Tag Archives: jazz

How to Break Into Improv Piano

Posted on by
Reply
Improvisation in piano needs sheer interest to discover more!

Improvisation in piano needs sheer interest to discover more!

Learning and practicing on the same concept is something monotonous and we tend to stagnate at some point. The same should not occur while learning piano and that is why improvisation is vital in the course of learning piano. To put it in better words, improvisation in terms of piano is to perform without preparation. In general, it is the jazz players who concentrate on improvisation. There are some simple steps to be followed for improving in piano playing. First of all, your versatility of the subject is vital. The more you know, the more you could improve easily. Learn in depth about the scales of piano like B major and other sharp notes.

Once you feel confident about the scales, jump into chords so that it would be easy for trying the quartals, triad chords and others. Having made yourself thorough about the basics, there are some good techniques to try your hand in improvisation. The first method is to have your left hand playing the background in the same key, while the right plays the melody. After two or three repetitions, once you are confident, switch between the keys and give the same tune a try. The second method is to play 4/4 piece getting a single chord in the left hand and try to improve the melody with the right. Then switch on to the second chord and do the same procedure. Repeat until you are confident.

So we see that the methods of improvisation in piano are vast and easy to comprehend. So, if you are interested in improvisation, it is high time to give it a try! If you’d like to get more into piano, we can help!

If you’re in the New York City area, check out the piano classes and instructors on HeyKiki and find the perfect piano training for you. If you’re looking for someone in the NYC area to train with, we have piano buddies on HeyKiki just waiting to connect with you! If you’d like to learn another sport or activity other than piano, we have other instructors and classes in your area on HeyKiki too!

[Image via]

How to Talk About Dance

Posted on by
Reply

Dance is a physical activity. While talking about dance, one has to take into consideration its various aspects- its form, structure, origin, ways of doing a particular dance and many more things.

While talking to someone about dance you may start with the type of dance on which you are going to concentrate such as ballet, jazz, rock-n-roll, break or hip-hop dance. You can start discussing about the type of dance about which you know in detail.

After this, you can discuss the origin and history of the dance. Every dance type has a unique history and origin. So you can discuss about this aspect.

Following this, you may talk about the ways of doing the particular dance. Every dance type is different from the other as far as its way of performance is concerned. So you can talk about way of performing a particular dance type.

Then the musical aspect of dance may be discussed. You may talk about the music involved in a particular dance type. You may discuss about the pace of music i.e. if slow or fast music is involved in a particular dance type.

There are some renowned dancers from history as well as at present time for each dance category. You may refer to various renowned dancers of a dance type and explore their performances in your discussion.

Talking about dance!

Talking about dance!

Are you looking for dance buddies in NYC? We can help you to accomplish your search at www.heykiki.com.
[Image via]

 

Piano in Jazz History

Posted on by
Reply

Jazz is a style of music which had its origin at the start of the 20th century in African American societies in the South. American Jazz music has a considerable piano history of its own. There had been numerous renowned American Jazz pianists.

Irving A Aaronson- Born on February 7, 1895 in New York, Irving was a jazz pianist and big band leader. He learned piano from Alfred Sendry at the David Mannes School for music and co-wrote the hit song Boo-Hoo-Hoo in 1921. He led two big bands named Versatile Sextette and the Irving Aaronson and his Commanders band. ‘The Loveliest Night of The Year’ is the most popular song by him.

Don Abney- Born on March 10, 1923 in Baltimore, Maryland, Abney was another great jazz pianist. He studied piano at the Manhattan School of Music. He played piano in ensembles with Bill Harris, Chuck Wayne, Louis Bellson, Wilbur de Paris and Sy Oliver. He acted as a pianist in the movie called Blues by Peter Kelly.

Apart from the above mentioned there is an endless list of jazz pianists from America who have played memorable tones on jazz piano and have become immortal in the hearts of their admirers.

Jazz- An influential form of piano music!

