10, and the intriguing changes around 1:06 to 1:10. Quite often it is those sections which seem strange during our playing that impress us afterwards and last longest in the memory when listening. So never be afraid to let the madness out, it is frequently the best part of us.

I might pay you to work a bit more on your finger technique, particularly in the right hand. In improvisation there isn't time to perfect every movement to suit each special occasion while playing. All we can do is preserve in the subconscious a huge vocabulary of confident movements which might have general application and allow the mind to bring them out as required.

Please continue to post your playing.   

[dogperson]

I am not an expert improviser like Ted, but I still wanted to let you know I found this innovative, interesting and enjoyable to hear.  Thanks for sharing something so personal ; I hope you will continue to post 😊

[ranjit]

You are obviously starting to find your way around the keyboard quite well. The moments I found interesting were the chord passages at 1:30 and 3:10, and the intriguing changes around 1:06 to 1:10. Quite often it is those sections which seem strange during our playing that impress us afterwards and last longest in the memory when listening. So never be afraid to let the madness out, it is frequently the best part of us.

I might pay you to work a bit more on your finger technique, particularly in the right hand. In improvisation there isn't time to perfect every movement to suit each special occasion while playing. All we can do is preserve in the subconscious a huge vocabulary of confident movements which might have general application and allow the mind to bring them out as required.

Please continue to post your playing.

Thank you, Ted! I'm not sure how to go about working on my finger technique. Were you referring to the points in the video where I wanted to play something, but got it wrong? Or is there something seriously wrong with my technique? (Please let me know if so: I am rather paranoid about my technique being poor because of the number of people online who have told me I will screw up my technique without a teacher )

[ranjit]

I am not an expert improviser like Ted, but I still wanted to let you know I found this innovative, interesting and enjoyable to hear.  Thanks for sharing something so personal ; I hope you will continue to post 😊

Thank you! I was initially very apprehensive to post here. I was half afraid I would be wasting everyone's time. The encouragement means a lot to me!

[ted]

Thank you, Ted! I'm not sure how to go about working on my finger technique. Were you referring to the points in the video where I wanted to play something, but got it wrong? Or is there something seriously wrong with my technique? (Please let me know if so: I am rather paranoid about my technique being poor because of the number of people online who have told me I will screw up my technique without a teacher )

Despite what dogperson says, I am certainly not an “expert” in anything. It’s more a case of my not being able to do much else except improvise ! I haven’t had a teacher for over fifty years and my technique, while having weak points, is not “screwed up”. The teacher I did have taught me no technique at all. Don’t worry too much about it, a lot of these things are just a matter of acquiring confidence in yourself. It is quite possible to develop technique through your improvising, it is not an end in itself.