Do you ever sit down at your piano to play and improvise, but find that you’re lacking inspiration? You know you want to express something, but you aren’t sure what that is?
Here are some ideas from Jordan on how he finds inspiration when he sits down in front of the piano and just wants to make music.
Forget all about sheet music and music theory and find an actual picture of something that inspires you visually. Ideally, that picture sparks ideas or feelings you can translate from your head to the piano.
Jordan’s example involves a flame and a snowflake. The flame evokes feelings of warmth and comfort, which might mean you play warm 7th chords and happy major chords. It may also bring to mind a forest fire, which could suggest frantic arpeggios and minor chords. Contrast that with a snowflake, and suddenly you’re playing delicately – you might play higher up on the keyboard with broken arpeggios and a lighter touch.
The idea is to tell a story about whatever you’re using for inspiration. Choosing more than one picture to help you contrast your feelings and sounds can really help you create an epic and inspired improvisation.
What pictures will you use for inspiration the next time you sit down at the piano?
Jordan Leibel is passionate about songwriting, improvisation, and helping you become a creative musician! He’s worked as a composer for film, commercial, and theatre projects as well as a session musician and producer for recording work.
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