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The Key is Turning

About three weeks ago (has it only been three weeks?), I posted The Rusty Lock and Key, about how there seems to be a locked door between where I am and where I want to be with regards to the piano. I wrote with a sense of hope, but, at the same time, I knew it would take time for me to break out of that dark little room. And it would take dedication and perseverance—two things I’ve been lacking. Yes, it would be a while before the key started to turn. Months, most likely. Or years.

Well. It’s been three weeks, and the key is starting to turn. I’m not there yet, but I have a whole new sense of hope. This is due to several things:

Quentin – This is the guy I’ll be meeting monthly for jazz piano lessons. We’ve only met once so far, but he gave me some valuable exercises that I’ve been doing assiduously every morning before work.

The Mark Levine Book – I’ve had this book for years and never got past the third chapter because I couldn’t understand it. I went ahead and skipped that chapter and went to the next one, which is easier to understand. For three weeks, every morning, I’ve been working on my ii-V-I progressions (with added color tones) in all inversions, all keys. It was so hard at first, and these progressions still don’t feel totally natural. But every now and then, I’m finding that my hands are going to the right place on their own. This is huge.

Piano With Jonny – This is a site I discovered a couple of weeks ago. I watched several of his videos on YouTube; I even posted one of his videos on this blog. That ragtime video left me wanting more, and when he offered a discounted annual membership, I jumped. And I am so glad I did! He has so much more than just the ragtime video.

  • Learning Tracks: I took the quiz and scored as advanced, but I put myself into the “early intermediate” track because I feel that I need to become better acquainted with sevenths. I’m currently working on major sevenths, which I thought I knew. Thanks to the exercises provided on the site, I’m learning them more thoroughly than ever.
  • PWJ Facebook group: This is a page for a bunch of people like me, who are at various level and just want to learn to play piano better! There is a monthly challenge to learn a jazz standard, and the challenge is available for beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. I have begun the February challenge to learn “Misty.” I’m doing the advanced version, so I hope I’m not in over my head.
  • Extended ragtime videos: These are so good! I watched the two beginner/intermediate videos and have started writing my own ragtime version of “You Are My Sunshine.” I already do a stride version of my own, and I think this new version (mostly using the “forward rag” style) will make for a nice middle section in the higher register.

Morning practices – These have been non-negotiable. Every morning, for about 20 minutes, I go through my ii-V-I progressions. At first, I just worked on the key of C, and then I added F a few days later, then B-flat, working my way around the circle of fifths. I’m now going through every key every morning, and each time I use a different pattern (circle of fifths forward or backward, chromatically ascending or descending, using broken chords, etc.). I also do the ii-V-I progressions using shell chords as part of this practice session.

The only thing I’ve neglected is actually working on songs. For some reason, I don’t quite feel ready for that yet. I also don’t want to work on too many things at once (remember, I’m also working on the Chopin nocturne and Maple Leaf Rag). But the songs will come.

That’s about it for today. I’ll post some of my “Misty” progress as I work through the February PWJ challenge.

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