• HOME
  • ABOUT
    • Welcome
    • Contact Piano Addict
    • Meet Our PA Columnists
    • Terms
  • My Fistful of Notes on TPT
    • Fistful of Notes Teaching Tools
    • About Musical Words: The Board Game
  • The Musical Adjectives Project
    • Welcome to The Musical Adjectives Project
    • Musical Adjectives: Words & Characters
    • Musical Adjectives: Images in Sound
    • Musical Adjectives: Glossaries, Translators, & Other Resources
    • Tips & Ideas: Hacking Adjectives & Words
Top Menu
  • The Creative Side
  • Playing With Wolfgang
  • Columns
  •   The Adaptable Pianist
  •   The Enterprising Pianist
  •   Piano Maker's Corner
  •   The Composing & Improvising Pianist
  • Artist Portraits
  • Pedagogy
  •   Skills
  •   Learning & Learning Styles
  • This 'n That
  •   The Piano Addict Muses
  •   Pianistic Shorts
  •   The Lighter Side
  •   Vintage PA
  •   Guest Posts
  • Tradition Plus Tech
  • Finds Etc.
  •   Great Finds
  •   Kick It Up

Piano Addict

Connect, Muse, Discover, Enjoy

  • The Creative Side
  • Playing With Wolfgang
  • Columns
    • The Adaptable Pianist
    • The Enterprising Pianist
    • Piano Maker’s Corner
    • The Composing & Improvising Pianist
  • Artist Portraits
  • Pedagogy
    • Skills
    • Learning & Learning Styles
  • This ‘n That
    • The Piano Addict Muses
    • Pianistic Shorts
    • The Lighter Side
    • Vintage PA
    • Guest Posts
  • Tradition Plus Tech
  • Finds Etc.
    • Great Finds
    • Kick It Up
The Composing & Improvising Pianist

Dwelling in Possibility: Inspiring Children to Compose

Daniel J. Kennedy Dwelling in Possibility: Inspiring Children to Compose2020-12-21T12:44:20-07:00 The Composing & Improvising Pianist
The greatest contribution my own early piano teacher Mr. Ball made to my musical development was to listen to my compositions. Often, after all of my scales, exercises, and pieces…
Read On »
The Composing & Improvising Pianist

6 Beginner Piano Improv Exercises to Improve Self-Expression

Julian Harnish and Gail Fischler 6 Beginner Piano Improv Exercises to Improve Self-Expression2020-10-01T13:52:12-07:00 The Composing & Improvising Pianist
Improvisation is an important form of self-expression at the piano. Yet, improv at the beginner stages is tricky. It’s tricky not because there aren’t enough options. It’s tricky because there are too…
Read On »
The Composing & Improvising Pianist

The Improvising Pianist: Spontaneity and the 24 Hour Piece

Kurt Erickson The Improvising Pianist: Spontaneity and the 24 Hour Piece2018-02-21T15:50:40-07:00 The Composing & Improvising Pianist
Ever try to write a complete, self-contained piece at one sitting?!? For most of us, this kind of precociousness probably brings up images of someone like Mozart. “I couldn’t possibly…
Read On »

Stepping Off The Page: 12-Bar Blues

Gail Fischler Stepping Off The Page: 12-Bar Blues2015-09-15T09:30:01-07:00 The Composing & Improvising Pianist
Happy September, everyone! For all of you teachers looking to incorporate a bit of the blues into your students' repertoire, here's a simple way to use the concept of singing…
Read On »
The Composing & Improvising Pianist

Stepping Off The Page: Starting An Improv Vocabulary

Gail Fischler Stepping Off The Page: Starting An Improv Vocabulary2015-08-11T13:56:03-07:00 The Composing & Improvising Pianist
Stepping Off the Page is a monthly column written by Deanna Witkowski for Piano Addict. Have you ever thought about how little children will hum or sing melodies that they improvise…
Read On »
featured slider

Stepping Off The Page: Nocturne in Eb Major

Gail Fischler Stepping Off The Page: Nocturne in Eb Major2015-07-07T12:54:52-07:00 featured slider
Deanna Witkowski is an active pianist and composer, has 5 albums to her credit, and currently holds the piano chair in the BMI/New York Jazz Orchestra. She won the Great American Jazz…
Read On »

Introducing Stepping Off The Page!

Gail Fischler Introducing Stepping Off The Page!2015-06-23T11:17:04-07:00 The Composing & Improvising Pianist
Say hi to Deanna Witkowski and her new column, Stepping Off The Page! You all met pianist and composer Deanna Witkowski in last month's Artist Portrait. Since her Great American Jazz Competition win…
Read On »

Musical Words: the board game

muswords PA

Pay it Forward

national musiclink foundation

The Official PA Okie Dokie

All content on Piano Addict is fully protected by US & International law. I retain the right to choose what will be published on the site. The opinions in these posts are just that, my informed personal opinions. Please accept them in the spirit in which they are offered and then go form your own. Comments are welcome and make for healthy discussion, which is a large part of my vision for Piano Addict. If you can’t play nice, take your red truck and go home. Inappropriate comments will be sent to spam. To read the complete Terms of Use please go to the top menu About / Terms.

Copyright ©2025. Piano Addict
  • The Creative Side
  • Playing With Wolfgang
  • Columns
  • Artist Portraits
  • Pedagogy
  • This ‘n That
  • Tradition Plus Tech
  • Finds Etc.