I have two GREAT OFFERS running right now: the first is a deal on my PDF/video Piano Packs - get all six for £16.95! More info here: www.billspianopages.com/pianopacks - then there's the bundle deal on the digital editions of my three current books, available here: www.billspianopages.com/bundle
Grazie, Joseph! Apropos of that, on one visit to Rome several years ago I stayed in a particular hotel for two weeks, and every morning the same waiter would come to my table and intone the words "café latte?" without moving A SINGLE MUSCLE. If you said "si" he would pour it with the absolute minimum of movement, more by bodily leaning over than via any movement of his arm. Everyone else in the entire city waved their arms about constantly, of course, but he's the chap who has stuck in memory as the least stereotypical national of any country I've ever met.
@@BillHilton Hello there, i'm glad you replied. I have a casio keyboard piano... i have the settings on grand piano but the sound is nowhere close to the one you're using. Thanks in advance good sir.
me too, its like the complete opposite lmao.. Classical you strictly have to play the right dynamics and notes on the piece of paper written for you while jazz literally some measures itll just say "piano fill" making you make it up yourself. Blew my mind first time
I would agree - it’s almost like a different instrument: certainly I seem to view the keyboard differently when I’m playing any kind of improvisational style as opposed to reading from a score, classical or otherwise. Keep plugging away though, and let me know if you have any specific questions I can help with!
As someone that literally just started piano with a specific interest in blues/jazz piano these videos are a godsent! Thank you for all of your hard work.
Kevin Schellevis I play different styles but blues and jazz appeals to a wide. audience.. Classical is a narrow field.. it does appeal to many but.. I've not had anybody say play so and so song. So I think your own the right track learning jazz and blues.
Learn chords and scales, if someone told me that in the beginning I would have gotten way further, and NEVER give up cause it can be hard, especially since jazz and blues have timing that aren't the same
@@DrunkieCat You too, chords and scales will get you far in music weather it's piano, sax, violin or even guitar. Anything you play, learn chords and scales
@@joshidk8914 Im learning it, It’s hard. I get the hang of those 7th chords a little. Still forget sometimes tho. Meanwhile, scales is way harder for me and I still suck at it. It does take years to master both
Hands down, I’ve playing soft melancholy for years, took an interest into jazz after attending a symposium and straight away looked for some sort of intro in jazz. Ready for lesson two. If it’s perfect I’ll be adding his book to the collection. Absolute godsent so far.
I'm 13, also been playing for around 5 years and I play sooo much Elton John, rock, classical and I play gigs in bars and even for parties but until today I never took an interest in jazz so this comment really helps, thanks
Thank you. I was trained classically, so even though I can play somewhat advanced Chopin works, I was completely mute when it came to improv. I now feel more confident my abilities.
You're welcome! Interestingly, you're exactly the kind of player I had in mind when I first started doing all this, a decade ago: classically trained piano player, wants to learn improvisation. Things have got a bit broader since, audience-wise, but I'm always glad to hear that my stuff helps the people I originally set out to help!
I relate to that. 12 years of classic training, I like to improvise in classic and romantic styles a lot but it lacks diversity so much when it comes to jazz. I just can't wrap my head around all these strange harmonic progressions and stuff :)
Im mainly play classical and metal but it opened my eyes to jazz and i learned to improv on my bass immediately after and now wanna do it on my keyboard. Surprised i never thought of this before
When I was starting guitar I was learning theory, and easier genres first because everybody told me "jazz is too hard/complicated for beginner". I am now starting my journey with Piano and am not gonna make the same mistake. This time I'm jumping straight into jazz! :D
Yep yep that’s it! Get the cheapest used midi keyboard you can find and play around with garage band! The sounds that come for free with your iPhone/iPad/MacBook are great, not just for beginners. Besides the classical piano, the organ and the different types of e-piano are great, too. If you add the virtual drummer you can jam out on every instrument you like. Playing guitar and bass through garage bands amps and effects is another whole world of fun! 15 years ago you would have paid thousands of dollars for this quality of amp, effect and instrument simulation.
Ro Lux.....no thats not the way to learn piano! Too many distractions. Just get A PIANO otherwise you will end up messing ariund for YEARS like I did. You will get hooked on composing, recording, production, beat making and other instruments rather than playing piano!!!
