How To Accompany On Piano?

I wanna learn to play "freely": make up chords & harmony w/ both hands to accompany the melody on a piano.How?

• I finished playing some intermediate pieces such as Beethoven's "moonlight" and "tempest" sonata (all 3 movements for each) and few Chopins' nocturnes and waltzes. My former piano teacher said I should have enough skills and techs to learn new pieces by myself. So here's my question: Are there books/methods that can help me to learn to play freely (stated in question)? Some ways to help me to learn chords and etc.? Thanks!!! <bowing>

• Answer:

  What you are talking about is improvisation. Alot of those questions are answered here: http://www.chaddukes.org/2007/04/essay-on-improvisation-i.html http://www.outsideshore.com/primer/primer/index.html You need to know your practical theory extremely well. You have to not only understand scales but know them so well that you don't have to recall what notes are in them, you just know without thinking. You have to understand diatonic harmony, as well as basic progressions and cadences very well. You need to be able to spell out chords without hesitating to think about it. So, Whats is a Cmaj13#11 chord? Once you have this down, you need to just start playing "freely," as you put it. I've found that the biggest hurddle for many musicians, especially those who are classically trained, is simply getting them to play anything without thier eyes glued to a sheet of music. You have to accept that the first several times that you try improvising it isn't going to be any good. Its going to take a good bit of time and experimentation. Start with a chord progression, say Cmin/Dm7b5/G7#5/ Play this as many different ways as you can. Vary the meter, the voicings, use substitute chords, etc. Play with walking bass lines, pedal points, cluster chords, etc. Once you are comfortable with this progression, try adding melody lines to it. Then once you can plat it really well in Cmin. try it in the other 11 keys. Then move on toa different progression. Hows that for a start?