My greatest advice to all beginners and people that ask me is: train your ears. Your ears are your most important equipment in music, they help you know the next chords and notes, its tune, things that fit together, improvise and much more. Simply listen to a song, stop doing anything else, and pay attention to how it goes, how it talks, and how can you imitate it or even make it sound better. Do it enough and you'll have ease to improvise. Oh, and one more thing: whether you are listening to or playing a song, always connect with it, just like while training your ears. Feel it and let it speak to you, so that you can speak back to it.
That's akin to theater and being told to do some improv. it really isn't easy to just get up and act without some form of a script. You have got to be quick on your feet. It takes practice to unlock that quick wit section of your brain!
For a million subscribers you should release a full album, including maybe a couple of collabs or just simply songs you would like us to listen to. or say thank you a million times in every key
When you said 'even if you're not subscribed, I still appreciate every one of you', I was expecting the 'if you're not, you should sub right now...' but it never came. I respect you very much Charles. Congrats. Edit: God dammit right when I unpaused the video you said that. But I still respect you.
that level 3 improv was like a beautiful conversation. as soon as charles hit the notes, the notes sung back to him, to which charles then responded--and the cycle continued.
@@4lexflp I agree with Max. Just random notes a lot of it. Kind of aimless wandering. Most people who have spent a lot of time on an instrument can put something like that together. It's mostly just playing little snippets they know from other music from muscle memory and mishmashing together.
@@CharlesCornellStudios Wow... would you consider a second channel or someting like that with daily improvs... Short but sweet... you know. Like a drug, daily jazz dose :)
@@ckextreme ok, so you meant improvise... Great, cause for a second there I made a mistake. You know, improving and improvising go hand in hand, but are not the same :) Still Charles, daily improvisations? Any thoughts on that? And thanks
no... I think it is wrong to categorize music, technique anf levels of composition, jazz, improv or whatever since it's a blue ocean and all the "levels" are categorized based on personal opinions. You referred to "7 levels of jazz"; it is simply a biased categorization of different methods and their "spicyness".
The best way I can describe this: Level 0: You're buying a used house, someone has done all the work - you're just moving in Level 1: You're buying a kit house, you've got everything you need here to build a house, but you have to make it yourself Level 2: You're buying a house that has the foundation and the framing all done, but you need to put in the drywall, paint, (maybe the roof) before you can move in Level 3: You have a bare spot of land, and you need to build a house. You may see someone else's house and try to duplicate it, but you have no blueprints I think that's the best way I can describe it... I've focused a lot of my musical playing around Level 2 and 3, because frankly I like building things, but I have mad respect for people who can do Level 1 and make it sound like their interpretation aside from the original composer/artist
@@xXCursedWorgenXx level one is more like looking at a Melody written on the page, then changing a couple notes and adding things. I guess a cover would work, but improve isn't usually an entire song, especially in jazz, unless you're talking free jazz or something to that extent.
Even madder respect for people who can play at level 0 and make it sound like their own. People who play Beethoven, Chopin like they mean it. Too often classical pianists are machines
I like the analogy. I once built a level 3 house in the African bush, using the raw materials from nature: poles, thatch, rocks, slate, timber. It was the most satisfying creative project ever tackled.
Glad you enjoy this kind of stuff! As another jazz pianist, check out Keith Jarrett’s “Facing You” and “The Köhln Concert” albums. He’s on of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, especially for his free his improvisations, like Charles does with his Level 3.
Thank you, Charles, for your kindness to share your experience and knowledge with us. And congratulations on 500.000 subscribers! We all admire your skills.
First couple of videos I watched I didn’t notice how much of a solid musician you actually were. The last few I’ve seen I now see, you’ve got something man!
You kept me 100% engaged with your free improvisation. I was listening to every single note and I could hear a blend of contemporary classical, impressionism, jazz, modern/minimalism... the way you mix everything together and the transitions between the sections is truly creative.
I could tell that there was a couple moments in level 3 that you started thinking about what you’re playing, then towards the end you let go and let it steer you. Honestly I like Yanni’s interpretation of free improv as well(manifested in the “creative mode”), where he explains that the creative mode is like a butterfly that lands in your hand. If you grab it or reach for it, it disappears. You just have to let it land in your hand and go wherever it wants. The same applies to free-styling rap as well.