I'd recommend everybody to read "The Music Lesson: A Spiritual Search for Growth Through Music" by Victor Wooten. The way you (Bill) talk about music and how to play in this video is so in sync with how the book understands music. We often focus only on Music Theory, knowing the notes or finding the scale, but that's only one of the many -and equal- aspects that form music, and we tend to forget things like you mentioned; Groove, Feeling, Expression... great video! Will put this on practice right now :)
As always, listening to one of your videos is a combination of "that's brilliant" and "that's so simple I can't believe I never thought of it". Great work.
thanks, that might help me with my left hand... my right hand kinda works... strange thing that as a guitar player it´s still not that easy to use both hands :)
RSProduxx I play guitar and the jazz riiffs and jazz licks ect work the fingers. When I was 13 my teacher showed me how to use a table to move my fingers faster.. As the chords on guitar are played different on guitar..different people use different finger positions, you will find that you will carry this over to piano..As you slowly sound better and better you will develop different styles and piano fingering may not be orthodox Don't stress if you use different positions than others... Finger Independence will come...I helped somebody with hand Independence and it helped them finally get finger Independence..reply if you want a unique way to learn hand Independence..
It's a very different way of approaching the piano - come at it with an open mind and keep chipping away at the practice and it should come good for you, though. To be fair I struggle with Chopin and I can only dream of playing Liszt - I envy you!
I dont know if it sounds good for real or I just THINK it sounds good BUT i had so much fun playing those ACDEG notes only, with closed eyes and smile on my face. Felt AMAZING. Thanks
omg thank you this is so good. and makes so much sense, too. no overcomplicated music theory coming from classically trained musicians. just fun and straight to the point.
I'd like to see the book because I want to see the beat on the score. I know rhythms are not so important as written on the book but still would help to write it down and understand. Thank you for the tutorial. I already understand the basic chords and the scales so this was great to build up a bit :)
Thank you for the videos! I have to say though, I'm struggling with this, it feels much harder than classical piano. There's just something really difficult about playing swing rhythm in improvisation for me--normally I have to rely on knowing how the song's supposed to sound like to be able to play on offbeat consistently.
You make it look so easy 😅 My left hand is not so great. Too slow. 😓 Not so smooth & fast as you. Hope it gets better with practice. I got my keyboard a week ago. I learnt few songs from tutorials. But was searching for proper piano lessons & came across your video. You explained it so wonderfully. I can't wait to practice tomorrow also. Hope I improve soon. 😅
Keep practising consistently - little and often is the key - and you'll definitely make progress, though it might seem slow at first. Good luck, and post a comment if you have any questions!
Notes for own reference: 1. Improvise rhythm on A right hand 2. Add in A F G A left hand 3. Slowly expand more notes right hand! /“play”, sense of flow, expression over notes
I went for years without learning how to improvise. I learned all my scales and things but I only ever saw them within an exam context and never really questioned or saw their practical application. I know that sounds silly because it should be obvious what scales are for. I think because I started young I just accepted that they were part of the exam. It wasn’t until I started enjoying my piano lessons less and less that my teacher gave me the blues scale to improvise in. I quit after that, but it really was a lightbulb moment. I started enjoying piano and figuring out music theory for myself. I can read sheet music, that’s great, but I never had the desire to understand the work behind it or what made it tick before she sent me away with the blues scale. I feel like not being able to improvise is like being half a pianist. I really want to start my lessons again, but my parents want me to focus on school. I feel like I’ve learned as much as I can just noodling by myself and I need a proper teacher again. Anyway, thank you for these videos! I don’t know if what I said is entirely relevant but I’m just really excited to learn :)
This is amazing, thank you!!! Starting on a single chord with a simple bass line makes all the difference. I literally just sat and improvised a bunch of stuff after watching one video, thank you!!!
This is a great break down of how to start improvising for a beginner. Thanks! I also like to start improvising with pentatonic scales. Pentatonic scales give an interesting and open sound that can be acheived right from the beginning.
Thanks! That was kind of the aim - I think it's quite easy for beginners to get bogged down in scales and modes and suchlike from the start, which encourages a kind of left-brain, rules-based mindset ("I'm playing this chord therefore I must play x, y or z scale over it..."). I think it's far better for people to have the sort of freedom the pentatonic gives them and use it to develop their confidence (from quick-ish, decent-sounding results) and their ears, which at the start at least is far more important that knowing whether what you're playing is Ab lydian b9 or whatever.
Hi... I'm completely newbie to music and don't know anything so I have a bit of a silly question - why is people saying improvisation is do difficult? What's so difficult there? I mean, technically. Thanks!
That's not a silly question at all - it's a very good one. The simple answer is that improvising on the piano isn't really any more demanding, technically and mentally, than playing written piano music. What makes it difficult is that standard forms of musical education, excellent though they are in many ways, have a key weakness in that they focus on reading music above all things: improvisation is frequently presented as being something strange and mysterious. As such, nearly everyone with piano-playing skill has been trained to play in a particular way, and it's a way that doesn't include improvisation. What makes improvisation difficult for most pianists (the same is true for other instruments, too) is that it forces them to completely rethink the way they view the piano. For beginners, it's still hard, but not really any harder than trying to learn to play the piano the "official" way, using sheet music. That vastly oversimplifies the issues involved, but does it make some sort of sense?
