Kenny Werner is a true icon of modern jazz piano and improvisation. His ideas and concepts on entering “The Space” have inspired countless musicians of all walks of life, and his book Effortless Mastery has had a lasting legacy as one of the most important and effective books on how to get “out of your own way” during practice – leaving musicians more creative, spontaneous, and expressive no matter their skill level. As the head of the Effortless Mastery Institute run out of Berklee in Boston, it was an honor to host Kenny here at Pianote for a few days.
The core of my time spent with Kenny was spent discussing a musical concept he calls “The Space”. This can be a trippy concept, but I like to think of it as a sort of flow state: a place where things just seem to happen naturally and effortlessly.
Kenny Werner and Harvey Mason (Herbie Hancock’s drummer) having a musical conversation at Pianote.
I think we’ve all experienced “The Space” at some point or another in life, whether in front of an instrument, playing a sport, or even saying the right thing at the right time in a conversation. But most of us (myself included) have difficulty finding and holding ourselves within that space. Kenny’s lesson with us will give you a few tips that you can use to find and maintain that mindset at the piano!
It’s a truly fascinating concept and was such a pleasure to spend a few days wrapping my head around the brilliant thinking of Kenny Werner. I really hope you enjoy this lesson, and if you want to learn some more about the concepts that Kenny discusses here, be sure to check out his acclaimed book, Effortless Mastery.
Enjoy!
Jordan
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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