Music is a universal language. We all know that in order to master a language, one needs to learn how to read and speak in that language fluently.

When I teach my piano students how to play music, I stress the importance of music reading and the music making processes. A piano player who is proficient in playing by ear but has limited abilities in reading music is considered "music illiterate." A pianist who is a strong sight reader but cannot improvise is also lacking the ability required to make beautiful music.

Most children learn how to speak and understand language before they learn how to read it. Toddlers learn how to talk by improvising a sentence as well as imitating others. Very often, you may not even understand their "child talk." However, after a period of time, when they have acquired new skills and have practiced, you will notice children making huge progress on their language skills and you will be able to communicate with them in simple sentences.

I teach my younger children/beginners how to make music by simply playing notes on the keyboard without correcting the music they made. I also let them imitate what I am doing on the piano. The process of improvising is sometimes more important than the note reading process as it opens up the potential for creativity.

Some piano players struggle with the music making process initially. A great tool to aid the inexperienced improviser is to use rhythm accompaniment. Many modern keyboards come equipped with a rhythm accompaniment feature. One could select any style such as Latin, bossa-nova, or swing jazz before improvising. The rhythm accompaniment helps the player set a steady rhythm and provides a band-like playing environment. This tool is especially helpful for those who are weak in rhythm coordination.

If you have never experienced the joy of piano improvisation, now is the time to get started.