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  • My complete piano framework

    The Michael Korman Way of Playing Piano (KorPiano) – (how to play piano, how to learn piano)

    If you’re new to my work: I have a master’s degree and I love helping people learn piano. To get started, send me a DM on Instagram (@no.michael.here).

    Equipment Needed

    There are 3 kinds of pianos:

    1. Digital (88-key)
    2. Acoustic (upright or grand)
    3. Keyboard (61-key)

    You have a decision to make.

    Those are 3 different instruments and you can learn to play any of them. So, you need to decide which one you want to play. It’s like learning to paint and deciding whether you want to do acrylic or watercolor. It’s a personal choice (and I bet you have a fantasy in mind already).

    You also need a metronome. I recommend the Seiko SQ50-V (Note: This is an affiliate link, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases).

    Before we talk about how to play piano, let’s get something out of the way

    I don’t know why you want to learn piano.

    I’ve been so distracted by the narcissists and rescuers (twhich are just another form of narcissists, tbh) that I can’t even know what you’re asking. You must be asking something or we wouldn’t be having this conversation, right?

    So, what is it? What’s “piano playing”, to you? I need some answers. It has to be a back-and-forth conversation. I could talk about something specific, but what’s the point?

    You must ask questions. You have to explore your own body and the piano.

    Just saying “Michael, write me a paragraph on your POV on the subject of piano playing” isn’t gonna cut it. My POV is irrelevant. It’s a jsut a pointer, anywhay. You ‘re POV is the one that needs to be developed. M<y POV makes sense to me, but that’s because it’s refined over years of my own personal experiences. You haven’t had those rxperiences.

    No, you almost certainly don’t get what I’m saying. That’s because you’re not the one being asked the question. You’re the one observing my answer to the question.

    Does it make sense for me to publish this ? After all, you’re unlikely to take it seriously. Statistically speaking, anyone who’s reading this is likely to be a narcissist, a piano teacher, or a rescuer who’s fascinated by my answer as a reflection of my own struggle.

    But honestly, that’s OK. I’ts my responsibility, as an artist, to share my struggles.

    I’d love to help you with piano, but we’re not at that point yet. Are we?

    Main Challenge No. 1: How to Play Fast

    To play fast, you must use the metronome. It’s the only way. If you don’t, you’re going to be in BIG TROUBLE. If you do, there’s hope for you.

    But, you must use it the right way. You must understand that music is a string of beats. There’s a meter. THe beats repeat themselves in a pattern. That’s what “meter” means. It’s finite and predictable.

    The metronome helps you SEE this. It’s a regular click click click click.

    Synchronize your body with the metronome. One basic physical action on every click. Dropping your arms on the keyboard.

    Once you get that far, you’re basically all set. TFrom that point, it’s just a matter of doing it. Use the Waterfall Technique to iron oout the bugs. Like you’d iron out the wrinkles in a green screen before shooting a YouTube video.

    Main Challenge No. 2: How to Play with Both Hands

    It’s not that big of a deal.

    Or is it? I’ve heard lots and lots of beginners on social media complain about this one. I don’t remember complaining about it as a beginner.

    It’s like learning to drive. You don’t say “I know how to make the car accleerate but I haven’t learned how to make it stop yet”. At least, not for very long. You’ll figure out soon enough how to make it stop. You can’t drive forever.

    Playing with both hands is the same thing. It’s not a real problem. It seems like a problem at the time, maybe. But, soon enough, it’ll stop being a problem.

    But, you gotta see the bigger picvture. You gotta see the purpose of all the notes. Because some notes are more important than others. Some hare there for structure and some are there for decoration and some are the MAIN THING YOU’RE TRYING TO SAY.

    Piano isn’t about “two hands”. There’s only one hand. Only one body. You don’t have two bodies when you play piano.

    Do you know what a Bach fugue is? Do you know who Bach is? Johann Sebastian Bach. Famous German guy from hundres of years ago. He wrote songs called “fugues” which are hard because they have 3, 4, 5, 6 things going on at once. It’s like 6 different musicians playing at the same time. YBut YOU have to play all 6. With only 2 hands. This isn’t consistent with the normal, pop culture, beginner mindset about piano (the one that says “piano is about left hand and right hand)”) . This fugue thing is transcend all of that and going to the level of actual wizardyry, real magic.