I shared your Channel to many friends and they all loved it, so you deserve this. I think that you are a great pianist and would be a nice teacher, and i just love your stuff so big love on you. Kisses from France 🇫🇷❤️
The fact that number three is a thing amazes me cuz I thought I was the only person that’s was that’s crazy to go crazy forget about “structure” I really appreciate this please do not stop make videos like this!!!
I actually recently started doing the 'Level 3' improv (messing about) because I finally feel like I'm at a level where that kind of improv occasionally sounds nice. It's such a freeing thing to do and sometimes I even surprise myself with a few passages of chords that sound great together (even though I generally don't know why that is in terms of music theory). Anyway, thanks for another awesome video and a big congratulations for 500k - you really deserve it!
wow. I don't know how many RUclips clips I've watched trying to get the the core of what im trying to do as a musician in general, but that's it. What makes a successful impro?? structure? no structure? somewhere in between, depending on the moment? when are we free? when there is spontenaety? connection? discovery of something new? reiteration of predefined patterns? great to hear someone else is on a similar plot! Well done great video! keep the musings coming.
The free improv part got me leaning back in my chair, closing my eyes, slowly drifting off and just thinking about space, shapes and colors flying around, merging together and exploding into new shapes and colors. Oddly satisfying.
kaith jarrett used to play whole concerts just improvising, i strongly recommend to take a look on them because the mastermind standing behind that idea is beyond anything that i know
I’m a uni student going after an arts administration degree with a LOT of music studies mixed in. I’ll take maybe 45 minutes at a time in our music building on the performance grand after-hours, and doing nothing other than your “level 3” description with an audio recorder to reflect on it later and maybe pique some composition ideas when I need something new. Incredibly happy and inspired that it’s a part of your process sometimes too- I look up to this channel so much. Congrats on 500k, every bit was deserved!
As a pianist and flutist who learned through classical music, jazz to me almost always sounded the same, improvised or not. In recent years, I've come to appreciate the interesting harmonies and chords that come from this style of music, and this channel, and especially this video has helped me to learn more. Thanks Charles, keep doing what you do!
When I began to play piano myself, I always at the level 2 of your improvising definition. Playing that way makes me feel like I'm a real pro player with my keyboard. fantastic all the way.
I've been watching your videos for awhile now. I always found the skits hilarious, even if I didn't have a piano. I'm in choir, so I have musical background. I recently got a keyboard for my birthday and I was so excited! I only know how to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb", and I know it's going to be a long journey. Your videos will help to motivate me along the way. So happy to be one of your 500k Subscribers! You deserve them.
I love improvisation and i’ve been doing it all the time at home instead of reading sheet music(i hate reading lol so when i get to class, I kinda sometimes struggle) . You’re right, we learn the chords and stuff. I’m that one kid in class who knows how to improvise because for me it’s fun. But i’m also the last one to read sheet music, because it’s boring. hehe. I love composing ^_^ Somehow my improvisation is way more advanced than my current level of sheet music I play I love letting go. it’s the opposite for my friend who plays piano as well. she is really good at sheet reading and tries or wants to play correctly while improvising, (so she says she hates improvisation) but i’m sure she’ll get better at it sometime soon :) but I gotta practice sheet reading because I need to progress I still have a long way to go and learn with improvisation I guess we’re all different :D
We are so similar. My improv is way more advanced than my sheet music. I also love to learn music by ear because I feel it is just easier to do that way, and it is for some reason ten times easier to memorize.
Dude straight up catfished us all with the premise of displaying 3 examples of musical concepts, actually soars into a free-form piano improv like an absolute lad. 10/10 would subscribe again
Level 3 seems like when a group of performers don’t have the sheet music or remember the chords. Reminds me of jazz combo last fall when we were memorizing some of the songs and then when we got to Recorda Me, the other two woodwindists (tenor and alto player) did not play the melody with me and left me to do it on my own after my solo (last solo) and I messed up so much on my clarinet. This really helps out! Even I learned a new way this month when we were having normal classes instead of online, there was a way of improvising which is to sing and create a melody line to make it sound so much better. A friend of mine, the tenor sax player who let me do Recorda Me’s melody alone, taught us all this in jazz combo about this.
You can visually see at 11:16 where his emotions connect with the music and its just perfect harmony from there on out. Not overly complicated but the feeling is in tune with his hands. Kind of like a train of thought getting up and running. This is why I personally love improv. Great vid!
