About this course
Perfect for absolute beginner complete piano players.
Features all the essential techniques for both solo playing and accompaniment, along with a complete system of chords, scales and arpeggios - all introduced individually and then consolidated with complete solos or pieces. This dynamic course features step-by-step guidance with real music examples, and comes complete with audio and video resources to make learning easy and enjoyable. Explore exciting topics like The Chromatic Scale, Major Seventh Chord Formula, Slash Chords, The Key Cycle, and master new skills with every engaging piece.
Music reading, theory, and various styles are covered in developing piano skills from beginner to professional levels.
This course in a printable PDF format
Divides attention between introducing new concepts, reviewing existing knowledge, correcting misunderstandings, and testing innovative approaches.
The musical alphabet consists of seven letters that represent notes on a piano keyboard, specifically the white keys.
Introduces the layout of black keys and identifies the C note, including Middle C, on a standard piano keyboard.
Fingers on the hands are introduced, including standard numbering conventions.
Staff notation, treble and bass clefs, grand staff, and bar lines are introduced.
Introduces fundamental concepts in music notation, covering quarter notes and four-four time signatures.
Introduces fundamental music concepts: notes Middle C through G, and basic rhythm techniques including quarter, half, and whole note values.
The C major chord is introduced, comprising three notes with specific finger placement on the left hand.
Dominant seventh chords are covered, including their notation and construction.
The easy chord transition between C and G7 is explained, utilizing shared notes to enhance finger dexterity.
Melody and accompaniment are covered separately before being played together to master songs with chords.
Introduces the concept of quarter rests, denoting one-beat pauses in musical notation.
The F chord is introduced along with its relationships to other chords, such as C, F, and G7, with tips on transitioning smoothly.
Lead-in notes in music refer to preliminary pitches played before the first complete measure, influencing the final incomplete bar.
Notes A, B, and C are covered, along with stem directions.
Covers the C major scale's distinctive sound, emphasizing proper finger placement and crossover technique for smooth playing.
The octave, spanning 8 notes in a major scale, is examined, including its impact on song structure.
Introduces the fundamental concept of musical keys in relation to scales, using the key of C major as a primary example.
Reads and plays dotted quarter notes, covers first and second endings in classic tunes.
Introduces the fundamentals of reading sheet music, covering the bass staff and left-hand notes.
Techniques for playing chords with the right hand and single notes with the left hand are covered.
Covers essential techniques for playing scales with both hands, focusing on crossover points and timing refinement.
Introduces the fundamental concepts of minor chords with a focus on the D minor chord and its application alongside C chords.
Introduces fundamental techniques for playing melodies and chords using common keyboard fingerings.
Timbres of various instruments and voices are examined.
Sharp signs, D7 chord, and G chord are covered, along with analysis of iconic songs including Morning Has Broken.
The C major chord is introduced and its use in various musical contexts is explained.
Legato technique allows for smooth, connected playing of notes.
The G Major scale is covered, featuring a modified Do Re Mi pattern where F is replaced by F#.
Key signatures are explored, explaining note alterations and their application in traditional Irish dance tunes.
Finger independence and strength developed through practice of scales with individual hands and hands together.
Keyboard navigation techniques are introduced for enhancing learning efficiency and productivity.
Develops skills to play piano across four octaves, encompassing a wide range of musical styles and genres.
Manipulating major chords involves changing their root position and understanding first and second inversions.
Covers various chord progression techniques using the C major chord and its inversions.
G Major chord inversions covered: root position, first inversion, and second inversion.
F major chord forms, including root, first, and second inversions, for musical applications.
Italian tempo markings such as Adagio, Andante, Moderato, Allegro, and Presto explain musical speed.
Covers fundamental techniques and repertoire in Classical music through study of renowned compositions.
Eighth rests indicate a brief pause of one-quarter note duration in music notation.
Syncopation involves playing rhythms off the beat, a technique used in various music styles.
Covers doubling notes in chords, focusing on the most commonly doubled notes: root and fifth.
Am chord inversions are introduced with coverage of root position, first inversion, and second inversion techniques.
