Effortless Mastery | Kenny Werner | Talks at Google

Performance and lecture by jazz pianist and composer Kenny Werner.
Kenny Werner is a world-class pianist and composer. His prolific output of compositions, recordings and publications continue to impact audiences around the world. He has played just about every major festival in the world and performed and recorded with Tony and Grammy Award winning artists. He has also composed for many orchestras and jazz orchestras around the world, including the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, Cologne Radio Jazz Orchestra, Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra, Metropole Orchestra, Umo Jazz Orchestra, BBC Radio Orchestra, and Dallas Symphony.
In 1996, Kenny published a groundbreaking book on the emotional, spiritual, physical and psychological aspects of mastering and performing titled "Effortless Mastery." The book has since been translated into several languages and is required reading in many universities as it is regarded as an essential read for artists of any kind.
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[@housepianist]

I'm a professional musician and have been playing the piano for 45 years and I learned quite a bit in this lecture. Well done.

[@tinglokyan]

Randall C ,my Mom is learning jazz,u like jazz?

[@michaelxinsun7232]

I've been so lucky to have attended this in person at Google. Simply brilliant!

[@CrossBonesAlex]

I read "Free Play" of S. N., too - I fully agree to the content of both books - I used to study musical therapy several years ago and part of the concept was painting with instrumental music in the background (e.g. Bach) - before we started painting we went out into the garden drawing sketches of whatever caught our attention. After that we started painting using the sketches as a starting point. After several minutes of work I realized that I was painting something totally different from the sketch. Then the docent walked over to me to see what I was doing. He said: "This is beautiful" Then I said "I don't know what I am painting" - and he answered: "That's why it is beautiful..."

[@adamf.4823]

The last few minutes was some of the most beautiful piano playing I've ever heard.

[@Philtr3]

The bit where he talks about when you play your best, spot on! I play my best when there's no external pressure and i'm just playing for the joy but i dedicate sessions to doing that and just record everything in my DAW then pick out the best parts. I've had the closest experiences to what he describes when i've imbibed. There's also a state of flow which athletes achieve which can be applied to music but Kenny really broke it down for so suffice to say i bought his book.

[@evolvingSEO]

Wow so cool to see him give this talk at Google! He was a guest lecturer at UNH where I was a piano performance student 1997-2001. His classes (and book) profoundly changed the way I looked at approaching the instrument.

[@innermusic7408]

that final composition brought me in tears

[@vigilant545]

Check his CD "Gu-Ru" out. It's from this CD..one of the best jazz CDs ever in my opinion.

[@stephenhill6003]

His improvisation often reminds me of being a kid watching Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. I loved the piano on that show.

I agree, especially at 32 minutes of this video. His style is very mellow. Love it.

[@gabrielgal3363]

Kingdoms of beauty. Serenity and dreaminess.

[@ExecutionSommaire]

Self-tyranny is never a good friend, but yeah as a musician you get a lot of pressure about what you "should" practice, and that the Greats practiced all the time so you must do the same, but you don't so you feel miserable, etc... I watched some of Hal Galper's master classes too, he says great things about how you should only practice stuff that motivate you, that you feel rewarded with once you've nailed them. And when it's time to perform, be all playful and not afraid of "mistakes", provided that you practiced before so that the music comes without conscious thinking (if not, don't do the gig). I feel like I've been adrift for a good while with negative thoughts and conceptions about how skilled I should become before I have the right to enjoy being a musician, go jamming (hey, gotta learn at least those 30 tunes before, right?), start a project, compose... What Kenny says about the inspiration-killing that comes with the expectancy of "playing/composing something good" seems like a really good tip. Overall there are huge benefits watching those guys talk and play (I'm thinking of Barry Harris too... Hank Jones... wonderful), just do that every now and then between practice sessions and it'll make you take leaps. Too often our neurons get strained with picky practice, getting obsessed with a technical difficulty etc... Need to get reminders of the big picture of playing music, sometimes.

[@SUBSYNDICATE]

well said man!

[@Kallana100]

ExecutionSommaire thanks for sharing. I totally get what youre saying and can relate with you. All the best in your journey!!

[@jazzbirdbecky]

I heard KW in Buffalo years ago. Brilliant man. I just ordered my second EM book as I gave mine away and need to read it again.

[@jeffreywattles3595]

How wonderful to see the method of Kenny's outstanding book, Effortless Mastery, introduced and demonstrated. In each of the two major improvisations a familiar tune emerged, bringing warmth and love from above/within. The only thing I would add is that the book includes essentials not mentioned here, pertaining to study of form and other components of musical technique. Randomness here seems to function initially to move beyond the mind and it's unbeautifulnesses. Enjoy.

[@lydiankid]

Kenny Werner book is really helpful. But it should be emphasized, that there is quite a bit of effort involved. Though recieving the music while being in the space maybe effortless, mastery can only achieved by practicing thoroughly, so that the practiced material can be withdrawn effortlessly when performing.

[@tinglokyan]

lydiankid ,l agree

[@tinglokyan]

lydiankid ,nice

[@tinglokyan]

lydiankid good

[@dajunonator]

Well said!

[@harrissimo]

GOOGLE is awesome! And so is Kenny Werner.

[@carolinemoerenhout9850]

Overfocus verminderen bij het spelen van muziek. Ook bij stotteren verminderen is het de bedoeling om je overfocus te verminderen.

