Saturday, August 27, 2005

How To Dress Up �Naked Music� On The Piano

How To Dress Up �Naked Music� On The Piano: "How To Dress Up Naked Music On The Piano!



How To Dress Up �Naked Music� On The Piano


What in the world is �naked music?�
You know it when you hear it, but the words that describe it sound strange, don�t they? We�ve all heard of popular music and rock music and gospel music and jazz music, but naked music?
Naked music is simply the notes on a piece of sheet music. It�s �naked� � not dressed up or arranged at all. No fills, no slurs, none of the ingredients that make a song come to life.
Not a single professional musician plays the music exactly as it appears on a piece of sheet music. Instead, they use the written music as a map, or an outline, and then proceed to do their own thing with it. They twist it, bend it, add to it, subtract from it, put fills in it, change the key, change the words, change some of the melody notes, and on and on.
So when you hear your favorite artist perform a piece of music, if you look at the written sheet music while they are performing it, you will see it is MUCH different and MUCH better than the plain old �naked music!�
So how can the average musician dress up naked music? There are many ways, but here are seven of my favorites:
Change the chords slightly by adding color tones. What are color tones? Color tones are notes added to the basic chord, usually expressed as 6ths, 7ths, 9ths, etc. For example, instead of playing just a straight C chord as it is written � C, E, G � try adding a color tone to it, such as a 6th (A) or a 7th (Bb) or a major 7th (B) or a 9th (D). In fact, try adding a couple together, like a 6th and a 9th. So instead of being a plain vanilla chord made up of C, E, and G, you�ve made it a tasty variat"

Friday, August 26, 2005

Tapes That Help A Child Learn Music

Tapes That Help A Child Learn Music

Tapes That Help A Child Learn Music

It is right to say that when your child listens to a
karaoke tape and joins in they are actually learning
something of value about music. Furthermore, it could be
said that your child is helping their memory as well as
their reading and social skills. Karaoke tapes can also be
bought that provide an educational element, as they include
tuition in health, the environment and science. Good value
from some tapes or CDs that have lyrics of popular songs!

As a young child, I loved to sing along with the radio and
tape my favorite songs so I could listen to them over and
over again as though I was the star singer. My mother also
broke down a few times and purchased records that had the
words to some children songs printed on a separate sheet and
tucked inside the jacket. I would sit for hours playing the
songs over and over again so I could memorize every word.
While my family didn't have the extra income to enroll me in
private singing lessons, I did enjoy taking this experience
to tryouts for the school plays and concerts. Many times, I
had memorized these songs so closely to the record's
versions that I won a few choice parts.

Friday, August 19, 2005

Does Music Impact Epilepsy �

Does Music Impact Epilepsy �: "Does Music Impact Epilepsy �
For Bad Or For Good?



Does Music Impact Epilepsy � For Bad Or For Good?

His name was Kung Tsu Chen. He was a Chinese poet in 1847 when he described a rare but very real phenomenon now known as �musicogenic epilepsy�. With musicogenic epilepsy, the individual suffers from brain seizures that are triggered by music, and in his case a very specific kind of music. You see, Kung Tsu Chen recorded that though he didn�t know why, he would become sick when he would hear the sound of a street vendor�s flute during the evening sun.

Researchers tell us that this form of epilepsy can appear as a result of many kinds of music. In the case of our Chinese poet the trigger was apparently flute melodies, but seizures can be triggered by type of music, or type of instrument, the composer or even the emotional content of the piece. As a matter of fact, in some cases just thinking about the music, regardless of whether the individual is awake or not, is enough to trigger an epileptic seizure.

Exactly how musicogenic episodes are induced is unknown and unfortunately due to how few cases of musicogenic epilepsy in the world the research monies have not been available to study this question directly. It has been suggested, however, that the right temporal lobe of the brain contains, within the right auditory cortex, a series of modules that specialize in processing music. If this is so, the theory suggests, then musicogenic epilepsy is evidence of a malfunction of this part of the brain.


Fortunately, that�s not the end of the story. Music has also been found to have a profoundly positive effect on individuals with epilepsy as well. One research study even found that when epileptic patients are treated with music therapy "

Piano sheet music

Piano sheet music: "Piano sheet music sources online


Click on the thumbnail below:

Piano Sheet Music
Piano sheet music -- people ask me all the time where they can get this song or that song -- popular songs, classical songs, gospel songs -- you name it. And the simple answer is -- all over the internet. There are tons of sites that offer sheet music for the piano, as well as for guitar, orchestra, bands, singers, and every other kind of musical instrument.
The best source I have found for piano sheet music online is Sheet Music Plus -- a wonderful company that makes it easy for you to order most any piece of sheet music.
If you're looking for sheet music, we recommend Sheet Music Plus. They have the World's largest selection, guaranteed low prices, and great customer service. Just click on the button below and it will take you direct to their online store where you can order piano sheet music, vocal sheet music, or most any other type of sheet music.


Here are just a few of the thousands of sheet musical songs you can get at Sheet Music Plus. Some of these are piano sheet music, while others are piano and vocal sheet music:

Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
You'll Never Find - Lou Rawls
My Way - Frank Sinatra
I'm A Believer - Monkees (or Smash Mouth)
In The Mood - Glenn Miller
Mack the Knife - Bobby Darin
In The Still of the Night - the Five Satins
Y.M.C.A. - Village People
Joy To The World - Three Dog Night
L-O-V-E - Nat 'King' Cole
Shout - Isley Brothers
Twist - Chubby Checker
My Girl - Four Tops
Because You Loved Me - Celene Dion
Build Me Up (Buttercup) - Foundations
We Are Family - Sister Sledge
Fly Me To The Moon - Frank Sinatra
Chicken Dance - various art"

Thursday, August 18, 2005

Musical form

Musical form: "
Issue No. 25 �
'Secrets of Exciting Chords & Chord Progressions!'




