| The first time I heard George Winston play back | | | | on top, but there still is a framework operating |
| in the early 1980's I was blown away. I didn't | | | | here. |
| know why I liked this music. All I knew was that | | | | For example, if we take 8 measures of music |
| it made me feel good and that was enough. I | | | | and call it a (A) section, we have composed. We |
| didn't even play piano back then but something | | | | have taken chords, put them into some kind of |
| about this music seeped into me almost haunting | | | | order (no matter how tightly or loosely) and have |
| me. The way he let the notes ring out and wasn't | | | | composed. It takes a certain skill to keep the |
| concerned with pop flavorings. A new sound for | | | | music fresh after a certain number of repetitions. |
| the time. | | | | This skill has to be practiced. It can not be taught. |
| When I began to play piano, I wanted to know | | | | This is a doing operation. You can listen to music, |
| how he did it. How did he create this music? I | | | | but to learn improvisation and composition, you |
| read somewhere that his method was to create | | | | must do it. |
| the chords first, then improvise a melody over | | | | Now the secret is this: You may repeat a section |
| them. Great, but what chords and how do you | | | | as many times as your interest remains with the |
| know where and when to play them? | | | | music. As soon as you become bored in your |
| I then realized that George wasn't really doing | | | | improvising, so will the listener. For most, having |
| anything radically different than most classical | | | | one section isn't enough therefore we bring in the |
| composers who think in sections. Composing is all | | | | (B) section. This could be anything from 4 to 8 |
| about using the techniques of repetition and | | | | bars of new material. This new material is also |
| contrast. Now in most of Winston's music, there is | | | | repeated and eventually we return to the (A) |
| a lot of repetition going on with the contrast | | | | section. When you start to think in sections, you |
| coming from the melody. The chords are | | | | can unlock the mystery of most music. |
| repeated in certain patterns, the melody played | | | | |