Saturday, March 18, 2006
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Free Piano Lessons Online On Piano Chords & Chord Progressions
http://www.playpiano.com/playmorenotes.html
You can play a lot more notes without having to read more notes...
When you learn to play from chord symbols (such as G7, Fm7, Dm6 -- also known as "piano tabs")
Most professional musicians play from a book called a "Fake Book". I bought my first fake book containing only about 200 songs when I was a teenager -- they were illegal then, but most musicians owned them -- for $50. That would be equal to $500. or more now. But fortunately, they have since become legal, so you can buy a real good one with 1000 songs now for $50. or less. A fake book contains just the melody (tune) and the chord symbols of a song, so you have to know chords to use one. But when you do, your playing comes alive -- you're only reading a few notes, but playing lots of notes.
Most people learn to play the piano by playing just the written music. Playing by written music is exactly what the phrase says it is -- playing the exact notation on a piece of sheet music. But playing by chord symbol is very different. Instead of following the harmony note by note, you follow the chord symbols (i.e. C7 or F) written above the harmonies, filling in the gaps with...well, whatever you want as long as it sticks to those chords. Of course, you'll still read the melody (it is, after all, often what makes the song recognizable) but even that is completely open to interpretation. Playing by chord symbol allows you a freedom that playing by written music simply doesn't. The freedom to create. The freedom to invent. The freedom to arrange chord patterns in the way you want.
Does that mean playing by written music is less important than playing by chord symbol? No. The ability to play by written music is an extremely valuable skill, one that even some of the most famous musicians don't possess. And while you don't necessarily need to know the skill backwards and forwards to create great arrangements, it's a great help.
Chord Symbols: Cmaj7 Am7 Dm7 G7 Eb13 B11 etc.
Chord symbols -- sometimes refered to as "chord tabs" (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.
How to read chord symbols:
The root
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. In a C7 chord, C is the root. Easy enough.
The quality of the chord
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. So Cm means the chord is a C minor chord. Caug means that the chord is a C augmented chord.
The extensions
The extension in chord symbols, written after the quality, shows the musician if the chord differs from a triad, such as an 11th or 6th or 9th or 7th or 13th. So a C9 would mean that the C chord includes the 9th note above C, which is D. A C6 chord would mean that the C chord includes the 6th scale note above C, which is A. 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 alteration
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.
Use sheet music as a map instead of a ball & chain
Reading music using chord symbols allows a person to use written music as a map, rather than a note-for-note approach -- being tied to the written sheet music. 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.
What would you do if your sheet music blew away?
Did you know that many pianists wouldn't have a clue what to do if a gust of wind blew their sheet music off the music rack? I've actually seen it happen, and it is very embarrassing to the pianist. And it's so un-necessary! And there's a true story about a famous concert pianist who could play most any piece of written music, but when asked to play "Happy Birthday" at a party, she couldn't do it because she didn't have any written music! Almost unbelievable, but true.
Once you learn this skill you'll be reading only a few notes per measure, but playing handfuls of notes -- arpeggios, chords, runs, riffs, fills, etc.
http://www.playpiano.com/playmorenotes.html
You can play a lot more notes without having to read more notes...
When you learn to play from chord symbols (such as G7, Fm7, Dm6 -- also known as "piano tabs")
Most professional musicians play from a book called a "Fake Book". I bought my first fake book containing only about 200 songs when I was a teenager -- they were illegal then, but most musicians owned them -- for $50. That would be equal to $500. or more now. But fortunately, they have since become legal, so you can buy a real good one with 1000 songs now for $50. or less. A fake book contains just the melody (tune) and the chord symbols of a song, so you have to know chords to use one. But when you do, your playing comes alive -- you're only reading a few notes, but playing lots of notes.
Most people learn to play the piano by playing just the written music. Playing by written music is exactly what the phrase says it is -- playing the exact notation on a piece of sheet music. But playing by chord symbol is very different. Instead of following the harmony note by note, you follow the chord symbols (i.e. C7 or F) written above the harmonies, filling in the gaps with...well, whatever you want as long as it sticks to those chords. Of course, you'll still read the melody (it is, after all, often what makes the song recognizable) but even that is completely open to interpretation. Playing by chord symbol allows you a freedom that playing by written music simply doesn't. The freedom to create. The freedom to invent. The freedom to arrange chord patterns in the way you want.
Does that mean playing by written music is less important than playing by chord symbol? No. The ability to play by written music is an extremely valuable skill, one that even some of the most famous musicians don't possess. And while you don't necessarily need to know the skill backwards and forwards to create great arrangements, it's a great help.
Chord Symbols: Cmaj7 Am7 Dm7 G7 Eb13 B11 etc.
Chord symbols -- sometimes refered to as "chord tabs" (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.
How to read chord symbols:
The root
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. In a C7 chord, C is the root. Easy enough.
The quality of the chord
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. So Cm means the chord is a C minor chord. Caug means that the chord is a C augmented chord.
