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!Welcome to Impromptunes!<nobr> <<script>> /* This handles the redirection, by putting the search query into varDestination */ window.grabQuery = function getParameter(parameterName){ let parameters = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search); return parameters.get(parameterName); }; //for debugging grabQuery: //window.alert(grabQuery("location")); State.variables.varDestination = grabQuery("location"); //if (State.variables.varDestination == null) { //State.variables.varDestination = ""} <</script>>/*varDestination: <<print $varDestination>>*/</nobr> Play through an interactive piano tutorial, based on your location! There are ten different tutorials, one for every stop on the Leeds Piano Trail. Find and play them all! ...Let's get started! <<nobr>> /*Set sculpLink, the variable for the link to the location-based sculpture, to a default value, so it doesn't throw a weird exception */ <<if ["mgChurch", "mgGrave", "uniLeeds" , "vicGard" , "manGard" , "pHouse" , "vicQuart" , "kirkMark" , "trinShop" , "trainStat"].includes($varDestination)>> [[START PIANO TUTORIAL|$varDestination]] <<else>> [[START PIANO TUTORIAL|Contents]] <</if>><</nobr>> //If you’d like to share your experience on Twitter, need to report technical issues, or return to the home page at any time - simply tap the arrow at the top of your screen to open the menu.//

!Welcome to the Merrion Street Rest Gardens. [[Tap here to access a screen-reader version of this tutorial.|mgChurch_ac]] Before we begin, please play any of the highlighted test keys, in any order, to ensure the piano is working. <img src="img/d-minor.png" width = "90%"> If the piano is not working: [[Tap here to email a member of staff|mailto:sam.berrill@leedspiano.com]] If all is well, tap the 'Next Section' button below. [[Next Section|MerrionDeep2]]

A useful skill for music-making is being able to listen to the other sounds around you, to help you make a decision about what sounds you’d like to add to them. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Nearby, there is a sculpture, by Pianodrome, called Deep Listening, which has a cast-iron frame, that you can strike with a beater. Go over and play it, or wait for someone else to. Then, just listen to the sounds it can make. How are these sounds different to the sounds you just made with the piano? <<linkreplace "Listen deeply." t8n>> When a sound starts to fade away, try to pinpoint the moment it turns from vibrations in the air, to stillness. How do these sounds blend with the other sounds, in and around the Rest Gardens? <img src="img/soundwaves.png" width = "95%"> <<linkreplace "Take your time." t8n>> When you’re ready to move on, tap the ‘Next Section’ button below. [[Next Section|MerrionDeep3]]<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>

How does the sound from the Deep Listening sculpture exist in the world, and how is it different to the piano? If you like, go back and forth between them, and compare their sounds, while you think about the next few questions. <<linkreplace "How can we describe these sounds?" t8n>><<linkreplace "Duration?" t8n>>''Duration:'' How long can the sound last? How short? How quickly can it make another sound? Does it need time to rest?<</linkreplace>> <<linkreplace "Timbre?" t8n>>''Timbre:'' //(Pronounced 'Taahm-BRUH')// If this sound was a colour, or a shape, what would it look like? Does this sound have emotions? What makes the sculpture's shape different to the piano’s shape?<</linkreplace>> <<linkreplace "Pitch?" t8n>>''Pitch:'' Is this a high, or a low sound? If you hum the sound, is it easy for you to reach, or is it a strain? <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> When you’ve had enough listening for one day, tap ‘Next Section’. [[Next Section|MerrionDeep4]]<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>

Now, go back to the piano. When you’re back at the piano, play any note, and let it go for a long time. Under your feet, you'll find some pedals. If you press down the one on the right, this will make the note last longer. If you're not sure where to start, use one of the test keys from earlier: <img src="img/d-minor.png" width = "90%"> <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Now, play that note, and while it is playing, look for another note that sounds good with it. Maybe it sounds pretty, maybe it sounds strange, or spooky. It's up to you. If you play some notes that don’t sound like what you wanted, that’s fine. Your journey to finding the note you want is now part of this composition that’s emerging. When you're happy with those two notes, tap ‘Next Section’. [[Next Section|MerrionDeep5]] <</linkreplace>>

Now that you’ve found two notes that work together, look for more. Try playing some at the same time. Try playing them in sequences. Can you play the same sequences, but change their shape, and give them different textures? Find a time to come gently to a stop. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> !Thanks for playing! If you’re having a good time, tap the button below to tweet a video of your compositions, using the hashtag: @@.altlinks;<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?button_hashtag=LeedsPiano2021&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="twitter-hashtag-button" data-size="large" data-text="I composed some wonderful music on The Leeds Piano Trail!" data-url="https://twitter.com/leedspiano" data-related="leedspiano" data-lang="en" data-dnt="true" data-show-count="false">Tweet #LeedsPiano2021</a><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"> @@ Or, come to some of our other events: [[Learn To Play In A Day|https://www.leedstownhall.co.uk/whatson-event/learn-to-play-in-a-day/?venue=4033//]] [[A Musical Night Walk|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/a-musical-night-walk/]] [[An Interview With Pianodrome|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/an-interview-with-pianodrome/]] [[All Events at Merrion Street|https://pianotrail.welcometoleeds.co.uk/venue/merrion-street-gardens/]] [[Full Events Programme|https://drive.google.com/file/d/177i9QSPZfAqfm2BXYiqc28XrlJOIPLrW/view]] <</linkreplace>>

!Welcome to the Merrion Street Rest Gardens. [[Tap here to access a screen-reader version of this tutorial|mgGrave_ac]] Before we begin, please play any of the following test keys, in any order, to ensure the piano is working. <img src="img/Two_Sets_of_CDEFG.png" width="95%"> If the piano is not working: [[Tap here to tell a member of staff|mailto:sam.berrill@leedspiano.com]] If all is well, tap the 'Next Section' button below. [[Next Section|MerrionSil2]]

When listening to music, we often pay a lot of attention to the notes...but not the spaces in-between the notes. The silences between notes are often called 'rests', in music. Pretty apt that we’re in the ‘Rest Gardens’ to think about ‘rests’! <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> The parts of an artwork where there is no ink, or sculpture, or paint, is sometimes called ‘negative space’. In Japanese art, this is called ‘ma’, and it is just as important, if not more important, as the rest of an artwork. <img src="img/ma.png" width="95%"> [[Next Section|MerrionSil3]] <</linkreplace>>

Think about a song you know. It can be anything, and it doesn’t have to be a piano song. Imagine that you broke this song into pieces, and then changed how the silences, or pauses, appeared in it. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> How would it change with no silences at all? Or, if there was more silence than notes? How about a patchwork of both of those? How much can you mess with the gaps between notes, while still being able to recognise the song? When you’ve had enough of that, tap 'Next Section'. [[Next Section|MerrionSil4]] <</linkreplace>>

Go back to these keys that you used to test the piano, pictured below. Arrange your hands so that every key highlighted in the picture has one finger on top of it. Your left hand should go over the keys on the left, and your right hand, over the keys on the right. <img src="img/Two_Sets_of_CDEFG.png" width="95%"> Got it? Tap ‘Next Section’. [[Next Section|MerrionSil5]]

<img src="img/Two_Sets_of_CDEFG.png" width="95%"> Using the keys under your fingers, find a pattern of three notes that you like. If you take a while to find one, don’t worry. That journey is a part of the process of improvising. No-one’s going to know that it’s just you figuring things out. Play the pattern of three a few times, until it’s familiar. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Now, play the pattern three times, but on the third time, don’t play the final note. Let the absence of the note be an intentional part of the piece, and not a mistake. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> <img src="img/missing.png" width="95%"> Think about the missing note. * What do you feel ‘should be there’? * Why does it matter, when it isn’t there? * If you feel like this is just ‘bad music’, what exactly about it is ‘bad’? There’s no right answer, just try to explain to yourself why it is that you feel the way you do about the missing note. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> If you’re not sure, perhaps try a longer sequence, which has more of a build-up, before the missing note. When you’ve had enough. Tap ‘Next Section’. [[Next Section|MerrionSil6]]<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>

Last part. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Take a moment to listen to the silence around you. * Is it really silence? * What noises are in the distance? * Are there sounds which don’t //sound// like sounds because they’re constant? <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Now, using the same keys, and some of the techniques from the previous exercise, experiment with playing notes, and creating sequences, while focusing almost completely on the space created //between// the notes. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Go nice and slowly. Try and imagine the silences existing as a physical force, like a ripple of water, as it expands outwards. How can you fit the notes around noises that are already here? Take as long as you need with this. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> When you feel satisfied, bring the piece to a close, listening for the moment the last note stops being vibrations in the air, and silence returns. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> !Thanks for playing! If you’re having a good time, tap the button below to tweet a video of your compositions, using the hashtag: @@.altlinks;<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?button_hashtag=LeedsPiano2021&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="twitter-hashtag-button" data-size="large" data-text="I composed some wonderful music on The Leeds Piano Trail!" data-url="https://twitter.com/leedspiano" data-related="leedspiano" data-lang="en" data-dnt="true" data-show-count="false">Tweet #LeedsPiano2021</a><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8">@@ Or, come to some of our other events: [[Learn To Play In A Day|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/learn-to-play-in-a-day/]] [[The Lullaby Series (5th-18th September)|https://www.leedstownhall.co.uk/whatson-event/lullaby-series/]] [[Come Along And Chat (9th September)|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/come-along-and-tea-and-chat/]] [[All Events at Merrion Street|https://pianotrail.welcometoleeds.co.uk/venue/merrion-street-gardens/]] [[Full Events Programme|https://drive.google.com/file/d/177i9QSPZfAqfm2BXYiqc28XrlJOIPLrW/view]] <</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>

!Welcome to The University Of Leeds, Student's Union. [[Tap here to access a screen-reader version of this tutorial|uniLeeds_ac]] To start with, please play the following test keys, in any order, to ensure the piano is working. <img src="img/GBD.png" width="95%"> If the piano is not working: [[Please tap here to contact a member of staff.|mailto:sam.berrill@leedspiano.com]] If all is good, tap the 'Next Section' button below. [[Next Section|Uni2]]

You might be totally fine with sitting at a piano. Or, perhaps, you are sitting here with a few worries in the back of your mind. Are you worried that you can’t do this, because you’re not creative enough? That it won’t sound good? <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Right now, our world values products over people, and so, we often feel guilty if we create anything that isn’t immediately perfect. However, creativity requires us to make mistakes. So, today, I invite you to play, and deliberately sound bad. And I think you’re going to do great. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> But you have to believe it too, and to do so, you must change the way you define ‘mistakes’. Be kinder to yourself. If you only play one key, celebrate that. Acknowledge that you’re scared of being creative, because that’s the only way to overcome it. [[Next Section|Uni3]] <</linkreplace>> <</linkreplace>>

<nobr><<cacheaudio "blu" "audio/blu.mp3">></nobr>Let’s start with something simple. Look at the picture of piano keys below. They’re the same ones you played earlier, in the test sequence. <img src="img/GBD.png" width="95%"> When you have found the keys... <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Play the following sequence of notes, pausing where there is a '...'. This is a few notes from ‘The Blue Danube’, by Johann Strauss. !!G G B D D ... D D ... B B If you’d like to hear it played, use the audio player below, and copy it. <<link "Play audio">><<audio blu play>><</link>> Once you’re comfortable with playing this pattern, tap ‘Next Section’. [[Next Section|Uni4]] <</linkreplace>>

Now, it’s time to make this lovely little pattern sound terrible! If you touch the piano keys very lightly, you can be very quiet. If doing that lets you play more freely, go for it. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Try playing the 'Blue Danube' pattern with completely the wrong keys, but in a way where it’s still recognisably the same pattern. It might take a bit of time, experimentally plinking and plonking, to get there, but keep at it. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Can you do a version that uses keys that are as far apart as possible? Can you do a version that sounds like a joke, with a set-up, and a punchline? How about using your elbow, or the back of your hand to play? Once you’ve found as many versions as you have the patience for, tap 'Next Section'. [[Next Section|Uni5]] <</linkreplace>> <</linkreplace>>

