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.
Here is a fun way to play “O Christmas Tree” on the piano this Christmas. Remember there are MANY ways to arrange a song, and this is just one way. As you gain knowledge as a pianist you should actively … Continue reading →
Thanksgiving songs have been apart of American culture for a long time. Not as celebrated as Christmas songs, Thanksgiving music is just as important to the holiday. Holidays have always had a way of bringing people together. Thanksgiving music provokes … Continue reading →
Altered chords You know all the basic types of chords – major chords, minor chords, 7th chords and so on. But did you know that any chord can be altered just by adding a “+” sign or a “-” sign? … Continue reading →
Want better Spatial Reasoning skills? Study Music & Listen To Music! Both sides are guilty, if we’re honest. One side would have you believe that those who study music at a young age will be brilliant Rhodes Scholars ready to … Continue reading →
Most of the time chords are played with your left hand, while the melody (the tune of the song) is played with the right hand. But it is also possible to play chords with the right hand and not play … Continue reading →
Here are seven ideas for making your piano playing more interesting and exciting. Some are a little on the advanced side, so if you are a beginner you should probably stick with more basic techniques for awhile such as I … Continue reading →
Four Rules Every Piano Accompanist Should Know If you spend enough time mastering the art of piano, you’re undoubtedly going to accompany other musicians – singers, instrumentalists, and groups like quartets, etc. Most states have solo competitions where musicians play … Continue reading →
Here are five piano playing techniques that are so simple to do that even beginners can do them. There are hundreds or thousands of advanced techniques, and we will cover many of those in later posts, but today I want … Continue reading →
Five Ways to Use Music Technology So you think you’re a techie? That might be true but there’s a good chance that you haven’t fully used your love of technology to enrich your love of music. Just like everything else … Continue reading →
When you first start playing the piano you will probably think that you have no need to acquire this particular skill of transposing music from one key to another. As you progress with your studies however, you may find a … Continue reading →
