It was a piano chord chart that got me started in piano playing when I was about 14 years old, and over the years I probably have purchased a couple dozen more chord charts of all kinds, from simple to … Continue reading →
I used the tri-tone substitution for years before I knew the name of it, and perhaps you do also. It makes sense, because it allows you to “slide in” to the target chord for a smoother transition. In fact, I … Continue reading →
Would you go to a doctor who couldn’t tell your liver from your heart? I don’t think so. So why do millions of people take piano lessons from teachers who are great at sight-reading, technique, and all the other areas … Continue reading →
Students sometimes become confused by the language of music — I know I was confused sometimes as I was learning music in the early days. Language is like that: it sometimes complicates reality. It’s not that the thing itself is … Continue reading →
Do you remember the movie Phenomenon staring John Travolta? He played the part of a car mechanic who gets struck by lightning and wakes up possessing unusual mathematical and linguistic skills. Later he discovers he has a massive tumour of … Continue reading →
I have just published an article on Piano Tips: 10 Tips For Improving Your Piano Playing Rapidly. I hope to make a series of these tips, of which this is the first, so please don’t miss it. Some of the … Continue reading →
The word “key” in music is kind of like the words “to”, “two”, and “too” in that they sometimes lead to confusing as to when to use which. A key signature tells the musician what sharps or flats are in … Continue reading →
Sometimes the teacher learns more from the student than the student does from the teacher. Hopefully, not too often, but today I would like to share with you some great practicing ideas that have come from my piano students over … Continue reading →
Another method of breaking up chords into patterns is the 3-1 breakup pattern where you play 3 notes of a chord and then 1, 3 and then 1, and so on. Watch the short video and you will understand immediately. … Continue reading →
Chords can be broken up in many ways, as you no doubt know, and the 2-1 breakup is one of the easiest ways to do it. You simply take 2 piano notes and juxtapose them against 1 note in a … Continue reading →