Beautiful level 3, yes, follow your heart because in my view that's all it is about. It is like learning a new language, the heart has things to say so it will dare jump into the deep end of the pool, making mistakes but being true, using what it knows that eventually will bring new vocabulary, and increased level of fluency, fluency being infinite...
i don’t usually leave comments, but i felt the need too. I’ve been playing piano regularly for about 8 years, and only have begun to really LEARN the instrument. Reading music and memorizing classical pieces is great, but there’s something to be said about truly knowing how to work your way around the phrases, keys and notes. As a level one improviser, this video really gave me the encouragement to start to get better at it, and really feel where a made up song might be going. Thank you so much, and good luck to all you musicians out there
@@mrpk646 he comments on everything. There's quite a few of them. Him, StickMaster500, Justin. Y, look on any popular video and you'll see comments by them. Although Justin. Y seems to have slowed down recently.
It's so interesting to see how as an improviser your concentration changes. Level 2 compared to 1 there's so much less comping and that's so interesting to me, but it sounds so so natural!
This video was super intriguing to me. My journey of learning how to play the piano kind of began with free improv. I could tell I had an ear for it and wrote myself “mini songs” that I could reproduce and then began learning how to play actual songs by ear. That progressed to learning how to read sheet music and so on and so forth. I haven’t really gone back to free improv since that time and this inspired me to try that out again. Thank you!
I play the trumpet now a lot more than piano and huuuuh being in a jazz band sucks after the classical music school of 8 years .. so yeah Rip my improvisation
The third step can be so incredibly humbling. Sometimes it can be so intimate and personal that is hard to share with others. But ultimately it can be the most satisfying one. Beautiful improvisations by the way!
I used to play piano when I was younger and gave it up to play guitar and punk/metal bands don’t usually need piano players. Your videos along with some others have gotten me wanting to play again. My new workstation should get to my house tomorrow. Can’t wait to play again! Thank you and keep it up! Love the videos.
There were moments in your Level 3 improv where you took the harmony to the exact place it felt to me like it was yearning to go (and not just in predictable cadences) and other times when it totally diverged from my expectations in the best way. Very nice
I'm learning Indian Classical Music and there's a lot of improvisation in it and I love the way that he explained the idea of improvisation. I've never really heard it explained like that. Taking an idea and following where it goes. I think that is going to help me be so much more creative. Thanks man!
Ive been playing for 20 years, 8 seriously and the rest off and on, but this guy has shown me how to use my knowledge of the Piano to improvise and its amazing. I hqve hundreds of songs memorized but have loved improvising so much more. They need to teach this at piano lessons, or maybe i had a bad teacher
This was a great explanation! I do a lot of improv for my church worship team and it’s really hard to explain to people how I play what I play when I improvise, it just happens😂
Oof that minor to major shift at 10:40 really got me in the feels. Not to take away from the emotive mysteriousness of it, but you can hear the jazz and Christmas music undertones in certain parts of the free improv lol
Yesss thank you for explaining it! I took classes as a kid but then stopped cause I didn't have the time. I kept playing at home, just didn't get to learn aaaall the technical stuff. Nonetheless, I can learn a lot by ear and make my own music: I'm so grateful for my teacher who always saved the last 15 minutes of the class so we could improvise together! It was a lot of fun and gave me many tools to create music on my own
If you don't hit a million subs this year I'll be absolutely shocked. Fantastic production, great content, and you're an incredible musician. Keep it up Charles!
Thank you for 500k!!!
TIMESTAMPS:
Level 1 Explanation: 2:32
Level 1 Example: 3:23
Level 2 Explanation: 4:08
Level 2 Example: 4:59
Level 3 Explanation: 5:41
Level 3 Example: 8:54
Charles Cornell love when im having a shitty day and you always upload a video and make my day 100 times better
keep making videos and never stop
Well done my g
Congrats!!!
Congrats Charles, well deserved! Thank you so much for sharing with us your art.🎹🔥
this was awesome. really love the part about how we communicate is simular to improvisation in music keep it up
Congratulations on half a million followers, huge milestone. Can’t wait for that face reveal.
@@aldensmith6666 r/wooosh
Alden Smith oh you feel so smart don’t you
@@whalejoey205 r/woooosh
@@yes-ft9ze r/wooosh on a wooosh
@@ninoky6525 ikr
His “free improv” really spoke to me.