This is the ' Secrets of Exciting Chords & Chord Progressions!' newsletter that you (or someone using your E-mail address) signed up for when you visited our site. If you no longer want to receive these free weekly E-mail piano lessons, toggle down to the bottom of this E-mail and you'll see where you can take yourself off the list. We take your privacy (and ours) very seriously, so we don't want anyone receiving our stuff who doesn't want it! ('cause thousands really do!).

' Secrets of Exciting Piano Chords & Piano Chord Progressions!'

- Lesson 25 -

Chord Progressions Part Six
'What You Need To Know About Musical Form'



Chord progressions come in sections, like one room in a house. You can put several different rooms together to make a big house, or you can live in a one room house. Just like people. In most 3rd world countries people live in one room houses -- which means, of course, that much of the world lives in one-room houses.

Those of us who live in the West generally live in multi-room houses.

But there are also musical houses -- we call them songs -- that are built out of several different rooms -- several different chord progressions. Some of them, like mansions and castles, go on and on and get quite involved.

But most songs are like many modest houses -- they have 2 or 3 rooms, sometimes 4 -- built using 2 or 3 or 4 different chord progressions.
Each 'room' in a musical house is called a theme, or a 'motif'. The first theme is always called 'A'. The next theme is called 'B', the next theme is called 'C', and so on. Most songs only have 2 or 3 "

Free piano lessons online index

Free piano lessons online index: " Index of Free Piano Lessons Online

Index of The Free 101-Week (Used to be 39-week) Course in
'Secrets of Piano Chords & Chord Progressions'
Sign-up form -- www.playpiano.com/FreeLessons.htm
http://playpiano.com/101-tips/IndexOfThe101WeekCourseInChordsChordProgressions.htm
Week 0 - Welcome to 101 weeks of free piano lessons online!
Week 1 - 'What Chords Do I Absolutely, Positively Need To Know?'
Week 2 - 'Flying Over Chordland - The 48 Basic Chords - Times 3'
Week 3 - 'All The Major Chords'
Week 4 - 'All The Minor Chords'
Week 5 - 'Inversions: Chords On Their Heads'

Week 6 - 'All the Diminished Triads'
Week 7 - 'All the Augmented Triads'
Week 8 - 'All the Major 6th Chords'
Week 9 - 'All the Minor 6th Chords'
Week 10 - 'All the 7th Chords'
Week 11 - 'All the Maj7th Chords'
Week 12 - 'All the 9th Chords'
Week 13 - 'All the 11th Chords'
Week 14 - 'All the 13th Chords'
Week 15 - 'The Three Diminished 7th Chords'
Week 16 - 'Suspensions'
Week 17 - 'Alterations'
Week 18 - 'Slash Chords'
Week 19 - 'Oops! I forgot Minor 7th Chords!'
Week 20 - 'Chord Progressions Part I - The Circle of Keys'
Week 21 - 'Chord Progressions Part 2 - The Circle of Minor Keys'
Week 22 - 'How To Find The Key of a Song When There Are Flats In The Key Signature'
Week 23 - 'How To Find The Key of a Song When There Are Sharps In The Key Signature'
`Week 24 - The 'Oh Duh!' Chord Progression
Week 25 - 'What You Need To Know About Musical Form
Week 26 - The 'Creep' Chord Progression
Week"

"Secrets of Piano Chords & Chord Progressions"

Index of The Free 101-Week (Used to be 39-week) Course in
"Secrets of Piano Chords & Chord Progressions"Sign-up form -- www.playpiano.com/FreeLessons.htm

http://playpiano.com/101-tips/IndexOfThe101WeekCourseInChordsChordProgressions.htm

Week 0 - Welcome to 101 weeks of free piano lessons online!

Week 1 - "What Chords Do I Absolutely, Positively Need To Know?"

Week 2 - "Flying Over Chordland - The 48 Basic Chords - Times 3"

Week 3 - "All The Major Chords"

Week 4 - "All The Minor Chords"

Week 5 - "Inversions: Chords On Their Heads"

Week 6 - "All the Diminished Triads"

Week 7 - "All the Augmented Triads"

Week 8 - "All the Major 6th Chords"

Week 9 - "All the Minor 6th Chords"

Week 10 - "All the 7th Chords"

Week 11 - "All the Maj7th Chords"

Week 12 - "All the 9th Chords"

Week 13 - "All the 11th Chords"

Week 14 - "All the 13th Chords"

Week 15 - "The Three Diminished 7th Chords"

Week 16 - "Suspensions"

Week 17 - "Alterations"

Week 18 - "Slash Chords"

Week 19 - "Oops! I forgot Minor 7th Chords!"

