Hal Galper's Piano Lesson - Minimizing Emotion

[newjazz11]

mutha' fuck......this guy is a master!!!!



[pholeare]

Thank´s Hal

[AmundLauritzen]

That students life was probably changed forever. Hal's a master educator and player. 

[bogtheforest]

11:05 new definition of instrument? I guess you could also say the instrument is the machine, and the mind is something else. I don't know. I would find it hard to keep everything he is saying in mind when playing the piano (or the mind).

[William102582]

I dig this!

[ImaniHekima]

What Hal says at 11:03 is profound and applies to all musicians. A great video. I remember first encountering Hal's books back in the 1980s, it's brilliant to be able to see this video. All the best from England. :-)

[brunoneverland]

thanks a lot dude, you're the best.

[JazzVideoGuy]

@brunoneverland lt's all good

[kasprini]

Perfect! "We are the instruments" whatever we play. Musicians! Be sure that this instrument is the best possible quality!

[JazzVideoGuy]

@kasprini yes!

[kasprini]

@JazzVideoGuy Thank you so much for this video! It's a paradigm shift. Precious for all the musicians. All the best from Poland!

[JazzVideoGuy]

@kasprini Hello Poland.

[fiddlercrab3]

"We are athletes of the fine muscles, not the big ones." Beautiful!

[JazzVideoGuy]

@fiddlercrab3 Sounds like Zen.

[thessandman]

What a terrific video, I just got a bass lesson out of that.

[JazzVideoGuy]

@thessandman What he says works for most instruments.

[PocketGroove82]

Does Hal carry a gun underneath that vest?

[JazzVideoGuy]

@PocketGroove82 No, I think it's a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich.

[larkydozer]

@PocketGroove82

That's a photographer's vest. Mostly old dudes wear them these days.

[JazzVideoGuy]

@larkydozer Old dudes?

[larkydozer]

@JazzVideoGuy

Yes. Why. Would you describe Hal as a "young dude". No.

[JazzVideoGuy]

@larkydozer No, I just find that a funny expression, Old Dudes. But then again, some people won't find mind description just as funny, Old Cats.

[ChristineCleveland]

I'm not much of a musician, but I'm a painter. It's amazing how much of what he says applies to the visual arts as well. He's a great teacher.

[plod]

Deep man!

[JazzVideoGuy]

@plod Hal has a unique approach and communicates it well.

[widepass]

@plod Without depth there is no music!

[amesoeur2]

Oh Meu Deus, fiquei emocionada...



[pickinstone]

When you listen to Lennie Tristano play, this makes so much sense. Hell, even listening to earlier players like Erroll Garner play piano you can here this musical philosophy. Everything is relaxed, nothing is falsified. Yet everything jumps like crazy. But why can't this piano player remember any Bach etudes. I still remember the Inventions I worked on for guitar when I first started seriously playing.

[sk8tboarder18]

4:15 cell phone interference in the audio lol

[desigrrl08]

one of the best vids i've seen on youtube. although i may never be able to apply what i hear here directly to my discipline, i learnt something new about how to listen in a new dimension. also, what Hal demonstrated about keeping time and removing emotion - there's a lesson there for the rest of us about grounding, rootedness - not sure i'd know, but it seems that's where elegance comes from.

[SIRUS80]

WOW!!

[jbarbri]

He seems to use the word "articulation" when he's really talking about "dynamics." Sforzandi, pianissimo, etc., are dynamic indications, and have no bearing on articulation. Terms of art relative to articulation are staccato, legato, marcato, tenuto, etc. Or at least they are in the world of classical music.

[jazz12726]

@jbarbri

Thanks for the clarification. I'll keep that in mind.

Not very often I learn something from comments.

hal

[da78vidsong]

@jbarbri dynamics have a major role in articulation even in the world of classical music..for example a staccato in f is different in p....

[dgorocks]

Nice lesson!

[jprutube77]

This is one of the teaching moments where he's giving so much, it's hard to imagine the student captures it all. Thank God for Video!

[VolkFry]

Great, he explained this concept 20 years ago in Berlin, Germany. It is a great tool to get people to play less stiff, but to swing smooth and elegant.

Superb playing!

[radiorobasoar]

the student looks like he could be Hal's son, is he?

[piercedearmusic]

As an educator this is wonderful stuff. However I would suggest that the idea is not to be emotionless, but to control you emotions for expressionistic execution.  Playing the piano is playing the piano. Awesome!!!

[bobbygoesbig]

@piercedearmusic One of my fellow teachers tells his students "be exciting but don't get excited".

[protocosm]

So much information! Absolutely brilliant. Not just for piano players!

