Listening critically as you play… for or against?

Listening to what we play in an examining, scrutinising way might seem to be a skill that’s necessary for developing expressive skills as a musician. I want to challenge this. Whilst we hear what we play and this helps us to make the sound we want, our response to the auditory feedback is entirely natural and needs little, if any, directing. In fact, critical listening might be the cause of a much more fundamental problem that makes people’s playing sound stiff and unmusical.

This trick can free us from common misconceptions about swing

Swing can add a special kind of unforced expressive rhythmic quality which is more colloquial, informal, lyrical and intelligible, but when modern jazz pianists do swing, the effect can sound strict and driven rather than flowing and natural. Natural swing can make passagework really sing and dance. So when this quality is lost, what can we do to get it back?

Lift your mood with this silky jazz piano over a simple cajon groove

Some days we just want the music to take the edge off and leave us feeling a little calmer and sweeter. The two contrasting elements of lush piano and cajon groove is a very pleasing effect and the story of this piece which unfolds over a simple repeated groove and harmonic sequence is very soothing.