Jazz- An influential form of piano music!

If you’d like to get more into piano, we can help! If you’re in the New York City area, check out the piano classes and instructors on HeyKiki and find the perfect piano training for you. If you’re looking for someone in the NYC area to train with, we have piano buddies on HeyKiki just waiting to connect with you!
If you’d like to learn another sport or activity other than piano, we have other instructors and classes in your area on HeyKiki too.
[Image via]

Piano for Two: Some Great Duets for Valentine’s Day

Posted on by
Reply

It’s almost time for Valentine’s Day. People have different ways of celebrating this romantic day and have different ways of making their beloved feel the warmth of their love. Playing duets on a piano is one such wonderful way for music lovers. There are some all time favorite piano duets which can make the atmosphere all the more romantic.

Arabesque- A song by Robert Schumann who composed it in versatile C. Robert was a composer, aesthete and significant music reviewer from Germany. He is considered to be the leading and most diplomatic composer of the Romantic period. The humorous frame of mind is constant all through the song. Shy dances are performed around vigorous major scales. It sets a complete atmosphere of romanticism.

Creating an absolute atmosphere of romanticism!

Creating an absolute atmosphere of romanticism!

Moonlight in Vermont – A piano presentation by Wynton Kelly. Wynton was a Jamaican American Jazz Pianist who is mostly recognized for working with Miles David, the trumpeter. The unplanned incidents that occur in this song add to the beauty of the song. It produces an enticing environment. The decree of the song is poised and appealing. It is a hot and calm jazz song which asks for soft light and silent dialogue.

Rose- Theme from the Titanic- A renowned classical song by James Horner. James is an American pianist, composer and orchestrator of orchestral and film music. He made use of Celtic music elements more often in his music. An element of sadness is added to the song by the use of minor tones.

If you’d like to get more into piano, we can help! If you’re in the New York City area, check out the piano classes and instructors on HeyKiki and find the perfect piano training for you. If you’re looking for someone in the NYC area to train with, we have piano buddies on HeyKiki just waiting to connect with you!
If you’d like to learn another sport or activity other than piano, we have other instructors and classes in your area on HeyKiki too.
[Image via]

Downtown Dance Factory a Creative Playground

Posted on by
Reply

If you wish to show a splendid place for your kids to practice dance and he or she to turn into fantastic dancers in the future, mark these words, the ‘Downtown Dance Factory at NYC’ will be the right place. This wonderful dance school was founded in September  2009 in Tribeca. They started their classes by teaching different dance styles that included  hip hop, jazz, tap and many more for teens. Ever since the new studios have begun to function after 2010, they have started to take up classes for adults too! Their name might contain ‘factory,’ but their ultimate aim is not to merely manufacture dancers. Enjoying the dance is their top priority and by way of enjoying the dance, irrespective of the style, they wish to bring out the best dancer in you!

‘Dance classes for adults too’ since 2010 makes it clear that age is no bar for learning dance at this school. Your fullest talent is tapped out here and your skills are honed to make you a dazzling dancer. The teachers of this dance school are simply extraordinary. Right from the tiny tots to adults in their late thirties and forties, the teachers give the due concern and practice according to each one’s need and style of dancing. Most of them hail from the top dance schools of NYC and the world that give a clear picture about their striking resume and smooth way of training. Check a few classes from their site that are about to commence and you could find the appropriate one both for you and your little kid! Join in the right classes and enjoy! No wonder Downtown Dance Factory is called “NYC’s hippest dance studio”!

If you’re in the New York City area, check out the dance classes and tutors on HeyKiki.  We can assist in finding the perfect choreography tutoring for you.

If you’d like to learn another sport or activity other than dance, we have other instructors and classes in your area on HeyKiki too.

Give your children the hippest dance via Downtown Dance Factory!

Give your children the hippest dance via Downtown Dance Factory!

