P85 Yamaha » Lesson

Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course: Lesson Book, Level One (Paperback)

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:10:55 +0000

A beginning course for adults who prefer a chord approach. It teaches chords for both hands so that the student can play more than single note melodies. It contains outstanding songs such as “The Entertainer,” “Scarborough Fair,” “Greensleeves” and “Amazing Grace.”

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Piano Lesson: II-V-I Progressions In C Major

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:17:12 +0000

Let me give you some easy progressions that will help you in your improvisational piano playing!
What is a progression?
A progression is a set of chords played consecutively. Generally, successive chords in a chord progression share some notes, which provides harmonic and linear continuity to a passage.
What is a II-V-I progression?
Is is a chord progression with three chords built on the roots of the second, fifth and first note of a key.
The three roman numerals correspond to the digits 2, 5 and 1. In it’s most basic form the numbers indicate the root of a triad. For example, the roman number I in C-major means a triad built from the note C. This triad consists of the notes C, E and G.
The Roman numeral II in the key of C-major tells you to play a triad built from the notes in the C-major scale beginning with the second note. The notes will be D, F and A.
The Roman numeral V indicates a triad built from the fifth step on the C-scale. The fifth note in the C-scale is G so the triad will include the notes G, B and D.
Piano tab notation
In order to demonstrate the chords I will use a notation suitable for articles sites. First we will look at the middle C. The note C on the middle of the piano keyboard, sometimes near the key hole of some pianos is called C4.
The number 4 indicates that it is the C on the fourth octave of the piano. Of course, there are piano keyboards with less keys and less octaves. In this case you have to think of C4 as middle C and nothing else.
Our first piano chord progression
We will start out by playing a progression with the triad chords built on the second, fifth and the first note of the C scale.
LH: D3 RH: D4 F4 A4 (Dm)
LH: G3 RH: G4 B4 D5 (G major)
LH: C3 RH: C4 E4 G4 (C major)
As you might guess LH means left hand and in the Dm chord D3 indicates that you play the note D3 on your piano or keyboard with your left hand at the same time as you play the right hand notes.
This II-V-I progression in C major is a little bit clumsy. You have to move your fingers a little to much in order to play the chords. We will adjust the G major chord a bit and play the progression in the following manner:
LH: D3 RH: D4 F4 A4 (Dm)
LH: G3 RH: B3 D4 G4 (G major)
LH: C3 RH: C4 E4 G4 (C major)
To make smooth transitions between the piano chords in the II-V-I progression you can change the chords even more. Let’s change the Dm chord to Dm11 and G major to G7.
LH: D3 RH: C4 F4 G4 (Dm11)
LH: G3 RH: B3 F4 G4 (G7)
LH: C3 RH: C4 E4 G4 (C major)
We might as well change the C major chord to Cmaj7 in order to make the changes smoother.
LH: D3 RH: C4 F4 G4 (Dm11)
LH: G3 RH: B3 F4 G4 (G7)
LH: C3 RH: B3 E4 G4 (Cmaj7)
Finally we will introduce a substitute chord for G. Acually a so called tritone substitution.
This means that instead of a G chord we will use a chord with the root a tritone interval from G, that is three whole steps. Instead of G we will play Db+11.
LH: D3 RH: C4 F4 G4 (Dm11)
LH: Db3 RH: B3 F4 G4 (Db+11)
LH: C3 RH: B3 E4 G4 (Cmaj7)
This will make the chord changes even smoother, especially the bass notes, and maybe more interesting. You can use this formula, which in the key of C means to play Dm, G7 and C, to find many interesting variations on this theme.
It will be a great help for you in piano improvisation to have a working knowledge of the II-V-I progression with variations in different keys because this progression is used in a wide variety of music genres.

Piano Lesson: Compose And Become A Better Pianist

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:06:53 +0000

Everyone can compose sheet music! You have to start where you are and anyone can do that. You can create your own compositions for piano! Let’s see why you should!
Where can you start?
Maybe you find it difficult to notate sheet music. Well, you don’t have to notate your music. You can record the things you do with a digital recording equipment, maybe your computer or a tape recorder.
But if you want to use sheet music? What can you do?
Let me suggest that you start by writing for piano beginners. Sheet music for piano beginners have to be very simple. Few notes and very easy rhythms. This is the place where you fit in!
If you start to write piano sheet music for beginners in progressive order you will also learn to write sheet music in progressive order. Smart idea, isn’t it!
But…, what benefits are there in writing and composing piano sheet music for your own piano playing?
Here are some of my own thoughts:
1. You own endeavors to create piano compositions will make you more aware of other composers music. Questions will arise in your mind on how to notate the things in your mind and how to arrange and so on. These questions will be in your mind and make you more aware of how other composers have written and notated their music.
You will probably look at other composers musical notation with fresh eyes trying to learn how professional composers write.
2. As you compose you will become more and more sensitive to intrinsic musical subtleties in your own music as well as in other composers music.
3. Gradually you will start to think and feel more like a composer. This will help you become a better performer as well. You will respect other composers music more, trying to convey their hearts intent to your public.
4. As you train your creative muscles by composing they will also help you as you perform piano music. Both performing and composing are creative processes requiring your heart.
5. You will become a better sight reader by composing piano sheet music. Many years ago I had an assignment to write sheet music to a musical. I encountered not a few notational problems. Problems I had not as yet solved for myself.
Afterwards I started to play piano sheet music again. To my astonishment I realized I had developed as a sight reader.
My own conclusion was that my concentrated efforts to notate my piano compositions also was a course in sight reading.
I realized I had experienced a reversed sight reading exercise by composing music with my fingers on the piano keyboard and then trying to notate the music on manuscript paper.
Do you have to buy manuscript paper?
Well, no! To notate sheet music does not need to be expensive. You can use an ordinary pencil and ordinary white paper. Sometimes I use this equipment when I have nothing else at hand. I write five lines, one bar at a time, as I compose. It works!
The musical ideas I jot down this way I can easily work more with in my notational software program on my computer later on.
To compose and write piano sheet music can be a part of your daily piano practice. Spending half an hour with piano composing, making your own piano exercices and more can increase your awareness of music and help you become a better pianist and musician.