I Want My Songs To Sound Different!

You might be surprised to learn that the ability to add that “special touch” to those popular songs is as much a mystery to a huge number of advanced pianists as it is to beginners. Why? Because, most people who learn don’t learn from someone who has a handle on improvising… they simply do what they are told and the results they get are pretty much the same as anyone else reading that page of music. It takes a certain desire and understanding that there IS ANOTHER WAY to play. In order to play creatively, you want to gather one idea at a time and incorporate it into your playing. It’s the same as when you first learned a basic word in the English language – you learned the word, then used it in context… now you use that word as you please in your communication (without thinking about it).

Improvising works the same way. One of the best ways to start improvising is to choose a song whose melody is one you know quite well. Then, take that melody and do some interesting things with it… a step at a time. In a very short matter of time, you will amaze yourself with what you’re capable of. Keeping it fun with a sense of curiosity and playfulness will lead to your enjoying awesome results!

A program that will assist you with this process is The One ImprovisationSecret You Must Know. This easy-to-understand video/guidebook combo will serve as your “springboard”… you will be improvising quickly. Will these improvisations sound better over time as you have more and more fun experiencing this approach? You bet! The key is to start somewhere, and here is a good place to start.

I want you to know that, in all my years of coaching people on piano, I have never met an individual who was not capable of improvising -  and I’ve been exposed to lots of people. My promise:

You are not the exception.

You can improvise, too. Yes, I am addressing this to YOU, the reader. You have not even begun to touch the surface of what you are capable of, and I think it’s really important for you to accept that truth. Once you fully accept that, then the doors openfor you. Simply be open to different perspectives.

Today, give yourself a few extra minutes at that piano or keyboard of yours to experience playing around those keys in a different way than you’re usually accustomed to…

… and enjoy your potential as it reveals itself one day at a time : )

And remember…

Always…

ALWAYS…

PLAY WITH PASSION!

Musically,

Dave
Improvise Today

Valuable Right Hand Chord Piano Exercise

Grab a favorite beverage and reap the benefits
from this one. You don’t have to be a member
of the program to take advantage of this
particular email, but if you are a member, you
may find it particularly useful, since your
focus is on enhancing your right hand chord
skills.

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If you are not a member and would like to be,

simply sign up for the Full Version here so

you can enjoy additional benefits:

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Let’s play this game that will make you more aware

of those chord inversions…

The diatonic chords in the key of C Major are:

Cmaj

Dmin

Emin

Fmaj

Gmaj

Amin

Bdim

Now, if you are thinking in terms of 7th chords,

we can modify this slightly:

Cmaj7

Dmin7

Emin7

Fmaj7

G7

Amin7B-7(b5)

Okay, while at your piano or keyboard, take a look

at the range from middle C to the C one octave higher.

Just focus on this octave… with your right hand, play

each of the 7 chords above (use first list if you are not

used to 7th chords), WHILE FOLLOWING ONE RULE -

here’s the rule:

All of the chord tones that you are playing must be

played within this octave, including no keys lower than

middle C and no keys higher than the C above middle C.

What this will do is force you to play inversions of

those chords. You see, you cannot play all these chords

in Root position without going beyond these borders

(some, yes, but not all)

For example, if you play Fmaj7 in Root position, starting

on that F above middle C, you will have to include the E

above that higher C, which you don’t want to do for this

game that we are playing here.

The value of this fun exercise cannot be described in just

a few words here. If you are truly interested in enhancing

those “right hand chord piano” skills, you will make it a

point to have a lot of fun with this. Consider this, for one:

A lot of your melodies fall within this octave. It makes

perfect sense to be able to harmonize them with those right

hand chords, wouldn’t you agree?

Remember…

Always…

ALWAYS…

PLAY WITH PASSION!

Musically,

PianoAmore.net

You Don’t Approach Those Piano Keys Like A Robot Would, Do You?

I was sitting at the piano just a few moments ago, doing a little improvising over some piano chord voicings, etc., and a question came to mind: Whatever your experience is with playing piano chords, whether you only play triads or if you play 7ths… what is your approach with these chords? In other words, do you “play around” with them at all?

I guess another way of asking the question is: how do you experience a chord at the piano when you learn it? Do you simply play it with one hand? Or do you play it with both hands? Do you experience it in different octaves? Do you play arpeggios with the chord? Do you play them one note at a time so that you really “feel” that chord under your fingertips? In other words, do you really get to KNOW that chord? People who have experienced The Ridiculously Easy Way To Master Those 7th Chords At The Piano know very well what I am referring to.

But this concept applies to ALL chords. One thing I try to get people to not do is to fall into the trap of playing those chords as if they were a “robot” pressing some buttons. Does this make sense? I hope I’m making the point clear.

Let me ask you this: when you go to play any chord on the piano, do your hand and/or fingers “tighten up” as if to “be careful” of playing the correct notes? If so, that can serve as a hint that you might want to become more acquainted with that chord… This involves paying attention to yourself… it really involves an awareness. But it’s not difficult, you can do it. Just be honest with yourself.

