"Fake it" til you play it

by Phil Houseal as published in the Kerrville TX Community Journal Jan 21 09


Craig Coffman wants to give "faking it" a good name.

"Faking it" - or playing by ear - is the concept behind his popular seminars Instant Piano and the new Instant Guitar. It is Coffman's contention that you don't have to look at little black dots in order to harness and enjoy the power of making music.

"That term 'fake' isn't really a description of what is going on," Coffman said. "The guy in a piano bar may be using a fake book, but don't call him a fake musician."

Coffman has been traveling the country since 1993, leading over 200 seminars a year in which he teaches adults how to play piano in one day.

Many of his students took conventional piano lessons as kids, but gave up out of frustration, impatience, or being rapped on the knuckles by autocratic teachers. Those piano teachers are horrified by Coffman's more natural approach to music theory.

"If you are playing pop music, you must be more free about it," he explained. "Music is based on hearing and imitating the playing. Pop music has always been handed down that way. You can't write down everything that is going on in a pop song."

Coffman teaches Instant Piano as part of a national program. He has created his own workshop based on learning guitar "instantly." The Arizona resident plans to ramp it up across the country soon.

"This is a revolutionary concept to most people," he said. "When you talk to people and tell them they can play and don't have to read notes, that is shocking."

Coffman guarantees that his students will leave the workshop able to play simple songs with both hands. They can take home a book and CD to help guide them. It must work, because over five years no one has asked for a refund.

"People call back all the time with astonishing testimonials. One lady in Illinois had tried her whole life to learn piano. Three months after my class, she invited me over to listen to her play. She was 86 years old!"

Coffman is passionate about what he does, and tries not to disparage traditional piano instruction. But he has heard many piano teachers lament how many students drop out of lessons.

"If you can play piano by reading notes, you are in one of the most exclusive clubs in the world," he noted. "So I come along and make it easy for a broader group of people to learn to play. That makes me feel good; it makes me feel like I am doing something to enrich people's lives."

So the next time you overhear a "note reader" use "fake book" as a derogatory term, remember this: "Piano players use 'fake' as a badge of honor," Coffman said, then growls, "We don't need no stinkin' music!"

XXX

Craig Coffman will teach Instant Piano for Hopelessly Busy People, How to Play Piano by Ear, and Instant Guitar on Sunday, Feb 1. For information, visit www.clubed.net or call 830-895-4386.

Club Ed is the Community Education program of the Kerrville Independent School District. Each year, we offer more than 400 classes throughout the Texas Hill Country, along with online courses, business and individual training, and after-school and summer camps. Comment online at clubedcomments.blogspot.com.