Piano skills

[bozmillar]

I need some help with my piano playing. I stuck this song in the christmas music thread, then after listening to it, I thought it sounded pretty lame.

Here's another song, just so you can hear my playing style more.

After recording this, I someone mentioned to me some guy named Jim Brickman, so I went to his site to see what he was about and listened to his samples. It turns out his playing style is very similar to mine, but something about his playing sounds much more fluid and smooth than mine. I don't think he's playing anything too much technically harder than what I am, but it just seems to flow better.

http://www.jimbrickman.com/tabid/36/Default.aspx

I'm relatively new the the piano, and I can't quite put my finger on what the difference is, but I know it's there. My playing feels more mechanical and forced, so I'm wondering a couple things:

1) Am I too hard on myself, and it sounds fine?

2) Am I too easy on myself, and my stuff sounds like fart?

3) Can anybody pinpoint ideas that might help focus more on certain techniques when practicing?

 

[WhiteStrat]

Believe it or not--I'm real familiar w/Jim Brickman. Followed his music since his first release (even took a cruise w/the guy--ah what we do for our women!) and even if you hadn't mentioned his name, your playing would have made me think of him. And that's a compliment, because I really do like him.

The differences are subtle. I'd say his touch is slightly lighter and a bit more fluid.

He's great at wrapping a simple melody in unexpected suspended chords so what's easily recognizable is also new & modern. And I think that's just what you did with How Great Thou Art. That's always been a goose bump song for me and your version was as well.

So don't kick yourself. You sound really good.

 

[Llarion]

I need some help with my piano playing. I stuck this song in the christmas music thread, then after listening to it, I thought it sounded pretty lame.

Here's another song, just so you can hear my playing style more.

I'm relatively new the the piano, and I can't quite put my finger on what the difference is, but I know it's there. My playing feels more mechanical and forced, so I'm wondering a couple things:

1) Am I too hard on myself, and it sounds fine?

2) Am I too easy on myself, and my stuff sounds like fart?

3) Can anybody pinpoint ideas that might help focus more on certain techniques when practicing?

I think you sound fine; you're certainly a good measure better than me... If I had to nit, and I don't; I'd say maybe you push a little too hard when you're trying to be dynamic, and that may be where that "forced" feel you perceive comes from. When you're playing and soft and legato, you're very fluid...

 

[ido1957]

Lots of cool stuff wrapped around the main melody so its tasty. I like it! I'm just a guitar strummer but I like to think I know good playing when I hear it...

 

[bozmillar]

Hey thanks for the comments. I think I'm going to re-record the drummerboy. I think the heavy playing is a huge part of it, not to mention the second I hit the record button, I just concentrate on not screwing up, and forget to try to get the song to sound good.

Funny that you have heard of Jim Brickman. I had never heard of him until last week, and I thought the demo songs on his website sounded like the sound I was going for.

I did this one tonight, trying to play with lighter fingers, and I think it helped quite a bit. I haven't listened to it all the way through yet, so there may be a few bad notes. I am going to add a cello and possibly a viola part.

 

[dementedchord]

you should also try listening to dave gruisin... he's the G in grp records... i normally stay away from commenting on personal performance issues and stay with the technical stuff but you're pretty advanced... two things stand out for me... first harmonicly you're way too simple... sure most songs can be boiled down to I IV and V but thats boring as hell... so get your head into some theory... especialy dealing with chord substitutions... that will give you more flavors to cook with... next technique... your not realy bad but the thingthat stands in your way is innervoicing.... one of the things brickman for instance does is bring out color tones within the chords... that's real hard to learn... an excersize from my college days could help though if ya got the patience... take your favorite excersize (assuming you have one.. scales and hannon are great for this) and accent every other note for two octaves... CdEfGaBcDeFgAbC... then the second... cDeFgAbCdEfGaBc... then the third note etc... it'll drive ya fukn nutz but it works...

 

[bozmillar]

you should also try listening to dave gruisin... he's the G in grp records... i normally stay away from commenting on personal performance issues and stay with the technical stuff but you're pretty advanced... two things stand out for me... first harmonicly you're way too simple... sure most songs can be boiled down to I IV and V but thats boring as hell... so get your head into some theory... especialy dealing with chord substitutions... that will give you more flavors to cook with... next technique... your not realy bad but the thingthat stands in your way is innervoicing.... one of the things brickman for instance does is bring out color tones within the chords... that's real hard to learn... an excersize from my college days could help though if ya got the patience... take your favorite excersize (assuming you have one.. scales and hannon are great for this) and accent every other note for two octaves... CdEfGaBcDeFgAbC... then the second... cDeFgAbCdEfGaBc... then the third note etc... it'll drive ya fukn nutz but it works...

Hey thanks man. I definitely agree with what you said. I'm all for any good exercises that can bring some variety into my playing style. I started playing 4 or 5 years ago and took the "I can't read music" route, which has sort of put me in a position where I can play a song if I hear it, but they all sound pretty much the same. It sort of leads to a "my mom thinks it sounds great, but anyone who is a trained pianoer knows I'm full of crap" kind of sound. That's the same route I've taken on every instrument I play. That's why I call my self a pianoer, violiner, celloer, guitarer and drummer. At some point I'll have to face the fact that I'll have to learn some real music skills if I want to do it right.

I like your scale exercise. I'll definitely incorporate that into my screwing around. We'll see how long it takes to really surface in my playing. Thanks for the help.