Chord voicings are explored through manipulation of bass notes and harmonic variations.
Turnaround progressions are a common pattern in popular songs featuring repeating chord sequences.
Introduces the art of using accents on an instrument, enhancing musical expression through dynamic nuance.
Introduces the D minor chord in root position, first inversion, and second inversion forms.
E minor chord inversions cover root position, first inversion, and second inversion with accompanying diagrams and scores.
Ties are used to create syncopated rhythms with a push effect.
Names notes off the beat to identify and count eighth note rhythms.
Pedal tones are explained as a fundamental concept in music, used across various styles.
Accidentals such as sharps, flats, and naturals are introduced, altering note pitches temporarily.
Enharmonic notes share the same pitch but differ in notation, having multiple names.
The 12-bar blues structure is explored, featuring a repeating chord progression central to African American music traditions.
The chromatic scale is covered, including the use of black notes with their enharmonic spellings.
The proper application of the sustain pedal enhances smoothness in chord transitions.
Harmonizes melodies by building chords on each scale degree for any key.
The B diminished chord is explored in root, first, and second inversions, providing insight into its construction and application.
Analyzing chord progressions and creating piano parts using Roman numerals is covered.
Passing notes and organ-style music are analyzed through the use of scale tone chords.
Introduces intervals as the distance between two musical notes, covering concepts like unison, 2nds to octave, and melodic/harmonic types.
Introduces the concept of interval distance, covering common intervals up to an octave, including tritones.
Introduces the four fundamental types of triads in music theory: major, minor, augmented, and diminished.
Formulas for building triads on any note are introduced, alongside an explanation of scale tone chord patterns in major keys.
Transposes music using Roman numeral notation, allowing easy key changes and seamless collaboration.
Builds and plays the D major chord in various positions utilizing formulas and construction techniques.
Introduces fundamental concepts of D Major Chord inversions, covering their construction and applications in music theory.
B minor chord inversions cover root, first, and second positions, exploring their applications.
Covers the construction of the F Sharp Diminished Chord's root, first, and second inversions.
Minor keys and scales, including natural, harmonic, and melodic types, are examined in detail.
Tempo markings such as accelerando, rallentando, and ritenuto are covered, along with how to recognize and apply them.
Relative keys are based on a concept where each major key has a minor counterpart sharing identical chord progressions.
Natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales are examined for their patterns and characteristics.
Harmonic minor scales are explored, featuring the distinctive raised 7th note that differs from the key signature.
Harmonic minor scales generate distinct chord progressions used in various musical contexts.
Covers the melodic minor scale's unique characteristics and applications in music, including its use in chord progressions and songwriting.
Renowned composers' works are analyzed to broaden harmonic knowledge and master classical piano techniques.
Introduces essential skills for playing blues, rock, and boogie piano in various keys, emphasizing chord progressions and scales mastery.
Alternating octaves in the left hand creates a driving rhythm, enhancing coordination and key flexibility.
The 12-bar blues pattern is widely used in genres including Blues, Jazz, and Rock.
Covers the fundamental structure of the 12-bar blues progression in various keys, focusing on the use of I, IV, and V chords.
Introduces techniques for adding bluesy harmonies using flattened thirds, fifths, and sevenths.
Introduces the Blues Scale as a useful framework for identifying blue notes and creating melodic interest.
Eighth note triplets are applied to 7th chords, Blues scales, and riff creation.
Swing rhythms in Blues, Jazz, and Funk are explored, covering their underlying concepts.
Introduces the concept of creating a dynamic shuffle rhythm using eighth notes and triplets with coordinated hands.
Practicing short lines with the Blues scale over a shuffle progression develops improvisation skills for Blues solos.
The seventh chord is a common chord type consisting of four notes, constructed from the major scale.
Root position and three variations of the G7 chord inversion are covered, along with practical applications in Blues, Boogie, and Rock piano styles.
The C7 chord's structure, positions, and fingerings are introduced, including explanations of its composition.
The F7 chord's four basic positions are introduced, covering how to play them on a keyboard.
Simplifies partial 7th chords by omitting specific notes for ease of playing and achieving targeted tonal results.
