Q.
I am a classical pianist, and would like to learn to play by ear and improvise.
What should I do? A.
Learn by listening to the recordings of other pianists.
In order to do that, you must train your ear to hear (as closely as possible) what the other pianists are playing so you can steal their musical styles.
For instance, you need to hear the kind of chord types and chord voicing that make a country song sound like a country song.
If you take ideas and develop them further or add something to them, you could call it borrowing.
Q.
I can sight read music well.
However, when I play the written sheet music that is available on the market for any particular song, it just doesn't sound like what they're playing on the recording.
A.
There could be a couple of reasons for this.
The first might be that the piano part you're seeing in the sheet music is a condensed version of what the all the chord players are playing on the recording.
You're often getting what the bass, rhythm guitar, and keyboards are doing, all expressed in one piano part.
Another reason could be that even if it's just the piano part, the person who did the transcription (or arrangement) does not want to publish exactly what the pianist played on the recording -- for whatever the reason.
And in any case, you have to listen to the recording to hear for yourself exactly what was being played.
Q.
How long does it take to learn how to hear an arrangement, understand what you are hearing, and translate it to the piano keyboard? A.
It's different for each person, because the necessary skills don't have to be acquired in a particular order.
Each separate skill can come into play at any given time during the listening process, and each skill is equally important.
Two skills are absolutely necessary, however.
The first is to be able to hear single lines of music and reproduce them accurately.
The second is to hear notes in the middle of a chord and be able to discern what they are.
Past that, a good aural understanding of 7th and 9th chord functions is necessary.
A musician who has been playing music for more than 3 years would most likely be able to improve their skill within a couple of months.
Q.
What's the difference between a musician who is very good at their craft and one who is an artist? A.
The main difference is that the artist has their own voice.
In other words, someone who is good at the craft has spent a lot of time trying to sound like someone else.
They may be able to sound very similar to Oscar Peterson, Chick Corea, or other jazz pianists.
The artist, on the other hand, has spent considerable time developing their music so as NOT to sound like anyone else.
The artist has taken all the musical elements and consistently expressed them in a unique way that makes them sound different than anyone else.
Some people are artists, some are craftsmen (and women), and some are both.
Ultimately, in order to be either, one has to identify what others are playing by listening to their recordings.
Q.
It seems like it would be easier to make a living as a musical craftsman, and being an artist might be a less secure road to travel.
A.
This is a somewhat complex question.
However, in a general sense, that is true.
A pianist who can imitate other players will be more in demand for pop and jazz recording sessions.
A pianist who is not aware of what others are playing will need parts notated, whereas someone who plays by ear may be able to improvise different styles.
A pianist who is at least aware of a few different styles will be able to work in live bands as well.