Week 20 - "Chord Progressions Part I - The Circle of Keys"

Week 21 - "Chord Progressions Part 2 - The Circle of Minor Keys"

Week 22 - "How To Find The Key of a Song When There Are Flats In The Key Signature"

Week 23 - "How To Find The Key of a Song When There Are Sharps In The Key Signature"

`Week 24 - The "Oh Duh!" Chord Progression

Week 25 - "What You Need To Know About Musical Form

Week 26 - The "Creep" Chord Progression

Week 27 - "The 'II - V7 - I' Chord Progression"

Week 28 - "The 'VI - II - V7 - I' Chord Progression"

Week 29 - The "Blue Moon" Chord Progression

Week 30 - Embedded Chord Subs In The "Blue Moon" Chord Progression

Week 31 - The "12 Bar Blues" Chord Progression

Week 32 - Embedded Chord Subs In The "12 Bar Blues" Chord Progression

Week 33 - "Alternating 7th & m7ths" Chord Progression

Week 34 - "How To Create Unlimited Original Chord Progressions Using Chord Substitutions - Part 1"

Week 35 - "How To Create Unlimited Original Chord Progressions Using Chord Substitutions - Part 2"

Week 36 - "How To Create Unlimited Original Chord Progressions Using Chord Substitutions - Part 3"

Week 37 - Gospel Chord Progression #1 - "Get On That Church!"

Week 38 - Gospel Chord Progression #2 - "Get On Up That V7 Chord!"

Week 39: "It's Graduation Day!"

Week 40: "Practice Ideas"

Week 41: "Transposition & Modulation"

Week 42: "Intervals"

Week 43: Review of Chords -- The Building Blocks Of Scales

Week 44: Inversions: Chords On Their Heads

Week 45: "Voicing"

Week 46: "Modal Scales"

Week 47: The Family of Chords Chart

Week 48: "Playing Christmas Carols On The Piano"

Week 49 - What songs can I play with just a few chords?

Week 50 - Major 7th chords

Week 51 - What All Do I Need To Know?

Week 52 - How To Predict Which Chord Comes Next

How To Play Piano Using Chord Symbols

How To Play Piano Using Chord Symbols

Fm7 -- C-9 -- Ebm6 -- Amaj7





Chord symbols (for example, Cmaj7 or G6) are a type of notation used frequently in jazz and other areas of modern music to notate chord progressions and changes. This type of notation differs from that of classical music in that chord symbols don't show the function of a chord the way the Roman numeral notation does. Chord symbols, for modern music with lots of changes, are much easier to read. They function as a sort of shorthand for change-heavy music and are written with four chord parts in mind: the root, the quality, the extension, and the alterations.
The first part in chord symbols, the root, tells the musician which note is the root of the chord. In an E6 chord, for instance, the E serves as the root. Chord symbols also allow for inverted chords, or chords with a root other than the bass note. These chord symbols express that by showing the bass note with a diagonal slash under the original symbol.

Quality, the second part in chord symbols, denotes whether the chord is major, minor, diminished, or augmented. In a Cmaj7, the maj tells us that the C chord is major. The abbreviations for this area in chord symbols are maj, min, dim, and aug, respectively.

The extension in chord symbols, written after the quality, shows the musician if the chord differs from a triad (a third chord), such as an eleventh or seventh. This part of chord symbols is not always shown; if there is no indication of an extension, the musician is to assume that the chord is a triad.

The last part in chord symbols, the alteration, is usually but not always expressed. Think of this part as the "notes" section in chord symbols; it gives the musician any specific (and sometimes irregular) instructions for playing the chord and is always written in parentheses after the extension (or the quality, if no extension exists). For instance, (no fifth) would tell the musician that the chord is to be played with the fifth tone left out. Sus – short for “suspension”, would mean to play the 4th scale note instead of the 3rd. A minus sign would mean to lower (flat) a chord tone, such as C-9 which would mean to flat the 9th of the chord. Conversely, a plus sign would mean to raise (sharp) a particular chord tone.

Reading music using chord symbols allows a person to use written music as a map, rather than a note-for-note approach. By just reading the melody note and the chord symbols, musicians can improvise to their hearts content and create their own sounds on the keyboard.

The best of all worlds, however, is to be able to read music as it is written in a sheet music score, but also be able to read the chord symbols. Then the musician is free to choose which is best – the written part, or an improvised part. The sky is the limit for musicians who can do both.

Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music courses for adults including "How To Add Runs & Fills To Your Piano Playing" He is also the author of the popular free 101-week online e-mail newsletter titled "Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions" with over 60,400 current subscribers








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Wednesday, August 17, 2005

3 Quick & Easy Steps To Playing Music By Ear

3 Quick & Easy Steps To Playing Music By Ear: "3 Quick & Easy Steps To
Playing Music by Ear



Playing by ear is the ability to play a piece of music (or, eventually, learn an instrument) by simply listening to it repeatedly. The majority of self-taught musicians began their education this way; they picked up their instrument and began playing an easy melody from a well-known song, slowly picking out the notes as they went along. And even after these musicians master their instruments or a particular song, playing by ear still plays a large role. Many pop and rock bands don't play or write their songs based on sheet music, they figure the songs out by playing by ear. It's even common among non-musicians. Ever sit down a piano and mindlessly pick out the tune to 'Mary Had a Little Lamb'? What about grabbing a guitar and suddenly finding yourself playing the opening licks to 'Smoke on the Water'? That's playing by ear. You're able to play part of the song just because you've heard it so often.
Since music is basically composed of 3 elements � melody, rhythm, and harmony, it is logical that there are also 3 basic steps to learning to play music by ear:
1. Charting the contour of the melody. Tunes move higher and lower � up and down � as the song progresses. Being aware of that movement is the first step. Once you mentally define the parameters of the melody, you can then begin to hone in on picking it out on your instrument. As an example, think of �Joy To The World�. We�ve all sung it a zillion times, but have you ever noticed that the melody moves down exactly 8 steps (an octave), then gradually moves back up in increments, then repeats the down movement, etc. The entire melody is contained within those 8 notes, so you now know the parameters of the song and can begin to pick out the "

Music Therapy: Can Music Really

Music Therapy: Can Music Really
“Soothe The Savage Beast?”