I just found your tutorials on reddit. After learning how to read music these have by far been the most helpful and productive tutorials I have found literary or otherwise. I've purchased both of your books, just let me know how/if I can help fund the continued production of these videos.
Hi Christopher: sorry it's taken a little while to get back to you! I'm glad to hear you're finding my stuff useful, and thanks very much indeed for buying the books. If you want to keep supporting the channel that would be marvellous, and there are various ways of doing it (e.g., via www.patreon.com/billhilton ) - but please don't feel in any way obliged: I'm hugely grateful for what you've done so far. I hope you continue to enjoy my stuff!
Hi' To ya Bill' Love your teaching methods' I own your book' Hopefully soon I will become a Patron with you' You get directly to the point' You're teaching is thorough, easy to comprehend, even with touches of theory. I am a disable Viet Nam vet and retired, age 70 and starting to learn from you' Keep up the Great work that you are doing for all of us in piano land' How do I find your 2nd book? Rick Boudreau one of your many Fans'
Hi Rick: thanks very much indeed for the kind words - I'm very glad to be of help! You should be able to find all my books linked from billspianopages.com. If you can't, by all means drop me an email and I'll see if I can help - billhiltonmedia at gmail dot com is my address!
You're welcome, Henri! If it's a digital piano you're after, the one I usually recommend as best bang-for-buck is the Roland FP-30. But you won't go far wrong with any Roland or Yamaha digital piano. If it's piano you want to learn, just make sure it's a "digital piano" you get rather than a "keyboard" - you want something with 88 touch sensitive keys and a set of pedals (or at least a sustain pedal).
I guess the title could be clearer, George - sorry about that! It's very much for people who are new to jazz piano, but not new to the piano itself. If it's any consolation, getting better at piano is difficult whatever stage you're at!
this is FANTASTIC and I can't believe you've got such great resources out here for free!! I had a break from playing classical piano that I'd been learning for a few years, and I'm slowly getting back into it, and finally finally picking up jazz that I've wanted to do for sooo long. Definitely working my way through all your videos, thank you for the amazing efforts!! Though your teaching style is just so bubbly and effortless :)
*Nicely explained, but I just wish that you had called out all the notes that you played with your right hand to benifit a beginner like myself, because that melody sounds splendid.*
Just watched this eating lunch and think this could be the start of something special. Having not played the piano for a few years now this is really exciting
Hi Bill - I’m so grateful for this, my 8year old just plays from the sheet, he is loving this tutorial and I can hear him ‘playing’ with sounds, discovering what works, what sounds good... he’s into it !!! Thank you ! ( I’ve got your book too). Btw : I’m learning too
Thanks very much - glad to hear it's working for him! Given his age, if you can also get him in front of a real, live teacher at some point you'll find that makes a big difference. And good luck with your own learning!
Thank you! The piano and all its bits and pieces are from Nord. It's a Nord Piano 2, in fact - quite an old model now. I think the most recent is the 5: www.nordkeyboards.com/products/nord-piano-5
No problem at all - really glad you like it! Re: the book, I know from experience that shipping physical copies to Ukraine can run into problems, so your best option might be the PDF version. Drop me an email on billhiltonmedia at gmail dot com if you want to know any more :)
Yep, you should be able to get it - the shortest and easiest way is to buy the ebook, but most bookstores will be able to the print edition, or you can buy from Amazon/Book Depository. Give me a shout if you run into problems!
It's not easy to follow your rhythm for me as a beginner by the way. I think it's better to add the music sheet in your explanation so we can follow more easily. Thanks.
The second tutorial in the series, George - you should see the link to the series playlist in the description text right underneath the video. Let me know if you can’t find it!
Hi Barb! Sorry for the delayed reply - been a busy few days! The answer to that one is "nope, not exactly", mostly because the books were written before the tutorials. However, you'll find that many of the same principles crop up in a slightly different form in them, in particular in How To Really Play The Piano and An Intro To Cocktail Piano. If you'd like to see some samples/try before you buy, drop me an email at billhiltonmedia at gmail dot com and I'll do my best to help you out :)
Fantastic! I really hope you enjoy the rest of the series - just stick a comment in thread under any of the tutorials if you have any questions or need guidance!
You can get started with something very basic, Jimmy. However, if you can, try to get something that calls itself a "digital piano" rather than a keyboard. It'll have 88 touch sensitive keys and a sustain pedal - then you'll be set up to do pretty much anything you could do on a real piano.
