I keep this post up top because, as one of the commenters says, it looks at the BIG picture of how we learn to play. It pretty much states the philosophy behind the DoctorKeys Online Piano Course
Whether you’ve been playing the piano for years or are just getting started, what you think you know may be holding you back.
Here are the common fallacies we’ll look at.
• It all starts with learning to read music.
• It’s all about the fingers.
• Practicing means playing a piece over and over.
My online students are animals!
No–I’m not badmouthing anyone. I’m stating a fact.
You see, there’s a website that allows me to gain certain information about DoctorKeys users. Because when I see a pattern of frequent visits, I sometimes can’t resist typing in the internet address to see what part of the world that enthusiasm is coming from.
I know it’s silly, but I’ve been having some fun with this. I’ve got students from just about any country you can think of, and have been learning a lot about geography.
So I punched in the numbers for one guest today and here’s what came up: read more…
Free Chord Charts and Where to Get Them
As you may know, I’ve been talking up Wikifonia.org as a great place to go for free lead sheets. Wiifonia will even transpose songs into your key, and give you beautiful files, ready to print. Well, I just found another free online source. Each has its pros and cons. read more…
Axis of Awesome’s 4-Chord Songs
If you’re a student of my online course, you know that it teaches you, step by step, to accompany your own singing. We began with songs that use only three chords, and in my most recent tutorial, Accompaniment Styles for 50 Great Songs, we added a fourth. read more…
I’m excited about my latest videos. Rather than focus on just one song, they help you play a huge variety of songs both slow and fast, including pop, rock, folk, blues, Broadway–you name it. read more…
Improvising and the Pattern Play Series
Do you want to learn to improvise? Do you need help in teaching improvisation to others?
If the answer is yes to either question, you may be interested in the Pattern Play series of books by Akiko and Forrest Kinney, read more…
So far, the lessons on DoctorKeys.com have focused on piano accompaniment–using chords to back up your own singing. But this lesson is different. It teaches you to play a piano solo. read more…
New theory tutorials on DoctorKeys
It’s been a a while since I’ve blogged and I’d like to fill you in on some new videos. All these lessons can be accessed by subscribers from the main course list. read more…
Accompanying yourself: it’s a giggle
Here on DoctorKeys.com, you can learn to use chords to accompany your own singing. To show you how approachable and fun this can be, here’s 8-year-old Ali to demonstrate. (I couldn’t bear to edit out the opening moments of this video, and I think you’ll understand why when you see it.)
Catch me on YouTube & PianoSociety.com
My new YouTube channel has two playlists: one for tutorials, and one for videos in which I’m performing music my students and I love to play. In the second category you’ll find everything from baroque to jazz.
If you’d like to hear me playing standard (more difficult) repertoire, you can do that at PianoSociety.com, where I’ve recently become a contributing artist. read more…
Two secrets to better sight-reading
I sometimes participate in the great forums at PianoWorld.com. Recently, one of the posters wanted to know how she could improve her sight-reading. I responded, and since I’m basically a lazy guy and this is easier than writing a new blog post, here’s what I said to her. read more…
One of my biggest gripes about piano teaching as a whole, is that students are almost always taught to read music before they learn to play by ear. That’s why I was thrilled to hear this interview with Rob Cutietta, Dean of the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, read more…
It’s a quandary. I need to make recordings for this site, and I’ve been trying to decide what to use: my Yamaha upright piano, or my keyboard-plus-virtual-Steinway setup.
The Steinway in question is the library of recorded samples from Garritan. I trigger them by playing my Roland FP7 keyboard and record my performance as a MIDI file using ProTools.
Here are two movements of a Clementi Sonatina I just recorded using the Garritan.
Allegro
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Andante
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You can hear the Chopin (a gorgeous mazurka) on this page. read more…
I’ve just uploaded this 2-part video lesson to Chords at the Piano: Getting Started. (Lessons 11 & 12, the first of which is free.)
I’ve taught lots of students over the years, and this classic piano style is, by far, one of the most popular requests. The bouncy rhythm is irresistible, and you can use what you learn in this lesson to accompany tons of songs, including Hound Dog, Kansas City, Whole Lotta Shakin’ and many more.
You’ll learn the left hand pattern, all chords & fingering, and how to play a shuffle rhythm. Also: turnarounds, rock accents, and practice tips.
Enjoy!
Big leaps made easy. (Video)
Whatever kind of music you play, you need to be able to re-position your hand on the keyboard quickly, accurately, and without losing control of dynamics. Here’s a strategy that can make a huge difference in your playing.
You’ll hear some pretty cool pieces in this lesson (parts of them, anyway), including music by Satie and Joplin. I especially enjoyed playing the Bartok at the end of the video.
