Piano Key1

Those of you who have been reading my articles for some time know that I’m a big fan of the open position chord. This is where both hands play a chord together. It’s a great technique that allows beginners (and pros) sound good at the piano right away. But, it’s just one method or way to approach chord piano playing.

Another method I use is something called the crossover technique or arpeggio. Here the left hand plays a cascade of notes ascending or descending (usually ascending) while the right hand plays melody. This technique is especially suited for New Age piano playing because we can get a gentle flow of notes in the left hand. In fact, you can use over

2 octaves just in the left hand. This covers a lot of musical space so to speak and creates a lovely backdrop over which melodies may be composed or improvised.

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Are you are an artist? Are you in love with the idea of producing your own music? Do you know of a singer or songwriter who needs your help? If so, you probably will need to learn how to start an independent record label. It may be worthy to note at this point that independent labels contribute a huge part of the $48 billion global music industry.

Let me help you understand how to start an independent record label by understanding what an indie label or independent label is.

What is an independent record label?

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On a sunny day in June, 1958, Minneapolis saw the birth of just another black kid amongst a struggling community. Prince Rogers Nelson , in adult life, became a singer, songwriter, producer, record label owner, multi talented instrumentalist and a studio owner, not to mention one of the most exuberant, exciting and outstanding performers of the twentieth century.

His first UK release came in the form of a single called I wanna be your lover. It entered the charts in January 1980 and failed to even make the top 40. This didn t deter the young singer and dreamt of greater heights. In all honesty, this didn t come along for another 4 years.

Not until July 1984.

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How do you begin a piece of music? That’s a question I’m often asked. The answer I usually give is that you begin as soon as you start playing - that is, if you’re trying to “compose” something, the piece begins the moment it has energy and is something you want to capture. If it’s an improvisation, the piece begins the moment you set your fingers on the keys and hit the first note. It’s like free flow writing and writing a chapter to a novel.

The writer can both improvise and enjoy the process or can structure the ideas more - or, as I like to do, combine both procedures into one. I start out by improvising - always. Then,

if I want to memorialize a musical idea, I write down the first two bars of melody along with the chord(s) I’m playing. I throw this on a chart and voila - the idea remains fresh until I want to either expand on it, or ignore it completely.

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Playing by ear is the ability to play a piece of music (or, eventually, learn an instrument) by simply listening to it repeatedly. The majority of self-taught musicians began their education this way; they picked up their instrument and began playing an easy melody from a well-known song, slowly picking out the notes as they went along. And even after these musicians master their instruments or a particular song, playing by ear still plays a large role.

Many pop and rock bands don’t play or write their songs based on sheet music, they figure the songs out by playing by ear. It’s even common among non-musicians. Ever sit down a piano and mindlessly pick out the tune to “Mary Had a

Little Lamb”? What about grabbing a guitar and suddenly finding yourself playing the opening licks to “Smoke on the Water”? That’s playing by ear. You’re able to play part of the song just because you’ve heard it so often.

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