Short way of putting it: there should be NO HINTS OF FEAR when your fingers approach that keyboard. If you experience this “fear” or “hesitancy,” simply be thankful that you caught it and accept it as a worthwhile hint to learn from. Make those keys your friends… not something you feel a need to “walk on eggs” with : o )

(Even if you’re brand new at piano and aren’t playing much right now, keep this in mind for the future!)  Remember…

Always…

ALWAYS…

PLAY WITH PASSION!

Musically,

PianoAmore.net

How To Become A CREATIVE MONSTER At The Piano!

In “The Fans’ Top 10″ poll, the song that

came up #1 of the The 100 Best Beatles Songs

was “Let It Be”…

Songs like “Let It Be” and “Hey Jude” are great

for piano. Actually, there is a piano program

that focuses entirely on the classic “Let It Be”

and shows you various techniques (using that song!)

that you can apply to other favorite songs of yours…

What I like about tunes like the two mentioned above

is that, if you are just getting used to certain piano

playing techniques, such as “right hand chord piano”

etc., you can incorporate what you are learning at a

slow pace and still sound good! Actually, I used

a four measure example of “Hey Jude” in my program

Right Hand Chord Piano Made Easy as some of you

will recall…

You see, when you learn a new strategy or technique,

it’s so helpful to apply it within the context of

a segment of music that is not intimidating. This

way, your focus is on “the actual incorporation of

the idea” as opposed to the distractions that you

can face when playing more complex material.

As a matter of fact, if you make a habit of incorporating

each and every new idea you learn into a small segment

of music that you are familiar with, your results will

astound you over time! Of course, that is the approach I

took with ProProach

… taking new concepts and incorporating

them into familiar song excerpts.

The key is to enhance your skills using tiny steps. You

don’t have to place heavy demands on yourself to achieve

super rewards. You see, what happens with this little

step-by-step approach is that those steps actually become

bigger without your even thinking about it. In addition,

applying your efforts to making tiny steps of improvement,

you keep your enjoyment at a high level. And what happens

when you’re having fun? Progress comes naturally! (Those

of you involved with ProProach know this to be the case

for sure!)

Today, I encourage you to take one new idea, technique, or

strategy that you have recently learned (or are about to

learn) and USE it. Even if it’s something that you view as

rather trivial – use it – incorporate it into something

you already know.

Make this approach a habit of yours. It won’t be long at

all before you realize REMARKABLE improvement in your

piano playing!

This is truly how to become a “creative monster” at the

piano in a relatively short period of time!

Play Piano By Ear: The Basic Necessities

When it comes to playing piano by ear, a very minimal step
you will want to take is to learn your primary chords in
all the keys… what are the primary chords?

Well, let’s consider the key of C Major, which is represented
by the C Major scale:

C D E F G A B C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Each of these notes of the scale serves as a Root of a chord
in the key. For example, look at the “1″ which is “C”…

Building in thirds (using “every other note” ascending), we
have:

C E G

This is a C Major chord. It is referred to as the “I chord”
(“one chord”) because the chord is built on the first degree
of the scale.

If we build chords on the first, fourth and fifth of this scale,
we have:

C E G = C Major chord

F A C = F Major chord

G B D = G Major chord

We generally use Roman numerals when designated the degrees
as numbers. Therefore, the I, IV, and V chords are what we
have above. These are known as the primary chords in the key
of C Major.

It is recommended that you learn the I, IV, and V chords in
all the keys, since this will serve as a necessary foundation
to opening your ears up. You see, these three chords are likely
to be heard and played more than any others in a given key
As a matter of fact, tons of songs have been written usinh
only these three chords!

If you would like to get a handle on this concept in a much
more basic format, there is a manuscript available that will
certainly help you. As a matter of fact, it was written without
assuming that you know anything about music at all. The name
of the popular little gem is:

How To Play Piano By Ear In All 12 Keys
Without Knowing How To Read A Note Of Music

This manual provides a step-by-step format that will walk you
through the process for any key in a very easy fashion.

The link is here:

http://www.pianochords101.com/12keys.html

Good luck on your musical journey… remember, always keep it
fun!

And remember…

Always…

ALWAYS…

PLAY WITH PASSION!

Musically,

How To Play 7th Chords In All The Keys

Some people still view playing chords in various
keys a challenge. This is a reason why they often
resort to reading chord charts. After all, you
look up the chord you want, look at the picture,
and copy it, right?

Well…

It’s one way. But it’s not the best way. Remember…
the person who created those charts, showing
the chords in the various keys, KNOWS how to play
all of them.

Why shouldn’t it be the same way for you?

Here’s how to do it:

Choose a chord type… let’s pick Major 7th…

Okay, learn how to play just one of them. Let’s
say you know how to play the Cmaj7 (C Major 7)…

That means that you know how to play that chord
in ALL the keys! Yes it does! Your eyes know it
and your fingers know it – you just have to get
YOU to really see it.

The “How”: LEARN THE FORMULA. That’s it! Just
LEARN THE FORMULA.

