I’ve been playing the piano since I was six. My training was conventional: Chopin, Debussy, Beethoven, Lecuona.
But I started dabbling with soul, bossa nova, blues and jazz by listening to such artists as Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Jobim, Ray Charles, Bachrach, Sergio Mendes, Billie Holiday, Hornsby, Billy Joel, Basia, Clapton, Norah Jones, Benoit, Marsalis, Anita Baker and others in a long list. The chords, the beat, rhythm and vocals just tickled my ears, I guess. But there was something in jazz and blues that stirred me. There was a tinge of sadness, depth, and redemption. Could this be the “blues”? I heard Billie Holiday singing “Strange Fruit”, and for the rest of the day, I had it. Ditto Ray Charles singing “Hard Times” and “Drown in My Own Tears.”
So I tried to play by ear, not always successfully. I understand some basic chords a bit. If a chord sounds ok, I use it. But everything’s instinct. Is there an easier and faster way to learn how to play and to improvise?