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Does Music Need to Have Melody?

Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I’m Robert Estrin. The subject today is about the necessity of melody in music. Does music need to have melody? When you think of almost any music, the first thing you think about is the melody. What is melody? Melody consists of two elements: pitch and rhythm. Some of the most beautiful music that we know and love is based upon melodies. For example, Chopin’s famous Nocturne in E flat. Listen to the beginning of this piece to understand the beauty of melody, and how we think of melody and music as synonymous. Another example of melody that everyone is familiar with is the gorgeous second movement of Beethoven’s Pathétique Sonata.

Not all music is based upon melody.

Does music need to have melody? The answer is no! There are whole genres of music that don’t utilize melody. But the vast majority of the music that we all know and love is based upon melody. Why is this? Most music throughout the millennia was never written down or recorded and was not played on any particular musical instrument. It was the human voice! The human voice has been with us as long as we have roamed this planet. The imitation of the human voice in wind instruments and bowed instruments is pretty obvious. Yet, we can also evoke that same quality of a singing line on a keyboard instrument. It’s in our biology. It’s in our DNA.

Some music is based solely on rhythm.

There are other types of music that could have been around in primitive times, rhythmically-based music that utilizes percussion instruments and is devoid of melody. In fact, African rhythms have permeated Western music since the introduction of jazz. This is the combination of Western harmonies along with African rhythms, which is very compelling. But does it have to have melody? Not necessarily. Many offshoots of jazz, particularly hip hop, can be devoid of melody to some extent or entirely and still it has musical context.

Another example in the classical world is minimalism.

 

Listen to Steve Reich, John Adams and Philip Glass, and you’ll hear music that has textures. It has pitch, but not necessarily melody. When you think of a melody, you think of a line. You think of a rise and a fall, just like the human breath. Yet, there is some great music that does not utilize this aspect.

While the vast majority of music is based upon melody, some music can just be rhythmically-based and still offer rich possibilities. Melody is vitally important in the vast majority of music. We all love the melodies that are dear to our heart. They speak to us in a visceral way because it’s part of our DNA. Throughout history and prehistory, melody has been with us and I hope it stays with us for a long time!

Thanks again for joining me! I’m Robert Estrin here at LivingPianos.com, Your Online Piano Resource

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2 Types of Encores – for My Parents – Scriabin: Etude in D# minor Op 8 Debussy: The Little Shepherd

Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I’m Robert Estrin. Today’s subject is about the two different kinds of encores. There are fundamentally two different types of moods you want to create in encores, and I’m going to get into that. But first I want to start with a personal reflection for you.

My father, Morton Estrin, had such a profound effect upon me.

I want to talk a little bit about my father’s experiences as a performer. As much as he performed, he got extremely nervous for performances. And when he would walk out on stage, it was a terrifying experience for him! He would get so nervous, his pedal foot would shake. I remember watching him perform and feeling so badly for him. There he was, trying to control things, and his foot was going up and down like crazy! It was once kind of funny, in retrospect. In one of his New York recitals, the reviewer commented on his beautiful performance and his “fluttering pedal technique.” Little did he know it was nothing intentional. It was something my father fought with his whole career. And the way he overcame it was very interesting. For him, the easiest thing to start a program with was something really heroic. He could go out there and play the most bombastic virtuosic music right from the get go. With that, he didn’t have any trouble. But to go out and start a program with a delicate piece, like something of Mozart, or a Schubert Impromptu, was extremely challenging for him. With that very delicate music, any little motion of any part of the body has such profound effects. He worked really hard to overcome this and was proud of himself that he could go out on stage and play something delicate as an opener for a program. Because programmatically, he wanted to be able to have architecture and not just start with the most heroic piece. Usually you want a big finish at the end of your program.

What was interesting about my father’s performances, we would always go backstage at intermission and hug him and tell him how beautiful it sounded. He couldn’t even believe it because he was so terrorized up there for the first half! But in the second half, he would relax. By the time he got to the end of the program, he was in his element. He would play encore after encore and the audience would cheer for more! He would play five, six encores, as many as the audience wanted. And at that point he could do anything. He had no nerves left whatsoever. It was a thrilling experience for everyone who heard him!