The extensions
The extension in chord symbols, written after the quality, shows the musician if the chord differs from a triad, such as an 11th or 6th or 9th or 7th or 13th. So a C9 would mean that the C chord includes the 9th note above C, which is D. A C6 chord would mean that the C chord includes the 6th scale note above C, which is A. 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 alteration
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.
Use sheet music as a map instead of a ball & chain
Reading music using chord symbols allows a person to use written music as a map, rather than a note-for-note approach -- being tied to the written sheet music. 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.
What would you do if your sheet music blew away?
Did you know that many pianists wouldn't have a clue what to do if a gust of wind blew their sheet music off the music rack? I've actually seen it happen, and it is very embarrassing to the pianist. And it's so un-necessary! And there's a true story about a famous concert pianist who could play most any piece of written music, but when asked to play "Happy Birthday" at a party, she couldn't do it because she didn't have any written music! Almost unbelievable, but true.
Once you learn this skill you'll be reading only a few notes per measure, but playing handfuls of notes -- arpeggios, chords, runs, riffs, fills, etc.
http://www.playpiano.com/playmorenotes.html
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Are there really secrets to becoming a really good piano player? Or is it just a matter of practice, practice, practice?
Free Piano Lessons Online On Piano Chords & Chord Progressions: 33 Tips For Becoming a Great Pianist!
"There are at least 33 elements that contribute to becoming a good pianist," says Duane Shinn, pianist and owner of Keyboard Workshop in Medford, Oregon. "There are probably more, but without these 33 principles a pianist cannot hope to rise to the level of his ability."
Are there really secrets to becoming a really good piano player? Or is it just a matter of practice, practice, practice?
Practice is necessary, of course, but you could practice until the cows come home without understanding what you’re doing at the piano, and all you would end up with is fingers that behave obediently to whatever the sheet music or score tells them to do.
Understanding how music works in terms of form and content is the key to productive practice. Then you are not just playing mechanically by rote like a machine, but you can get “inside” the music and eventually let it flow out of your brain and heart as well as your hands.
"There are at least 33 elements that contribute to becoming a good pianist," says Duane Shinn, pianist and owner of Keyboard Workshop in Medford, Oregon. "There are probably more, but without these 33 principles a pianist cannot hope to rise to the level of his ability."
So yes – there really are secrets to becoming the piano player of your dreams. It’s not that anyone is purposefully trying to keep a secret from you, but it’s a rare teacher who has the ability to not only play well but to be able to explain music theory – chords, melody, rhythm, dynamics, and all the other elements that contribute to playing the piano well and with feeling.
In our piano teaching studio at Piano University we have identified 33 distinct skill that must be developed if a person wants to play up to the limit of her or his potential.
"There are at least 33 elements that contribute to becoming a good pianist," says Duane Shinn, pianist and owner of Keyboard Workshop in Medford, Oregon. "There are probably more, but without these 33 principles a pianist cannot hope to rise to the level of his ability."
Are there really secrets to becoming a really good piano player? Or is it just a matter of practice, practice, practice?
Practice is necessary, of course, but you could practice until the cows come home without understanding what you’re doing at the piano, and all you would end up with is fingers that behave obediently to whatever the sheet music or score tells them to do.
Understanding how music works in terms of form and content is the key to productive practice. Then you are not just playing mechanically by rote like a machine, but you can get “inside” the music and eventually let it flow out of your brain and heart as well as your hands.
"There are at least 33 elements that contribute to becoming a good pianist," says Duane Shinn, pianist and owner of Keyboard Workshop in Medford, Oregon. "There are probably more, but without these 33 principles a pianist cannot hope to rise to the level of his ability."
So yes – there really are secrets to becoming the piano player of your dreams. It’s not that anyone is purposefully trying to keep a secret from you, but it’s a rare teacher who has the ability to not only play well but to be able to explain music theory – chords, melody, rhythm, dynamics, and all the other elements that contribute to playing the piano well and with feeling.
In our piano teaching studio at Piano University we have identified 33 distinct skill that must be developed if a person wants to play up to the limit of her or his potential.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
33 Tips For Becoming a Great Pianist!
http://www.playpiano.com/musical-courses/33-tips.htm
I have isolated 33 prime characteristics -- 33 key elements of piano playing, and put them all in one place in a course titled
" 33 Tips For Becoming a Great Pianist!"
You'll get 33 cards that summarize each of the 33 tips -- and on the 4 audio CD's that come with the course you'll hear me explain and demonstrate each of those 33 key elements.
For example, you'll learn when you should look down at your hands, and when you shouldn't, and how to keep from losing your place when you do.
You'll learn the secret of pedaling, and how to make your playing smooth when you want it to be, and explosive when you want it to be. You'll learn the logic of fingering -- whey it's so easy once you understand the principle. You'll learn the 7 secrets of sight reading fast. You'll learn how to train yourself to hear intervals of all kinds, from 2nds to 13ths. You'll learn to recognize chords, and extend them, and substitute them, and how to turn them into various styles by breaking them up in certain ways.
