Home | Newsletter | Member Login | Contact   

Pianoscapes Newsletter  Offering Tips, Perspective, and Solutions For Making Your own Music at the Piano This Weeks Article:  Create a Beautiful Sound Using the Crossover Technique! by Edward Weiss Those of you who have been reading my articles for some time know that I'm a big fan of the open position chord. This is where both hands play a chord together. It's a great technique that allows beginners (and pros) sound good at the piano right away. But, it's just one method or way to approach chord piano playing. Another method I use is something called the crossover technique or arpeggio. Here the left hand plays a cascade of notes ascending or descending (usually ascending) while the right hand plays melody. This technique is especially suited for New Age piano playing because we can get a gentle flow of notes in the left hand. In fact, you can use over 2 octaves just in the left hand. This covers a lot of musical space so to speak and creates a lovely backdrop over which melodies may be composed or improvised. For example, in the music video, "Winter's End," (which is actually Lesson 81 from my online piano course) we have a 16-bar phrase in the Key of B flat. The chords are all charted out for you and you can hear me playing the left-hand crossover pattern. This pattern uses much of the left hand right away. The right-hand plays octave melody notes and the whole piece is finished in a few minutes. You see, when you block out or chart the chords using the crossover technique, you create a harmonic background, a canvas of sound over which you paint in your foreground using melody instead of paint! A unique, but very helpful way of seeing how an improvisation or composition can be structured. By the way ... a complete (and printable) step-by-step breakdown of this music video is available to course members. I go into complete detail and show you exactly how it's done - and more importantly, how you can do it yourself. You can start now by clicking here. Until next week, Edward Weiss Quiescence Music Special Offer! Get Over 100 Cool New Age Piano Lessons Now for Just $19! Plus, Get a FREE Workbook: "New Age Piano Made Easy!"   Join pianist/composer Edward Weiss online as he gives you the tools and techniques you need to create your own beautiful New Age piano music. Start playing piano the way you always wanted... flowing, creative, beautiful! Learn from the comfort of home at your own pace for one low price! Satisfaction guaranteed. More info... Newest Lesson Posted - Lesson 123: "Images of Spring!" Click below now for a Sneak Peek! In this lesson (which includes a 11 + minute video!) you learn how to take a melody from the Key of D Major and turn it into a beautiful piano composition of your very own! QM members may access this lesson now by clicking here. Not a member yet? Sign up now and get instant access to "Images of Spring" and over 100 more exciting piano lessons for one low price! Plus, get a FREE workbook! Sneak peek..  Free Report: "Looking for Creative Fun? Play New Age Piano!" If you’re looking for something fun and rewarding to do, look no further than your own piano or keyboard! What a great time to capture a mood and play what you feel! Here are 6 reasons to play New Age piano.... Click here (pdf file) Left-Hand Patterns for New Age Piano Improvisation! Free video and article explaining something called the crossover technique and how to use it for New Age piano improvisation. Click here to access. Here's another video and article that explains something called the "ostinato technique!"     New Age Piano Made Easy - Inside the Course Workbook! Want to create your own music in a matter of minutes? You can! And it's a lot easier than you might think. Click here to view this video and article. Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 15 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Click the above link now and get a FREE piano lesson!