Music Therapy: Can Music Really “Soothe The Savage Beast?”


It has long been suggested that “music soothes the savage beast.” But is this true? And if it is, does this have any implication where humans are concerned? The answer, apparently, is yes. To illustrate this, researchers point to the different physiological changes that take place within the human body in response to different sounds and noises. A loud noise that shatters the silence sets the human heart racing and stimulates a rush of adrenaline that prepares you for flight. In contrast a soft, soothing sound helps us to relax.

Music therapy has, in fact, been around for thousands of years. Nearly four thousand years ago the Hebrew Scriptures recorded that the boy who would later become King David was hired by his predecessor to play the harp to calm King Saul when he would go into a rage. Likewise, the use of music therapy is found in the writings of ancient civilizations such as Egypt, China, India, Greece and Rome.

More recently, scientists have been studying the effects of music therapy and have documented changes in respiratory rates, blood pressure, and pulse in response to musical stimuli. Likewise, researchers in the realm of music therapy have found that the use of music therapy can be effective in areas as diverse as IQ and recovery rates, pain management and weight loss.

Some object that this sounds too good to be true. How can music therapy change something like pain management? Researchers tell us that the reason music therapy works is based on how we hear. Sound is little more than vibrations in the air that are picked up by the inner ear and transferred to the brain which is a key component in your nervous system and controls the functions of the body and the brain responds to the stimuli that it is given.

In light of this, music therapy can and often is used in a wide variety of applications. One common application for music therapy is in working with autistic individuals because research has found that music can help autistic children to express themselves. Likewise, music therapy has been found to help individuals with physical disabilities to develop better motor skills.

With music therapy, individuals with high levels of anxiety can be helped to express suppressed emotions thereby discharging anger, or enabling the individual to express the joy they would not otherwise be able to express. Likewise, research has found that music therapy can help lower the anxiety levels of hospital patients who find themselves facing frightening prospects and in an unfamiliar environment. Furthermore, music therapy has been found to help medical professionals with pain management such that they have been able to reduce pain medication by as much as one half by helping to stimulate the production of the body’s own pain killers, called endorphins.

Music therapy can come is a wide variety of forms. In some cases it’s as simple as having the individual listen to particular music. In other cases music therapy requires a more interactive approach, having the individual respond to the music either in dance or using some other form of expression. But in its many forms, music therapy has often been found to be beneficial

Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music books and music educational materials such as DVD's, CD's, musical games for kids, chord charts, musical software, and piano lesson instructional courses for adults. He has also logged time as an assistant music therapist, piano tuner, funeral and wedding singer, and assorted other musical positions. His book-CD-DVD course titled "How To Dress Up Naked Music On The Piano!" has sold over 100,000 copies around the world. He holds advanced degrees from Southern Oregon University and was the founder of Piano University in Southern Oregon. He is the author of the popular free 101-week online e-mail newsletter titled "Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions" with over 58,300 current subscribers.








Learn piano lessons at PlayPiano.com

Saturday, August 13, 2005

Chord Charts - Piano Chord Chart Finder!- Find any piano chord instantly!

Chord Charts - Piano Chord Chart Finder!- Find any piano chord instantly!

How Many Chords Are There, Anyway?

How Many Chords Are There, Anyway?: "How Many Chords Are There, Anyway?




How Many Chords Are There, Anyway?

Since chords (the main component of harmony) are one of the three most vital elements of music � the others being melody and rhythm � it would be useful to know how many chords there are. And it doesn�t matter whether you play piano or guitar or some other instrument � chords are chords.
It�s certainly not necessary to learn all the chords in the whole wide world, but it is necessary to learn some of them � at least enough to allow you to harmonize the songs you would like to play.
But meanwhile, there are 3 chords -- just 3 -- that you absolutely, positively have to know. If you don't know these three, there's hardly a song in the whole world that you could play. But by knowing just 3 chords, you can play hundreds, if not thousands of songs! And those chords are simply the primary chords in any given key:
�The I chord (the chord built on the 1st degree of the scale)
�The IV chord (the chord built on the 4th degree of the scale)
�The V chord (the chord built on the 5th degree of the scale)
For example, if you were playing in the Key of C, the I chord would be C (c, e, g), the IV chord would be F (f, a, c), and the V chord would be G (g, b, d).
But as you probably know, there are thousands of other chords, so it would be helpful to at least know of their existence and maybe someday learn them.
So here goes:
Since there are 12 major keys one can play in (not counting enharmonic keys � keys that sound the same but are written differently), there are:
*12 major triads (a triad is a 3 note chord)
*12 minor triads
*12 diminished triads
*12 augmented triads
*12 diminished 7th"

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Friday, August 12, 2005

Exciting ‘Crash Course’ in Piano Playing for Adults

Week 3 Of The Exciting ‘Crash Course’ in Piano Playing for Adults

http://www.pianolessonsbyvideo.com/articles/3-crash-piano-course.htm




Week Three - Crash Course For Adults in Exciting Piano Playing

After a quick review of week two's lesson, Duane begins week three by further explaining the key of C and several of its concepts: family chords, principal chords and a bit of scale structure. And while some of these concepts are simply sneak peeks at what's to come in your year-long piano training, the knowledge is valuable to a greater understanding of the songs you've played and will be playing. You'll begin hands-on practice with a new piece exercising your note-reading ability and chord recognition, one that even serves to solidify your knowledge of the C scale's inner-workings.