You'll learn to voice chords in open and closed voicings and how to add color tones.
You'll learn how to harmonize and analyze and stylize....and tons more.
Here are the 33 Tips:
1 - Hand & Body Position -- Eye Flips 2 - The key to productive practice -- Spaced Repetition
3 - Attitude -- how it affects your learning4 - How & when to pedal. Using explosive dynamics5 - Exposure: why it's critically important6 - Ear Training -- Intervals from 2nds to 13th 7 - Fingering -- which finger do you use when? 8 - Chord substitutions that create fantastic sounds9 - Chord recognition -- how to recognize what chord is being used10 - Musical vocabulary: tempo words, form words11- Arranging: how's your "bag of tricks" coming along12 - Melodic sense: how does the melody relate to the chords?13 - Sight-reading: 7 fundamentals you can't ignore14 - Key orientation: Can you think in the key you're playing in?15 - Scanning the score before you start playing16 - Mental practice -- how to learn music in bed17 - Repertoire: Why you need one to be prepared18 - Goal setting: How good can you get?19 - Rhythm awareness -- samba, fox trot, etc.20 - Why music history is important to you21 - Idea stealing -- how and where22 - 12-bar blues; creating a motif; "blue notes"23 - Extended chords: 6th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th24 - Technique acquisition: rubber balls, drills25 - Harmonization: Using I, IV & V to harmonize26 - Key identification: Recognizing key signatures27 - Voicing: Open, closed, registers, color tones28 - Improvisation: Making music right out of your head29 - Harmony & theory: How much should you know?30 - Stylistic devices: Western, boogie, jazz, etc.31 - Analysis: How to understand what you're hearing32 - Riffs & runs & fills: How to develop them33 - Cross-pollination: The best of all worlds!
"33 Tips For Becoming a Great Pianist!"
A Priceless 4-Audio CD Set along with 33 individual cards! Duane discusses each card and demonstrates each point on the piano, so you will clearly understand. You get all 33 cardsplus the 4 CD's.
http://www.playpiano.com/musical-courses/33-tips.htm
I have isolated 33 prime characteristics -- 33 key elements of piano playing, and put them all in one place in a course titled
" 33 Tips For Becoming a Great Pianist!"
You'll get 33 cards that summarize each of the 33 tips -- and on the 4 audio CD's that come with the course you'll hear me explain and demonstrate each of those 33 key elements.
For example, you'll learn when you should look down at your hands, and when you shouldn't, and how to keep from losing your place when you do.
You'll learn the secret of pedaling, and how to make your playing smooth when you want it to be, and explosive when you want it to be. You'll learn the logic of fingering -- whey it's so easy once you understand the principle. You'll learn the 7 secrets of sight reading fast. You'll learn how to train yourself to hear intervals of all kinds, from 2nds to 13ths. You'll learn to recognize chords, and extend them, and substitute them, and how to turn them into various styles by breaking them up in certain ways.
You'll learn to voice chords in open and closed voicings and how to add color tones.
You'll learn how to harmonize and analyze and stylize....and tons more.
Here are the 33 Tips:
1 - Hand & Body Position -- Eye Flips 2 - The key to productive practice -- Spaced Repetition
3 - Attitude -- how it affects your learning4 - How & when to pedal. Using explosive dynamics5 - Exposure: why it's critically important6 - Ear Training -- Intervals from 2nds to 13th 7 - Fingering -- which finger do you use when? 8 - Chord substitutions that create fantastic sounds9 - Chord recognition -- how to recognize what chord is being used10 - Musical vocabulary: tempo words, form words11- Arranging: how's your "bag of tricks" coming along12 - Melodic sense: how does the melody relate to the chords?13 - Sight-reading: 7 fundamentals you can't ignore14 - Key orientation: Can you think in the key you're playing in?15 - Scanning the score before you start playing16 - Mental practice -- how to learn music in bed17 - Repertoire: Why you need one to be prepared18 - Goal setting: How good can you get?19 - Rhythm awareness -- samba, fox trot, etc.20 - Why music history is important to you21 - Idea stealing -- how and where22 - 12-bar blues; creating a motif; "blue notes"23 - Extended chords: 6th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th24 - Technique acquisition: rubber balls, drills25 - Harmonization: Using I, IV & V to harmonize26 - Key identification: Recognizing key signatures27 - Voicing: Open, closed, registers, color tones28 - Improvisation: Making music right out of your head29 - Harmony & theory: How much should you know?30 - Stylistic devices: Western, boogie, jazz, etc.31 - Analysis: How to understand what you're hearing32 - Riffs & runs & fills: How to develop them33 - Cross-pollination: The best of all worlds!
"33 Tips For Becoming a Great Pianist!"
A Priceless 4-Audio CD Set along with 33 individual cards! Duane discusses each card and demonstrates each point on the piano, so you will clearly understand. You get all 33 cardsplus the 4 CD's.
http://www.playpiano.com/musical-courses/33-tips.htm
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