Finally, using all the experimentation you’ve just done, try to come up with a sequel, or second part, to the 'Blue Danube' pattern. Perhaps, even go back to the original version that you copied… !!G G B D D ... D D ... B B <img src="img/GBD.png" width="95%"> <<link "Play audio">><<audio blu play>><</link>> <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> …Think about this: if someone else was playing your sequence, what would you expect them to play, //after// it? Don’t think too hard about the 'why', just do what feels right. Play the ‘wrong’ version of the pattern, and follow it with a ‘wrong’ sequel. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Can you make a third part that follows the sequel? There’s no need to remember all the notes you’re using. Just keep going, think about the last part you played, and discover the next part, as you go. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Find a way to bring the piece to a close. Take a moment to think about what you created. You started from somebody else's music. You then played it 'wrong', and then kept adding the next thing that felt right. Your new piece could go on forever, if you just kept adding more sequels. Is there a way to apply this process to a different form of art? Writing? Painting? Carving? Calligraphy? Is it right to make art in this way, or is it just plagiarism? <<linkreplace "Tap to finish." t8n>> !Thanks for playing! If you’re having a good time, tap the button below to tweet a video of your compositions, using the hashtag: @@.altlinks;<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?button_hashtag=LeedsPiano2021&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="twitter-hashtag-button" data-size="large" data-text="I composed some wonderful music on The Leeds Piano Trail!" data-url="https://twitter.com/leedspiano" data-related="leedspiano" data-lang="en" data-dnt="true" data-show-count="false">Tweet #LeedsPiano2021</a><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8">@@ If you enjoyed this, why not try some of our other events? [[Learn to Play in a Day|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/learn-to-play-in-a-day/]] [[Musical Theatre Sing-a-long (15th September)|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/musical-theatre-sing-a-long-15-september/]] [[Poptastic Sing-a-long (9th September)|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/pop-anthems-sing-a-long/]] [[All Events at University of Leeds|https://pianotrail.welcometoleeds.co.uk/venue/university-of-leeds/]] [[Full Events Programme|https://drive.google.com/file/d/177i9QSPZfAqfm2BXYiqc28XrlJOIPLrW/view]]<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>

!Welcome to Cookridge Street! [[Tap here to access a screen-reader version of this tutorial|vicGard_ac]] Before we begin, please play the following test keys, in any order, to ensure the piano is working. <img src="img/All_Black_Keys.png" width="95%"> //(They're orange in the picture, but black, in the real world.)// If the piano is not working, [[Tap here to contact a member of staff.|mailto:sam.berrill@leedspiano.com]] If all is well, tap the 'Next Section' button below. [[Next Section|VicGard2]]

For hundreds of years, learning sheet music has been a key part of learning piano in a traditional European musical education. A lot of people have been put off music, or made to feel as though they are not ‘real’ musicians, because they cannot, or will not, read sheet music. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> <img src="img/scarbo.png" width="95%"> The reality is, sheet music is just a //common// way of recording music. That’s all. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Sheet music is often taught very early in musical education. It's a common practice, and everyone is used to things being done that way. But, I’m sure you can think of many aspects of life that also fit that criteria, but which you know aren't 'the only' way of doing things. Like, for example, being right-handed. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> There are far more right-handed people in the world, than there are left-handed people. Thanks to the Catholic Church, in the past, almost all left-handed people in the UK were forced to write with their right hand instead, even though doing this caused all sorts of problems for their brains. This still happens in some schools today! <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Left handed people were less common, and they didn't do things in the same way as everyone else. They were made to feel like this was their own fault, when really, right-handers were just more common. How does this have anything to do with sheet music? Well, I wonder how many musicians we've lost, because they didn't, or couldn't, read sheet music. Is sheet music actually essential for being a musician, or is it just a common idea of what a musician should be? <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> With that said, let’s take a look at how music can be recorded in a completely different way to European sheet music. [[Next Section|VicGard3]]<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>> <</linkreplace>>

‘Graphic’ scores, or ‘visual’ scores use pictures to get across how the composer wanted their song to be played. Take a look at this little bit of the score for Hannah Kendall's 'The Spark Catchers'. She writes her scores like this before writing them up as sheet music, but, this is still a picture of the music she hears in her head. <img src="img/hkendall-1.png" width="95%"> <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> It could be anything, right? Well, that’s true, unless you make some decisions about //how// to look at it. Go back to the black keys that you used to test the piano a little while ago. Have a play with them, and see how they sound. Then, look back at the picture. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Create a set of rules for how these symbols can be played, using the piano. If you choose a rule, and decide you don’t like it, throw it out, and get a new one. <<linkreplace "Not sure where to start?" t8n>> If you’re not sure where to start, how about deciding: * What direction will you take, across the page, in order to read it? Left to right, like a book, or perhaps top to bottom? * How could you use the shapes to decide how long each note will be played for? When you’ve had enough of this, take a look at the full version… [[Next Section|VicGard4]]<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>

Here’s another section of Hannah Kendall's score. <img src="img/hkendall.png" width="95%"> Remember the rules that you decided on in the previous section, and think about which parts of the image need some more rules, so that you can play it. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> * What do the diamonds mean? * What does the shading on the right-hand side mean? * What are the scratchy blue pen marks for? Try to play through all of the score, then bring the piece to a close. <<linkreplace "Tap to finish." t8n>> !Thanks for playing! If you’re having a good time, tap the button below to tweet a video of your compositions, using the hashtag: @@.altlinks;<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?button_hashtag=LeedsPiano2021&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="twitter-hashtag-button" data-size="large" data-text="I composed some wonderful music on The Leeds Piano Trail!" data-url="https://twitter.com/leedspiano" data-related="leedspiano" data-lang="en" data-dnt="true" data-show-count="false">Tweet #LeedsPiano2021</a><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8">@@ Take a look at some of the other events on the trail: [[Learn to Play in a Day|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/learn-to-play-in-a-day/]] [[Rush Hour Recitals|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/rush-hour-recitals-6-19-september/]] [[All Events At Cookridge Street|https://pianotrail.welcometoleeds.co.uk/venue/cookridge-street/]] [[Full Events Programme|https://drive.google.com/file/d/177i9QSPZfAqfm2BXYiqc28XrlJOIPLrW/view]]<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>

!Welcome to Mandela Gardens. [[Tap here to access a screen-reader version of this tutorial|manGard_ac]] These gardens were dedicated to Nelson Mandela, in solidarity with his campaign against apartheid in South Africa. People came together here, to celebrate, when he became South Africa’s first Black president in 1994. <<linkreplace "Tap to continue." t8n>> There are three pianos in the area. Are you here by yourself, or do you have company? <<linkreplace "I came here by myself.">> If you came here by yourself, go to the piano on the plinth, which overlooks the other two. <</linkreplace>> <<linkreplace "Actually, I came here with a friend.">>If you’re here with a friend, get them to scan the QR code on their device, (or, just shout the instructions to them, across the square). Then, set yourselves up on the pianos that are facing each other, and follow the instructions together.<</linkreplace>> [[Next Section|MandIntro]] <</linkreplace>>

Before we do anything, however, we need to ensure the piano is working. Please play the following test keys, in any order, a few times over. <img src="img/CEG_Highlighted.png" width="95%"> If you find the piano is not working, [[Tap here to contact a member of staff.|mailto:sam.berrill@leedspiano.com]] Once you’ve played the test keys a few times, tap ‘Next Section’. [[Next Section|Mand2]]

Jazz music has a rich and complex history, rooted in the people of African Diaspora communities, who were trafficked, and brought to the West, during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Jazz fuses African musical traditions with Western musical traditions. One aspect that we’ll look at today, is the idea that Jazz, and music in general, can be like speaking, or having a conversation. <<linkreplace "Tap to continue." t8n>> In the history of European music, musicians have always tended to write music down, and then have people perform it, exactly as it was recorded. In many African countries, however, it's more common for music to spring from the relationship between musicians, their audience, and the context where music is being made. This approach to music, but using European instruments, is how Jazz arose in the West. So, how can we make pianos talk to each other? <<linkreplace "Tap to continue." t8n>> First of all, look back at the test keys. <img src="img/CEG_Highlighted.png" width="95%"> Play the three test keys at the same time. Whenever you play more than one note at the same time, it’s called playing a ‘chord’. Try that, and see how it sounds, in comparison to just playing a note by itself. Once you’re happy with playing that chord, keep your left hand on it, and tap ‘Next Section’. [[Next Section|Mand3]] <</linkreplace>> <</linkreplace>>

When we talk to another person, there can often be unspoken rules or conventions that indicate, for example, when one person is finished talking, and another person can begin. There’s no right or wrong way to converse. It will always vary according to culture, family, how much practice we’ve had, etc. <<linkreplace "Tap to continue." t8n>> Keep your left hand on the chord, the three notes. Then, put your right hand on the notes highlighted below. Arrange your right hand so that every key highlighted in the picture has one finger on top of it. <<linkreplace "Optional: I need help with this.">>''Optional: I need help with this.'' Find two black keys on their own, and put your right-hand thumb on the white key just to the left of them. Then, put the rest of your fingers on the keys that follow it.<</linkreplace>> <img src="img/CDEFG.png" width="95%"> <<linkreplace "Tap to continue." t8n>> Don’t worry, you won’t be asked to play both hands together. Get used to your hands being in this position. Try playing the keys a little to see how this position feels and sounds. When you’re ready to move on, tap ‘Next Section’. [[Next Section->Mand5]]<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>

Think again about comparing music with a conversation. In some conversations, people will indicate to their partner that they’ve finished speaking. They might do this by lowering the pitch at the end of a sentence, or asking the other person a question. You can apply similar rules like this to music, and some Jazz musicians actually call this ‘conversation’. <<linkreplace "Tap to continue." t8n>> Look back at the piano. Make sure your hands are set up like this. <img src="img/CEG2_and_CDEFG3.png" width="95%"> Try playing a few of the notes under your right fingers, just going up and down, and then use the three-note chord, in your left hand, to show when you’ve finished that section. Then, do it again. Once you’re happy with this as a pattern, tap ‘Next’. [[Next Section->Mand6]]<</linkreplace>>

If you’ve been following these exercises with another person, you’ll probably have started to see how you can turn this shared set of rules into a duet, without having to read sheet music at all. <<linkreplace "Tap to continue." t8n>> This style of playing has also been known as ‘cutting contests’ in the past. Cutting contests involve Jazz musicians testing each other's musical skills, and were common in the Harlem Jazz community in New York, between the 1940s and the 1970s. They were also a form of musical education. Competitors had to listen carefully, and respond to their opponent, and the audience reaction, in order to be the most entertaining performer. Musicians like James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, and Art Tatum, often battled it out at cutting contests. <<linkreplace "Tap to continue." t8n>> In Black neighbourhoods, people often held 'Rent Parties', where the community came together, to enjoy music, dancing, and cutting contests. These parties were also a method for this marginalised community to provide mutual aid for those in need, as the entry fee went towards the rent, for the party hosts. <img src="img/rent.png" width="95%"> Tap the arrow at the top of the page to access the 'Credits', where you can learn more about cutting contests, and the origins of Jazz. [[Next Section|Mand6-2]] <</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>

If you’re playing on your own, keep playing your conversation, but imagine you’re providing both parts, played by two characters. * Are they different ages? * Are they arguing, or, are they confessing their love for each other? * Does the conversation start suddenly, or, do they slowly notice each other from across a room? If you’re with a friend, try to have a conversation, or a competition, through your pianos, using no words. <img src="img/CEG2_and_CDEFG3.png" width="95%"> Once you’ve got the hang of that, tap ‘Next Section’ [[Next Section|Mand7]]