I've always wanted to learn piano and even took a course in college. But it was never fun. You emphasizing PLAY and teaching this made the creative so much more enjoyable. Looking forward to learning the rest of the series. Thanks Bill!
It kind of depends, Madiha - ideally, an 88-key touch-sensitive keyboard with (at least) a sustain pedal and which probably calls itself a "digital piano". At the relatively cheap end of the market, I really like the Roland FP-30.
I have two GREAT OFFERS running right now: the first is a deal on my PDF/video Piano Packs - get all six for £16.95! More info here: www.billspianopages.com/pianopacks - then there's the bundle deal on the digital editions of my three current books, available here: www.billspianopages.com/bundle
"If u know chords, That's cool but, this is Jazz".
very, well said.
Anything is a chord is your trying hard enough 😂
Jazz not jig jag
For someone who’s entire music cognizance is around chord analysis, Jazz sometimes disturbs me..
I'm new to jazz, explain
As an Italian, I really appreciate your hands moving as if they’re on cocaine while you’re talking.
Grazie, Joseph! Apropos of that, on one visit to Rome several years ago I stayed in a particular hotel for two weeks, and every morning the same waiter would come to my table and intone the words "café latte?" without moving A SINGLE MUSCLE. If you said "si" he would pour it with the absolute minimum of movement, more by bodily leaning over than via any movement of his arm. Everyone else in the entire city waved their arms about constantly, of course, but he's the chap who has stuck in memory as the least stereotypical national of any country I've ever met.
Usually that means he’s a really good waiter, for they have to be as elegant as possible, but that’s a bit too much.
AHAHA I CANT STOP LAUGHING READING THIS
Right? Those fingers are mesmerizing to watch. Great vid btw
His hands have too much independence
Who's here for corona time
Me, for a start!😂
@@BillHilton Hello there, i'm glad you replied. I have a casio keyboard piano... i have the settings on grand piano but the sound is nowhere close to the one you're using. Thanks in advance good sir.
miiiis miiiiiis
@@ProEray yayyy for self improvement
Me
I was trained solely in classical piano, and learning jazz is so much more difficult than originally learning classical
With you! It's really really hard
me too, its like the complete opposite lmao.. Classical you strictly have to play the right dynamics and notes on the piece of paper written for you while jazz literally some measures itll just say "piano fill" making you make it up yourself. Blew my mind first time
Same here, I play classical piano and I’m desperately trying to learn but it’s so difficult even with the knowledge
I would agree - it’s almost like a different instrument: certainly I seem to view the keyboard differently when I’m playing any kind of improvisational style as opposed to reading from a score, classical or otherwise. Keep plugging away though, and let me know if you have any specific questions I can help with!
As someone that literally just started piano with a specific interest in blues/jazz piano these videos are a godsent! Thank you for all of your hard work.
Kevin Schellevis I play different styles but blues and jazz appeals to a wide. audience.. Classical is a narrow field.. it does appeal to many but.. I've not had anybody say play so and so song. So I think your own the right track learning jazz and blues.
Dude... are my clone or something. This is so accurate for me. I also love jazz but have zero knowledge in musical instrument.
Learn chords and scales, if someone told me that in the beginning I would have gotten way further, and NEVER give up cause it can be hard, especially since jazz and blues have timing that aren't the same
@@DrunkieCat You too, chords and scales will get you far in music weather it's piano, sax, violin or even guitar. Anything you play, learn chords and scales
@@joshidk8914 Im learning it, It’s hard. I get the hang of those 7th chords a little. Still forget sometimes tho. Meanwhile, scales is way harder for me and I still suck at it. It does take years to master both
I've been playing for 5 years now and have watched hundreds of different piano tutorials, mostly on jazz piano. Bill is the best I have found.
Thanks very much for saying so - really glad to have helped!
Hands down, I’ve playing soft melancholy for years, took an interest into jazz after attending a symposium and straight away looked for some sort of intro in jazz. Ready for lesson two. If it’s perfect I’ll be adding his book to the collection. Absolute godsent so far.
I'm 13, also been playing for around 5 years and I play sooo much Elton John, rock, classical and I play gigs in bars and even for parties but until today I never took an interest in jazz so this comment really helps, thanks
first step : wear jeans
It's a good job I remember to put them on every time
I thought the first step was to have hands
@@joseambriz5897 that’s a good one as well but I thought the first step was to exist
@@tansupercake5469 what if the first step is finding where to exist🤷♂️
@@joseambriz5897 or WHEN to exist
Thank you. I was trained classically, so even though I can play somewhat advanced Chopin works, I was completely mute when it came to improv. I now feel more confident my abilities.
You're welcome! Interestingly, you're exactly the kind of player I had in mind when I first started doing all this, a decade ago: classically trained piano player, wants to learn improvisation. Things have got a bit broader since, audience-wise, but I'm always glad to hear that my stuff helps the people I originally set out to help!