    So, don’t think you’re so special because you’re struggling with a non-problem. Professionals struggle with the same problem you do, except that ey ethey see it more clearly. Sort of.

    Anyway, to answer your question about “how do I play with both hands?”, you just do it.

    “But Michael, that’s so vague and unclear. What do I DO???”

    You play the music. Get it????????? Come on, stretch your mind a bit. It ain’t that hard.

    Why I’m Publishing This

    What’s the deal here? I’m typing this stuff in response to prompts about how to play piano. But I imagine it’ll be irrestible bait to piano experts who want to bully me into submitting to their cultural norms. And it’ll be ignored by those awho might benefit from it.

    Is that so? I dunno.

    I sorta get what’s happening here. I’m struggling to work out something and I’m being semi-public with that struggle. Predators can sense that and swoop in to take advantage .

    I get that. I really do. But where does that leave me?

    It leaves me right here. In an empty room with only my own insecurities to keep me company.

    I’m starting to understand that both the predators and rescuers don’t really care to read what I’m writing. They only sense the insecurity. Which of course is there because I’m working on solving a problem. I won’t be secure until the problem is solved. It’s like how I’m secure with my understanding of how to play piano. I was insecure for a long time but then when I figured out how to play, I became secure (and then started teaching it to others).

    We’re not there yet with the online marketing piece of this. I haven’t yet solved that problem. But I’m doing it publicly. Will that help me teach piano? I dunno. I suspect it’ll help me teach marketing one day in the future.

    But, for now, I’m gonna kepep framing it as piano instruction and hope it leads somewhere good.

    If you have money, you’re welcome to try convincing me to take you along for the ride.

    Ha ha ha. You don’t get it, do you? Of course you do.

    So yeah, that’s how you playt with two hands. Hope that’s crystal clear.

    BACK OFF IF YOU DON”T LIKE IT.

    Styles (unfinished)

    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Hip-hop
    • Pop

    Skills (unfinished)

    • Improvisation
    • Reading music
    • Playing from chords
    • Singing and playing

    How to learn piano (unfinished)

    • Mindfulness
    • Acceptance
    • Boundaries
    • Mistakes
    • Improvisation
    • Yoga
  • #50 – Start Setting Boundaries

    #50 – Start Setting Boundaries

    Self-Defined Human
    Self-Defined Human
    #50 – Start Setting Boundaries



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    Lately, I’ve been a cheerleader for boundaries. That’s funny because the second episode of this podcast was called “Stop Setting Boundaries”. In this episode, I explain how my thinking has changed by reacting to Episode 2.

    Timeline:

    0:00:00 – Introduction
    0:03:09 – Reacting to Episode 2: “Stop Setting Boundaries”
    0:04:37 – Drama Triangle & The Empowerment Dynamic
    0:08:00 – Boundaries let you have conversations
    0:10:37 – How I look at boundaries these days
    0:13:01 – “Violating” boundaries
    0:14:49 – Topics on which I’ve demonstrated how to set boundaries
    0:17:05 – Restraining order threat
    0:18:08 – Being a Challenger
    0:22:47 – Training your friends
    0:24:29 – Virtue-signalling, being the bigger person
    0:27:59 – “Accountability”
    0:29:28 – Emotional issues
    0:31:26 – Rosenberg Stage 2
    0:34:18 – Jordan Peterson, responsibility
    0:38:52 – Be explicit with the language
    0:42:26 – It’s like a BPD thing
    0:44:19 – Back to the list
    0:46:06 – Teaching
    0:46:22 – Friend zone
    0:47:49 – “Michael, you’re acting like a victim.”
    0:49:42 – I got derailed
    0:52:37 – Back then I was all about acceptance
    0:53:54 – Don’t say it to them
    0:54:51 – You don’t need to justify
    1:01:15 – Just stand still
    1:04:18 – I wouldn’t even say any of that
    1:07:57 – That’s it for this episode

  • How to Respond to Mean Words with Self-Respect When You’re Being Dumped

    Breakups can really hurt, especially when nasty words get thrown around. It’s tempting to take those words to heart and make things even messier. But here’s the thing: those mean words often come from a place of unresolved pain. That’s why setting some healthy boundaries becomes super important when you’re dealing with the aftermath of a breakup. It’s all about respecting yourself and keeping your emotional well-being intact.