I loved it
Stella Roy same
Stella Roy sams
Totally love it.
Reminded me of Waltz for Debby a bit
His improvisation spoke to you because he expressed all of his emotions and thoughts through the language of music.
Level 0: Normie
Level 1: Jazz head
Level 2: Jazz solo
Level 3: Free jazz
Level 4: Memes
Level 4 has to have T H E L I C C and Dies irae.
Of course
Level ???: Lo fi hip hop
An Infestor
That was determined to be level 7 Jazz.
@@SatchmoBronson FEFDECEEF#GAF#DE
I call that last one, “Mister Rogers Watches Snow Fall on the Neighborhood As It Slowly Becomes Rain”
snow becomes rain is an appropriate title.
I read this as that the neighborhood was becoming rain and it was like “Mister Rogers Watches Snow Fall on the Neighborhood As the Bomb Goes Off”
Absolutely
That conjures a beautiful image.
It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
Charles: "Just be willing to sound bad" slaps hands on keys 6:36
Me: That was a kind of a juicy chord though
Trent Paider Adam Neely wants your location
Yeah it's level 4 on spice jazz
T h a t I s j a z z m a n
Congrats you are now my improv teacher
Jazz!
Level one: no book
Level two: real book
Level three: forgot real book
Thank you for reiterating the fact that improvisation takes skill and isn't easy. People used to ask me to improvise as a beginner and I was like 😳
It's a weird concept that you have to actually practice improvising. Seems like an oxymoron, but isn't.
My greatest advice to all beginners and people that ask me is: train your ears. Your ears are your most important equipment in music, they help you know the next chords and notes, its tune, things that fit together, improvise and much more.
Simply listen to a song, stop doing anything else, and pay attention to how it goes, how it talks, and how can you imitate it or even make it sound better. Do it enough and you'll have ease to improvise.
Oh, and one more thing: whether you are listening to or playing a song, always connect with it, just like while training your ears. Feel it and let it speak to you, so that you can speak back to it.
That's like asking a beginning Spanish student to tell a story.
@@CharlesCornellStudios Thank you so much for responding! I love your videos!!!
That's akin to theater and being told to do some improv. it really isn't easy to just get up and act without some form of a script. You have got to be quick on your feet. It takes practice to unlock that quick wit section of your brain!
I could listen to him play for hours! It's like those 'chill' or 'study' hour long video's.
Loretta Bes i’d love if he made a study video that’s like an hour or so long!
Daisey Bui listen to Bill Evans’ solo sessions albums or the alone and alone again albums. They’ll have what you like from his playing!
Random Workings thank you so much! these videos help me a lot now with my homework! 😊
You'd like Bill Evans.
I gotta say, as a jazz player I both love and absolutely hate hearing that.
Is there sheet music for this?
@@grudman7885 is there sheet music for this?
Is there sheet music for this?
Is there sheet music for this?
Is there sheet music for this?
but guys the real question is... Is there any sheet music for this?
You forgot about cursed level 4: nontraditional instrument use. Bang the side of that keyboard. Scream intermittently.
“Scream intermittently” is my new motto
then theres level 5, make your own instruments to improv on!
21th century composers be like
That'd be Hermeto Pascoal haha
Peter bence intensifies
For a million subscribers you should release a full album, including maybe a couple of collabs or just simply songs you would like us to listen to.
or say thank you a million times in every key
Bálint Laukó meet and greet?
Are...are you implying I say thank you 12 million times?
Clearly in all of the relevant minors too. Can't get off that easy.
@@SeanTheDiscoNinja and all the modes so 84 million times
@@CharlesCornellStudios example 3 should be called snow becomes rain.
When you said 'even if you're not subscribed, I still appreciate every one of you', I was expecting the 'if you're not, you should sub right now...' but it never came. I respect you very much Charles. Congrats.
Edit: God dammit right when I unpaused the video you said that. But I still respect you.
Its okay cause he stumbled over the word ehe
Haha
lmao
Bro that’s funny 😂
I could listen to an entire album of that last piece. I didn't want it to end. Truly beautiful stuff, man.
Lunicium well there’s plenty of it!
Youd probably like H. John Benjamins album Well, i should have... :P i dont mean it like its bad i actually like it
@@noidentificationable where?
that level 3 improv was like a beautiful conversation. as soon as charles hit the notes, the notes sung back to him, to which charles then responded--and the cycle continued.