I relate to that. 12 years of classic training, I like to improvise in classic and romantic styles a lot but it lacks diversity so much when it comes to jazz. I just can't wrap my head around all these strange harmonic progressions and stuff :)
@@BillHilton That's exactly me as well! I'm quite proficient classically, but I have absolutely no bearing in improvisation.
who come here for *''pixar soul''*
Me🤚🏻
Me lol
Im mainly play classical and metal but it opened my eyes to jazz and i learned to improv on my bass immediately after and now wanna do it on my keyboard. Surprised i never thought of this before
Totally! 😅
When I was starting guitar I was learning theory, and easier genres first because everybody told me "jazz is too hard/complicated for beginner". I am now starting my journey with Piano and am not gonna make the same mistake. This time I'm jumping straight into jazz! :D
Nice one, Danilo - let me know how you get on!
Nice pfp, it gives me flashbacks
Looks easy...now I just need a piano😫
Looks easy...now I just need some talent
i bought one it isnt easy
getting a piano is a lot easy than playing one :)
Yep yep that’s it!
Get the cheapest used midi keyboard you can find and play around with garage band!
The sounds that come for free with your iPhone/iPad/MacBook are great, not just for beginners.
Besides the classical piano, the organ and the different types of e-piano are great, too.
If you add the virtual drummer you can jam out on every instrument you like. Playing guitar and bass through garage bands amps and effects is another whole world of fun!
15 years ago you would have paid thousands of dollars for this quality of amp, effect and instrument simulation.
Ro Lux.....no thats not the way to learn piano! Too many distractions. Just get A PIANO otherwise you will end up messing ariund for YEARS like I did. You will get hooked on composing, recording, production, beat making and other instruments rather than playing piano!!!
"ah this is too simple and will get boring in 5 minutes"... One eternity later ... "..how do I get out of this rabbit hole"
😅
I know right why is it so funnn
I have just realized that I was playing jazz all the time..
I'd recommend everybody to read "The Music Lesson: A Spiritual Search for Growth Through Music" by Victor Wooten. The way you (Bill) talk about music and how to play in this video is so in sync with how the book understands music. We often focus only on Music Theory, knowing the notes or finding the scale, but that's only one of the many -and equal- aspects that form music, and we tend to forget things like you mentioned; Groove, Feeling, Expression...
great video! Will put this on practice right now :)
I love this man's 'yeah?'
Yeah!
British teacher's enthusiasm!
Thank you Bill. Always fun getting your new uploads.
Thanks Charmian - glad you like them!
Hello Bill, you have a new customer for your book. It´s me.
Thanks Andreas - I hope you like it!
Andreas Wieland lmao
@@mayorofsimpleton5674 lmao
@@CrateCrasher lmao
@@Josh-dx3jw lmao
As always, listening to one of your videos is a combination of "that's brilliant" and "that's so simple I can't believe I never thought of it". Great work.
5:18 , me : okay , it's getting harder now.
Fantastic! I never had piano lessons but just after this one video, I feel like I can bust out some nice melodies.
Thanks!
You're welcome, Lorz!
Great video! Been playing the piano classically for 10 years and dabbling in improv, what keyboard are you using in this video?
Thanks Grayson! This is a Nord NP88 :)
The video: you don t need to know a lot about piano just the naem of the key
Me: ok cool i know do re mi fa sol la si do
The video: HERES A C
I love tonic sol-fa, but when it comes to jazz piano we're all about the technical stuff 😂
Amazing video, mind blowing for a beginner!
2:53 seconds in and im subscribed im excited to follow along with this series. Thanks bill !
this is a clear and down to the point tutorial, great stuff. I subbed to your channel.
My brain keeps wantings to play the A on the and of 3
thanks, that might help me with my left hand... my right hand kinda works... strange thing that as a guitar player it´s still not that easy to use both hands :)
RSProduxx I play guitar and the jazz riiffs
and jazz licks ect work the fingers. When I was 13 my teacher showed me how to use a table to move my fingers faster.. As the chords on guitar are played different on guitar..different people use different finger positions, you will find that you will carry this over to piano..As you slowly sound better and better you will develop different styles and piano fingering may not be orthodox Don't stress if you use different positions than others... Finger Independence will come...I helped somebody with hand Independence and it helped them finally get finger Independence..reply if you want a unique way to learn hand Independence..
PIANOSTYLE100 I want to learn
I fell down a rabbit hole again, I don’t even have a piano
That happens to me with piloting videos. Never flown a plane in my life.