[Image via]

Blues Piano: A History

Posted on by
Reply

Just learning how to play the piano is not sufficient! Let’s take a deeper look into its history with a short overview about the history of blues piano. There are many notable examples of piano blues and some of them that are worth mentioning are Piedmont, New Orleans, Chicago Styles, Delta and St. Louis.

The history of Piano Blues heads to the latter part of the nineteenth century when the levy workers and sharecroppers created a different fusion of folk songs, devotional songs and the work songs. This created the new music called blues that was usually played in a crowded atmosphere. The location where blues were developed was open and loud that brought evolution in its tone and speed. As the blues pianists most often presented their performance as a ‘one-man band’ they had to perform rhythmically taking into consideration about the melody, bass, chord and also the crowd around them. This style famously came to be called as the “Boogie Woogie”.

The place where piano blues were played was unique and audacious.

The place where piano blues were played was unique and audacious.

Some of the early blues pianists who rocked that time were George Thomas, Hersal Thomas, Clarence Williams and Cow Cow Davenport. Among these pianists, George is remarked to be the architect of the famous “Boogie Woogie” style. Similarly, the phrase ‘cow cow’ in Davenport came from his scintillating performance for the song ‘Cow Cow Boogie’. Even today, no one could deny the fact that the jazz had its origin from the blues and the rock and roll from boogie woogie. So, any where when we happen to hear rock and roll or jazz, we should keep in mind that the piano blues is their origin!

If you’d like to get more into piano, we can help! If you’re in the New York City area, check out the piano classes and instructors on HeyKiki and find the perfect piano training for you. If you’re looking for someone in the NYC area to train with, we have piano buddies on HeyKiki just waiting to connect with you!

If you’d like to learn another sport or activity other than piano, we have other instructors and classes in your area on HeyKiki too.

[Image via]

Professionalism at the Keyboard: Three Key Tips

Posted on by
Reply

Piano playing can be pursued as a hobby, a profession, or just for the sake of entertainment. However, by becoming proficient in piano playing through proper training and education, it can be adopted as a rewarding profession. Since there are various forms of music, so are the professions for a pianist. You can become proficient in any one of them by following some steps.

First of all, decide about the type of music in which you want to become proficient in playing piano e.g. classical, contemporary, jazz, rock-n-roll etc. Then take piano lessons regularly in that particular type of music.

Once you have begun to learn a type of piano music, you can make a profile about your proficiency and post it online. If you perform in public, you can mention your public performances at state, district or national levels. You can also send your profile to musicians or other professionals in the music industry.

You can also opt for the career of studio musician and join a popular band. This requires a high level of expertise, so practice hard. Such bands perform frequently at various public places, functions and gatherings. You might even wind up famous.

A path to a successful career!

A path to a successful career!

If you’d like to get more into piano, we can help! If you’re in the New York City area, check out the piano classes and instructors on HeyKiki and find the perfect piano training for you. If you’re looking for someone in the NYC area to train with, we have piano buddies on HeyKiki just waiting to connect with you!

If you’d like to learn another sport or activity other than piano, we have other instructors and classes in your area on HeyKiki too.

What’s the Deal with Jazz Ballet?

Posted on by
Reply

Jazz Ballet may be described as a form of music which originated in America. Although the rhythmic composition of the music is strong, it is also flexible. There is lots of individual or group creativity which is based on fundamental tunes and chord patterns with extremely complicated harmonic expression.

Some of the most well known jazz ballet performers of all time are Katherine Dunham, Jack Cole, Bob Fosse, Matt Mattox, Jerome Robbins, Eugene Louis Facciuto, Gus Giordano, Gwen Verdon and David Winters.

Some examples of Jazz ballet performance include The King and I, Funny Girl, Peter Pan, and Fiddler on the Roof, West Side Story, Damn Yankees, Gypsy, Sweet Charity and Chicago.

There are numerous dance schools in NYC that offer training in Jazz Ballet.