There are two different types of encores.

When a program ends and you come out for an encore, the audience has been through a whole program. You want to charge them up! So you play something like a Chopin etude, something virtuosic and energetic. But what if the program ended with something big and dynamic and it’s already a blockbuster at the end of the program? That’s when you want to flip it and come out with a poetic encore, maybe a Chopin Nocturne or Prelude. That could be just the mood you’re looking for.

My father recorded the Scriabin Etudes Opus 8.

It was the first modern recording of the complete Opus 8, and it won record of the year. You can find them on YouTube. His performances don’t sound like etudes. They are rich musical experiences. He didn’t play them as just technical exercises. He played them for the gorgeous music that this early Scriabin is. The Opus 8 was very different from later Scriabin where he explored very sophisticated harmonies that bordered on atonality. Early Scriabin is sometimes compared to Chopin. It really has a voice all its own, but it’s quite chromatic, beautiful romantic music that is extremely emotional. I got to hear my father play them in New York at Lincoln Center. It holds a very special meaning for me.

I’m going to play the D-sharp minor Etude from Opus 8 which is the last of the set. Then, just as if the program ended heroically, because that is an incredible blockbuster piece, I’m going to go right into a movement of Debussy from the Children’s Corner Suite, The Little Shepherd, which was my mother’s favorite piece. I would play it for her as an encore. So this is very special and a personal performance for you. You can listen to the accompanying video. I hope you enjoy it.

Those are two completely different types of encores. What is appropriate depends upon your programming. So remember, if you’ve already pulled out all the stops, and you’ve ended really big, then bring it down and show poetry and express intimate feelings. Show what you can do to the soul! On the other hand, if the program ends with something long and melodic like a Schubert Sonata with beautiful architecture, then you’ll want to charge people up with your encore so they leave the hall with energy. Judging your encores is very important. Sometimes you can even have two or three encores prepared. Or maybe you’re brave enough and you have an audience that’s enthusiastic enough so you can play a bunch of encores like my father used to do!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this. Thanks again for joining me! I’m Robert Estrin here at LivingPianos.com, Your Online Piano Resource.

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How to Make it in Music: Part 2

Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I’m Robert Estrin. I’m here today with part two of, How to Make it in Music. In part one I talked about how you just have to keep moving forward even if you don’t know where you’re going exactly. Move in the general direction. You will get clues as to where to adjust your path. You will be able to see what opportunities present themselves, as well as what resonates with you and what you can bring to light. I used the analogy of being lost in the woods and getting any clues as to how to get out. Sometimes you might feel that way in life. You’re yearning to do something with music but you just don’t know what that is. You don’t know where to begin. Keep moving forward! If you stay stuck in one place you’ll never get out of those metaphorical woods and you’ll never get anywhere in music.

Eventually you’re going to find your goal in music.

Seeing an end goal clearly and envisioning it is the first step. Once you have that, you can start filling in all the steps. Work backwards from that end goal. Find out what is required in order to get there. Work day-by-day in an organized fashion. You’re not going to have all the answers. But once you have identified a clear goal you can work step-by-step each day getting closer to achieving your goal. That is intrinsically important, not just for music, but in any field. But in order to be successful, first you have to explore. Let yourself go wild in many different directions to see what resonates with you, what’s genuine and what you have a passion for. Once you see something, latch onto it and figure out the steps involved in getting there. I know that sounds really simple. But obviously every single career has a different path and you have to find your own way.

It’s essential to find strategic partners.

People can help you on your journey. Once you identify something tangible, and you’re taking steps to get there, you’ll find people to give you that lift where you need it. People will be inspired by your commitment. They’ll also feel like it’s worthwhile helping you if they can see that you have thought things through, and you just need a few strategic partners in order to achieve your goals.