@@BillHilton ahaha DAMN The internet 😝
Classical pianist here playing Chopin and lizt, I still struggle way too much with jazz
It's a very different way of approaching the piano - come at it with an open mind and keep chipping away at the practice and it should come good for you, though. To be fair I struggle with Chopin and I can only dream of playing Liszt - I envy you!
Good job, I usaually play classical music and pop music but you learned me to play jazz :)
Cool - glad it was useful!
Who else here because of quarantine?
Me, for a start!
Me!!
I want to take your lesson
This is soooo helpful and usefull! Thanks, looking forward for another uploads.
All my neighbors love you mate. I'm playing my keys at full blast after your lesson. Cheers.
Remember, Marcello - if they start banging on the walls, that means you're practising right. Keep it up!
I dont know if it sounds good for real or I just THINK it sounds good BUT i had so much fun playing those ACDEG notes only, with closed eyes and smile on my face. Felt AMAZING. Thanks
You’re welcome Mik - hope you keep enjoying it!
Bro you’re so good at clicking hahaha
omg thank you this is so good. and makes so much sense, too. no overcomplicated music theory coming from classically trained musicians. just fun and straight to the point.
I'd like to see the book because I want to see the beat on the score. I know rhythms are not so important as written on the book but still would help to write it down and understand. Thank you for the tutorial. I already understand the basic chords and the scales so this was great to build up a bit :)
Thank you for the videos! I have to say though, I'm struggling with this, it feels much harder than classical piano. There's just something really difficult about playing swing rhythm in improvisation for me--normally I have to rely on knowing how the song's supposed to sound like to be able to play on offbeat consistently.
Exactly what I was looking for! Love the balance between theory and the "feel". Thank you
You're welcome Adèle - glad it helped!
You make it look so easy 😅 My left hand is not so great. Too slow. 😓 Not so smooth & fast as you. Hope it gets better with practice. I got my keyboard a week ago. I learnt few songs from tutorials. But was searching for proper piano lessons & came across your video. You explained it so wonderfully. I can't wait to practice tomorrow also. Hope I improve soon. 😅
Keep practising consistently - little and often is the key - and you'll definitely make progress, though it might seem slow at first. Good luck, and post a comment if you have any questions!
Excellent stuff, and you sometimes throw in a couple of David Brent-esque 'yeah?'s
I can also dance like him, but my wife has banned me from doing it on TH-cam :(
Notes for own reference: 1. Improvise rhythm on A right hand 2. Add in A F G A left hand 3. Slowly expand more notes right hand! /“play”, sense of flow, expression over notes
I went for years without learning how to improvise. I learned all my scales and things but I only ever saw them within an exam context and never really questioned or saw their practical application. I know that sounds silly because it should be obvious what scales are for. I think because I started young I just accepted that they were part of the exam. It wasn’t until I started enjoying my piano lessons less and less that my teacher gave me the blues scale to improvise in. I quit after that, but it really was a lightbulb moment. I started enjoying piano and figuring out music theory for myself. I can read sheet music, that’s great, but I never had the desire to understand the work behind it or what made it tick before she sent me away with the blues scale. I feel like not being able to improvise is like being half a pianist. I really want to start my lessons again, but my parents want me to focus on school. I feel like I’ve learned as much as I can just noodling by myself and I need a proper teacher again.
Anyway, thank you for these videos! I don’t know if what I said is entirely relevant but I’m just really excited to learn :)
I dont even have a keyboard
This is amazing, thank you!!! Starting on a single chord with a simple bass line makes all the difference. I literally just sat and improvised a bunch of stuff after watching one video, thank you!!!
No problem Reb - glad it was useful!
THIS IS AN AMAZING TUTORIAL!
man i wish all piano teachers/tutors were like you!
This is a great break down of how to start improvising for a beginner. Thanks! I also like to start improvising with pentatonic scales. Pentatonic scales give an interesting and open sound that can be acheived right from the beginning.
Thanks! That was kind of the aim - I think it's quite easy for beginners to get bogged down in scales and modes and suchlike from the start, which encourages a kind of left-brain, rules-based mindset ("I'm playing this chord therefore I must play x, y or z scale over it..."). I think it's far better for people to have the sort of freedom the pentatonic gives them and use it to develop their confidence (from quick-ish, decent-sounding results) and their ears, which at the start at least is far more important that knowing whether what you're playing is Ab lydian b9 or whatever.
Hi... I'm completely newbie to music and don't know anything so I have a bit of a silly question - why is people saying improvisation is do difficult? What's so difficult there? I mean, technically. Thanks!