After a while, start to break the rules of conversation, and show that in your music. What does an interruption sound like? Or, can you mimic the other player, sarcastically? Can you patronise, or lie, using the piano? What other things are you not supposed to do in a conversation? Find a way to use these techniques to bring the piece to a close. If you’re with a friend, can you end the piece together, without talking about it? <<linkreplace "Tap to finish." t8n>> !Thanks for playing! If you’re having a good time, tap the button below to tweet a video of your compositions, using the hashtag: @@.altlinks;<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?button_hashtag=LeedsPiano2021&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="twitter-hashtag-button" data-size="large" data-text="I composed some wonderful music on The Leeds Piano Trail!" data-url="https://twitter.com/leedspiano" data-related="leedspiano" data-lang="en" data-dnt="true" data-show-count="false">Tweet #LeedsPiano2021</a><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8">@@ Check out some of the other activities on offer… [[Learn To Play in a Day|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/learn-to-play-in-a-day/]] [[Jazz Sessions|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/jazz-sessions-5-19-september/]] [[Power To The People - Spoken Word Night|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/power-to-the-people/]] [[All Events At Mandela Gardens|https://pianotrail.welcometoleeds.co.uk/venue/mandela-gardens/]] [[Full Events Programme|https://drive.google.com/file/d/177i9QSPZfAqfm2BXYiqc28XrlJOIPLrW/view]]<</linkreplace>>

!Welcome to The Leeds Playhouse Gardens! [[Tap here to access a screen-reader version of this tutorial|pHouse_ac]] In the next couple of exercises, we’ll be looking at playing a simple piece which can grow for a long time, but which sprouts from just one note. But, before we begin, please play the following test keys on the piano, to ensure that it is working. <img src="img/CDEFG.png" width="95%"> If the piano isn’t working... [[Please tap here to contact a member of staff.| mailto:dave.cartwright@leedspiano.com]] Once you’re certain it’s working, tap ‘Next Section’. [[Next Section|PHouse2]]

Keep your hand resting comfortably on some of the test keys. The key which is furthest left, just before the two black keys, is called C, and it, along with all the rest of the white notes on the piano, are part of a group called ‘C Major’. <img src="img/C_Major_with_obvious_C.png" width="95%"> <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>>People who work with music will often group notes together, and give the groups names, to help them remember which groups of notes all tend to work well together. It also helps us talk about music, and have a way to make sure many people can know which notes we’re talking about at a given time. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Grouping notes like this is not the only way to talk about music, but it’s quite common, kind of like how English and Chinese are very widespread, but they’re certainly not the only languages in the world. Hindustani music, for example, uses completely different ideas to understand and notate sound. However, this tutorial uses C Major. [[Next Section|PHouse3]] <</linkreplace>> <</linkreplace>>

So. Right now, we’re just looking at one group of notes, which is C Major, or, all the white keys. We also call it C Major, because C is the ‘root’ note of the group. Essentially, what this means is that if you play a few notes of C Major, and end on a C, it will sound ‘finished’. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Have a go at doing that now. Here are the notes of C Major, with C highlighted for you. Just play three notes, and make the fourth note a C. ‘See’ what you think. Try it a few times. <img src="img/C_Major_with_obvious_C.png" width="95%"> When you’re done experimenting, tap ‘Next Section’. [[Next Section|PHouse4]] <</linkreplace>>

Now, it’s time to turn this root into a tree. <img src="img/C_Major_with_obvious_C.png" width="95%"> All you need to do, as slowly as you like, is play sequences of notes that get longer and longer, but always return to C, the root. It doesn’t have to be the same pattern every time, you can just play any notes, while counting up to the number you need, then play C again. <<linkreplace "Try beginning like this..." t8n>>* Start by playing one note, then C. * Then, two notes, then C. * Then three notes, then C. * And so on. <img src="img/treefractal.png" width="95%"> <<linkreplace "Tap to read more..." t8n>> Play all the white keys on the keyboard! What happens when you throw in a black note or two? If it sounds a bit ‘wrong’ or ‘strange’, try playing it again, and again, until it becomes a pattern. And don’t worry about losing count of the number of notes that you're supposed to be up to. It won’t really matter after a while. Start from one, and see where it goes. <<linkreplace "When you feel yourself getting tired..." t8n>> Choose a low number like 5, and play decreasing numbers of notes, always ending on C, until you find an ending. <<linkreplace "Tap to finish." t8n>> !Thannks for playing! If you’re having a good time, tap the button below to tweet a video of your compositions, using the hashtag: @@.altlinks;<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?button_hashtag=LeedsPiano2021&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="twitter-hashtag-button" data-size="large" data-text="I composed some wonderful music on The Leeds Piano Trail!" data-url="https://twitter.com/leedspiano" data-related="leedspiano" data-lang="en" data-dnt="true" data-show-count="false">Tweet #LeedsPiano2021</a><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8">@@ Or, why not take a look at some of the other activities the Leeds Piano Trail has to offer? [[Learn To Play In A Day|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/learn-to-play-in-a-day/]] [[Come Along and Plant|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/come-along-and-plant/]] [[Talks: Nature in Music, Music In Nature|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/lecture-series/]] [[Nature Concerts|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/nature-concerts-8-15-september/]] [[Full Events Programme|https://drive.google.com/file/d/177i9QSPZfAqfm2BXYiqc28XrlJOIPLrW/view]] [[All Leeds Playhouse Events|https://pianotrail.welcometoleeds.co.uk/venue/leeds-playhouse-tiered-gardens/]] <</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>

!Welcome to the Victoria Quarter. [[Tap here to access a screen-reader version of this tutorial.|vicQuart_ac]] Did you know that there used to be a music hall here, where Harvey Nichols now stands? It’s funny to think that what is now a luxury department store, used to be a place where you could go to watch stand-up comedy, magic, juggling, and listen to people singing naughty songs in front of a piano…No such luck these days! <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Before we start with the exercises, please make sure the piano is working. To test the piano, please play the three test keys shown, in any order: <img src="img/CEG_Highlighted.png" width="90%"> If the piano isn’t working, please [[tap here to contact a member of staff|mailto:dave.cartwright@leedspiano.com]]. Once you’re sure the piano is working, tap ‘Next Section’. [[Next Section|VicQ2]] <</linkreplace>>

How can we sit at the piano, and make something sound like a tune? Well, one of the secrets is to just //repeat things!// Humans love looking for patterns, so much so, that we often think we see links or causes between events, when there is no evidence for it. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Think about fake news, conspiracy theorists, and how politicians assign blame to whatever groups their voters seem most likely to turn against… So, while our love of patterns can be very unhelpful at times, it is a big part of how we make sense of music, and many other forms of art. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> You don't need a plan to make great art. If you just decide on some pattern that you’re going to repeat, or keep coming back to, your audience will make the art great, all by themselves. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> The way the audience responds to your patterns, and the way you respond to their responses, and so on… That is one of the joys of improvised music. Great. Let’s put that into practice, shall we? [[Next Section|VicQ3]] <</linkreplace>> <</linkreplace>> <</linkreplace>>

Go back to the test keys, from earlier. <img src="img/CEG_Highlighted.png" width="90%"> Play the three keys from left to right. Notice that they’re all white keys, and they all have a gap of one white key between them, (for this set of exercises, ignore the black keys.) When you’re happy with playing these keys, play this three-note pattern somewhere in the middle of the keyboard. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Now, shift your hand one key to the right, so that the starting note of the pattern is now one note higher. Then, play the same pattern as before. Then, move up one more key, and do it again. Keep playing the pattern, and moving up, until you reach the end of the keyboard. This doesn’t have to be fast. Just listen to how the pattern of three notes changes, depending on where you are on the keyboard. When you’re finished with this, tap ‘Next Section’. [[Next Section|VicQ4]] <</linkreplace>>

Try and push this simple pattern to its limits. * Can you make it sound happy? * How does speed affect the way it sounds? * Are there any emotions, or ideas that this pattern is particularly good at? * What is it not so good at? There are no right answers. But, try to explain to yourself why you feel the way you do about certain combinations of notes. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Try and find ways to use this pattern in a surprising way. If you play the same pattern over and over, and then suddenly do something different, that can be exciting to listen to. When you’ve finished exploring the patterns, and breaking them apart, bring the piece to a close. <<linkreplace "Tap to finish." t8n>> !Thanks for playing! If you’re having a good time, tap the button below to tweet a video of your compositions, using the hashtag: @@.altlinks;<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?button_hashtag=LeedsPiano2021&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="twitter-hashtag-button" data-size="large" data-text="I composed some wonderful music on The Leeds Piano Trail!" data-url="https://twitter.com/leedspiano" data-related="leedspiano" data-lang="en" data-dnt="true" data-show-count="false">Tweet #LeedsPiano2021</a><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8">@@ If you enjoyed this, check out some of the other activities on the Trail: [[Learn to play in a day|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/learn-to-play-in-a-day/]] [[Belonging Here - Theatre Show (September 11th)|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/sarah-nicolls-belonging-here-theatre-show/]] [[All Victoria Quarter Events|https://pianotrail.welcometoleeds.co.uk/venue/victoria-leeds/]] [[Full Events Programme|https://drive.google.com/file/d/177i9QSPZfAqfm2BXYiqc28XrlJOIPLrW/view]]<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>

!Welcome to Kirkgate Market! [[Tap here to access a screen-reader version of this tutorial.|kirkMark_ac]] This place has seen its fair share of destruction, but always seems to rise from the ashes. In World War Two, even though it was frequently hit by bombs, it never closed for more than a few days. In 1975, a fire destroyed two thirds of the market (luckily, it didn’t kill anyone), and it still opened three days later! The spirit of the market has blazed brighter than its adversities for 120 years. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> We’ll be taking //fire// as an inspiration for the next few exercises. This place can handle it. Before we begin, however, we need to make sure the piano is working. Please play the following test keys a few times over. You can use two fingers on one hand, or use both hands. <img src="img/FG_keys.png" width="95%"> If the piano isn’t working... [[Please tap here to contact a member of staff.|mailto:dave.cartwright@leedspiano.com]] Once you’re sure that the piano is working, tap ‘Next Section’. [[Next Section|Kgate2]] <</linkreplace>>

Imagine a //spark//. A bright point of light, which quickly dies. <img src="img/spark.png" width="95%"> Starting with the test keys, play a single note, which you think sounds like a //spark//. <img src="img/FG_keys.png" width="95%"> Then, use the rest of the keyboard, and play a few of those. Sometimes, a //spark// ignites another //spark//. What does that sound like? <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> From sparks, //flames// can grow. <img src="img/fire.png" width="95%"> Now, find any two white keys that have one white key between them. Play them back and forth, over and over, like a flickering //flame//. (Musicians often call this kind of playing a ‘trill’.) How does that sound different from the //sparks//? What does it sound like when a spark becomes a //flame//? When you’re happy with how your //sparks// and //flames// sound, tap ‘Next Section’. [[Next Section|Kgate3]] <</linkreplace>>

Finally, //flames// can become a //blaze//. <img src="img/blaze.png" width="95%"> Starting from the middle of the keyboard, find two white keys that have one white key between them, like a flame. Put one finger from your left hand on the left key, and one finger from your right hand, on the right key. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Play the two keys like a flame, then, move both of your hands one key outwards, so there’s now a gap of three notes in between. Play them back and forth, as a trill. Then, move outwards again. How big can you make the //blaze//? Play with the //sparks//, //flames//, and the //blaze//. When you feel you can make all three sound different from each other, tap ‘Next Section’. [[Next Section|Kgate4]] <</linkreplace>>