    Pain → Mean words → Taking it personally → 💥

    To stop taking it personally, you need boundaries.

    DOs and DON’Ts When Setting Boundaries

    The purpose of a boundary is to keep you sane, not to control the other person.

    DON’T deny responsibility.
    DON’T try to convince them to see things your way.
    DON’T attack, blame or belittle them.
    DON’T argue with the picture they paint of you.
    DON’T be sarcastic or passive-aggressive.
    DON’T try to stop them from getting upset.
    DON’T assume they should already know your boundaries (even if you’ve told them before).

    DO state clearly what’s your responsibility and what’s theirs.
    DO acknowledge that their way may be right for them.
    DO speak matter-of-factly, without emotion.
    DO address the actual words they said.
    DO make a good-faith effort to communicate.
    DO expect them to misunderstand.
    DO rephrase things to help them understand.

    Examples

    Let’s look at some examples of what you might hear when being dumped. For each one, I’ll first give a “bad” response (one that takes it personally) and then a “good” response (one that clearly sets a boundary).

    “You never loved me. You’re incapable of understanding real love.”

    ❌ You replied: “That’s not true! I did love you, and it’s unfair for you to claim otherwise. You’re the one who doesn’t understand real love if you can’t see the depth of my feelings. Don’t try to diminish what we had just because things didn’t work out.”

    ✅ You should have said: “It’s not your job to decide whom I love and how I express love. That’s my job. Your job is to communicate how you want to be loved.”

    “You need therapy.”

    ❌ You replied: “I don’t need therapy! You’re the one with the issues, not me. Stop trying to deflect and project your problems onto me.”

    ✅ You should have said: “It’s my responsibility, not yours, to decide if and how I get support for my own mental health.”

    “You need to move on.”

    ❌ You replied: “I can’t believe you’re saying that. I still love you, and I’m not ready to give up on us. How can you be so cold and dismissive?”

    ✅ You should have said: “It’s my job, not yours, to decide how and for how long I grieve the loss of important relationships.”

    “I can’t believe I ever loved someone as weak and needy as you. You’re just a pathetic loser. No wonder I left you.”

    ❌ You replied: “I can’t believe you’re saying these hurtful things to me! I am not weak and needy, and I am certainly not a pathetic loser. Maybe you left because you couldn’t handle someone who truly cared about you. It’s clear now that I deserve better than someone who would stoop so low to attack and belittle me.”

    ✅ You should have said: “I won’t tolerate being spoken to with such disrespect. It’s not your place to belittle me or label me as weak and needy. I have my own strengths and qualities that you once appreciated. If you can’t engage in this conversation with mutual respect and empathy, then I think it’s best we disengage.”

    “I’ve made up my mind, and there’s nothing you can do to change it. We’re incompatible, and you need to accept that.”

    ❌ You replied: “You’re wrong! We had something special, and I believe we can work through this. Don’t be so quick to dismiss the possibility. I know we had our issues, but I’m willing to make changes and fight for us. You’re underestimating what we had together.”

    ✅ You should have said: “It’s my job, not yours, to decide if and how I attempt to repair important relationships.”

    “You think you can make me change my mind by complimenting me? Too little, too late. You’re delusional and manipulative.”

    ❌ You replied: “I’m not being delusional or manipulative! I genuinely believed that expressing my appreciation for you could make a difference. I thought it might help you see how much you mean to me. But if you’re going to twist my words and attack me like that, maybe you’re the one who’s being unfair and manipulative. I deserve better than this.”

    ✅ You should have said: “It’s up to me, not you, to decide if and how I express appreciation for what I value in the people who are important to me. Your job is to communicate how you wish to hear appreciation.”

    “I don’t need your half-hearted apologies. They mean nothing to me.”

