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.
This video is the 3rd in a series about how to create your own unique chord substitutions for most any song. By creating a chord sub, you automatically put your own spin on a tune, as your listeners are used … Continue reading →
The “Walk On Up Blues/Gospel Chord Progression” is an obvious but useful technique in the toolbox of the pianist. After all, the I to IV progression is used all the time in music, so there are multiple times in most … Continue reading →
Beethoven was never much for rules so why obey them for one of his most famous pieces? Even the title of the piece popularly known as the Moonlight Sonata bears reference to Beethoven’s love of not doing things the way … Continue reading →
This piano lesson video is the second in a series of videos on how to create unique chord substitutions – making surprising chord changes that are individual for each song and each musical situation. For a complete course in Chord … Continue reading →
Is a music education really necessary or even beneficial for children? With American schools aiming to increase their standardized test scores and decrease their annual spending, it’s no wonder that electives such as music have been erased from the board. … Continue reading →
Among the various ways to reharmonize a tune are three specific but easy methods. This is part one of a three part series, and deals with a simple question you can ask at any point in a song to come … Continue reading →
Piano practice for adults — how to help your piano teacher make the most of your piano lessons. Any truly positive change takes a lot of time, dedication, and patience – and that includes piano practice. Anyone who tells you … Continue reading →
Would you like to learn some of the great classical piano pieces such as Beethovens “Fur Elise”, “Moonlight Sonata”, Chopin’s “Prelude in C Minor”, or Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” without having to be a very advanced pianist? If … Continue reading →
A student of mine who writes a blog did an hilarious post about her kids learning piano at home. She (the Mom) used my Crash Course to stay a piano lesson or two ahead of the kids. If you are … Continue reading →
http://www.pianolesson.tv/ There are literally hundreds (or thousands) of different ways for any piano player to make his or her songs more interesting by adding the appropriate filler and/or piano run to a song. Watch this short video where I demonstrate … Continue reading →