Finally, imagine you’re making a film about a fire, from the first //spark//, to the //ashes// it leaves behind. The things you're pointing the imaginary camera at becomes the music that your audience hears. The //sparks//, the //flames//, and the //blaze//. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>>* What do you film first? * How do you show the movement of the fire? * Does anyone try and stop it? How does that change your playing? Bring the piece to a close, by finding a way to show the heat and light fading. What do ashes sound like? <<linkreplace "Tap to finish." t8n>> !Thanks for playing! If you’re having a good time, tap the button below to tweet a video of your compositions, using the hashtag: @@.altlinks;<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?button_hashtag=LeedsPiano2021&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="twitter-hashtag-button" data-size="large" data-text="I composed some wonderful music on The Leeds Piano Trail!" data-url="https://twitter.com/leedspiano" data-related="leedspiano" data-lang="en" data-dnt="true" data-show-count="false">Tweet #LeedsPiano2021</a><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8">@@ If you enjoyed this why not try some of the other activities on The Leeds Piano Trail? [[Learn To Play In A Day|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/learn-to-play-in-a-day/]] [[Come Along And Make|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/come-along-and-make/]] [[All Kirkgate Market Events|https://pianotrail.welcometoleeds.co.uk/venue/kirkgate-market/]] [[Full Events Programme|https://drive.google.com/file/d/177i9QSPZfAqfm2BXYiqc28XrlJOIPLrW/view]]<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>

!Welcome to Trinity Shopping Centre! [[Tap here to access a screen-reader version of this tutorial.|trinShop_ac]] The next couple of exercises will get you playing the piano for the first time. You can do these exercises by yourself, or with a friend. Before we begin, we need to check to make sure the piano is working. Please play the following five test keys in any order, preferably several times over: <img src="img/C3_F3_Eb4_F4.png" width="90%"> If the piano isn't working [[Please tap here to contact a member of staff.|mailto:dave.cartwright@leedspiano.com]] Once you’re satisfied that all the keys are working, tap ‘Next Section’. [[Next Section|Trin2]]

Rhythm is often understood as a regular, repeated pattern of sound. But, it doesn’t //have// to sound exactly the same, over and over. Make it up as you go! Put the fingers of your left hand on these two keys, and play them at the same time. <img src="img/C3_F3.png" width="90%"> <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>>Now, find lots of different rhythms and beats, just playing these two keys over and over. Try not to keep it the same for too long. Imagine you have to do a whole song, with just these two keys, over and over. How are you going to stop yourself falling asleep? How can you surprise yourself? <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Once you’ve had enough of that, tap ‘Next Section’ to add some more notes! Don’t worry, you won’t have to play anything with both hands at the same time, unless you want to. [[Next Section|Trin3]]<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>

Great. Now it’s time to spice things up. Put your right hand on these keys: <img src="img/C4_Eb4_F4.png" width="90%"> Now, play them, and see how they sound. Start by playing them in order, from left to right. Then, play them again, but play each note twice before moving on. Once you’re happy doing that, try switching back and forth, between 'going-up-and-down' and the 'playing-them-twice' styles. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Keep experimenting with the notes. Just play the next key that you feel makes sense to play. Don’t plan a tune in advance. Limit your focus to these three keys, and the next note. This doesn't need to be done quickly. When you’re happy with how these notes work together, you can probably guess what’s next. [[Next Section|Trin4]] <</linkreplace>>

Side note: These notes are adapted from Blues music, which is believed to have derived from African musical traditions of call-and-response. Blues were often sung by trafficked, enslaved African people, while they were being held at plantations. Like Jazz, Blues music has been incredibly influential on contemporary Western music. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> As these exercises are short, and designed to get you playing quickly, the music you’re playing right now isn’t authentic Blues. The most charitable way to describe what you’re playing, is ‘Blues-inspired notes’. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> But, understanding where music comes from, and how it is changed, and subverted by people, over time, allows us to admire and value the way marginalised people have shaped popular music, and avoid claiming, or colonising traditions that don’t belong to us. Tap the arrow at the top of the page to access the 'Credits' page, where you can read more about how the actual Blues are played. (Or, do this at the end of the tutorial.) [[Next Section|Trin5]]<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>

Using the keys in your left hand: <img src="img/C3_F3.png" width="90%"> And, the keys in your right hand: <img src="img/C4_Eb4_F4.png" width="90%"> You're going to use everything we’ve done so far to make your own music. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Remember, there’s no need to try and play with both hands at the same time. Play in the way that is easiest, and most fun, for you. Start by making some rhythms with your left hand, then follow them with some melodies on your right hand, before going back to your left hand to do some more rhythms. Don't think too much about the next note, just let it happen. To make something closer to the Blues... <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Play a chord, then a few keys on your right hand. Then, repeat what you just did. Then, the third time, starting playing the same thing again, but make the ending different. Then, find a way to bring the piece to a close. <<linkreplace "Tap to finish." t8n>> !Thanks for playing! If you’re having a good time, tap the button below to tweet a video of your compositions, using the hashtag: @@.altlinks;<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?button_hashtag=LeedsPiano2021&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="twitter-hashtag-button" data-size="large" data-text="I composed some wonderful music on The Leeds Piano Trail!" data-url="https://twitter.com/leedspiano" data-related="leedspiano" data-lang="en" data-dnt="true" data-show-count="false">Tweet #LeedsPiano2021</a><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8">@@ If you enjoyed this activity, there’s plenty to get involved with. [[Learn To Play In A Day|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/learn-to-play-in-a-day/]] [[Pop Anthem Sing-A-Long|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/pop-anthems-sing-a-long/]] [[The Lullaby Series|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/lullaby-series-baby-yoga-live-music/]] [[All Trinity Shopping Center Events|https://pianotrail.welcometoleeds.co.uk/venue/leeds-trinity/]] [[Full Events Programme|https://drive.google.com/file/d/177i9QSPZfAqfm2BXYiqc28XrlJOIPLrW/view]]<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>

!Welcome to Leeds Train Station. [[Tap here to access a screen-reader version of this tutorial.|trainStat_ac]] Before we make a start, please make sure that the piano is working. Please play any of the black keys in any order you like, preferably a few times over. <img src="img/All_Black_Keys.png" width="90%"> (They're orange in the picture, and black in real life!) If the piano is not working... [[Tap here to contact a member of staff.|mailto:dave.cartwright@leedspiano.com]] Once you’ve tested the keys, tap ‘Next Section’. [[Next Section|Train2]]

The next few exercises are inspired by the work of a composer called Percy Grainger, who absolutely loved trains, and actually wrote a lot of his music while riding on them, or while waiting for his friends at the station. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> One of the pieces Percy Grainger created was called ‘Arrival Platform Humlet’. A ‘Humlet’ is described by Grainger as: >//‘The sort of thing one hums to oneself as an accompaniment to one’s tramping feet as one happily, excitedly, paces up and down the arrival platform.’// [[Next Section|Train2-1]] <</linkreplace>>

Picture this: A person is waiting for a train to arrive on the platform. They walk a little way up the platform, then stop, turn, and walk back. Then, they turn again. And so on. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>>Now, look back at the black keys, and choose three that are next to each other. <img src="img/All_Black_Keys.png" width="90%"> <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>>Play those three keys in any order, to accompany your imaginary person walking up the platform. Try that for a bit. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> Now, just //before// the imaginary person turns, look at the keyboard, and choose three different keys, it doesn’t matter which ones, and move your hand to them. Then, play some music for the walk //down// the platform. Repeat this process, as many times as you need, to get used to the feeling of choosing keys, then moving to them. When you’re happy with moving your hand to different groups of black keys, tap ‘Next Section’. [[Next Section|Train3]] <</linkreplace>> <</linkreplace>> <</linkreplace>>

Now, it’s time to bring the other hand in. Try playing with groups of three black notes, exactly the same as you were before, but play one section with your left, and the next one with your right, then the next with your left, and so on. Get used to looking for a place to move your other hand to, //just before// you want to finish one section. <<linkreplace "Tap to read more." t8n>> You don’t need to do this quickly. It’s up to you how long the sections last! If you can’t decide on the next set of notes to move to, just stall for time by playing more notes. No-one will notice! When you’re happy with playing the black keys, and moving both of your hands around, tap ‘Next Section’. [[Next Section|Train4]] <</linkreplace>>

Now, see how long you can go for without stopping, looking ahead and stalling for time when you need it! Think about times when you’ve waited for a friend who is late, and the progression of emotions that arise from the waiting, and pacing. How can you describe that journey using the skills you’ve picked up in the last few minutes? When you're ready...bring the piece to a close. <<linkreplace "Tap to finish." t8n>> !Thanks for playing! If you’re having a good time, tap the button below to tweet a video of your compositions, using the hashtag: @@.altlinks;<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?button_hashtag=LeedsPiano2021&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="twitter-hashtag-button" data-size="large" data-text="I composed some wonderful music on The Leeds Piano Trail!" data-url="https://twitter.com/leedspiano" data-related="leedspiano" data-lang="en" data-dnt="true" data-show-count="false">Tweet #LeedsPiano2021</a><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8">@@ If you enjoyed this, check out the rest of The Leeds Piano Trail! [[Learn To Play In A Day|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/learn-to-play-in-a-day/]] [[Rush Hour Recitals|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/rush-hour-recitals-6-19-september/]] [[Jazz Sessions|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/jazz-sessions-5-19-september/]] [[All Events at Leeds Train Station|https://pianotrail.welcometoleeds.co.uk/venue/leeds-train-station/]] [[Full Events Programme|https://drive.google.com/file/d/177i9QSPZfAqfm2BXYiqc28XrlJOIPLrW/view]]<</linkreplace>>