Jacob Collier:
Allow me to introduce myself
Me: *Hits random notes on keyboard*
Piano: "bruh"
Me: "Damn that's rude"
Sounded like trash for most of level 3, only got good like the last half but it wasn't great
@@MaxRamos8 that was more complex than your brain, but it went over it anyways.
@@4lexflp I agree with Max. Just random notes a lot of it. Kind of aimless wandering. Most people who have spent a lot of time on an instrument can put something like that together. It's mostly just playing little snippets they know from other music from muscle memory and mishmashing together.
never heard a youtuber say “thanks you even if you aren’t subscribed” shows the passion he has for this much respect💯
Pianist Charles makes a drummer face when he improves.
I try to improve a little bit every day
@@CharlesCornellStudios Wow... would you consider a second channel or someting like that with daily improvs... Short but sweet... you know. Like a drug, daily jazz dose :)
@@CharlesCornellStudios Autocorrect!!!
@@ckextreme ok, so you meant improvise... Great, cause for a second there I made a mistake. You know, improving and improvising go hand in hand, but are not the same :) Still Charles, daily improvisations? Any thoughts on that? And thanks
@@metodemersic make this happen
The holidays are still bouncing around the mind @ 9:19, 10:13 "Here we are as in olden days" :)
Happy I wasn't the only one who heard that!
OF. YORE!
Nobody:
Children squeezing limes into their mouth: 6:52
Idk improvisation is just literally vibing.
You vibe with the chords and melodies. And just.
Idk.
Vibe with it.
Vibe the vibe a second
When you get down to it, jazz is just musicians straight up vibing
That phrase sounds so neo-soul hahahahah vibin'
Agreed
Literally could not have been described in any better way lol
Does this conflict with the 7 levels of jazz
Why would it?
no...
I think it is wrong to categorize music, technique anf levels of composition, jazz, improv or whatever since it's a blue ocean and all the "levels" are categorized based on personal opinions.
You referred to "7 levels of jazz"; it is simply a biased categorization of different methods and their "spicyness".
It’s a joke guys... like jazz circlejerk. I wish I didn’t have to point that out
@@likeabridgeovertroubledwater It's a joke
@@justinjager8412 my bad I thought it was for real
Man, level 3 thoooo, that melody was beautiful and reminded me of rain, especially the beginning
OminousCry at first i read rain as iran
The best way I can describe this:
Level 0: You're buying a used house, someone has done all the work - you're just moving in
Level 1: You're buying a kit house, you've got everything you need here to build a house, but you have to make it yourself
Level 2: You're buying a house that has the foundation and the framing all done, but you need to put in the drywall, paint, (maybe the roof) before you can move in
Level 3: You have a bare spot of land, and you need to build a house. You may see someone else's house and try to duplicate it, but you have no blueprints
I think that's the best way I can describe it... I've focused a lot of my musical playing around Level 2 and 3, because frankly I like building things, but I have mad respect for people who can do Level 1 and make it sound like their interpretation aside from the original composer/artist
level 1 would be remixes then? covers that have more than the original?
@@xXCursedWorgenXx level one is more like looking at a Melody written on the page, then changing a couple notes and adding things. I guess a cover would work, but improve isn't usually an entire song, especially in jazz, unless you're talking free jazz or something to that extent.
Even madder respect for people who can play at level 0 and make it sound like their own. People who play Beethoven, Chopin like they mean it. Too often classical pianists are machines
I like the analogy. I once built a level 3 house in the African bush, using the raw materials from nature: poles, thatch, rocks, slate, timber. It was the most satisfying creative project ever tackled.
I thought this would be a skit, but...
*I'm not disappointed*
10:40 that sounded soo beautiful it was absolutely amazing sand satisfying
Yes
sounds like snow
@@mose918 like vince
Me: Level 3 is absolutely gorgeous
Also me: *it sounds like every Ear Training 4 student’s worst transcription nightmare* 🤯
QStar3 I’m only in ear training two and I’m terrified 😭
Jezreel Sanchez yes ear training two is already mortifying me but ear training four is going to kill me
Glad you enjoy this kind of stuff! As another jazz pianist, check out Keith Jarrett’s “Facing You” and “The Köhln Concert” albums. He’s on of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, especially for his free his improvisations, like Charles does with his Level 3.
