I've come to this conclusion about playing. You are better off working on finger technique than doing anything else as a performing musician.

Reason: Once you've mastered that, you can then play anything you want to, you can dress it up as you want, you can "fake it," you can improvise and actually "hear" different chord voicings, etc. All in real time. i.e. You can play just about anything you want out of your head.

I've been working hard on the piano keyboard lately, and playing for myself for a change, and I'm finding that the more I (REALLY) concentrate on every note that I'm playing, and how they come together, that my "pitch recognition" has improved considerably....necessary to improvisation, chord voicings, chord substitutions, etc.

Something that helped a lot. Years ago a friend told he made up an exercise that helped him considerably. Play a musical line......any line you want to make up....even a song you know. Play it mentally in your head and THEN lay it on the keyboard slowly, and note by note. Hear the note you want to hit in your head first, then place your finger down on what key you think matches what you hear internally.

Talk about "power of the mind" principles. I wish I started doing this years ago instead of only recently.

I go on about "power of the mind" a lot because I've been using it most of my life in every day situations. Example: I don't ever wear a coat in the winter (short of 10 degrees). You can't be cold if you don't "think you're cold." Same with music. You'd be amazed at how well you could play just by simply concentrating with full force mind power on what you're playing AS you play the music. Even telling yourself what a great musician you are, and hammering that home every day.......that alone will make you play better.

And that conludes this week's radio broadcast.

M