!Credits !!Sources Used !!!Background [[Jazz History Tree|https://www.jazzhistorytree.com/]] [[Social History of The Piano|https://www.take-a-piano-sheet-music-break.com/social-history-of-the-piano.html]] [[History of the jazz piano|https://www.jazzwax.com/2019/07/history-of-the-jazz-piano.html]] [[Working Lives In Black British Jazz|https://hummedia.manchester.ac.uk/institutes/cresc/sites/default/files/WLIBBJ%20NEW%20FINAL.pdf]] [[Black Scholars Confront White Supremacy in Classical Music|https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/09/21/black-scholars-confront-white-supremacy-in-classical-music]] [[Music Theory and The White Racial Frame|https://mtosmt.org/issues/mto.20.26.2/mto.20.26.2.ewell.html]] [[Piano Learning In The Context of Schooling During China’s Piano Craze and Beyond|https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14613808.2021.1929139?needAccess=true&journalCode=cmue20]] !!!Merrion Street Rest Gardens [[How the silence makes the music| https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/02/arts/music/silence-classical-music.html]] [[Ma| https://new.uniquejapan.com/ikebana/ma/]] !!!The University of Leeds, Student's Union [['The Blue Danube' by Johan Strauss II|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDaJ7rFg66A]] [[Portsmouth Sinfonia|https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/portsmouth-sinfonia-classical-music-eno-orchestra]] !!!Cookridge Street: [[How Was Musical Notation Invented?|https://www.wqxr.org/story/how-was-musical-notation-invented-brief-history/]] [[Hannah Kendall - Composer|https://hannahkendall.co.uk/about]] [[How a drawing helps me with my classical composition|https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05f4jp1]] [[History of Handedness (Right Left Right Wrong)|https://www.rightleftrightwrong.com/history_recent.html]] !!!Mandela Gardens: [[Language of the Blues - Cutting Contest| https://www.americanbluesscene.com/language-of-the-blues-cutting-contest/]] [[Jazz as a medium for social and political change|https://newyorkjazzworkshop.com/jazz-as-a-medium-for-social-and-political-change/]] [[Rent Parties|http://history-is-made-at-night.blogspot.com/2007/01/rent-parties.html]] [[Jazz as conversation|https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2013/04/jazz-as-conversation/]] [[Jazz Education (Jazz In America)|https://www.jazzinamerica.org/jazzresources/jazzeducation/Page/162]] [[Improvisation II (Jazz In America)| https://www.jazzinamerica.org/LessonPlan/8/2/198]] [[Cutting Contests (Jazz Profiles)|https://jazzprofiles.blogspot.com/2017/04/cutting-sessions.html]] !!!Leeds Playhouse Gardens [[Notating Indian Classical Music|https://raag-hindustani.com/Notation.html]] [[Terry Riley’s “In C” – Much More Than Minimalism| https://youtu.be/JN0bW3ilqF4]] !!!Victoria Quarter [[The Empire Palace Theatre| http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/Leeds/EmpirePalaceTheatreLeeds.htm]] !!!Kirkgate Market [[History of Kirkgate Market| https://www.leeds.gov.uk/leedsmarkets/about/history-of-kirkgate-market]] [['The Firebird' by Igor Stravinsky|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZkIAVGlfWk]] [['Feux d’artifice' by Claude Debussy|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjHDpuCYq9Y]] !!!Trinity Shopping Centre [[Call and Response (Jazz History Tree)| https://www.jazzhistorytree.com/call-and-response/]] [[Work/Field Songs (Jazz History Tree)| https://www.jazzhistorytree.com/work-field-songs/]] [[The Blues (Jazz History Tree)|https://www.jazzhistorytree.com/blues/]] [[12-Bar Blues (Open Edu)|https://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/discovering-music-the-blues/content-section-12.3]] [[Understanding the 12-Bar Blues (PBS)|https://www.pbs.org/theblues/classroom/essays12bar.html]] !!!Leeds Train Station [[Arrival Platform Humlet (Hyperion Records)|https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/tw.asp?w=W1105]] [['Arrival Platform Humlet' by Percy Grainger|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2gMjtlYthk]] !!General Musical Inspirations [['In C' by Terry Riley|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX96z7AuICs]] [['4’33' by John Cage|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoAbXwr3qkg]] [[12-Bar Blues (Oral tradition, coined by W.C Handy)|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqWl2Zxs2es]] [[‘Piano From Scratch’ YouTube Channel|https://www.youtube.com/c/PianoFromScratch]] [[‘Aleatoric Music – Live Looping and Chance’ by Tantacrul |https://youtu.be/xabYn35ngaY]] !!Images used [[Keyboard Piano (unedited)|https://pixabay.com/vectors/keyboard-piano-music-sound-keys-153343/]] [[Waveform background|https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/waveform-background-dynamic-visual-effect-surface-646251454]] [[Beautiful japanese anemones in kenzene on black background.|https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/beautiful-japanese-anemones-kenzene-on-black-1734705869]] [[Skyward|https://unsplash.com/photos/0WFUP_y4tds]] [[Maurice Ravel’s ‘Scarbo’|https://musescore.com/user/36231155/scores/6394494]] [[Hannah Kendal's score in pen and coloured pencil.|https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05f4jp1]] [[Saturday afternoon in a beer and juke joint, Clarksdale, Mississippi Delta, November 1939.|https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47df-f8d2-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99]] [[Tree and its roots isolated on white|https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/tree-roots-isolated-on-white-30636559]] [[Person using white disposable lighter photo|https://unsplash.com/photos/_SkAOulmXzQ]] [[Fire burning at night photo|https://unsplash.com/photos/cV7cOur4sAM]] [[Red flame photo|https://unsplash.com/photos/5qxUqPnpWtI]] !!Tools Used !!!Development: [[‘Twine 2’ framework, originally by Chris Klimas|https://twinery.org/]] [[Twine Story Format: Sugarcube|https://www.motoslave.net/sugarcube/2/docs/]] [[TweeGo|https://www.motoslave.net/tweego/docs/#introduction]] [[VSCode|https://code.visualstudio.com/]] !!!Media Editing: [[Paint.Net|https://www.getpaint.net/]] !!!Version Control: [[Git/Github|https://git-scm.com/]] !!!Source Code [[GitHub Repository|https://github.com/riewarden/Leeds_Piano_Repo]] !!Special Thanks !!!The pianists who gave me valuable insights on the process of teaching and playing piano improvisationally: Sam Marshall Felix Janeway Joe Samuel Dr. Matthew Bourne !!!The ‘Twine Games’ Discord server, for helping me with every technical problem, and special mentions to: TheMadExile dael. Cyrus Firheir kira Gil !!!Testers Ben, Malcolm, Kim, Skylar, Philippa, Sam, Phil, Ewan. !!!Sensitivity Reader [[Rosie Bergonzi|https://www.rosiebergonzi.com/]] !!Created by [[Laurence Owen|https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurence-owen-5b63011a1/]] @@.altlinks; [[Top of Page|Credits]] <<back>>@@

!Contents Scroll through the list and tap the location you are currently at, to view the tutorial for that area. [[Merrion Street Rest Gardens (In front of the church)|mgChurch]] [[Merrion Street Rest Gardens (The graveyard)|mgGrave]] [[The University of Leeds Student's Union|uniLeeds]] [[Cookridge Street (Next to Leeds Art Gallery)|vicGard]] [[Mandela Gardens (Next to Millennium Square)|manGard]] [[Leeds Playhouse Gardens|pHouse]] [[Victoria Quarter (Near Harvey Nichols)|vicQuart]] [[Kirkgate Market|kirkMark]] [[Trinity Shopping Centre|trinShop]] [[Leeds Train Station|trainStat]]

!Welcome to the Merrion Street Rest Gardens. Before we begin, please play any of the highlighted test keys, in any order, to ensure the piano is working. All of the keyboard images start with C. This is the flat, white key just before any two raised black keys. The white keys that follow C progress alphabetically until G, then start again from A. <img src="img/d-minor.png" width = "90%" alt="The keys ‘D,E,F,G,A’ and the following ‘C, D’ are highlighted, as well as B flat, the black key just after A."> If the piano is not working: [[Tap here to email a member of staff|mailto:sam.berrill@leedspiano.com]] !A useful skill for music-making is being able to listen to the other sounds around you This helps you make a decision about what sounds you’d like to add to them. Nearby, there is a sculpture, by Pianodrome, called Deep Listening, which has a cast-iron frame, that you can strike with a beater. Go over and play it, or wait for someone else to. Then, just listen to the sounds it can make. When a sound starts to fade away, try to pinpoint the moment it turns from vibrations in the air, to stillness. How do these sounds blend with the other sounds, in and around the Rest Gardens? Imagine the sound as ripples of water, moving outwards, and colliding with whatever they hit. How does the sound from the Deep Listening sculpture exist in the world, and how is it different to the piano? If you like, go back and forth between them, and compare their sounds, while you think about the next few questions. !How do we describe the sound? !!Duration How long can the sound last? How short? How quickly can it make another sound? Does it need time to rest? !!Timbre If this sound was a colour, or a shape, what would it look like? Does this sound have emotions? What makes this sound’s shape different to the piano’s shape? !!Pitch Is this a high, or a low sound? If you hum the sound, is it easy for you to reach, or is it a strain? What other questions could you ask about the sound? !Now, go back to the piano. When you’re back at the piano, play any note, and let it go for a long time. Under your feet, you'll find some pedals. If you press down the one on the right, this will make the note last longer. Now, play that note, and while it is playing, look for another note that sounds good with it. Maybe it sounds pretty, maybe it sounds strange, or spooky. It's up to you. If you play some notes that don’t sound like what you wanted, that’s fine. Your journey to finding the note you want is now part of this composition that’s emerging. Look for more and more notes that you like the sound of. Try playing some at the same time. Try playing them in sequences. Find a time to come gently to a stop. !If you’re having a good time... Tap the button below to tweet about your compositions, using the hashtag: @@.altlinks;<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?button_hashtag=LeedsPiano2021&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="twitter-hashtag-button" data-size="large" data-text="I composed some wonderful music on The Leeds Piano Trail!" data-url="https://twitter.com/leedspiano" data-related="leedspiano" data-lang="en" data-dnt="true" data-show-count="false">Tweet #LeedsPiano2021</a><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"> @@ Or, come to some of our other events: [[Learn To Play In A Day|https://www.leedstownhall.co.uk/whatson-event/learn-to-play-in-a-day/?venue=4033//]] [[A Musical Night Walk|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/a-musical-night-walk/]] [[All Events at Merrion Street|https://pianotrail.welcometoleeds.co.uk/venue/merrion-street-gardens/]] [[Full events programme|https://drive.google.com/file/d/177i9QSPZfAqfm2BXYiqc28XrlJOIPLrW/view]]

!Welcome to the Merrion Centre Rest Gardens. Before we begin, please play any of the following test keys, in any order, to ensure the piano is working. All of the keyboard diagrams start with C. This is the flat, white key just before any two raised black keys. The white keys that follow C progress alphabetically until G, then start again from A. <img src="img/Two_Sets_of_CDEFG.png" width="95%" alt="Two sets of the keys ‘C, D, E, F, G’ are highlighted."> If the piano is not working: [[Tap here to tell a member of staff|mailto:sam.berrill@leedspiano.com]] !In music, we can choose to pay a lot of attention to the notes, but not the space in between the notes. The silences between notes are often called 'rests', in music. Pretty apt that we’re in the ‘Rest Gardens’ to think about ‘rests’! The parts of an artwork where there is no ink, or sculpture, or paint, is sometimes called ‘negative space’ in English. In Japanese art, it’s known as ‘ma’, and tends to be seen as just as important, if not more important, as the rest of an artwork. <img src="img/ma.png" width="95%" alt="A vase, with flowers that have gaps between them, against a large background."> !Think about a song you know. It can be anything, doesn’t have to be piano. Imagine that you broke it into pieces, and then changed how the silence, or pauses, appeared in it. How would it change with no silences at all? Or, if there was more silence than notes? How about a patchwork of both of those? How much can you mess with the gaps between notes, and still be able to recognise the song? !Go back to these keys that you used to test the piano, pictured below. Arrange your hands so that every key highlighted in the diagram has one finger on top of it. <img src="img/Two_Sets_of_CDEFG.png" width="95%" alt="Two sets of the keys ‘C, D, E, F, G’ are highlighted."> <<linkreplace "Optional: I need help with this.">> !Optional: I need help with this Find two black keys on their own, and put your left-hand little finger on the white key just to the left of them. Then, put the rest of your fingers on the following keys. Then, find another key like this, to the left of two black keys, put your right-hand thumb on it, and put the rest of your fingers on the following keys. <</linkreplace>> Using the keys under your fingers, find a pattern of three notes that you like. If you take a while to find one, don’t worry. That journey is a part of the process of improvising. No-one’s going to know that it’s just you figuring things out. !Play the pattern of three a few times, until it’s familiar. Now, play it three times, but on the third time, don’t play the final note. Let the absence of the note be an intentional part of the piece, and not a mistake. * What do you feel ‘should be there’? * Why does it matter, when it isn’t there? * If you feel like this is just ‘bad music’, what exactly about it is ‘bad’? There’s no right answer, just try to explain to yourself why it is that you feel the way you do about the missing note. If you’re not sure, repeat the exercise, or perhaps try different sequences. !Last part. Take a moment to listen to the silence around you. * Is it really silence? * What noises are in the distance? * Are there sounds which don’t sound like sounds because they’re constant? Now, using the same keys, and some of the techniques from the previous exercise, experiment with playing notes, and creating sequences, while focusing almost completely on the space created between the notes. !Go nice and slowly. Try and imagine the silences existing as a physical force, like a light that comes on, or a drop of water falling into a pond. How can you fit the notes around the noise that already exists here? Take as long as you need with this. When you feel satisfied, bring the piece to a close, listening for the moment the last note stops being vibrations in the air, and silence returns. !If you’re having a good time... Tap the button below to tweet about your compositions, using the hashtag: @@.altlinks;<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?button_hashtag=LeedsPiano2021&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="twitter-hashtag-button" data-size="large" data-text="I composed some wonderful music on The Leeds Piano Trail!" data-url="https://twitter.com/leedspiano" data-related="leedspiano" data-lang="en" data-dnt="true" data-show-count="false">Tweet #LeedsPiano2021</a><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8">@@ !If you enjoyed this, why not try... [[Learn To Play In A Day|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/learn-to-play-in-a-day/]] [[Lullaby Series (5th-18th September)|https://www.leedstownhall.co.uk/whatson-event/lullaby-series/]] [[Come Along And Chat (9th September)|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/come-along-and-tea-and-chat/]] [[All Events at Merrion Street|https://pianotrail.welcometoleeds.co.uk/venue/merrion-street-gardens/]] [[Full events programme|https://drive.google.com/file/d/177i9QSPZfAqfm2BXYiqc28XrlJOIPLrW/view]]