[johnmayerhendrix]

Cool Hal Lesson !

John

[MrMaxvale]

I play drums but this guy gave me some great ideas for the drum set BRILLIANT !!

[jumbosilverette]

Very interesting. Gonna try to apply some of this to my bass playing. Thanks.

[MrBassflute]

Brilliant, man, and thanks, I'll be studying ALL these and sharing...keep them coming. I'll buy a couple of books off ya, man! Hope you get up to Vancouver BC sometime.

[jazzand]

Hey Hal, Thanks so much for putting this stuff up!!! The things you're talking about changed my playing when we talked about this stuff (can you believe that was 18 years ago????). Now I can send my students to hear it directly from you.

All the best,

~ Rick Stone

[fr3d420]

"You gotta get underneath her skirts to get to the truth." So very true.

[Khaddar]

this lesson rocks, we need more like these.

[ippikineko]

damn good lesson

[bonaxofon]

good lesson, thank you :-)

[cptfinch]

Thankyou. Very interesting.

[cocovi]

If your emotions do not transpire in your playing, then how are you really expressing yourself?

[FLCL2010]

I wonder if Hal has seen Keith Jarrett Play..... oh nvm

[FLCL2010]

@FLCL2010 he talked about keith jarrett as soon as wrote that.

[gomofly]

Wow, i love the way this teacher thinks and talks....

[dwnbowden]

In his jazz piano method, Oscar Peterson says that there is such thing as Jazz technique as opposed to classical technique. Now I'm just confused...

[jhg123456]

@dwnbowden Yea, how about that mr. galper? huh, huh?

[BorysPomianek]

@jhg123456 The word technique means many things. Here you have a conservatoire level student so the lesson is geared towards that level, being challenging for it too. All the sage knowledge is just a poetic way of communicating about phenomena that both the teacher and the student had to experience - it's dancing about architecture" outside of that. Language is irrelevant unless you want to be a walking encyclopaedia of quotes. Understanding words intended for someone else is a challenge!

[jazz12726]

@BorysPomianek The word technique has many meanings if one doesnt have a definition of technique that is universal, i.e., a definition that applies to all situations. The function of technique is to enhance ones ability to express themselves, it is not and end in itself.

[BorysPomianek]

@jazz12726 I am not sure what you are actually talking about. I was trying to point out that Hal Galper is not contradicting Oscar Peterson here, what one of the comments suggested. A non physicist will not understand and be able to use a video of a lesson at an undergrad level - in a similar manner, you can't just look at a lesson between a master and a college level music student and apply what you saw, if you did not work through enough material and have enough experience in applying it.

[jazz12726]

@BorysPomianek I was trying to point out the same thing.

Hal Galper

[BorysPomianek]

@jazz12726 Ahh, ok. It makes more sense to me now.

Cheers,

BP

[desigrrl08]

@BorysPomianek well said! "Understanding words intended for someone else is a challenge!" - so true!

[jazz12726]

@dwnbowden OPs statement comes more from a sociological point of view than musical. Jazz musicians from earlier eras were often preoccupied with establishing jazz musics legitimacy. See my article on Jazz In Academia on my web site for a further discussion of this topic.

[HuggumsMcgehee]

I am SO GLAD I watched this video.

[YeahChonas]

@donotclickonthis Even for every jazz musician any instrument

[Sandemose]

Man, I would shit myself having Hal sitting next to me, giving me instructions while being filmed as well. I would break down and cry. Then I would resurrect from the dead three years later.

Wonderful lesson. Kudos to the piano player serving as an example. Thanks alot!

Best, Sandemose

[jhg123456]

@Sandemose wtf?

[junka22]

Whoa, very insightful, I have to take some of this and try to apply it to my guitar playing, I'm starting to get my body too involved and just recently noticed it, lots and lots of work to be done and I also notice that my feet tend to tap at ridiculous speeds, sometimes even eight notes O.o

[rayoll]

that was great..thanks

[xelavie]

Illuminating

[martinschoeps]

Thanks a lot!

Very enriching for a piano player

[jackscruffy]

Hey Hal! Fraternal greetings from Paris. This is really really intersting. Remember me? Jack Gregg.

[jazz12726]

@jackscruffy Hey Jack! A voice from the past. Nice to hear from you.

[Saxman11290]

one of the best videos i've ever watched on youtube. Thanks a lot!

[bemaniac2]

the swell thing is a revelation for me

[javijazztazz]

excelent lesson not only for pianist it's for every instrumentalist

[iiirhd]

awesome thanks!

[AtmosMusic]

This is SO great... thanks for posting this!

[mdzk81]

Great lesson, thank you for sharing