    ❌ You replied: “Half-hearted? That’s not fair! I genuinely meant my apology, but it seems like you’re not willing to see that. I’ve tried to make amends, but if you’re going to dismiss my efforts, then maybe it’s better if we just leave things as they are. I deserve someone who can appreciate and accept a sincere apology.”

    ✅ You should have said: “It’s not your place to decide if and how I express remorse for actions in the past. Those decisions are mine to make.”

    You Need to Practice

    Right now, you’re trying to fix/save/salvage the relationship.

    The bad news is that you’re not yet ready to do that. The good news is that by practicing boundaries, you can take concrete steps in that direction.

    You won’t fix the relationship until you help meet the other person’s needs.
    You won’t be able to help meet their needs until you know their needs.
    You won’t know what their needs are until you understand the meaning behind their words.
    You won’t understand the meaning behind their words until you hear their words objectively.
    You won’t hear their words objectively until you stop getting triggered by their words.
    You won’t stop getting triggered by their words until you have a secure sense of self.
    You won’t have a secure sense of self until you know what is and what isn’t your responsibility.
    You won’t know what is and what isn’t your responsibility until you can set boundaries.
    You won’t be able to set boundaries until you practice.

  • #49 – Spiral Dynamics

    #49 – Spiral Dynamics

    Self-Defined Human
    Self-Defined Human
    #49 – Spiral Dynamics



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    Spiral Dynamics is a framework for making sense of the forces that drive culture. It helps you understand why YouTube commenters are such jerks. Also, why the Godfather cares so much about respect. And why Osho started his cult. And why air traffic controllers aren’t to blame for mid-air collisions.

    I’d take it to a desert island.

    Stay tuned for more episodes on the other colors.

    (Instagram live, April 26, 2023)

    0:00 – Introduction
    3:17 – The Ice Cream Truck Song (the Entertainer)
    6:55 – Spiral Dynamics
    10:23 – Overview of the colors
    20:01 – Zagreb mid-air collision
    27:27 – Osho, Wild Wild Country
    28:50 – Yellow (systems thinking)
    31:19 – Purple (animism, shamanism)
    34:08 – Still DRE
    39:46 – Leo Gura (actualized.org)
    42:55 – Red
    44:29 – Sacred cows in FB groups
    46:10 – Revenge of the Nerds
    47:27 – Instagram algorithm
    50:41 – Respect
    51:40 – The Godfather
    54:09 – YouTube comments

  • #48 – How to Read Music

    #48 – How to Read Music

    Self-Defined Human
    Self-Defined Human
    #48 – How to Read Music



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    Only you can teach yourself how to read music. I have no power over you. The Universe will do its thing, and no, it’s not fair. But here’s a placebo to keep you company. It might even work.

    (Instagram live, April 24, 2023)

    0:00 – Introduction
    1:30 – How to read music
    10:44 – Major and minor keys
    16:48 – The Karate Kid (homework 1)
    18:21 – Major and minor chords
    19:05 – The Empowerment Dynamic
    27:36 – C major chord, treble/bass clef
    30:02 – Spiral Dynamics (homework 2)
    35:22 – Teachers don’t care about you
    40:17 – Philosophy is stupid
    42:32 – Weird Al
    44:46 – Bo Burnham “Inside” (homework 4)
    47:42 – Seventh chords
    51:56 – Parting words

  • #47 – Awake People Use Language Differently

    #47 – Awake People Use Language Differently

    Self-Defined Human
    Self-Defined Human
    #47 – Awake People Use Language Differently



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    All about meditation, language, non-duality and waking up to bullshit. This is graduate-level piano material. Actually, it’s a bit beyond that.

    (Instagram Live from April 22, 2023)

    0:00 Introduction
    0:48 Meditation
    10:10 Is classical music better than contemporary music?
    11:30 Enlightenment
    21:52 Form vs Function
    25:45 A language exercise
    30:43 Duality vs Non-duality
    35:30 Why YouTube comments suck
    40:40 B.F. Skinner, “Verbal Behavior”
    41:42 The pandemic was a good thing
    42:28 AI, revenge porn
    47:48 Marshall Rosenberg, Amtsprache
    51:49 Asleep vs awake people

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