!Welcome to The University Of Leeds Student's Union. To start with, please play the following test keys, in any order, to ensure the piano is working. All of the keyboard diagrams start with C. This is the flat, white key just before any two raised black keys. The white keys that follow C progress alphabetically until G, then start again from A. <img src="img/GBD.png" width="95%" alt="The keys ‘G, B, D’ are highlighted."> If the piano is not working: [[Please tap here to contact a member of staff.|mailto:sam.berrill@leedspiano.com]] !You might be totally fine with sitting at a piano. Or, perhaps, you are sitting here with a few worries in the back of your mind. Are you worried that you can’t do this, because you’re not creative enough? That it won’t sound good? Right now, our world values products over people, and so, we often feel guilty if we create anything that isn’t immediately perfect. However, creativity requires us to make mistakes. So, today, I invite you to play, and deliberately sound bad. And I think you’re going to do great. But you have to believe it too, and to do so, you must change the way you define ‘mistakes’. Be kinder to yourself. If you only play one key, celebrate that. Acknowledge that you’re scared of being creative, because that’s the only way to overcome it. <<cacheaudio "blu" "audio/blu.mp3">> Let’s start with something simple. Look at the picture of piano keys below. They’re the same ones you played in the test sequence, a minute ago, so you’re halfway there. <img src="img/GBD.png" width="95%" alt="The keys ‘G, B, D’ are highlighted."> !When you have found the keys... Play the following sequence of notes, from ‘The Blue Danube’, by Johann Strauss. G. G. B. D. D... D. D... B. B. If you’d like to hear it played, use the audio player below, and copy it. <<link "Play audio">><<audio blu play>><</link>> Move on to the next part when you're happy with copying the pattern. !Now, it’s time to make this lovely little pattern sound terrible! If you touch the piano keys very lightly, you can be very quiet. If doing that lets you play more freely, go for it. Try playing the 'Blue Danube' pattern with completely the wrong keys, but in a way where it’s still recognisably the same pattern. It might take a bit of time, experimentally plinking and plonking, to get there, but keep at it. !How many versions can you create? Can you do a version that uses keys that are as far apart as possible? Can you do a version that almost sounds like a joke, with a set-up and punchline? How about using your elbow, or the back of your hand to play? !Finally... Using all the experimentation you’ve just done, try to come up with a sequel, or second part, to the Blue Danube pattern. Perhaps, even go back to the original version that you copied… G. G. B. D. D... D. D... B. B. The audio player is below, if you would like to listen again. <img src="img/GBD.png" width="95%"> <<link "Play audio">><<audio blu play>><</link>> !Think about what, if someone else was playing, you might expect them to play after it. Don’t think too hard about the 'why', just do what feels right. Play the ‘wrong’ version of the pattern, and follow it with a ‘wrong’ sequel. Can you make a third part that follows the sequel? There’s no need to remember all the notes you’re using. Just keep going, think about the last part you played, and discover the next part, as you go. !Find a way to bring the piece to a close. Take a moment to think about what you created, and how you created it. Is there a way to apply this process to a different creative pursuit? !If you’re having a good time... Tap the button below to tweet about your compositions, using the hashtag: @@.altlinks;<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?button_hashtag=LeedsPiano2021&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="twitter-hashtag-button" data-size="large" data-text="I composed some wonderful music on The Leeds Piano Trail!" data-url="https://twitter.com/leedspiano" data-related="leedspiano" data-lang="en" data-dnt="true" data-show-count="false">Tweet #LeedsPiano2021</a><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8">@@ !If you enjoyed this, why not try some of our other events? [[Learn to Play in a Day|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/learn-to-play-in-a-day/]] [[Brudenell Piano Sessions (12th September)|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/brudenell-piano-sessions/]] [[Musical Theatre Sing-a-long (15th September)|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/musical-theatre-sing-a-long-15-september/]] [[All Events at University of Leeds|https://pianotrail.welcometoleeds.co.uk/venue/university-of-leeds/]] [[Full events programme|https://drive.google.com/file/d/177i9QSPZfAqfm2BXYiqc28XrlJOIPLrW/view]]

!Welcome to Cookridge Street! Before we begin, please play the following test keys, in any order, to ensure the piano is working. All of the keyboard diagrams start with C. This is the flat, white key just before any two raised black keys. The white keys that follow C progress alphabetically until G, then start again from A. <img src="img/All_Black_Keys.png" width="95%" alt="All of the raised black keys are highlighted."> If the piano is not working, [[Tap here to contact a member of staff.|mailto:sam.berrill@leedspiano.com]] !Why is sheet music taught in music classes? For hundreds of years, learning sheet music has been a key part of learning piano in a traditional European musical education. A lot of people have been put off music, or made to feel as though they are not ‘real’ musicians, because they cannot, or will not, read sheet music. <img src="img/scarbo.png" width="95%" alt="A complicated-looking musical score, with many groups of notes in quick succession - Maurice Ravel’s ‘Scarbo’"> !The reality is, sheet music is just a //common// way of recording music. That’s all. It’s familiar to lot of people, and it’s an old tradition. But, I’m sure you can think of many aspects of life that also fit that criteria, but which you know aren't 'the only' way of doing things. Like, for example, Christmas. !What about Christmas? Christmas isn’t immoral to participate in, by any means. However, when a society gives lots of space to Christmas, and no space for non-Christian celebrations, or, if people are made to feel guilty for not celebrating Christmas... This makes Christmas harmful. Christmas can eclipse other ways of celebrating. How does sheet music do the same thing for music? How many musicians have we lost, who were told off by the teacher, because they didn’t read sheet music? With that said, let’s take a look at how music can be recorded in a completely different way to European sheet music. !Graphic Scores ‘Graphic’ scores, or ‘visual’ scores use pictures to get across how the composer wanted their song to be played. Listen to the description of the score for Hannah Kendall's 'The Spark Catchers'. She draws her scores as pictures, before writing them up as sheet music, but, this is still a picture of the music she hears in her head. <img src="img/hkendall-1.png" width="95%" alt="Paper, with thick red lines with blobs on the end, which criss-cross each other, drawn in coloured pencil."> This picture could be anything, right? Well, that’s true, unless you make some decisions about //how// to use it. !Using the graphic score Go back to the black keys that you used to test the piano a little while ago. Have a play with them, and see how they sound. Then, listen to, or look at, Hannah Kendall's graphic score, again. Create a set of rules for how these symbols can be played, using the piano. If you choose a rule, and decide you don’t like it, throw it out, and get a new one. Not sure where to start?" If you’re not sure where to start, how about deciding: * How do the shapes tell you the length of each note? * Then, how do the colours change the notes again? When you’ve had enough of this, take a look at the full version… !Here’s the full image of Hannah Kendall's score. <img src="img/hkendall.png" width="95%" alt="A sketch of a score in pen and coloured pencil, using dashes of pen, green diamonds, red crayon, and orange marker. More detail follows in the description below."> !!Full description of Kendall's graphic score. On the left side of the page, headings for ‘WW’ and ‘Brass’, followed by symbols from left to right. The background has orange scribbles all over, and blue shading on the right. !!!The WW heading This is followed by short dashes of pen, in many directions, then three green diamonds arranging in a triangle, then a long group of short dashes and green triangles. !!!The Brass heading This is followed by thick red lines with blobs on the end, which criss-cross each other. The red lines furthest right have orange scribbles under them. !Thinking about the whole graphic score Keeping in mind a few of the rules you came up with for yourself, are there any other ways to play these notes that might be hard to describe, without pictures? *Which parts are the same? *Which parts are different? *Which parts are the most difficult to interpret? *How would you change it? Try to play through all of the score, then bring the piece to a close. !If you’re having a good time: Tap the button below to tweet about your compositions, using the hashtag: @@.altlinks;<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?button_hashtag=LeedsPiano2021&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="twitter-hashtag-button" data-size="large" data-text="I composed some wonderful music on The Leeds Piano Trail!" data-url="https://twitter.com/leedspiano" data-related="leedspiano" data-lang="en" data-dnt="true" data-show-count="false">Tweet #LeedsPiano2021</a><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8">@@ When you’ve had enough of this, why not try… [[Learn to Play in a Day|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/learn-to-play-in-a-day/]] [[Rush Hour Recitals|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/rush-hour-recitals-6-19-september/]] [[All Events At Cookridge Street|https://pianotrail.welcometoleeds.co.uk/venue/cookridge-street/]] [[Full events programme|https://drive.google.com/file/d/177i9QSPZfAqfm2BXYiqc28XrlJOIPLrW/view]]

!Welcome to Mandela Gardens. These gardens were dedicated to Nelson Mandela, in solidarity with his campaign against apartheid in South Africa. People came together here, to celebrate, when he became South Africa’s first Black president in 1994. There are three pianos in the area. !!If you came here by yourself... Go to the piano on the plinth, which overlooks the other two. !!If you’re here with a friend... Get them to scan the QR code on their device, (or, just shout the instructions to them, across the square). Then, set yourselves up on the pianos that are facing each other, and follow the instructions together. Before we do anything, however, we need to ensure the piano is working. Please play the following test keys, in any order, a few times over. All of the keyboard diagrams start with C. This is the flat, white key just before any two raised black keys. The white keys that follow C progress alphabetically until G, then start again from A. <img src="img/CEG_Highlighted.png" width="95%" alt="The keys ‘C,E,G’ are highlighted."> If you find the piano is not working, [[Tap here to contact a member of staff.|mailto:sam.berrill@leedspiano.com]] !What is Jazz music? Jazz music has a rich and complex history, rooted in the people of African Diaspora communities, who were trafficked, primarily by white people, and brought to the West during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Jazz fuses African musical traditions with Western musical traditions. One aspect that we’ll look at today, is the idea that Jazz, and music in general, can be like speaking, or having a conversation. In the history of European music, musicians have always tended to write music down, and then have people perform it exactly as it was recorded. In many African countries, however, it's more common for music to spring from the relationship between musicians, their audience, and the context where music is being made. This approach to music, but using European instruments, is how Jazz arose in the West. First of all, go back to the test keys. <img src="img/CEG_Highlighted.png" width="95%" alt="The keys ‘C,E,G’ are highlighted."> Use your left hand to play C, E, and G, at the same time. Whenever you play more than one note at the same time, it’s called playing a ‘chord’. Try that, and see how it sounds, in comparison to just playing a note by itself. Once you’re happy with playing that chord, keep your left hand on it, if possible, and move to the next section. !Musical Conversations When we talk to another person, there can often be unspoken rules or conventions that indicate, for example, when one person is finished talking, and another person can begin. There’s no right or wrong way to converse. It will always vary according to culture, family, how much practice we’ve had, etc. Keep your left hand on the chord, C, E, and G. Then, put your right hand on the notes highlighted below. Arrange your right hand so that every key highlighted in the diagram has one finger on top of it. <img src="img/CDEFG.png" width="95%" alt="The keys ‘C,D,E,F,G’ are highlighted."> <<linkreplace "Optional: I need help with this.">> In a different place to your left hand, find two black keys on their own, and put your right-hand thumb on the white key just to the left of them. Then, put the rest of your fingers on the keys that follow it. <</linkreplace>> Don’t worry, you won’t be asked to play both hands together. Get used to your hands being in this position. Try playing the keys a little to see how this position feels and sounds. When you're happy with playing C, E, G, in your left hand, and C, D, E, F, G, in your right hand, move on to the next section. !Think again about comparing music with a conversation. In some conversations, people will indicate to their partner that they’ve finished speaking. They might do this by lowering the pitch at the end of a sentence, or asking the other person a question. You can apply similar rules like this to music, and this is even known as ‘conversation’, in Jazz music. Look back at the piano. Make sure your hands are set up like this. <img src="img/CEG2_and_CDEFG3.png" width="95%" alt="On the left, the keys ‘C,E,G’ are highlighted, on the right, the keys ‘C,D,E,F,G’ are highlighted."> Try playing a few of the notes under your right fingers, just going up and down, and then use the three-note chord, in your left hand, to show when you’ve finished that section. Then, do it again, and again. Once you’re happy with this as a pattern, move on to the next section. !Play a duet If you’ve been following these exercises with another person, you’ll probably have started to see how you can turn this shared set of rules into a duet, without having to read sheet music at all. !!Cutting Contests This style of playing is sometimes called ‘Conversational Jazz’, or ‘Cutting Contests’. Cutting contests involve Jazz musicians testing each other's musical skills, and were common in the Harlem Jazz community in New York, between the 1940s and the 1970s. They were also a form of musical education. Competitors had to listen carefully, and respond to their opponent, and the audience reaction, in order to be the most entertaining performer. Musicians like James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, and Art Tatum, often battled it out at cutting contests. In Black neighbourhoods, people often held 'Rent Parties', where the community came together, to enjoy music, dancing, and cutting contests. These parties were also a method for this marginalised community to provide mutual aid for those in need, as the entry fee went towards the rent, for the party hosts. <img src="img/rent.png" width="95%" alt="A group of African-American people sit around a table in a crowded room, talking, and drinking from bottles."> !Have a conversation, with the pianos If you’re playing on your own, keep playing your conversation, but imagine you’re providing both parts. How are these two characters interacting? If you’re with a friend, try to have a conversation, or a competition, through your pianos, using no words. <img src="img/CEG2_and_CDEFG3.png" width="95%" alt="On the left, the keys ‘C,E,G’ are highlighted, on the right, the keys ‘C,D,E,F,G’ are highlighted."> Once you’ve got the hang of that, move on to the last section. !Breaking the rules After a while, start to break the rules of conversation, and show that in your music. What does an interruption sound like? Or, can you mimic the other player, sarcastically? Can you patronise, or lie, using the piano? What other things are you not supposed to do in a conversation? Find a way to use these techniques to bring the piece to a close. If you’re with a friend, can you end the piece together, without talking about it? !If you’re having a good time... Tap the button below to tweet about your compositions, using the hashtag: @@.altlinks;<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?button_hashtag=LeedsPiano2021&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="twitter-hashtag-button" data-size="large" data-text="I composed some wonderful music on The Leeds Piano Trail!" data-url="https://twitter.com/leedspiano" data-related="leedspiano" data-lang="en" data-dnt="true" data-show-count="false">Tweet #LeedsPiano2021</a><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8">@@ !Or, you might enjoy some of the other activities on offer… [[Learn To Play in a Day|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/learn-to-play-in-a-day/]] [[Jazz Sessions|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/jazz-sessions-5-19-september/]] [[Power To The People - Spoken Word Night|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/power-to-the-people/]] [[All Events At Mandela Gardens|https://pianotrail.welcometoleeds.co.uk/venue/mandela-gardens/]] [[Full events programme|https://drive.google.com/file/d/177i9QSPZfAqfm2BXYiqc28XrlJOIPLrW/view]]

