Tag: Chicago piano instructor
New Orleans 3. The noble garbage man.
As I explained, the music of New Orleans came from very humble and poor beginnings. And the music reflects that. Especially the percussion section. Now, of course, I know I could go directly into talking about the drum set. But I prefer to talk about the world. First, let’s go back in time and imagine…
Practicing: keeping the emotions in check.
There is a strange alchemy going on when one practices. Specially if he/she already is a good player trying on a brand new concept. She cannot help but feel absolutely powerless. Which is very frustrating. But, and it needs to be highlighted, a veteran musician knows to keep her feelings out of the learning process.…
Why a real piano or drum teacher is irreplaceable?
The difference between a teacher and YouTube is the human contact. A lot of people these days come in my studio telling me they have tried to learn the drums or the piano without a teacher. The process was very difficult and, right before they give up, they decided to take lesson as a Hail…
How long does it take to learn the drums?
What a good question! Thank you for asking. The answer is this: in my class, during the first lesson, the brand new beginner gets to learn her/his first rock beat. We shall also, while we’re at it, try to play together. I might be on the piano or the guitar. I might sing a song…
New Orleans 1
The first evening I was in New Orleans, I got star struck, and furious about it. We landed in the heart of it all: the French Quarter. What a pretty town! I could relate to those high balconies, looking like the front of boats. I could understand why the prostitutes of the old days would…
How long does it take to learn the piano?
This is a very good question. Every beginner I know, whether they are 6 or 66 years old, want to know how long it’ll take before they are able to play what they want to play on the piano. If I give a cookie cutter answer, I’d say that with a little practice and a…
How to address the challenges of learning a new instrument? Getting the right gear. Part 2 (The drum set)
For the drums, it’s a bit different than for the piano (See part 1). But not for the worse. Read on! So many drummers do not pursue their passion because they can’t fit a full drum set in their apartment. First of, a full drum set can be muffled. So much so that it won’t…
How to address the challenges of learning a new instrument? Getting the right gear. Part 1 (piano)
After having made up your mind and decided that you will pursue piano or drums, after taking a few lessons and have strengthen your determination, you still don’t have an instrument. Sometimes, you don’t even have the room in your home to welcome a drum set or a piano. Does that mean, fellow readers of…
These are my favorite drummers and this is why.
I’ll give you the first three, starting with the third one. Manu Katché is French. He’s the only one that has achieved long lasting international stardom among the drummers who comes from my country. He was the main drummer on the seminal Peter Gabriel album “So”. He did “Sledgehammer” or “In your eyes”. Yes, that’s…
What are the best pianos for practice and for performance, and why is there a difference?
The difference would be in the sound, the budget and the taste. Any good old piano, upright, grand or electronic (with 88 weighted keys) will do for practice. I have plenty of students that do just that and it works great. But I advise a good grand piano for performance if you can afford one.…