[@eaglelight108]

how would you approach teaching a beginner student? How do you balance teachings of theory and technique with the level of intuitive and kinesiological knowledge you have from years of work?

[@bijukarthikdrums]

Thank you @Talks at Google!

[@JackDanielVO]

Thanks Kenny. Beautiful.

[@jeffdawson2786]

Kenny is the only solo piano improviser who can sweep me away, other than Keith Jarrett. 🎼❤️. Bill Evans called it “the universal musical mind.”

[@jlucguitar]

Un concept et belle musique .......

[@Kallana100]

Just wondering who was his teacher in Brazil....

[@mercysmartt9765]

Did I hear some Barbara Allen in there around 6 mins in..?

[@MrPianomonster]

Great guy !!!

[@sucessistherealizationofaw7876]

Michael Martinez Turned me on to this, Yea!!!!

[@mymatemartin]

Deep soul.

[@katherinepetty1933]

Beautiful...

[@michelangelo644]

28:30 -- last tune. unreal

[@albernynicolas4330]

Michelangelo I would listen To him all my life...

[@DHGroove]

This song is Gu-ru off the Gu-ru album. Tons of live versions as well, and each version can be quite different.

[@jamesmeustache7740]

Have I just been through headspace?

[@VikasDeo]

This is beautiful :)

[@judygaddy]

current flow smiling

[@DJSTOEK]

💘

[@tinglokyan]

Nice

[@tinglokyan]

Very interesting......

[@bearr8390]

@@tinglokyan lmao

[@miguelurdaci7884]

Totally valid, helpful stuff and very nicely presented. But it the message can also mislead. It is impossible to play Autumn Leaves or a Beethoven piano concerto (or even Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on the violin) without the EFFORT. Once your effort has got you up some steps then you can stop making the effort and relax in 'that space'. Maybe 'that space' came as a surprise to Kenny as a piano player - as piano learning can be so straight jacketed. This stuff is not new to most blues, rock and flamenco guitarists; most know exactly what 'that space' is from the get go. They bash away, join in with those around them, it sound terrible but they have fun. They go back, put some effort in and learn some basics. After a while, in the right setting, they let the learnt stuff go and simply do their thing. Same with tennis, ballet, football, painting ... Nice to hear it from Kenny though.

[@australiancomposer]

Miguel Urdaci but I think the bit you're missing is that you can work/practice in that space which is not probably where most people are when practicing

[@timkingston203]

I don't suppose there is an altruistic person out there who has transcribed Kenny's version of 'Somewhere'?

Funny, piano players always hum when the music takes them over.

[@wyeth1023]

!!!!

[@leedarkin-miller3591]

3:21

[@AlbertoLopezisnotit]

!*!*!

[@businessbusiness9407]

lol thought this was a TED talk on humblebragging for a minute

[@karien4961]

yoga achter de piano! improviseren kun je leren :)

[@kraeuterguru]

seems he doesnt like bars.

[@myingratealbinochild4825]

He plays even better since he loss all the weight.

[@theprior46]

I haven't learned anything from this sadly - other than I don't know what he is talking about it's so out of context. He doesn't factor-in the automatic influence in his playing based on his musical experience of playing nor what he has studied in his personal history, his harmonic knowledge, his technical facility, his musical ear and sense of musical taste. There is no Sparky's magic piano it's a myth. His atonal style doesn't move me in any way at all it's like a random cycle of almost jazzy sounds and there seems no imagery in what he plays - the music is lost and seems to have no direction. It reminds me of meditation music that's royalty free and best to use when meditating in a floatation tank.

[@adityatyagi4009]

All this nonsense about mastering anything "effortlessly" is just that: nonsense. Mastery takes a lot of dedication over a long period of time and requires overcoming obstacles and dealing with frustration. It requires a great deal of persistence and even the masters still believe they have a lot to learn.

[@robyartic]

He is saying nothing interesting..... playing the piano as well as being a jazz musician it's not enough

[@THEPHYSICALSPIRIT]

I suggest you out interest him then my friend

[@robyartic]

THEPHYSICALSPIRIT sure thing don't worry!

[@PabloVestory]

it's not enough for what? It is interesting that there are people that could not find this interesting. And could be capable of type.

[@jazzupthattriad1257]

This guy's anecdotes are verging a bit on the 'zeny'/ mindfulness sort of fraudster knack. Mostly okay, but it's hard to listen to someone who so blatantly thinks of himself as a *Genius*.

[@lottewonder]

well,..id rather don`t wanna know what YOU think of yourself,... if you check out his teaching deeper, you would find an amazing treasure box of especially practise routines that ? really will blow your mind,...

[@scottdoyle6690]

Werner does not believe himself a genius. He just believes in the incredibly effective mental habit of labeling or thinking of yourself a master to combat the intense compulsion to compare yourself to you heroes, "the masters," and self-criticize to the point of self-sabotage. The issue is that there is no finish line - all "the masters" still practice and feel like they have so much more to learn, so there's no "there" to get to, that produces a feeling of true completion, or ultimate self-confidence. It just never happens among sensitive or artistic musicians, so why not skip the whole stupid game and meditate on yourself as a master until you believe it. It just gets so much of the mental garbage out of the way so you can focus on your real business of making music.

[@australiancomposer]

Arturo Senni this reflects you more than Kenny. I really didn't get an arrogant vibe at all