That's not a silly question at all - it's a very good one. The simple answer is that improvising on the piano isn't really any more demanding, technically and mentally, than playing written piano music. What makes it difficult is that standard forms of musical education, excellent though they are in many ways, have a key weakness in that they focus on reading music above all things: improvisation is frequently presented as being something strange and mysterious. As such, nearly everyone with piano-playing skill has been trained to play in a particular way, and it's a way that doesn't include improvisation. What makes improvisation difficult for most pianists (the same is true for other instruments, too) is that it forces them to completely rethink the way they view the piano. For beginners, it's still hard, but not really any harder than trying to learn to play the piano the "official" way, using sheet music. That vastly oversimplifies the issues involved, but does it make some sort of sense?
I just found your tutorials on reddit. After learning how to read music these have by far been the most helpful and productive tutorials I have found literary or otherwise. I've purchased both of your books, just let me know how/if I can help fund the continued production of these videos.
Hi Christopher: sorry it's taken a little while to get back to you! I'm glad to hear you're finding my stuff useful, and thanks very much indeed for buying the books. If you want to keep supporting the channel that would be marvellous, and there are various ways of doing it (e.g., via www.patreon.com/billhilton ) - but please don't feel in any way obliged: I'm hugely grateful for what you've done so far. I hope you continue to enjoy my stuff!
Christopher Shepherd
Ou yen gy
Well,in fact,most time i have to concentrate to play left pattern independently without loosing pattern.
Fabulous! Thank you for this!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank God for this blessed guy! Massive respect from India❤❤❤
that escalated too fast omg im hating my hands and slow coordination 👁💧👄💧👁
Keep practising - you'll get there! It just needs a bit of determination!
Fuck ya bill this is dope as fuck god bless you brother
😍
Hi' To ya Bill'
Love your teaching methods'
I own your book'
Hopefully soon I will become a Patron with you'
You get directly to the point'
You're teaching is thorough, easy to comprehend, even with touches of theory.
I am a disable Viet Nam vet and retired, age 70 and starting to learn from you'
Keep up the Great work that you are doing for all of us in piano land'
How do I find your 2nd book?
Rick Boudreau one of your many Fans'
Hi Rick: thanks very much indeed for the kind words - I'm very glad to be of help! You should be able to find all my books linked from billspianopages.com. If you can't, by all means drop me an email and I'll see if I can help - billhiltonmedia at gmail dot com is my address!
Hey man! Which Keyboard you recommand for beginners? Thanks for the vid?
You're welcome, Henri! If it's a digital piano you're after, the one I usually recommend as best bang-for-buck is the Roland FP-30. But you won't go far wrong with any Roland or Yamaha digital piano. If it's piano you want to learn, just make sure it's a "digital piano" you get rather than a "keyboard" - you want something with 88 touch sensitive keys and a set of pedals (or at least a sustain pedal).
I made this up
From minor to major
A cd d# e d# e d# e g e d# d c a g e d# d c a g a
Excellent job. Thank you from California.
You're welcome, John!
That’s very difficult, for somebody who it’s beginning
I guess the title could be clearer, George - sorry about that! It's very much for people who are new to jazz piano, but not new to the piano itself. If it's any consolation, getting better at piano is difficult whatever stage you're at!
What is better than a great teacher? NOTHING. Thank you for sharing.
British people give great tutorials
Thats because they don’t talk fast with no pauses, like most americans!
Thank you so much!!! With this tutorial I was able to enjoy playin jazz. Epic!
Glad it helped!
That was a wonderful explanation. Thank you very much!
Awesome tutorial! thank you very much, i'm looking foward to more! :)
Vvvvv
this is FANTASTIC and I can't believe you've got such great resources out here for free!! I had a break from playing classical piano that I'd been learning for a few years, and I'm slowly getting back into it, and finally finally picking up jazz that I've wanted to do for sooo long. Definitely working my way through all your videos, thank you for the amazing efforts!! Though your teaching style is just so bubbly and effortless :)
Thanks for the kind words - it's always great to hear when someone has found my stuff useful!
*Nicely explained, but I just wish that you had called out all the notes that you played with your right hand to benifit a beginner like myself, because that melody sounds splendid.*
Best tutorial ever, thank you Sir :-)
Thank you - very good of you to say so :)
Hit like when I came to @5.10
Love that you sound like Pinky from pinky and the brain
The thing is I actually LOOK like The Brain
Thankyou so much for these basic exercises, they are wonderful for us beginners. You are helping us so much. 💜🌝♥️🌼🙂😊❤️🌻
No problem Heather! Glad to have helped!
Just watched this eating lunch and think this could be the start of something special. Having not played the piano for a few years now this is really exciting
Glad to hear you've got some inspiration from it, Noah - let me know how you get on!
Sharing is caring but playing while tapping your thighs or snapping finger at the same time is quite difficult
It is indeed - it's also very good for you in lots of ways: hand independence and all that.
Bill, are you a New Zealander? Just a guess from your accent.
