A piano on the road

Anyone who goes on a journey often follows a timetable, but must always be able to improvise and get involved in something new. - And this is precisely the aim of Andreas Hirche in A piano goes on a journeypublished by Breitkopf Pädagogik. The carefully selected examples are marked with levels of difficulty and give the player a kind of roadmap to many small improvisation islands on which to linger. The selection is aimed at all those who feel addressed by world music and who are open to discovering and trying out new things. Whether more meditative and introverted as in Japanese music or lively and extraverted as in the music of the Balkans or South America, there is something to suit every taste.

The author sees the booklet as a kind of piano school and with this in mind provides a wealth of very helpful tips. On the one hand, background knowledge on the different styles, but also technical playing aids and considerations on aspects such as "balance between practicing and playing", "flow", "technique" or "problems with independence". In addition, the appendix contains a detailed glossary of important technical terms, and an accompanying CD gives you the opportunity to listen to the pieces and practice improvising to play-alongs in mp3 format.

Andreas Hirche, A piano goes on a journey. World music, rhythm, improvisation, EB 8819, with CD, € 24.90, Breitkopf & Härtel, Wiesbaden 2014