Thank you, Charles, for your kindness to share your experience and knowledge with us. And congratulations on 500.000 subscribers! We all admire your skills.
As someone who is trying (and slightly struggling) to get back into playing Piano/Keyboard I really appreciate these videos
I’m calling it now: Charles is the Bill Nye but for music
*Vsauce
*Adam Neely
@@SheldonBird Adam neely is the Vsauce of music so I geuss that works
doesnt make any sense... bill nye has a degree in mechanical engineering. He's just a puppet with a script.
Watching him watch his hands move across the keyboard while doing free improv is *beautiful*
Yep, it's like watching the muse tell you what's going to happen next in the story you're writing.
I swear this guy is so talented
your piano playing is *heaven*
When you not even have level 0 'cause you can't read sheet music the right way...
rip
When you -1 because you can't keep in time
But it's improv...
@@elirainu the levels of improv in the video are based from going from sheet music to free form, not bad improv to good improv
Then you can skip directly to level 3.
That last one, I like the most. This is the part where you truly start to understand a musicians expressions:)
As a classical pianist, I found this so helpful. Thank you so much for your insight and congrats on 500,000 subs!
First couple of videos I watched I didn’t notice how much of a solid musician you actually were. The last few I’ve seen I now see, you’ve got something man!
your improv piece really took me somewhere. wonderful stuff. 🙂
You kept me 100% engaged with your free improvisation. I was listening to every single note and I could hear a blend of contemporary classical, impressionism, jazz, modern/minimalism... the way you mix everything together and the transitions between the sections is truly creative.
I could tell that there was a couple moments in level 3 that you started thinking about what you’re playing, then towards the end you let go and let it steer you. Honestly I like Yanni’s interpretation of free improv as well(manifested in the “creative mode”), where he explains that the creative mode is like a butterfly that lands in your hand. If you grab it or reach for it, it disappears. You just have to let it land in your hand and go wherever it wants. The same applies to free-styling rap as well.
COLE PORTER!! Gotta love that tune in those examples🥰
I shared your Channel to many friends and they all loved it, so you deserve this. I think that you are a great pianist and would be a nice teacher, and i just love your stuff so big love on you. Kisses from France 🇫🇷❤️
The fact that number three is a thing amazes me cuz I thought I was the only person that’s was that’s crazy to go crazy forget about “structure” I really appreciate this please do not stop make videos like this!!!
I was expecting a sketch. I'm still very satisfied. I love seeing you actually show off your talent
I actually recently started doing the 'Level 3' improv (messing about) because I finally feel like I'm at a level where that kind of improv occasionally sounds nice. It's such a freeing thing to do and sometimes I even surprise myself with a few passages of chords that sound great together (even though I generally don't know why that is in terms of music theory). Anyway, thanks for another awesome video and a big congratulations for 500k - you really deserve it!
A free piano tutor 🔥🔥
wow. I don't know how many RUclips clips I've watched trying to get the the core of what im trying to do as a musician in general, but that's it. What makes a successful impro?? structure? no structure? somewhere in between, depending on the moment? when are we free? when there is spontenaety? connection? discovery of something new? reiteration of predefined patterns? great to hear someone else is on a similar plot! Well done great video! keep the musings coming.
3:54 i'm going to screenshot this, put it in black and white and tell my kids this was erik satie
The free improv part got me leaning back in my chair, closing my eyes, slowly drifting off and just thinking about space, shapes and colors flying around, merging together and exploding into new shapes and colors. Oddly satisfying.
Dude I'm loving your longer form explanatory content. You, Neely, and a few others thrown in are helping me become a much better musician!
kaith jarrett used to play whole concerts just improvising, i strongly recommend to take a look on them because the mastermind standing behind that idea is beyond anything that i know
The song Charles uses in level 1 and 2 is called I Love You by Cole Porter for anyone who was wondering
I’m a uni student going after an arts administration degree with a LOT of music studies mixed in. I’ll take maybe 45 minutes at a time in our music building on the performance grand after-hours, and doing nothing other than your “level 3” description with an audio recorder to reflect on it later and maybe pique some composition ideas when I need something new. Incredibly happy and inspired that it’s a part of your process sometimes too- I look up to this channel so much. Congrats on 500k, every bit was deserved!
i have exam tomorrow
nah whatever this is much useful than school dah
dang same, good luck man
As a pianist and flutist who learned through classical music, jazz to me almost always sounded the same, improvised or not. In recent years, I've come to appreciate the interesting harmonies and chords that come from this style of music, and this channel, and especially this video has helped me to learn more. Thanks Charles, keep doing what you do!