Introduces the formula for building 7th chords on any note and covers creating various chord voicings with minor 3rd intervals.
The D7 chord's notes, positions, and inversions are covered, including relevant music theory.
Covers the technical and artistic aspects of playing grace notes in various piano styles.
Left-hand blues and boogie piano patterns are applied to a 12-bar blues progression.
Covers sixteenth note triplets, their counting pattern, and common Blues applications.
Properly positioning the thumb nail enables comfortable sliding towards or away from notes.
Trill and tremolo techniques for rapid note alternations in piano playing are covered.
Introduces fundamental rhythmic concepts and basic keyboard techniques for creating engaging keyboard parts.
Introduces the concept of building major scales by understanding the patterns of tones and semitones.
Key signatures and major scales are essential for confident playing across keys, facilitating improvisation and melodic expression.
Relative keys cover the relationships between major and minor scales, as well as identifying song keys through analysis of final notes or chords.
Introduces scale tone chords for all major and minor keys using a triad pattern to generate practical chord progressions.
Introduces the primary chords, the three most widely used chords in any key, serving as a harmonic base for melodies.
Introduces chord voicings containing melody notes, exploring techniques for creating varied accompaniment.
Introduces techniques for harmonizing melodies with secondary chords and applying the scale tone chord diagram to transpose music across keys.
Transpose chord progressions to all keys and develop various playing techniques.
Implying V-I progressions across different keys through secondary dominants, harmonizing melodies within a single key.
Twelve-eight time features 12 eighth-note beats per bar, requiring precise counting and application in musical contexts.
Introduces formulas and properties of five seventh chord types: major, dominant, minor, minor 7-flat 5, and diminished.
Introduces techniques for mastering 7th chord voicings in four inversions, a fundamental skill for jazz piano.
Seventh chord theory and application in various musical settings.
Guide tones are applied to create smooth chord progressions and interesting voicings.
Triads are used to imply 7th chords, simplifying complex harmonies and expanding harmonic possibilities.
The scale tone 7th pattern and chords are introduced in all keys.
Covers the creation of seven melodic modes from a major scale, each with distinct sound and usage.
Harmonic concepts: Understanding modes in various keys and their practical applications.
Mode formulas enable creation of various modes from any chromatic scale note.
Modal tonalities are created by applying modes derived from major scales, offering various sound options for musical compositions.
Introduces the concept of modulation, including techniques for transitioning between keys and exploring relationships between major and minor scales.
Covers extended chords, including 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths, with formulas for major, dominant, and minor types.
Introduces techniques for building 9th chords from a bass note using scale tone 7th chord principles.
Introduces techniques for creating 11th chords by extending 9th chords with a third interval, covering minor, dominant, and major voicings.
Covers techniques for substituting dominant 11th chords with suspended 7th chords, enhancing harmonic range.
Extending chords to the 11th degree introduces Lydian tonality.
Thirteenth chords are created by adding a third interval to an eleventh chord, featuring variations in major, minor, and dominant types.
Sixth chords are compared to thirteenth chords, with techniques for using them in jazz and rock music.
The D major key is covered, including its scale, chords, and arpeggios.
The fundamentals of music theory are applied to the D major scale, covering its tones and seventh chords.
Extended chords in D are covered, as well as transposing pieces to new keys and applying blues playing techniques.
Applies chord theory to A natural and harmonic minor scales, introducing 7th chords and their application in minor key harmonization.
Introduces the concept of applying the b9 note in chord V to harmonize melodies in minor keys using higher extensions.
Substitutions in harmonic and melodic minor keys are applied using major key techniques.
Disciplined learning helps develop mastery of a challenging piece despite variations in time signature and level of difficulty.
Developing musical skills involves listening to diverse recordings spanning classical to rock, jazz, and funk, featuring notable performers.
Develops skills in transcribing music and playing with others through hands-on practice and ear training exercises.
Covers chord formulas and their application in the context of the C Scale.
Formulas for altered chords and techniques for transcribing jazz piano parts are examined.
Fundamental music theory concepts include accidentals, chords, dynamics, intervals, and others.