Nope, English - from Boston in Lincolnshire originally. I’m not tall and rugged enough to be a Kiwi 😂
Hi Bill - I’m so grateful for this, my 8year old just plays from the sheet, he is loving this tutorial and I can hear him ‘playing’ with sounds, discovering what works, what sounds good... he’s into it !!! Thank you ! ( I’ve got your book too).
Btw : I’m learning too
Thanks very much - glad to hear it's working for him! Given his age, if you can also get him in front of a real, live teacher at some point you'll find that makes a big difference. And good luck with your own learning!
Best jazz tutorial I've ever see on yt
Thanks very much indeed - let me know if you have any questions :)
Excellent !!! explanation as always you do.
Wow my hand addicted cuz of this random playing but it sound WOW for a guy like me xD
what piano is this?
It's a Nord Piano 2/NP88
@@BillHilton thank you
Was wondering if you could link your keyboard equipment. Ie. keyboard, pedals, and stand?
Great tutorial by the way. looking forward to learn keyboard more and especially jazz piano
Thank you! The piano and all its bits and pieces are from Nord. It's a Nord Piano 2, in fact - quite an old model now. I think the most recent is the 5: www.nordkeyboards.com/products/nord-piano-5
Dude, this is a gift whose value is impossible to measure. Thanks. Trying to figure out how to get your book to Ukraine.
No problem at all - really glad you like it! Re: the book, I know from experience that shipping physical copies to Ukraine can run into problems, so your best option might be the PDF version. Drop me an email on billhiltonmedia at gmail dot com if you want to know any more :)
Can your book be bought overseas? I'm from the Philippines and I wanna get a copy of your book.
Yep, you should be able to get it - the shortest and easiest way is to buy the ebook, but most bookstores will be able to the print edition, or you can buy from Amazon/Book Depository. Give me a shout if you run into problems!
It's not easy to follow your rhythm for me as a beginner by the way. I think it's better to add the music sheet in your explanation so we can follow more easily. Thanks.
Alfon Dodi Cahyo Lukito it’s a vid on improvisation
What is the right followup video for me after watching this?
The second tutorial in the series, George - you should see the link to the series playlist in the description text right underneath the video. Let me know if you can’t find it!
Are the jazz tutorials covered on the books?
Hi Barb! Sorry for the delayed reply - been a busy few days! The answer to that one is "nope, not exactly", mostly because the books were written before the tutorials. However, you'll find that many of the same principles crop up in a slightly different form in them, in particular in How To Really Play The Piano and An Intro To Cocktail Piano. If you'd like to see some samples/try before you buy, drop me an email at billhiltonmedia at gmail dot com and I'll do my best to help you out :)
Wow! Out of all the youtube rabble this is by far the best tutorial! This improvisation/just play technique makes me WANT to learn!
Marvellous - thanks very much. Good luck with your playing, and give me a yell if you get stuck!
Thank you VERY much
This is huge! Thank you so much Bill! I tried it on my piano and I’m feeling like I’m playing music for the first time!
Fantastic! I really hope you enjoy the rest of the series - just stick a comment in thread under any of the tutorials if you have any questions or need guidance!
Hi Bill
Just dropping in to comment on what great information you are providing, just fantastic. All the very best singem. Keep well.
Many thanks, Singem - glad you find my stuff useful!
@@BillHilton No problem Bill, credit where credit's due. Keep well my friend.
If only I could subscribe twice I would, this is awesome 🙌.
what keyboard do i buy ? i dont know anything about playing piano
You can get started with something very basic, Jimmy. However, if you can, try to get something that calls itself a "digital piano" rather than a keyboard. It'll have 88 touch sensitive keys and a sustain pedal - then you'll be set up to do pretty much anything you could do on a real piano.
I've always wanted to learn piano and even took a course in college. But it was never fun.
You emphasizing PLAY and teaching this made the creative so much more enjoyable. Looking forward to learning the rest of the series. Thanks Bill!
No problem - I hope you enjoy the rest of it, and shout if you have any questions!
Hello, Bill! Your teaching style really works for me. I appreciate the thoughtfulness and creativity you've put into this curriculum. Thanks!
No problem Jared - glad it helps!
whats are some good keyboard options for beginners?
It kind of depends, Madiha - ideally, an 88-key touch-sensitive keyboard with (at least) a sustain pedal and which probably calls itself a "digital piano". At the relatively cheap end of the market, I really like the Roland FP-30.
Thanks a lot. Your video is what all I need for my piano skills now
Great Video It has been very helpful.
Glad it was helpful Jerome!
the hand-splaining is really annoying. just fyi
I know, I can't help it - I've tried sitting on my hands and everything, but I then lose the ability to talk straight :(