“Level zero is playing a song by reading sheet music”
Me: doesn’t know how to read sheet music, so I’m in level -1...
When I began to play piano myself, I always at the level 2 of your improvising definition. Playing that way makes me feel like I'm a real pro player with my keyboard. fantastic all the way.
I've been watching your videos for awhile now. I always found the skits hilarious, even if I didn't have a piano. I'm in choir, so I have musical background.
I recently got a keyboard for my birthday and I was so excited! I only know how to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb", and I know it's going to be a long journey. Your videos will help to motivate me along the way.
So happy to be one of your 500k Subscribers! You deserve them.
Been with you since the van, ended by watching you grow.. You've come far and im so proud of you.
I love improvisation and i’ve been doing it all the time at home instead of reading sheet music(i hate reading lol so when i get to class, I kinda sometimes struggle) . You’re right, we learn the chords and stuff.
I’m that one kid in class who knows how to improvise because for me it’s fun. But i’m also the last one to read sheet music, because it’s boring.
hehe.
I love composing ^_^
Somehow my improvisation is way more advanced than my current level of sheet music I play
I love letting go.
it’s the opposite for my friend who plays piano as well. she is really good at sheet reading and tries or wants to play correctly while improvising, (so she says she hates improvisation) but i’m sure she’ll get better at it sometime soon :)
but I gotta practice sheet reading because I need to progress
I still have a long way to go and learn with improvisation
I guess we’re all different :D
We are so similar. My improv is way more advanced than my sheet music. I also love to learn music by ear because I feel it is just easier to do that way, and it is for some reason ten times easier to memorize.
I'm watching this video before a lesson/after transcribing an Esperanza Spalding cover. The motivation is REAL today.
8:51 "allow it to pu- *ad break* -sh forward"
Dude straight up catfished us all with the premise of displaying 3 examples of musical concepts, actually soars into a free-form piano improv like an absolute lad.
10/10 would subscribe again
1:31
Are we getting a facereveal at 1M subs?
No
Darn :(
@Alexandros Nicolacakis yes we missed the real jimmy
@Alexandros Nicolacakis yes!
Level 3 seems like when a group of performers don’t have the sheet music or remember the chords. Reminds me of jazz combo last fall when we were memorizing some of the songs and then when we got to Recorda Me, the other two woodwindists (tenor and alto player) did not play the melody with me and left me to do it on my own after my solo (last solo) and I messed up so much on my clarinet. This really helps out! Even I learned a new way this month when we were having normal classes instead of online, there was a way of improvising which is to sing and create a melody line to make it sound so much better. A friend of mine, the tenor sax player who let me do Recorda Me’s melody alone, taught us all this in jazz combo about this.
Level 1&2: Yeah these are pretty nice and fun.
Level 3: Ahh I see im going to cry now, I feel nothing but joy WHAT HOW?!
You can visually see at 11:16 where his emotions connect with the music and its just perfect harmony from there on out. Not overly complicated but the feeling is in tune with his hands. Kind of like a train of thought getting up and running. This is why I personally love improv. Great vid!
Can you make a Spotify playlist of just jazz music?!
Beautiful level 3, yes, follow your heart because in my view that's all it is about.
It is like learning a new language, the heart has things to say so it will dare jump into the deep end of the pool, making mistakes but being true, using what it knows that eventually will bring new vocabulary, and increased level of fluency, fluency being infinite...
Wow, really good improvisation at level 3!
i don’t usually leave comments, but i felt the need too. I’ve been playing piano regularly for about 8 years, and only have begun to really LEARN the instrument. Reading music and memorizing classical pieces is great, but there’s something to be said about truly knowing how to work your way around the phrases, keys and notes. As a level one improviser, this video really gave me the encouragement to start to get better at it, and really feel where a made up song might be going. Thank you so much, and good luck to all you musicians out there
Me: IS there sheet music for-
(Charles kicks down my door)
Charles: I'm gonna use this keyboard to give you a bad time.
