How To Be a Real Creep (On the Piano) – Watch Video
To play smoothly, a piano player needs to learn to move from chord to chord by using close inversions rather than jumping from root chord:
Continue reading →Duane
Duane Shinn (that would be me) has good news for you if you want to play the piano. He (me) has little fat hands & stubby little fingers - not at all suited for playing the piano - more suited to making mud pies or some such. I am also fairly uncoordinated with just average musical ability - certainly not a great piano player. But I've learned a ton about music over the years and people tell me I'm pretty decent at explaining how music works & how to progress more rapidly on the piano. Over the years I have developed about 150 techniques for conquering the piano. Most professional pianists can do these techniques, but very few can explain them in a way people can understand. I specialize in making complex techniques simple. I invite you to watch a few of my free videos and see some of these for yourself before making any decision about taking any of my courses.
Music Theory 101: Intervals & Their Qualities
Intervals are the distance between any two notes, and can be major, minor, perfect, augmented, or diminished.
Continue reading →The Picardy 3rd Ending
When a song is in a minor key, but is then ended in a major key, it is termed a “picardy 3rd.” The old tune Greensleeves is an excellent example of the use of a picardy 3rd. Click on the … Continue reading →
How To Make Your Piano Practice More Fun (Watch video)
Work some variety into your piano practice times. You don’t always have to play the same exercises the same way. On this short video I illustrate how you can take a boring exercise and make it fun by adding staccato, … Continue reading →
Improving Your Ear By Interval Training (Watch video)
The ability to hear musical sounds and make sense out of them is of crucial importance to any musician. Your ear can be improved by drilling on various musical sounds until you remember them without thinking. On this short video … Continue reading →
Some Ways To Break Up Piano Chords In Your Right Hand (Watch Video)
Watch the video below to learn some ways of breaking up piano chords with your right hand:
Continue reading →The Importance of Daily Rehersal
When the subject of piano practice comes up it is usually greeted with a groan, like some disease that needs to be avoided at all cost. That is probably because practice has traditionally been equated with boring drills and scales … Continue reading →
Learn to Play Music
So you want to learn to play music? You’ve never had a lesson on an instrument and don’t even know where to start? Learning to play music can be as simple or challenging as you want. Whether you want to learn the guitar, the piano or the tuba doesn’t matter.
Continue reading →Easy Play Music
The thought of learning to play the piano is intimidating for many people. Before they touch a keyboard, they have preconceived notions of how difficult it will be. For many, the thought of reading musical notes and learning the piano keys frightens them. They want to learn music; they just want the process to be easier.
Continue reading →Three Ways Dads Can Encourage Piano Playing in Kids
It’s an undisputable fact of life: kids learn by example. Both positive and negative behaviors are often learned and reinforced by a parent’s example. What better way to teach your child a skill, like piano playing, than by demonstrating it?
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