Hi all!

I've never been particularly creative when it comes to improvising and have always preferred to play music strictly as it is written and never stray from it. Although my preference lies in classical music, I do like to listen to artists like Enrique Chia and other popular music players... you know like the music you hear in hotel lounges and the like?

I was wondering if you guys know of any resources that will help me play unaccompanied crowd pleasers... not necessarily happy sing-alongs, but more like relaxing, romantic, melancholic music... sorta free-stlye, you know? I think that most sheet music versions of these songs assume that the perfomer will embellish each piece on his own, but believe me, I have ZERO creativity.

Maybe there's an exercise book that teaches the basics of improvising a song? The problem is that I don't even know the name of the style of music that I'm describing... all I can call it is "hotel loung" music... "elevator music"?

I'd really appreciate any feedback...

Thanks!


PS... Apparently I can attach files to this post... So I'm attaching an .mp3 of this type of music.

That reminded me of Liberaci. And it's better than 'lounge' music.
I am like you - don't like to improvise. But sorry, no advice on resources, other than browsing through a music store - ask the clerk if you can play through several books right there in the store (maybe they have piano lesson rooms?)so you find what you like before you pay for it.

reminds me of Brahms for some reason Brey ell oplaeyd!

Hi Claudio!
I suggest you give a look to Sting....
He has some lovely music, romantic, relaxing and very moving.
I recommend you my favorite song: "Shape of my heart".
Download it and listen to it in a good audio player with the lights off
... You can then search for the chords in google to play it on the piano (I use the guitar chords to then make the arrangement in piano), or you could find the piano version too... (include in your search the word "chords" +" shape of my heart")

If you are looking for that piano-bar style music, then you are probably looking into jazz standards.
"Autumn Leaves" is a nice standard and not so difficult and sounds really nice. "All the things you are" is another one, "Strangers in the nights", etc.
You could also search for "Fake Book" or "Real Book", which contains more than hundreds of songs in jazz chord notation of the most popular jazz songs.

I hope this was useful!
Cheers!
Rod

Rod,

Thanks for the advice. I actually am a big Sting fan and that song you mentioned is probably my favorite one of his. I will try what you suggested... I can't believe I hadn't thought of that... And about the fake books, I actually own a few for when I play guitar but what I'm mostly interested in is learning certain standard riffs or passages to help me improvise what I play... again.. I have ZERO creativity when it comes to improvising...

Thanks, again...