Me: Help
Dadada-da, da-da-da-dadada
Bruh why do I see you everywhere hahaha
@@mrpk646 he comments on everything. There's quite a few of them. Him, StickMaster500, Justin. Y, look on any popular video and you'll see comments by them. Although Justin. Y seems to have slowed down recently.
Watched you grow from Twitter video sensation to Half a million subscriber RUclipsr and I gotta say, it’s been an amazing and wholesome ride
Your level 1 is my level 100.
And that is okay! Everyone learns and improves on their own pace.
I think you misunderstood the concept of
“level 1”
@@lorettabes4553 Seeing comments like yours makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside, thank you
It's so interesting to see how as an improviser your concentration changes. Level 2 compared to 1 there's so much less comping and that's so interesting to me, but it sounds so so natural!
Petition for Charles to make a full jazz album
Honestly I really enjoy the freeform emotional playing. It always helps me come up with interesting music ideas.
When level 1 is harder than your sheet music
This video was super intriguing to me. My journey of learning how to play the piano kind of began with free improv. I could tell I had an ear for it and wrote myself “mini songs” that I could reproduce and then began learning how to play actual songs by ear. That progressed to learning how to read sheet music and so on and so forth. I haven’t really gone back to free improv since that time and this inspired me to try that out again. Thank you!
Who doesn’t play the piano but loves his instruction video : ✋
Well the general concepts apply to other instruments. But yeah I love his videos too.
I play the trumpet now a lot more than piano and huuuuh being in a jazz band sucks after the classical music school of 8 years .. so yeah
Rip my improvisation
The third step can be so incredibly humbling. Sometimes it can be so intimate and personal that is hard to share with others. But ultimately it can be the most satisfying one. Beautiful improvisations by the way!
I think you might have forgot to link those guys!
DAMMIT. I literally always forget. My bad, fixing asap
I used to play piano when I was younger and gave it up to play guitar and punk/metal bands don’t usually need piano players. Your videos along with some others have gotten me wanting to play again. My new workstation should get to my house tomorrow. Can’t wait to play again! Thank you and keep it up! Love the videos.
9:35 I hear a lil bit of Mia and Sebastian's theme there 😳
The world needs more people like you
There were moments in your Level 3 improv where you took the harmony to the exact place it felt to me like it was yearning to go (and not just in predictable cadences) and other times when it totally diverged from my expectations in the best way. Very nice
I'm learning Indian Classical Music and there's a lot of improvisation in it and I love the way that he explained the idea of improvisation. I've never really heard it explained like that. Taking an idea and following where it goes. I think that is going to help me be so much more creative. Thanks man!
12:04 the licc intensifies
8:11 - 8:28
Such a precious moment here
Edit:
9:37 - 9:53
I felt that in the whole depth
And after this minimalist loop to fade out
Truly precious
More. Yes. More topics. Just cover more topics, that’s what I want!
This is great, man. Keep making this kinda material. Wish you the best
The improve at one point reminded me of a Radiohead song, Daydreaming
Evren YES
Ive been playing for 20 years, 8 seriously and the rest off and on, but this guy has shown me how to use my knowledge of the Piano to improvise and its amazing. I hqve hundreds of songs memorized but have loved improvising so much more. They need to teach this at piano lessons, or maybe i had a bad teacher
Well then, now you have to release an full piano improve album please, Internet demands it.
Just an FYI, Charles Cornell had already released an album in the middle of last year.
Thank you for restating the fact that improv doesn’t take skill. It takes time and understanding.
This was a great explanation! I do a lot of improv for my church worship team and it’s really hard to explain to people how I play what I play when I improvise, it just happens😂
Oof that minor to major shift at 10:40 really got me in the feels. Not to take away from the emotive mysteriousness of it, but you can hear the jazz and Christmas music undertones in certain parts of the free improv lol
*I need the sheet music for this*
Yesss thank you for explaining it! I took classes as a kid but then stopped cause I didn't have the time. I kept playing at home, just didn't get to learn aaaall the technical stuff. Nonetheless, I can learn a lot by ear and make my own music: I'm so grateful for my teacher who always saved the last 15 minutes of the class so we could improvise together! It was a lot of fun and gave me many tools to create music on my own
9:35 Renai Circulation is that you?!
If you don't hit a million subs this year I'll be absolutely shocked. Fantastic production, great content, and you're an incredible musician. Keep it up Charles!