Practice will then continue with a discussion of the treble and bass clef -- specifically the bass, which is a brand new concept. In addition to reviewing left-hand fingerings, you'll learn to locate and read notes in both clefs using a series of tried and true anagrams. You'll then practice one song two ways: first by reading music and pointer chords only in the treble clef, then by taking those previously learned pointer chords to the bass clef staff (which is different than the treble clef staff as far as note reading is concerned). Duane slowly walks you through both versions of this song, pointing out the important similarities and divulging common tips for successfully understanding and playing in both clefs. You'll also learn the difference between reading music as it's written and in lead-sheet format, the way in which you've been playing accompaniment so far. Instead of relying on chord symbols to guide your accompaniment, you'll begin to read specific notation and understand the benefits of both techniques.

For further technique exercise, you'll be assigned a few practice songs from the supplementary book. These songs function as an essential review; while the main text's songs often focus mostly on the technique most recently learned, the supplementary songs include everything covered so far, allowing you to constantly practice and apply each week's concepts.

Crash course in piano playing for adults - Week 3

http://www.pianolessonsbyvideo.com/articles/3-crash-piano-course.htm

Week Three

After a quick review of week two's lesson, Duane begins week three by further explaining the key of C and several of its concepts: family chords, principle chords and a bit of scale structure. And while some of these concepts are simply sneak peeks at what's to come in your year-long piano training, the knowledge is valuable to a greater understanding of the songs you've played and will be playing. You'll begin hands-on practice with a new piece exercising your note-reading ability and chord recognition, one that even serves to solidify your knowledge of the C scale's inner-workings.
Practice will then continue with a discussion of the treble and bass clef -- specifically the bass, which is a brand new concept. In addition to reviewing left-hand fingerings, you'll learn to locate and read notes in both clefs using a series of tried and true anagrams. You'll then practice one song two ways: first by reading music and pointer chords only in the treble clef, then by taking those previously learned pointer chords to the bass clef staff (which is different than the treble clef staff as far as note reading is concerned). Duane slowly walks you through both versions of this song, pointing out the important similarities and divulging common tips for successfully understanding and playing in both clefs. You'll also learn the difference between reading music as it's written and in lead-sheet format, the way in which you've been playing accompaniment so far. Instead of relying on chord symbols to guide your accompaniment, you'll begin to read specific notation and understand the benefits of both techniques.
For further technique exercise, you'll be assigned a few practice songs from the supplementary book. These songs function as an essential review; while the main text's songs often focus mostly on the technique most recently learned, the supplementary songs include everything covered so far, allowing you to constantly practice and apply each week's concepts.

Lesson 3 in Piano Crash Course For Adults

Week Three - Piano Crash Course For Adults

After a quick review of week two's lesson, Duane begins week three by further explaining the key of C and several of its concepts: family chords, principle chords and a bit of scale structure. And while some of these concepts are simply sneak peeks at what's to come in your year-long piano training, the knowledge is valuable to a greater understanding of the songs you've played and will be playing. You'll begin hands-on practice with a new piece exercising your note-reading ability and chord recognition, one that even serves to solidify your knowledge of the C scale's inner-workings.
Practice will then continue with a discussion of the treble and bass clef -- specifically the bass, which is a brand new concept. In addition to reviewing left-hand fingerings, you'll learn to locate and read notes in both clefs using a series of tried and true anagrams. You'll then practice one song two ways: first by reading music and pointer chords only in the treble clef, then by taking those previously learned pointer chords to the bass clef staff (which is different than the treble clef staff as far as note reading is concerned). Duane slowly walks you through both versions of this song, pointing out the important similarities and divulging common tips for successfully understanding and playing in both clefs. You'll also learn the difference between reading music as it's written and in lead-sheet format, the way in which you've been playing accompaniment so far. Instead of relying on chord symbols to guide your accompaniment, you'll begin to read specific notation and understand the benefits of both techniques.
For further technique exercise, you'll be assigned a few practice songs from the supplementary book. These songs function as an essential review; while the main text's songs often focus mostly on the technique most recently learned, the supplementary songs include everything covered so far, allowing you to constantly practice and apply each week's concepts.

Week Two Of The Exciting ‘Crash Course’ in Piano Playing for Adults

Week Two Of The Exciting ‘Crash Course’ in Piano Playing for Adults
Week two starts with a basic review of the techniques learned in week one; you'll briefly cover the chords, fingerings and exercises practiced during the first week to ensure your ability to easily move forward to week two's new concepts. After warming up and solidifying your week one lesson, you'll be introduced to three new notes, widening your note knowledge to an entire eight-note octave. Duane demonstrates the new fingerings needed to accommodate this extended range and shows you the technique used to play an entire C scale with only one hand. He'll then slowly guide you through a new song that covers every note you've learned in the C scale and exercises your ability to play them with the proper fingerings; the song also allows you the opportunity to practice your left-hand chord accompaniment.
The lesson then moves on to two new chords that supplement the three introduced last week. Again using the pointer system, you'll learn the proper fingerings for each chord and the importance of these chords to the C major scale; Duane also adds a new octave to your range and explains the value of pick-up notes. You'll begin work on two more songs in the main text (including the ever popular "Oh, Susanna") to exercise your fingering technique and chord recognition, learning to practice the left and right hand parts individually before putting the two together. Duane then takes you to the supplementary book to try your hands at "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and "On Top of Old Smoky," two pieces that fully test your ability to apply the concepts taught so far.

