Whar I mean is this. Myt partner has been playing piano for thirty years, she can read anything well first time, she cant improvise a note. This is the way I was taught 'classical' method, on my first instrument. I really wanted to improvise, could read anything but was stuck - completely stuck. The modern musician almost must improvise. Many of the bands I have been in have very accomplished musicians that cant read a note - particularly gu8itarists. Why? Well notation just cant capture certain things, the wail of a blues harmonica or the screech of a electric solo - how can you write these things down? If you do it would be so complex that it would only be readable by the very few. I once was handed a chart of a sax solo it was full of demisemiquavers, but all that was really happening was the player was coming in a little early.
Whilst I agree reading music in an elementary way is useful and should be in the kit bag, I have on my bookshelf several volumes of piano exercises, for impro and tech, I would not suggest putting these in front of the eyes and playing them. Much better (IMHO) to dispense with the third man (the page) and just have you and the piano. Learn some theory, learn some song forms, then apply your exercise to these. not to the original exercise only, but also to other settings, this way learning increases exponentially My partner can easily read the heads of the Real Book but flounders on the chords. Its just a personal belief, but I feel that harmonic understanding should be taught first, and applied rigorously, before reading, reading has its place of course, but even the accomplished classical player dispenses with it as soon as is possible. When I read for the piano I make sure to close the page as soon as I have mastered a phrase/line that way I memorise. Its a common trap to use reading as a crutch. Who wants to walk on crutches?
I'm actually trying to avoid what Zero Zero describes. It's easy to lose the forest while you're in the trees of learning to read music, to the neglect of learning your instrument intimately (exploring and touching it in intuitive meaningful ways guided by the theory of chord formulas, scale formulas, and discovery of their fingerings - far beyond your ability to read fluently.)
But that's been my lack of balance - so for me, that is why my approach this time around includes the balance I've lacked in the past.
The discussion is not whether or not to focus on both reading and non-reading exercise - but how to best balance your time between the two. And that's different for everyone given your previous history and hindsight.
Sounds reasonable to me as a plan, Joe, my only concern involves the intentional neglecting of one very important aspect of the thing and you don't sound like you'll fall for that anymore.
Joe, learn to read music from many different angle as you approach keyboard. When it starts to feel like monotony, move on to a different type of exercise. Macs recommendations are great for scales and parallel and contrapuntal movement from what I recall. I also remember a Fingerpower series. These seem boring but they are fundamental to getting your hands to do what is needed in actual playing. Also check out the Scott Houston stuff. His stuff will get you comping for pop and rock. He will expect some ability to read and for you to know note names and time values. I love his teaching style-very encouraging and gets folks a sense of accomplishment with pretty quick and long term useful techniques and ideas. You might find some of his series on ebAy
Somehow for me - playing around with motor coordination and fingerings is fun, but reading is very fatiguing...especially the contrapuntal lines and scales (Mac's very good book suggestions) where the left and right hands are doing very different / Independent things very frequently and at the very same time - like switching positions at different times, playing notes simultaneously.
I know I will have to very work on these things at some point. And I think the goal is to see the staff as a single composite object - not 2 different hands. But my guess is that composite comes after many arduous hours with the more difficult reading studies. I know all this - I just don't enjoy the process (hence - I'm not a working musician : )
...where the left and right hands are doing very different / Independent things very frequently and at the very same time - like switching positions at different times, playing notes simultaneously.
I know I will have to very work on these things at some point. And I think the goal is to see the staff as a single composite object - not 2 different hands.
It is not the number of hands, per se, but what happens in the head with the little gray cells that is really the problem we must overcome. The repetition of practice, slowly but always evenly at first, is where the speed comes from, for what we are really doing is programming our brain to familiarity with doing things such as controlling the so-called "muscle memory".
And, it is not a matter just for the keyboard. Guitar players who are serious must also work towards mastering the contrapointal aspects of playing, too.
Jerry Reed transcribed this lick from the New Orleans Jazz pianist Allen Toussaint who wrote the tune, "Southern Nights" - and then taught the lick to Glen Campbell, who enjoyed a hit and its money from same (and I'd bet that Mr. Toussaint did not object to the songwriter's royalties that came his way either...):
Ascending and Descending Chromatics at the same time!
And via the wonders of the internet, we can hit YouTube and find a whole first page of guitarists willing to teach that lick. Slow and even, soon enough comes fast and even, then comes that time when the entire thing is like firing a Macro from within your mind. You don't really think about it anymore, the familiarity breeds the contempt of just firin' it off.
While many may have passed this tune off as being just another country/pop offering, let's not neglect Toussaint's original performance of his song:
Quote:
But my guess is that composite comes after many arduous hours with the more difficult reading studies. I know all this - I just don't enjoy the process (hence - I'm not a working musician : )
One can choose to make it hard and tedious, and will get what they have chosen.
On the other hand, if one heeds my oft mentioned advice to always practice intelligently, work on one small part of a particular problem at a time, only drill for ten to twenty minutes at most on it, set it aside and come back to it another day, don't fall prey to the idea that these things MUST be mastered in a self-imposed deadline situation, in other words always keep your practicing in line with the PGMusic motto, "HAVE FUN" when working with your music, the end results will take care of themselves.
Joe, here is a great segment on Keith Jarrett's drummer and bass player on how important they think piano playing is to playing their own instruments - to support Mac's point from at least a page back.
Lionel Hampton was a drummer and known primarily as a vibrophonist.
He also played a mean "two-finger piano" in which he would use just one finger from each hand on the piano, mimicing the use of the two vibe mallets. And played some great piano that way.
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can transcribe an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
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Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
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-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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