So that’s what I recommend. Go into that exploration phase. Don’t stand still! Once you find something you want, latch onto it and take all the steps to get there. That’s a life journey that’s worthwhile, if you have a passion for music or anything else. I hope this is enjoyable for you! Thanks again for joining me! I’m Robert Estrin here at LivingPianos.com, Your Online Piano Resource.

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Getting into a State of Flow With Your Music

Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I’m Robert Estrin. Today’s subject is about getting into a state of flow with your music. You’ve probably heard this term before, and we’ve all experienced it. What does it mean to be in a state of flow? When you’re completely absorbed in something, whether it’s making pottery, a walk in the woods, practicing the piano – it can be almost anything. You stop thinking about what you’re doing, and you just are. It’s all one experience where you don’t have that sense of looking at yourself and telling yourself instructions with words. Instead it just flows naturally.

Getting into a state of flow during a musical performance can be a magnificent experience.

If you’re playing written music from the score, you have to keep a certain amount of your cognition so that you don’t take a wrong turn. You don’t want to get carried away! But you can get to a point with a score, if you are intimately familiar with it, where you are just absorbed in it completely. It comes out of you so naturally that it isn’t even work anymore and time seems to disappear. Have you ever had that experience? If you can get into that state in your practice, you’re really doing well.

Improvising is a fantastic opportunity to get into a state of flow.

With improvisation you don’t have to focus on a score. It’s much easier to get into a state of flow where you’re no longer thinking about what you should do next. It just comes out of you, and you can feel the trajectory. You can feel the flow of the music. You are just part of it. In music and in life, to be in the moment is the ultimate feeling! But it’s one of the most difficult things to do. People use meditation and other things to try to get into that state of flow. But music is a fantastic vehicle for that. So, let yourself go! Sometimes you just have to see where music takes you. You can do that in the privacy of your own home. Eventually, if you have the confidence and the security in your playing, you can do it in performance as well!

I hope this is enjoyable for you. Thanks again for joining me! I’m Robert Estrin here at LivingPianos.com, Your Online Piano Resource.

For premium videos and other content, you can join my Living Pianos Patreon channel! www.Patreon.com/RobertEstrin

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How to Become a Concert Pianist

Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I’m Robert Estrin. Today’s subject is about becoming a concert pianist. Do you aspire to be a concert pianist? Maybe you have children you’d like to expose to piano with the hopes that someday they can become concert pianists. There are many things involved with this. First, I don’t want to disappoint any of you out there, but starting young is really important. It will help to set the foundation and passageways in the brain.

Is it essential to start playing piano at a young age?

There are always exceptions, but I’d say starting young is important. Many concert pianists not only started playing young, many of them were child prodigies concertizing as children! Some of those people evolve into great artists. Many of them go by the wayside. The transition from being a child prodigy to being a concert artist later in life is not an easy one for many reasons. Coming into one’s own as an adult is a time of discovery for everyone, not to mention the fierce competition in the world of concert pianists.

Innate talent plays a role.

 

Some things are just just inborn in your DNA. There are so many different facets of intelligence and physiology that come into play as a concert pianist. You need to be able to memorize scores, the dexterity to be able to play complex passages with your fingers, the ability to hear things acutely, and good hand eye coordination. There are so many aspects that obviously somebody who’s born with these natural skillsets is going to have a much easier time. I can tell you from years of teaching there’s a dramatic difference in how different people learn. Yet interestingly, because there are so many different facets involved in playing the piano, some people have tremendous gifts in some areas and struggle in others. For example, somebody might have perfect pitch but be rhythmically disabled. Simply counting to a metronome might totally elude them. They will have to work 10 times harder at rhythm than somebody else. There are so many aspects to playing the piano. Just because you have weaknesses and strengths doesn’t mean that you can or cannot become a concert pianist. You must develop your strengths and mitigate your weaknesses.

Proper training is a must.