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

3 Secrets To Understanding

3 Secrets To Understanding: "3 Secrets To Understanding
What Music Is Made Of




3 Secrets To Understanding What Music Is Made Of

It�s no secret that virtually everyone loves music in some form or other.
The country-western fan may not like jazz, but he or she sure loves the sound of pickin� & grinnin�.
And that�s as it should be. If we all liked the same kind of music, there just wouldn�t be the variety that is available to us now. We can choose from musical styles ranging from heavy classical and opera to rock to children�s songs to Broadway musicals to gospel music to the blues.
Each has its place, and each seems on the surface to be drastically different than another form of music. The key word is �on the surface.� But beneath the surface of all music is a commonality that is organic to all forms and styles of music.
So what does all music have in common?
At least 3 things � sometimes more, but never less:
Melody
Rhythm
Harmony
The melody is the part of a song or composition that you whistle or hum � in other words, the tune of the song. In one sense, it is the most visible of the 3 elements, because melody is what identifies a song. Without melody, it would be difficult to even conceive of a song or piece.
In musical notation, the melody is almost always written in the treble clef � also known as the treble staff. It consists of a horizontal line of notes that move up and down on the clef as the tune moves higher or lower.
Rhythm is the beat � the swing � the throb of the music. It happens in repeating patterns, depending upon the type of music. It is like a horizontal line of beats which occur at regular or semi-regular intervals. A waltz, for example, basically consists of a heavy bea"

Tuesday, August 09, 2005

10 Top Reasons You Should Learn to Play �Chord� Piano

10 Top Reasons You Should Learn to Play �Chord� Piano: "

10 Top Reasons You Should Learn to Play �Chord� Piano


There are roughly umpteen zillion reasons why you should learn enough chords to be able to �chord a song� at the piano.
By �chord a song�, I mean the ability to play 3 or 4 chords on the piano in some sort of rhythm while you or someone else sings the tune. To do this, you don�t need to be a Van Cliburn; all you need to do is learn a few basic chords and be able to more back and forth between them in some organized rhythmic pattern.
For example, did you realize that all of these songs (and hundreds more) can be sung or played with just 3 chords?
Auld Lang Syne
Amazing Grace
Kum Ba Ya
Silent Night
Joy To The World
Jingle Bells
Happy Birthday
Down In The Valley
On Top Of Old Smoky
�and hundreds or maybe thousands more!
Add just one more chord to the basic 3, and you can play another thousand songs or so. So why not learn a few chords and start your chording career?
Here are my top 10 reasons for learning �chord piano�:


1) It�s easy. Learn 3 chords and start in.

2) Even though it�s easy to get started, you don�t have to stop there. You can learn more and more chords and more rhythm patterns and get really good.

3) You�ll be able to play �Happy Birthday� while the gang sings it.

4) You�ll be able to play half-a-dozen Christmas carols. In case you haven�t noticed, Christmas comes every year, so every year you�ll get better as you participate in family gatherings.

5) You can help your kids learn to play the piano, guitar, or most any other instrument by learning chords. Most teachers don�t teach chords, s"

If Seals can sing, so can you!

If Seals can sing, so can you!: "If Seals Can Sing, So Can You!



It sounds like a side show, doesn�t it? It does to me. But it�s true; researchers have discovered that some varieties of seals really do sing. Indeed, male leopard seals have been heard singing complex melodies in their lonely search for a mate. Likewise, male Weddell seals, which are a very social creature, lure their mate by improvising original melodies the way a master musician would in front of an audience.
Hearing that seals sing really shouldn�t surprise any of us. Music is a central element of life. Walk through the forest at night in the eastern part of the United States and you can�t help but be moved by the symphony of sound that is created when each woodland creature sings its part.
Music moves us, often in ways that we don�t understand. For example who hasn�t been calmed by the sound of quiet singing such as a lullaby? But more than that, who can explain why cows produce more milk and chickens lay more eggs when listening to certain songs like The Blue Danube? I�ve seen many studies that verify that these observations are true, but none that I�ve seen fully explain why.
Fortunately, we don�t really have to understand why singing and music in general is so central to the world we live in to benefit from it. I doubt that Mozart or Beethoven understood it, but we have all benefited from the works of these two masters, both of whom seem to have benefited from listening to the birds sing. As a matter of fact, many people believe that Beethoven actually stole the opening to his Violin Concerto in D, Opus 61 from the song of the European Blackbird! Maybe, maybe not. But we know from Mozart�s own notebooks that he played the last movement of his Piano Concerto in G Major to his pet starling who then sang the passage"

"The Crash Course In Exciting Piano Playing!"

You're On Your Way To Playing Piano Like You've Always Dreamed!




Lesson One -
"The Crash Course In Exciting Piano Playing!"
You're On Your Way To Playing Piano Like You've Always Dreamed!


Week one's journey into the world of piano starts at the very beginning: the piano keyboard. After a brief review of the texts and their methods, you'll be introduced to the keys themselves, learning quickly to find middle C and to identify a number of notes in the C major scale.

Duane explains right-hand fingering techniques, register and basic musical notation before walking you step by step through the melodies of your first two songs. But melodies are only half the battle; the lesson then moves on to the chords and left-hand accompaniment that a full, complete sound requires. Using the "pointer" method -- a method by which chords and their fingerings are learned -- Duane shows you several in a set of C major scale family chords, giving you the ability to play well-known songs like "Merrily We Roll Along" and "Lightly Row" with both hands.