!Welcome to The Leeds Playhouse Gardens! In the next couple of exercises, we’ll be looking at playing a simple piece which can grow for a long time, but which sprouts from just one note. But, before we begin, please play the following test keys on the piano, to ensure that it is working. All of the keyboard diagrams start with C. This is the flat, white key just before any two raised black keys. The white keys that follow C progress alphabetically until G, then start again from A. <img src="img/CDEFG.png" width="95%" alt="The keys ‘C,D,E,F,G’ are highlighted."> If the piano isn’t working... [[Please tap here to contact a member of staff.| mailto:dave.cartwright@leedspiano.com]] Once you’re certain the piano is working, move on to the next section. !Introducing 'C Major' Keep your hand resting comfortably on the test keys. The key which is furthest left, just before the two black keys, is called C, and it, along with all the rest of the white notes on the piano, are part of a group called ‘C Major’. <img src="img/C_Major_with_obvious_C.png" width="95%" alt="All of the white keys are highlighted. The ‘C’ key has an arrow over it."> People who work with music will often group notes together, and give the groups names, to help them remember which groups of notes all tend to work well together. It also helps us talk about music, and have a way to make sure many people can know which notes we’re talking about at a given time. !!Why group notes like this? Grouping notes like this is not the only way to talk about music, but it’s quite common, kind of like how English and Chinese are very widespread, but they’re certainly not the only languages in the world. Hindustani music, for example, uses completely different ideas to understand and notate sound. However, this tutorial uses C Major. !!The 'Root' note So. Right now, we’re just looking at one group of notes, which is C Major, or, all the white keys. We also call it C Major, because C is the ‘root’ note of the group. Essentially, what this means is that if you play a few notes of C Major, and end on a C, it will sound ‘finished’. Have a go at doing that now. Here are the notes of C Major, with C highlighted for you. Just play three notes, and make the fourth note a C. ‘See’ what you think. <img src="img/C_Major_with_obvious_C.png" width="95%" alt="All of the white keys are highlighted. The ‘C’ key has an arrow over it."> When you’re done experimenting, move on to the next section. !Time to turn this root into a tree. All you need to do, as slowly as you like, is play sequences of notes that get longer and longer, but always return to C, the root. It doesn’t have to be the same pattern every time, you can just play any notes, while counting up to the number you need, then play C again. Try beginning like this... Start by playing one note, then C. * Then, two notes, then C. * Then three notes, then C. * And so on. <img src="img/treefractal.png" width="95%" alt="A tree on a white background, with its root system exposed."> Play all the white keys on the keyboard! What happens when you throw in a black note or two? (Those are the raised keys). If it sounds a bit ‘wrong’ or ‘strange’, try playing it again, and again. Find a way to weave it into the piece, like an unexpected wildflower. Don’t worry about losing count. It won’t really matter after a while. !!When you feel yourself getting tired... Choose a low number like 5, and play decreasing numbers of notes, always ending on C, until you find an ending. !If you’re having a good time... Tap the button below to tweet about your compositions, using the hashtag: @@.altlinks;<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?button_hashtag=LeedsPiano2021&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="twitter-hashtag-button" data-size="large" data-text="I composed some wonderful music on The Leeds Piano Trail!" data-url="https://twitter.com/leedspiano" data-related="leedspiano" data-lang="en" data-dnt="true" data-show-count="false">Tweet #LeedsPiano2021</a><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8">@@ Or, why not take a look at some of the other activities the Leeds Piano Trail has to offer? [[Learn To Play In A Day|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/learn-to-play-in-a-day/]] [[Come Along and Plant|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/come-along-and-plant/]] [[Talks: Nature in Music, Music In Nature|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/lecture-series/]] [[Nature Concerts|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/nature-concerts-8-15-september/]] [[All Leeds Playhouse Events|https://pianotrail.welcometoleeds.co.uk/venue/leeds-playhouse-tiered-gardens/]] [[Full events programme|https://drive.google.com/file/d/177i9QSPZfAqfm2BXYiqc28XrlJOIPLrW/view]]

!Welcome to the Victoria Quarter. Did you know that there used to be a music hall here, where Harvey Nichols now stands? It’s funny to think that what is now a luxury department store, used to be a place where you could go to watch stand-up comedy, magic, juggling, and listen to people singing naughty songs in front of a piano…No such luck these days! Before we start with the exercises, please make sure the piano is working. To test the piano, please play the three test keys, in any order. All of the keyboard diagrams start with C. This is the flat, white key just before any two raised black keys. The white keys that follow C progress alphabetically until G, then start again from A. For this particular tutorial, the names of the notes don't matter that much. <img src="img/CEG_Highlighted.png" width="90%" alt="Three keys are highlighted, each with one key between them. There are no indications to the name of the note."> If the piano isn’t working, please [[Tap here to contact a member of staff|mailto:dave.cartwright@leedspiano.com]]. Once you’re sure the piano is working, move to the next section. !How can we sit at the piano, and make something sound like a tune? Well, one of the secrets is to just //repeat things!// Humans love looking for patterns, so much so, that we often think we see links or causes between events, when there is no evidence for it. Think about fake news, conspiracy theorists, and how politicians assign blame to whatever groups their voters seem most likely to turn against… !!Our love of patterns can be very unhelpful at times, but it helps us make sense of music. You may have no plan for what kind of art you’re going to make. But, if you decide on something you’re going to repeat, or keep coming back to, people will be able to find their own patterns, fairly easily. The way the audience responds to your patterns, and the way you respond to their responses, and so on… That is one of the joys of improvised music. !Putting patterns into practice Go back to the test keys, from earlier. <img src="img/CEG_Highlighted.png" width="90%" alt="Three keys are highlighted, each with one key between them. There are no indications to the name of the note."> Play the three keys from left to right. They all have a gap of one white key between them, (for this set of exercises, ignore the black keys.) When you’re happy with playing these keys, play this three-note pattern somewhere in the middle of the keyboard. Now, shift your hand one key to the right, so that the starting note of the pattern is now one note higher. Then, play the same pattern as before. Then, move up one more key, and do it again. !!How does the pattern change, when it's in different places? Keep playing the pattern, and moving up, until you reach the end of the keyboard. This doesn’t have to be fast. Just listen to how the pattern of three notes changes, depending on where you are on the keyboard. When you’re finished with this, move to the next section. !Try and push this simple pattern to its limits. * Can you make it sound happy? * How does speed affect the way it sounds? * Are there any emotions, or ideas that this pattern is particularly good at? * What is it not so good at? There are no right answers. But, try to explain to yourself why you feel the way you do about certain combinations of notes. Try and find ways to use this pattern in a surprising way. If you play the same pattern over and over, and then suddenly do something different, that can be exciting to listen to. When you’ve finished exploring the patterns, and breaking them apart, bring the piece to a close. !If you’re having a good time... Tap the button below to tweet tweet about your compositions, using the hashtag: @@.altlinks;<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?button_hashtag=LeedsPiano2021&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="twitter-hashtag-button" data-size="large" data-text="I composed some wonderful music on The Leeds Piano Trail!" data-url="https://twitter.com/leedspiano" data-related="leedspiano" data-lang="en" data-dnt="true" data-show-count="false">Tweet #LeedsPiano2021</a><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8">@@ !If you enjoyed this... Check out some of the other activities on the trail! [[Learn to play in a day|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/learn-to-play-in-a-day/]] [[Belonging Here - Theatre Show (September 11th)|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/sarah-nicolls-belonging-here-theatre-show/]] [[All Victoria Quarter Events|https://pianotrail.welcometoleeds.co.uk/venue/victoria-leeds/]] [[Full Events Programme|https://drive.google.com/file/d/177i9QSPZfAqfm2BXYiqc28XrlJOIPLrW/view]]

