A Monthly Technique Plan For Advanced Contemporary Pianists

So...

I crafted this plan to get my technique sparkling this year.  (I assure you that there were no diet or exercise plans in my new year's resolutions, but there are musical resolutions.)

This is a plan that should work for most pianists.  I will start it officially tomorrow and see how it goes.  (I'll report back here with the results).

***UPDATE:  1/13/2019.  I've been trying the "monthly technique plan" I posted for several days,  and realized that I had some duplicate exercises listed on the original Google doc I posted.  I also thought the organization was not logical enough so I re-ordered the exercises for a more logical flow, in the hopes that this will help me and others to memorize the routine.  So, here is my latest plan.  I will start practicing based on this plan today and update you periodically with edits and progress reports on how I'm doing! I do want to tell you that I already feel more accuracy and technical competency in my playing of pieces.  It's taking me about 45-minutes a day to get through the routine (I suspect this number is a bit inflated due to my interruptions and note-taking while I practice).  My knuckle joints are a bit sore in a tired way, but I'm keeping my pulse on this and will make sure it doesn't worsen. ***

HERE'S THE NEW, UPDATED PRACTICE PLAN FOR ADVANCED PIANISTS AND ADVANCED STUDENTS:  

CLICK THE LINK AT THE RIGHT---------->  TONAL-BASED PRACTICE SYSTEM:  A KEY A DAY, A MONTHLY SYSTEM TO DEVELOP FLUENCY AND TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY IN ALL 12 MAJOR, MINOR, AND BLUES KEYS
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eoxHpuhYbo8jXvFylz27CHbuLAdlIc3M/view?usp=sharing

Why is better technique on my bucket list for 2019?  Well, I had a few events lately with difficult passages.  I did practice them, but when it came time to execute the difficult passage during the performance, I was faking it at best.  I didn't get the level of detail in there that I should have.  My fingers just wouldn't fly fast enough for certain technical tasks (rapid trills, trills in thirds, rapid 16th note passages).  I did have a baby a few years ago, and practice has been difficult to fit in, but this is no excuse.  I'm determined to rise early to exercise my fingers!  

Here's what I've spent the better part of a morning on:

Monthly Technique Plan for Advanced Contemporary Pianists

*** Click the link above for a printable version. ***

Here is the plan, at a glance (below).  Focus on 1 key a day, doing the exercises below.  Now...here's a disclaimer alert:  I haven't tried this yet but I will time it this week and report back on how many minutes (or hours!) of your time this will gobble up.

Do you subscribe to this blog, or my YouTube channel?  There's lots of valuable information in both places, and I would highly recommend it if you're into piano, jazz, classical, or piano-teaching!

Jennifer Warren-Baker: Washington, DC Jazz Pianist/ Jazz Piano Solo

Hanukkah Piano: Dreidel Boogie

I took a book of Hanukkah songs yesterday and rearranged them in my own way.  I had never played a Hanukkah party before this weekend, so I had to do my homework.  Most Hanukkah songs are sad-sounding, folk-like melodies in minor keys, with simple chord progressions.  With most of the songs, I took a pretty, classical interpretation, adding the usual bling (you know, arpeggios, scale runs, thickened chords, change of register, octaves in the melody, more bass/tremolos, beautiful intros).  But when it came to "I Have a Little Dreidel," I had to do more. This song has the child-like quality of a nursery rhyme.  It's about as sophisticated as "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep," or "Mary Had a Little Lamb."  In my humble opinion, it's just kinda dull! With the need for some musical spice, I thought about spinning up a boogie around this tune. Boogie is typically characterized by a left-hand ostinato (repeating pattern) played fast and swingy.  Simple songs with only two or three chords lend themselves nicely to a boogie accompaniment in the left hand. Jingle Bells is another simple holiday song I play in boogie style.  So this two-chord folk song was just begging to boogie yesterday!  Here is what I came up with, in about ten minutes of jamming out my ideas:

How did I do it?  Here is what my left hand is doing (below).  If you don't know this left-hand pattern, you should add it to your tool box.  It's a great work-out for the left hand that uses all five fingers.  It keeps the lazy hand in shape (yes, it gets lazy because, even if you are left-handed, left hand parts in general are less physically challenging than right-hand parts).

Piano Boogie:  Left Hand Accompaniment Pattern No. 1:  www.freethepiano.com

Just memorize the pattern in scale degrees (thinking in numbers is always a good idea in music!), and apply this pattern to whatever chord you're in.  When you go to the V chord (G here) in the song, the pattern looks like this:

Piano Boogie:  Left Hand Accompaniment Pattern No. 1, transposed to G Ma:  www.freethepiano.com

Of course I also jazzed up the melodic rhythm and added some blue grace notes to the melody (more on this later), but you don't have to do that if you don't want to.  I hope you enjoy trying some boogie on your Christmas and Hanukkah tunes this year.  Have fun!

Little Mermaid Musical Hits the Presses!

Read All About It!

Thanks to the Blue Ridge Leader for providing some great coverage of our upcoming show (2 articles).

"The Show Must Go On:  Songwriting Team Triumps Through Adversity"

 Blue Ridge Leader, February 5, 2014

"The Little Mermaid" Comes to Blue Ridge

Blue Ridge Leader, February 5, 2014

Little Mermaid the Musical - PREVIEW VIDEO!

Here is the preview video for "The Little Mermaid" the musical, which will have its world premier at Blue Ridge Middle School on Feb. 28, 2014.  A music medley runs in the background, and you can get an idea of the costumes.

Want to come see the show?  Don't delay in ordering your tickets!  All four performances of last year's production of CATS sold out a week before opening night!

ORDER ADVANCED TICKETS HERE. 

Show dates are:

• Fri, February 28 7:30pm
• Sat, Mar 1 2:30 and 7:30pm
• Sun, Mar 2 2:30pm
• Sat, Mar 8 7:30pm
• Sun, Mar 9 2:30pm

Hope to see you there!