If you're saying "I don't want to learn silly little songs like that", remember that we are learning principles we can then apply to any song -- including all the songs you will someday love to play!


After being taught the fingerings and structure of your newly learned chords, you'll move on to the fundamentals of music theory and sight reading. New terms such as staff, clef, measure and bar line are explained fully, as are their sister concepts rhythm, melody, harmony, time signature and note values. Duane shows you the essentials of music reading and guides you through several songs geared toward exercising your knowledge, stopping along the way to explain any new concept or idea. It's a slow, careful method of learning the basics, one punctuated by a short quiz to test what you've learned thus far.


The last several minutes of this first lesson move in for a close-up, giving you a bird's eye view of Duane's hands as he again demonstrates the chords, fingerings and exercises included in this lesson. It's a chance to see, in detail, what your hands really should be doing and a valuable tool for understanding and reviewing the techniques introduced in your first week, as well as a "preview of coming attractions" -- exciting techniques you will learn later on.

And remember -- you don't have to commit yourself to a full year -- you can "sample" the course by signing up for just the first month. But if you do, I warn you -- you will be hooked because you'll start to see that you really can learn to play the piano -- it's not just a wishful dream.

Thursday, August 04, 2005

Creep chord progression

Creep chord progression: "
Issue No. 26 �
'Secrets of Exciting Chords & Chord Progressions!'




This is the ' Secrets of Exciting Chords & Chord Progressions!' newsletter that you (or someone using your E-mail address) signed up for when you visited our site. If you no longer want to receive these free weekly E-mail piano lessons, toggle down to the bottom of this E-mail and you'll see where you can take yourself off the list. We take your privacy (and ours) very seriously, so we don't want anyone receiving our stuff who doesn't want it! ('cause thousands really do!).

' Secrets of Exciting Piano Chords & Piano Chord Progressions!'

- Lesson 26 -
Chord Progressions Part Seven
'The 'Creep' Chord Progression'



A couple lessons ago we learned the most obvious chord progression of all:
The 'Oh Duh' Chord Progression
1. If there are 3 primary chords in a key -- I, IV, and V -- and there are;
2. And since most songs start and end on the I chord -- and they do;
3. Then the obvious conclusion is that there are only two possibilities for the next chord -- the V chord or the IV chord;
4. So if the melody note is part of the V chord, then the chord is probably the V chord. (Duh!) If the melody is not part of the V chord, then the chord is probably the IV chord. (Duh!)


Just to briefly review, here they are again -- the 3 most used chords -- the primary chords -- in each major key:

This time we're going to learn the 'creep' chord progression, using those diminished 7th chords we learned back a few lessons ago. I call it the 'creep' because the chords creep up gradually until you arrive at a stable chord, then the song goes elsewhere."

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Musical form

Musical form: "
Issue No. 25 �
'Secrets of Exciting Chords & Chord Progressions!'




This is the ' Secrets of Exciting Chords & Chord Progressions!' newsletter that you (or someone using your E-mail address) signed up for when you visited our site. If you no longer want to receive these free weekly E-mail piano lessons, toggle down to the bottom of this E-mail and you'll see where you can take yourself off the list. We take your privacy (and ours) very seriously, so we don't want anyone receiving our stuff who doesn't want it! ('cause thousands really do!).

' Secrets of Exciting Piano Chords & Piano Chord Progressions!'

- Lesson 25 -

Chord Progressions Part Six
'What You Need To Know About Musical Form'



Chord progressions come in sections, like one room in a house. You can put several different rooms together to make a big house, or you can live in a one room house. Just like people. In most 3rd world countries people live in one room houses -- which means, of course, that much of the world lives in one-room houses.

Those of us who live in the West generally live in multi-room houses.

But there are also musical houses -- we call them songs -- that are built out of several different rooms -- several different chord progressions. Some of them, like mansions and castles, go on and on and get quite involved.

But most songs are like many modest houses -- they have 2 or 3 rooms, sometimes 4 -- built using 2 or 3 or 4 different chord progressions.
Each 'room' in a musical house is called a theme, or a 'motif'. The first theme is always called 'A'. The next theme is called 'B', the next theme is called 'C', and so on. Most songs only have 2 or 3 "

Oh Duh chord progression

Oh Duh chord progression: "
Issue No. 24 �
'Secrets of Exciting Chords & Chord Progressions!'




This is the ' Secrets of Exciting Chords & Chord Progressions!' newsletter that you (or someone using your E-mail address) signed up for when you visited our site. If you no longer want to receive these free weekly E-mail piano lessons, toggle down to the bottom of this E-mail and you'll see where you can take yourself off the list. We take your privacy (and ours) very seriously, so we don't want anyone receiving our stuff who doesn't want it! ('cause thousands really do!).

' Secrets of Exciting Piano Chords & Piano Chord Progressions!'

