Piano Solo

There are many ways to compose a piece of music. ABA forms, sonata allegro form, and so on. But the humble theme and variations has been around for centuries. While not used nearly as much as it was during the classical period, it still can be used to create artistic and attractive contemporary piano pieces. Let’s get started!

First, we need a theme! Eight bars are the perfect size to contain your theme. I work within this framework all the time and it has proven to be a workhorse when it comes to capturing musical ideas. Now, we can either begin with chords or melody. For theme and variations, I like to start with the melody (as do most composers.) This

is because it’s a lot easier to create variations for a simple melody than it is to create different textures for chord changes.

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How is it that a little white boy from Kansas City has become the most well known rapper in the world? Starting from nothing and eventually moving up to a multi-millionaire, Eminem over the past seven years has been in the eye of the public everywhere you look. He has essentially entered a black man s business and gone to the top over the course of a few years, but how?

On October 17, 1972 Marshall Bruce Mathers III was born in St. Joseph, MO by his 15 year old mother Debbie. Six months later his father was gone and this began the struggle for Marshall and his mother; one

that was just the beginning. Throughout the course of his childhood Marshall and his mother moved numerous times into different houses from Kansas City to Detroit. The maximum time spent in one house was only 3 months, which caused Marshall to attend many different schools making it difficult to cope to the different surroundings and make friends. Every new school he attended he was bullied as he was the new kid. This was something that he could not change as he was never stationed in one school for a long period of time. At the age of 12 he and his mother finally settled in a house in Detroit. He would later use the bullying to his advantage fueling him to get back at all his bullies through songs.

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Obtain an effective quality guitar
Obviously you have to own a guitar. The best ones are Fender because that is what David Gilmour uses (Pink Floyd guitarist). David Gilmour uses a Fender Stratocaster which are quite expensive but you can buy a Fender Strat which are cheaper, over 100 or $200.

Before you start to play, tune your guitar strings. Electronic tuners are inexpensive. Get one.

Get some guitar effects, Gilmour does why not you!
It is best to obtain some extra effects such as reverb, distortion or gain and maybe some chorus or delay. Your playing will sound more pleasing to the ear, fun and professional.

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“How is it done?” asked one student. “How do you create something like December Twilight?” I’ll tell you but you may be surprised at the answer.

December Twilight is a lesson piece (available at http://www.quiescencemusic.com) I created to teach students hand independence. So, how did I create it? I haven’t the slightest idea.

What I mean is, I went over to the piano like I usually do, sat down, and just started to play around. And out of nowhere, I found myself reaching for a bass note followed by an A major triad and D major chord.

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I’ve been playing the piano for over 14 years now and I’ve learned a few things. Just a few things that help me stay focused on what is important to me when sitting down to play. Following in no particular order are three “secrets” I’ve discovered:

Secret #1: Only Play What you Love

For those of you who don’t know, I play and teach New Age piano. I don’t play classical or jazz. Not because I don’t like these styles, but because when I sit down at the piano, the New Age style is what is inside of me. Of course, I could play classical and jazz, but I just don’t want to and neither should you if that’s not

the style you’re interested in. If you play what you love, technique and growth will naturally follow and you will tend to spend more time at the piano than away from it.

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