To become a concert artist, you must have superb training at some point along the line, hopefully in your formative years. If you have poor training that has compromised your playing and you’re already an adult, being able to unlearn bad habits and relearn proper piano technique and musicianship is a daunting task that few people will endure. It takes intensive work to relearn something that’s been ingrained for years incorrectly.

Exposure to music is vital.

Being exposed to music, especially from a young age, is so important. You have to live it and breathe it! Go to concerts, listen to recordings. If you’re in a family of musicians you’re surrounded by music and that’s great. But there are some people who just take to the piano and they’re the only musician in their family!

There are exceptions to every one of these rules. There isn’t a cookie cutter way to become a concert pianist. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t check all these boxes and you have hopes for yourself to become a concert artist.

You have to have an unwavering commitment to become a concert artist.

If it’s something you kind of want to do but you don’t have a dedication to it, that’s not really a recipe for success in any field, much less the piano which is so highly competitive. Speaking of being competitive, how about competitions as an avenue? Competitions are one of the few ways to get recognized for your achievements on the piano. But today, there are more fine pianists out there than have ever been around in the world, and the number keeps growing. China in particular has 40 million piano students, many of them on an increasingly high level. Competitions are not for everyone, but if you want to be a concert pianist, it’s one of the few ways to put yourself on the line and see how you stack up. Even if you don’t win competitions, you might be recognized by some of the concert artists who are judges. They might keep you in mind for something. You might develop a relationship with somebody. So, competitions are an important component if you want to become a concert pianist.

Developing and sustaining a career as a concert artist is incredibly difficult.

Versatility at the piano is valuable when trying to carve out a career in music. Being able to play different styles of music with different ensembles and having some kind of creative approach can be helpful. You want to be able to bring something to the table that’s different from everyone else. Playing the same music but maybe just a little better, is that enough? Well, there are tens of thousands of accomplished pianists that are doing that already. Just playing Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata brilliantly isn’t enough. Even playing the hardest piano literature, there are many people who do that. But if you have a vision for programming or some comprehensive idea of how to expose audiences to music in new and creative ways, you might be able to carve out a career for yourself.

These are all different aspects that go into becoming a concert pianist. If it’s something you really have a passion for and you’re willing to be creative in your approach, you can make a life in piano. You can develop your playing to a concert level if you have the aptitude, the willingness and the training to make it happen. If you have questions I would love to hear from you! At the Living Pianos Patreon I can give you even more personal attention! Thanks so much for joining me. I’m Robert Estrin here at LivingPianos.com, Your Online Piano Resource.

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Happy Accidents in Music

Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I’m Robert Estrin. Today’s subject is about happy accidents in music. This transcends just performance. This can occur in composition, improvisation, and so many aspects of music. What are happy accidents? When something unexpected happens, particularly in a live performance, where you can’t just stop and try it again. So you go with it and it takes you to unexpected places. From that point on, you will envision this piece in a way that you had never imagined before.

Just go with it.

Now, here’s the thing that I want to encourage all of you to do. If while playing piano something happens where you’re feeling uncomfortable for some reason, maybe you took a dramatically different tempo, go with it and see where it takes you. You can discover things. Maybe you won’t want to take that faster or slower tempo later, but you envision the piece in a new way that you never would have come upon before. In composition, it’s even more important to experiment wildly, with abandon. Don’t be worried about what comes out. You can always judge later what you want to keep and what you want to discard.

Don’t let the beauty in life pass you by!

I say that happy accidents can only happen if you pay attention to them. Otherwise you might just hear it as a mistake and move on. If it’s interesting, listen to it. You might discover something new. It’s the same with life. Take in the beautiful things around you, even if you don’t expect them to be beautiful. Maybe you’re on your way to someplace and you pass a beautiful scene without expecting it. You didn’t plan this, but here it is. Enjoy it! It’s the same thing with your music, your performance, your composing, and your improvisation. Pay attention to what is around you and take advantage of those opportunities. Explore them further, because they can be the seeds of creativity!

I hope this is enjoyable for you! Thanks again for joining me! I’m Robert Estrin here at LivingPianos.com, Your Online Piano Resource.

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