- Lesson 24 -
Chord Progressions Part Five:
'The 'Oh Duh!' Chord Progression'


I think we have laid the foundation for understanding chord progressions now. We have covered chords from basic triads to extended, altered, suspended, and slash chords. We have learned how the circle of keys works in both major and minor keys. And we have learned how to tell what key a song is in when there are flats in the key signature, when there are sharps in the key signature, and when there is neither.
So let's begin learning some of the most used chord progressions -- the progressions that happen over and over and over again in song after song after song.
The first progression we will consider I have labeled the 'Oh Duh!' chord progression. When my daughter, Kendra, was in junior high school, she and her friends used to use that term a lot. Whenever I said something overly obvious, she would say 'Oh Duh!' -- meaning, of course, that whatever I said was so painfully obvious that it really didn't need to be said at all.
And that's exactly what this chord progression is -- "

Keyboard & Piano Instruction Courses

Keyboard & Piano Instruction Courses: "



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home :: keyboard & piano music instruction courses
Keyboard & Piano Instruction Courses
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Learn to play electronic keyboard, synthesizer, digital piano, or acoustic piano with these top-notch music instruction courses! Whether your thing is classical or jazz or gospel or folk, there's a course here for everyone!
Learn To Play Electronic Keyboards -- a course in how to play electric keyboards.
Learn to play gospel piano by ear! - Gospel music lessons.
How To Play Chord Piano...In 10 Days! - a 10 day course in chording
How To Dress Up Naked Music On The Piano! A great course in making your playing fuller and more exciting through chord styles.
52 Week Crash Course In Exciting Piano Playing -- a year-long course. 52 weekly lessons on DVD along with printed books and materials.
Pro Secrets Piano Course -- a 3 year course in professional piano playing techniques. Learn one technique and get it down cold each month, then move on to the next. Only for serious students -- it's hard work!
Improvising On The Piano Course - a 7 month course in improvising, starting with the blues and then moving to pop songs and ballads.

'How To Play Chord Piano In Ten Days' -- the best-selling piano course
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Make Money Teaching Piano -- turn your musical talent into money! Learn from the man who has created over 500 piano courses and has taught hundreds of thousands of people to play the piano, both in person"

Guitar articles -- guitar playing

Guitar articles -- guitar playing: "



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Incredible deals in musical instruments. Slightly scratched or blemished guitars, keyboards, drums, brass & reed instruments. HUGE savings! home :: guitar articles

Articles Of Interest on Guitars & Guitar Playing
Here are some articles of interest to you if you are learning the guitar.
You can find more information about particular instruments and how they work, their cost, how to shop for a musical instrument, and how to care for your musical instrument by going to www.musical-instrument-review.com

How To Read Guitar Tab

08/03/05
by Steve Bishop
How To Read Guitar Tab

Here is a step by step guide to reading guitar tablature. Tablature is generally simple to read, and is also simple to write.

You start out with 6 lines which correspond to the string of the instrument. The top line is the highest pitch string, and the bottom line is the lowest pitch string. Below is a blank TAB with the string names at the left.

E----------------------------------------------------------------
B----------------------------------------------------------------
G----------------------------------------------------------------
D----------------------------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------------------------------------------

Numbers are written on the lines to show you where to fret the string with your left hand. If a zero is written on a line, this means you need to play the open string. Like standard musical notation, you read f"

Drums and drum sets

Drums and drum sets: "
News of GREAT DEALS in musical instruments of all kinds - from GUITARS to DRUMS to PIANOS to KEYBOARDS to SAXES to TRUMPETS to...
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Drums & drum sets

Drums are as old as humankind. Its structure consists of a hollow metal body over which stretched membrane is fitted. Drums produce sound when membrane is strike by the rounded wooden sticks. Different tuning keys or pegs are also used to tighten or loosen the membrane to get special tones. The vibrations of the membrane produce the sound when they struck.
Shopping for Drums
You can often find some really good deals on the internet for both the new and used drums. Try visiting online stores because they usually have at least 100 used drum kits for sale. But for top quality, buy a new set from Musicians Friend.
Gain as much information about drum quality as you can, before you purchase a drum kit. There are certain things which you must consider before choosing a right drum for yourself.
Buying your first drum set can be menacing and confusing but there are a few basic things to understand which can make it easier. The standard drum set package is made of the following parts:
Snare drum
Bass drum
Two tom toms mounted on the bass drum
Floor tom
Cymbals are considered separate and a standard package is:
Ride cymbal
Two hi-hat cymbals
Crash cymbal

Drums Hardware
The hardware includes other accessories like the bass drum pedal and hi hat stand, the snare and cymbal stands and the mount for the tom toms. Mostly, they are easily available in fine quality but there are definite differences in the durability and ease of use from one manufacturer to another. It is usually divided into single and double braced categories and double braced is very sturdy.
Used Dr"

Cornets -- cousin of the trumpet family

Cornets -- cousin of the trumpet family: "
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Cornets -- cousin of the trumpet family

History of The Cornet
The cornet was developed in late 1500�s by an instrument known as post horn. With the addition of valves to post horn, a new instrument was made with the name of cornet. In late 1900�s, it was replaced by the trumpet. Cornet was very much used in jazz bands and became the most popular musical instrument in 1920. Now-a-days, this musical instrument is generally used in school and military bands. Difference between the sounds of cornets and trumpets is not a great deal.
Best Cornet for Beginners
Cornet is proved to be a good musical instrument for beginners. This instrument is handy as compared to trumpet. Cornet is more popular among small children. Your selection of a musical instrument should depend on where you would like to play the instrument. Well known musical bands like Brass bands uses cornet.
Hold the cornet in front of you with its mouthpiece to your lips and the bell directly forward. The valves are operated by the right hand and left hand provides the support. Cornet is a very simple instrument to start with, but high puff is required. So, it is not good for children less than 11 years old.
Difference between Trumpet and Cornet
The trumpet, similar to the cornet, is an orchestral instrument. The basic difference between a cornet and a trumpet is that cornet has a conical bore, on the other hand trumpet has a cylindrical bore. The sound produced by the cornet is softer and sweeter with a little more agile whereas the sound generated by the trumpet is hard and bright.
For a novice, it is really hard to find the difference between the two instruments."
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