Roadway Dance Center- It provides training in a number of dance forms including jazz ballet. It is good for children also as they have trained instructors to fulfill the requirements of children as well.

Steps on Broadway- This dance school offers training in jazz ballet dance under the guidance of expert instructor Laya Barak. Aspirant kids can also join the school to become proficient in jazz ballet.

Peridance Capezio Center- Here jazz ballet is taught in a fun-filled way and in clean surroundings.

Mark Morris Dance Group- It is a good school to get training in jazz ballet under the instructions of well-trained dance instructors.

The Ailey Extension- In addition to jazz ballet, it provides training in various other dance forms including theatre dance, Afro-Brazilian, and many more.

It's amazing!

It’s amazing!

If you’re in the New York City area, check out the dance classes and tutors on HeyKiki.  We can assist in finding the perfect choreography tutoring for you.

If you’d like to learn another sport or activity other than dance, we have other instructors and classes in your area on HeyKiki too.

Spotlight: Dance at the Kennedy Center

Posted on by
Reply

Commonly known as the Kennedy Center, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is situated on the Potomac River next to the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. Set up in 1971, it generates and offers dance, orchestral, folk, jazz, theatre, ballet, chamber, popular and multi-media presentations for all age groups. Constructed by John McShain from Philadelphia, it is governed by the Smithsonian Institution.

A number of great dancers have given their presentations at the Kennedy Center from time to time. Some of them are Led Zeppelin, Dustin Hoffman and David Letterman.

A strong dedication to dance, drama and music!

A strong dedication to dance, drama and music!

The dance classes and programs at the Kennedy Center have been designed for the fresh ballet and dance works. It is noteworthy that these dance presentations have been generated by leading choreographers including Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor and Lar Lubovitch. These choreographers have created these dance works for the renowned dance companies of America such as Ballet West, Pacific Northwest Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, Houston Ballet and Pennsylvania Ballet. Every year two dance citizenship programs are subsidized by the center for the youth. One of them is the Dance Theatre of Harlem Residency Program while the other one is Exploring Ballet with Suzanne Farrell.

If you’re in the New York City area, check out the dance classes and tutors on HeyKiki.  We can assist in finding the perfect choreography tutoring for you.

If you’d like to learn another sport or activity other than dance, we have other instructors and classes in your area on HeyKiki too.

Dance Shoes: The Basics

Posted on by
Reply

Since feet are the most important part of body which is used during dance and hence must be protected well by wearing dance shoes. Different dance shoes are specifically designed according to various dance types so that the dancer may feel comfortable and perform well. A dancer should select appropriate dance shoes as per the dance style.

 The dancers who wish to perform ballet dance should wear shoes with soft soles. These are known as ballet shoes or pointe ballet shoes. These shoes have suede soles to support the whole body weight. These shoes are also suitable for Irish dancers. Lyrical dancers can also perform their dance well with these types of shoes.

Suitable for duet and ballroom dancers!

Suitable for duet and ballroom dancers!

 There is a category of medium-soled shoes or jazz shoes which are meant for practice sessions. These are quite flexible and have a heel of about half an inch, similar to a block. These shoes also have suede soles which help in rotations, leaps, and twists during dance practice. The lightweight category of jazz shoes is jazz sneakers, which are elastic and multi-functional.

 The dancers, especially women, who have to perform ballroom dance should wear shoes with heels. The heel must be of appropriate length so that the dance may be done easily.

Suitable for duet and ballroom dancers!

Suitable for duet and ballroom dancers!

Those who perform tap dance should wear specially designed hard-soled shoes which are somewhat less elastic. These shoes have a metal plate fixed at the bottom of the sole to produce the tapping sound.

Nicely soled tap-shoes!

Nicely soled tap-shoes!

If you’re in the New York City area, check out the dance classes and tutors on HeyKiki.  We can assist in finding the perfect choreography tutoring for you.

If you’d like to learn another sport or activity other than dance, we have other instructors and classes in your area on HeyKiki too.