great blues piano solo improvisation luca sestak live in austria video

Great Blues Piano Solo Improvisation Luca Sestak Live in Austria Video

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Here’s a great Blues piano solo improvisation by the gifted Luca Sestak, recorded live in Austria.

Luca Sestak was 17 at the time of this recording. Luca was born on January 10, 1995 in Celle, Germany. He began playing piano at the age of 9. After studying classical piano music, he  discovered Jazz and taught himself both Blues and Boogie Woogie on the keyboard. In a short time he had achieved an extraordinary level of excellence. He published his first original music at the age of 11. He has toured extensively and played with many great artists such as Silvan Zingg and Vince Weber. He recorded his first CD in August 2010.

more about Luca Sestak

coldplay paradise piano solo video from mylo xyloto album

Coldplay Paradise Piano Solo Video from Mylo Xyloto Album

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Here is a cover video of the Coldplay track Paradise, from their Mylo Xyloto Album

Coldplay is a British alternative rock band started in 1996. They quickly gained worldwide notoriety with their single “Yellow” in 2000.  Their debut album, Parachutes, was nominated for the Mercury Prize. The band has won many music awards, eight Brit Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards, and seven Grammy Awards. Coldplay has sold over 60 million records worldwide. Rolling Stone readers voted Coldplay the 4th best artist of the 2000s. Will Champion  and Chris Martin both play piano and keyboards for the band.

 

 

Silvan Zingg Honky Tonk Train Blues Piano Solo Improvisation Great Video

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Silvan Zingg plays “Honky Tonk Train Blues” at The Hamburg Boogie Woogie Connection in the Hamburger Fabrik on the 8 and 9 August 2013. Zingg is truly a Blues master, with well developed melodies and steady left hand with a nice variety of rhythmic variations. This is a terrific example of a well constructed and polished Blues style.

Lots of my piano lesson students enjoy learning Blues improvisation at my student here in Portland. We start at the very beginning and progress through various styles of playing. Everything we do is playing by ear. There is no music involved in Blues. For students who already read music, learning the Blues is a new experience. It takes a bit of time to get used to relying on one’s ear to guide the direction of a 12 Bar Blues. Once a student realizes that there is no limit to what they can do, they get a lot more comfortable with the overall concept.

more on Blues Piano & Keyboard Lessons

chick corea

Chick Corea Terrific Solo Piano Performance Legends of Jazz Video

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Chick Corea does a beautiful acoustic jazz performance of “Armando’s Rhumba” from the series Legends of Jazz with Ramsey Lewis. His artful keyboard expression makes his playing wonderful to listen to. Crafty ethnic inspired melodies and precise playing is a hallmark of Chick Corea performances. I love the opening with Chick playing the strings with his left hand.

Chick Corea was born June 12, 1941. He is an American jazz and fusion pianist, keyboardist, and composer. Many of his compositions are jazz standards, played by musicians everywhere. He started taking lessons at age eight. He was a member of Miles Davis’ band in the 1960s, and was instrumental in developing early electric jazz fusion music. In the 1970s he formed the revolutionary band Return to Forever. Corea joins Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner and Keith Jarrett, as one of the major jazz performers in the post John Coltrane era.

 

 

russian folk song yablotchko piano duet student teacher video

Russian Folk Song Yablotchko Piano Duet Student Teacher Video

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Madeleine plays a duet along with me. It’s a traditional Russian folk song called “Yablotchko” (apples). Playing duets is a great way to get students to learn to play in rhythm. It can be the most challenging part of learning to play piano. Improving rhythm skills on the keyboard can be improved by tapping the left food, counting out loud, and using a metronome. These are all useful in getting familiar with playing in tempo. Duets are a fantastic way to focus on rhythms, and a lot of fun. Students who play tentatively gain lots of confidence when joined in a duet.