!Welcome to Kirkgate Market! This place has seen its fair share of destruction, but always seems to rise from the ashes. In World War Two, even though it was frequently hit by bombs, it never closed for more than a few days. In 1975, a fire destroyed two thirds of the market (luckily, it didn’t kill anyone), and it still opened three days later! The spirit of the market has blazed brighter than its adversities for 120 years. We’ll be taking //fire// as an inspiration for the next few exercises. This place can handle it. !!Testing the piano Before we begin, however, we need to make sure the piano is working. Please play the following test keys a few times over. You can use two fingers on one hand, or use both hands. All of the keyboard diagrams start with C. This is the flat, white key just before any two raised black keys. The white keys that follow C progress alphabetically until G, then start again from A. <img src="img/FG_keys.png" width="90%" alt="The keys ‘F' and 'G’ are highlighted."> If the piano isn’t working... [[Please tap here to contact a member of staff.|mailto:dave.cartwright@leedspiano.com]] Once you’re sure that the piano is working, move to the next section. !Imagine a //spark//. A bright point of light, which quickly dies. <img src="img/spark.png" width="90%" alt="A hand using a lighter to create a spark of light, in a dark environment."> Starting with the test keys, play a single note, which you think sounds like a //spark//. <img src="img/FG_keys.png" width="90%" alt="The keys ‘F' and 'G’ are highlighted."> Then, play a few of those. Sometimes, a //spark// ignites another //spark//. What does that sound like? !From sparks, //flames// can grow. <img src="img/fire.png" width="90%" alt="A small bonfire on a hill, with a cloudy sky."> Now, find any two white keys that have one white note between them. Play them back and forth, over and over, like a flickering //flame//. (Musicians often call this kind of playing a ‘trill’.) How does that sound different from the //sparks//? What does it sound like when a spark becomes a //flame//? When you’re happy with how your //sparks// and //flames// sound, move to the next section. !Finally, //flames// can become a //blaze//. <img src="img/blaze.png" width="90%" alt="A tall fire, burning brightly, engulfing an indistinct object, in a dark environment."> Starting from the middle of the keyboard, find two keys that have one key between them, like a flame. Put one finger from your left hand on the left key, and one finger from your right hand, on the right key. Play the two keys like a flame, then, move both of your hands one key outwards, so there’s now a gap of three notes in between. Play them back and forth, as a trill. Then, move outwards again. How big can you make the //blaze//? Play with the //sparks//, //flames//, and the //blaze//. When you feel you can make all three sound different from each other, Move to the next section. !Finally, imagine that you’re making a film about a fire. Starting from the first //spark//, to the //ashes// it leaves behind. The things you're pointing the imaginary camera at becomes the music that your audience hears. The //sparks//, the //flames//, and the //blaze//. * What do you film first? * How do you show the movement of the fire? * Does anyone try and stop it? How does that change your playing? Bring the piece to a close, by finding a way to show the heat and light fading. What do ashes sound like? !If you’re having a good time... Tap the button below to tweet about your compositions, using the hashtag: @@.altlinks;<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?button_hashtag=LeedsPiano2021&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="twitter-hashtag-button" data-size="large" data-text="I composed some wonderful music on The Leeds Piano Trail!" data-url="https://twitter.com/leedspiano" data-related="leedspiano" data-lang="en" data-dnt="true" data-show-count="false">Tweet #LeedsPiano2021</a><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8">@@ If you enjoyed this activity, why not try some of the other activities on The Leeds Piano Trail? [[Learn To Play In A Day|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/learn-to-play-in-a-day/]] [[Come Along And Make|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/come-along-and-make/]] [[All Kirkgate Market Events|https://pianotrail.welcometoleeds.co.uk/venue/kirkgate-market/]] [[Full Events Programme|https://drive.google.com/file/d/177i9QSPZfAqfm2BXYiqc28XrlJOIPLrW/view]]

!Welcome to Trinity Shopping Centre! The next couple of exercises will get you playing the piano for the first time. You can do these exercises by yourself, or with a friend. At the end, you can share your creation using #LeedsPianoTrail2021 Before we begin, we need to check to make sure the piano is working. Please play the following two test keys in any order, preferably several times over. All of the keyboard diagrams start with C. This is the flat, white key just before any two raised black keys. The white keys that follow C progress alphabetically until G, then start again from A. <img src="img/C3_F3.png" width="90%" alt="The keys C and F are highlighted."> If the piano isn't working: [[Please tap here to contact a member of staff.|mailto:dave.cartwright@leedspiano.com]] Once you’re satisfied that all the keys are working, move to the next section. !What is rhythm? Rhythm is often understood as a regular, repeated pattern of sound. But, it doesn’t have to sound the same, over and over. Make it up as you go! Put your fingers on these two keys, and play them at the same time. <img src="img/C3_F3.png" width="90%" alt="The keys C and F are highlighted."> Now, find lots of different rhythms and beats, just playing these two keys over and over. Try not to keep it the same for too long. Imagine you have to do a whole song, with just these two keys, over and over. How are you going to stop yourself falling asleep? How can you surprise yourself? Once you’ve had enough of that, move to the next section to add some more notes! Don’t worry, you won’t have to play anything with both hands at the same time. (Unless you want to.) !Now it’s time to spice things up. Take some time to find these keys, with your right hand: <img src="img/C4_Eb4_F4.png" width="90%" alt="Two sets of C and F keys are highlighted, following each other. The E Flat key is also highlighted, which is the raised black key before E."> Play them, and see how they sound. Start by playing them in order, from left to right. Then, play them again, but play each note twice before moving on. !!Once you’re happy doing that... Try blending the 'going-up-and-down', with the 'playing-them-twice'. Keep experimenting with the notes. Just play the next key that you feel makes sense to play. Don’t plan a tune in advance. Limit your focus to these three keys, and the next note. When you’re happy with how these notes work together, move to the next section. !Where do these notes come from? Side note: These notes are adapted from Blues music, which is believed to have derived from West African musical traditions of call-and-response. Blues were often sung by trafficked, enslaved African people, while they were being held at plantations. Like Jazz, Blues music has been incredibly influential on contemporary Western music. As these exercises are short, and designed to get you playing quickly, the music you’re playing right now isn’t Blues. The most charitable way to describe what you’re playing, is ‘Blues-inspired notes’. But, understanding where music comes from, and how it is changed, and subverted by people, over time, allows us to admire and value the way marginalised people have shaped popular music, and avoid claiming, or colonising traditions that don’t belong to us. Tap the arrow at the top of the page to access the menu, and the 'Credits' page, where you can read more about how the actual Blues are played. Or, do it at the end of the tutorial. !You're going to use everything we’ve done so far to make your own music. Using the keys in your left hand: <img src="img/C3_F3.png" width="90%" alt="The keys C and F are highlighted."> And, the keys in your right hand: <img src="img/C4_Eb4_F4.png" width="90%" alt="Two sets of C and F keys are highlighted, following each other. The E Flat key is also highlighted, which is the raised black key before E."> Remember, there’s no need to try and play with both hands at the same time. Play in the way that is easiest, and most fun, for you. Start by making some rhythms with your left hand, then follow them with some melodies on your right hand, before going back to your left hand to do some more rhythms. Play for as long as you like. Don't think too much about the next note, just let it happen. !!To play something closer to the Blues... Play a chord in your left hand, then a few keys on your right hand. Then, repeat what you just did. Then, the third time, play the keys in your right hand, but make the ending a bit different. Then, find a way to bring the piece to a close. !If you’re having a good time... Tap the button below to tweet about your compositions, using the hashtag: @@.altlinks;<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?button_hashtag=LeedsPiano2021&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="twitter-hashtag-button" data-size="large" data-text="I composed some wonderful music on The Leeds Piano Trail!" data-url="https://twitter.com/leedspiano" data-related="leedspiano" data-lang="en" data-dnt="true" data-show-count="false">Tweet #LeedsPiano2021</a><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8">@@ !If you enjoyed this activity... There’s plenty to get involved with. See some of our other events: [[Learn To Play In A Day|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/learn-to-play-in-a-day/]] [[Pop Anthem Sing-A-Long|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/pop-anthems-sing-a-long/]] [[The Lullaby Series|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/lullaby-series-baby-yoga-live-music/]] [[All Trinity Shopping Center Events|https://pianotrail.welcometoleeds.co.uk/venue/leeds-trinity/]] [[Full Events Programme|https://drive.google.com/file/d/177i9QSPZfAqfm2BXYiqc28XrlJOIPLrW/view]]

!Welcome to Leeds Train Station. Before we make a start, please make sure that the piano is working. Please play any of the black keys in any order you like, preferably a few times over. All of the keyboard diagrams start with C. This is the flat, white key just before any two raised black keys. The white keys that follow C progress alphabetically until G, then start again from A. The white keys don't matter that much for this exercise. Just find the raised black keys, and play those. <img src="img/All_Black_Keys.png" width="90%" alt="A keyboard diagram. All of the raised black keys are highlighted."> If the piano is not working... [[Tap here to contact a member of staff.|mailto:dave.cartwright@leedspiano.com]] Once you’ve tested the black keys, move to the next section. !Percy Grainger and his trains The next few exercises are inspired by the work of a composer called Percy Grainger, who absolutely loved trains, and actually wrote a lot of his music while riding on them, or while waiting for his friends at the station. One of the pieces Percy Grainger created was called ‘Arrival Platform Humlet’. A ‘Humlet’ is described by Grainger as: >//‘The sort of thing one hums to oneself as an accompaniment to one’s tramping feet as one happily, excitedly, paces up and down the arrival platform.’// !Imagine this... A person is waiting for a train to arrive on the platform. You hear their footsteps walk a little way up the platform, then stop, turn, their footsteps walk back. Then, they turn again. And so on. Now, look back at the black keys, and choose three that are next to each other. <img src="img/All_Black_Keys.png" width="90%" alt="A keyboard diagram. All of the raised black keys are highlighted."> Use those three keys to play music for a ‘Humlet’, to accompany your imaginary person walking up the platform. Try that for a bit, just imagining the footsteps walking up, and up, before moving on to the next section. !Planning before playing Now, just //before// the imaginary person turns, move your hand to another part of the keyboard with three black keys, it doesn't matter where. When you've chosen three new black keys, use them to play some music for the walk //down// the platform. Repeat this process, as many times as you need, to get used to the feeling of choosing three keys before you need them, then moving to them, and continuing to play. When you’re happy with moving your hand to different groups of black keys, move to the next section. !Bringing the other hand in Try playing with groups of three black notes, exactly the same as you were before, but play one section with your left, and the next with your right, the one after with your left, and so on. Get used to looking for a place to move your other hand to, //just before// you want to finish one section. !!You don't need to sprint up the platform It’s up to you how long the sections last! If you can’t decide on the next set of notes to move to, just stall for time by playing more notes. No-one will notice! !!Make it a marathon See how long you can go for without stopping. Look ahead, and stall for time when you need it! Think about times when you’ve waited for a friend who is late, and the progression of emotions that arise from the waiting, and pacing. How can you describe that journey using the skills you’ve picked up in the last few minutes? When you're ready, bring the piece to a close... !If you’re having a good time... Tap the button below to tweet about your compositions, using the hashtag: @@.altlinks;<a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?button_hashtag=LeedsPiano2021&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="twitter-hashtag-button" data-size="large" data-text="I composed some wonderful music on The Leeds Piano Trail!" data-url="https://twitter.com/leedspiano" data-related="leedspiano" data-lang="en" data-dnt="true" data-show-count="false">Tweet #LeedsPiano2021</a><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8">@@ If you enjoyed this activity... Check out the rest of The Leeds Piano Trail! [[Learn To Play In A Day|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/learn-to-play-in-a-day/]] [[Rush Hour Recitals|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/rush-hour-recitals-6-19-september/]] [[Jazz Sessions|https://www.leedspiano.com/event/jazz-sessions-5-19-september/]] [[All Events at Leeds Train Station|https://pianotrail.welcometoleeds.co.uk/venue/leeds-train-station/]] [[Full Events Programme|https://drive.google.com/file/d/177i9QSPZfAqfm2BXYiqc28XrlJOIPLrW/view]]

@@font-transform: uppercase; Part of The Leeds Piano Trail@@

@@.noBor;<img src="img/PianoTrailPink.png" width="130em">@@

[[Technical Problems and Feedback|mailto:laurence.owen@leedspiano.com]] <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?button_hashtag=LeedsPiano2021&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="twitter-hashtag-button" data-size="large" data-text="I composed some wonderful music on The Leeds Piano Trail!" data-url="https://twitter.com/leedspiano" data-related="leedspiano" data-lang="en" data-dnt="true" data-show-count="false">Tweet #LeedsPiano2021</a><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> [[Credits (and further reading)|Credits]]

<<if previous()!= "">><div style="margin-bottom: 5%"><nobr> @@.altlinks;<<back "Back">>@@ </nobr> </div><</if>>

<div style="border-top: solid #808080;clear: both;margin-top: 5em;padding-top:1em">@@color:#808080;//When you find a new piano, tap the arrow at the top to restart the app.//@@ </div> <br>