Learn the formula for the TEN 7th chord types,
starting right now. Sign up right now, and you’ll
be amazing yourself before Monday arrives
(that’s tomorrow):

Click here

(NO SHIPPING NEEDED – INSTANT ACCESS!)

Order the program and have fun mastering those
7th chords (yes, it really does feel mighty
terrific when you really understand it… you’re
about to – it’s all going to “click” for you!):

Click here
-
Remember…

Always…

ALWAYS…

PLAY WITH PASSION!

Musically,

Dave

ProProach.com

Your Ears Are About To Be Opened

If you are taking little steps toward improving your musical ears, congratulations. You see, these are efforts that are never wasted.

By the way, if you think training your ears is a tedious endeavor, think again. Actually, it’s supposed to be just the opposite (as you’re about to learn!) That’s why it’s called “ear training” and not “ear Straining”

There has been lots of controversy throughout the years as to whether or not “perfect pitch” can learned. As far as the old myth goes, “you’re born with it or you’re not.” If that’s been your mind set, I’ll ask you to reconsider. Not only are you about to get a handle on this whole “perfect pitch” thing, but you are in for a very well-rounded musical experience.

Don’t think for a moment that this is beyond you. Hey, we both know one thing for certain: the more your ears are “happening,” the more confident you are when it comes to your playing. Nurturing your ears is an ongoing process… and IT IS A PAINLESS, NATURAL PROCESS.

You’ve just got to check this out. At least take a couple of your precious minutes to read through the entire article one time. You eyes (and ears!) are about to be opened. This popular package will set you on a path that will brighten your musical future, regardless of your current playing skills or personal goals.

Open your mind to this kind of refreshment, and your ears will be thanking you for the rest of your musical lifetime!

http://tinyurl.com/GREAT-EARS

Seriously, read what this guy Cameron has to say… today will represent a new musical beginning for you.

http://tinyurl.com/GREAT-EARS

Once you take this kind of journey, you’ll know what it’s like to be “one of them!” Please treat yourself to a wonderful journey you’ll never get tired of…

http://tinyurl.com/GREAT-EARS

Remember…

Always…

ALWAYS… PLAY WITH PASSION!

Musically,

Check out these piano learning tools!

Learn This Cocktail Piano Voicing

There has been LOTS of interest when it
comes to learning “cocktail piano” techniques…

My curiosity along this line started years ago.
As a matter of fact, one of the first “eye-opening”
techniques I learned was a very simple one…
it’s one that I share in Lesson #1 of ProProach.
Once I got a handle on that, it was the beginning
for many new things to come for me.

That’s why I share that lesson right away – at
no cost. I hope the fact that it’s complimentary
won’t cause you to hesitate to make the most of
it.

This lesson is truly one of those concepts that
offers a whole lot more than meets the eye…

If you have already been involved with ProProach,
I would like to invite you to rediscover that
Lesson #1. Since you have likely taken yourself
to a point of familiarity with the many 7th chords
by now, you just might view at that lesson (and Lesson #2)
in a different light.

If you have not exposed yourself to ProProach (!),
you can get that lesson for free… just visit:

http://tinyurl.com/free-chord-lesson

and click on the “Free Lesson” tab. This is one of
those piano chord voicings every cocktail pianist
has up his or her sleeve…

http://tinyurl.com/free-chord-lesson

Gosh, can you imagine the possibilities if you took
this easy formula and applied it to all those
7th chords you’re learning in “The Ridiculously Easy
Way To Master Those 7th Chords On The Piano!” ???

http://tinyurl.com/7th-chords-mastery

Let me tell you… if you make it a point to get
involved with both programs, you’re on your way to
a kind of mastery you didn’t know existed. How?

Well, it has to do with how Bill viewed things:

“Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected.”
- William Plomer

Yikes… my kind of genius.

Remember…

Always…

ALWAYS…

Musically,

Playing Piano By Ear: Don’t Overlook This

Each of us has his or her own musical goals. Whether it’s to learn enough to sound good in front of family and friends, get a real handle playing by ear, wanting to learn more about the art of improvisation, or wanting to really explore your personal musical potential, the goal you have is yours and you have a right to it…

My question is: when did you start pursuing this goal and how has it been going for you since?

Now, I’m not implying that there is any standard amount of time that it should take to achieve this goal of yours… as a matter of fact, the most important thing, in my personal opinion, is that you enjoy the ride along the way. The more fun you have, the quicker that goal will be reached, too. In order to reach a goal to begin with, however, you must have one in the first place. That may seem a bit of an elementary idea, but you’d be amazed at how many people struggle, yet they don’t really know why…

I have people sending me emails like, “I want to be able to play music by ear… can you help me?” I respond with questions that will imply a little thinking on that person’s part… and I often will never hear from that individual again. It’s as if he or she wanted me to email them the “magic pill” and everything would be different!

, you are the one who has to take the action… a coach can set you in the direction. However, once you place the responsibility on the coach for your success, you’ve sabotaged yourself. So, if you do have a particular goal that you have in mind, acknowledge the smaller goals that are necessary to reach in order to achieve that larger one. This involves facing reality. But it doesn’t take away any of the fun… as a matter of fact, that’s where the real fun begins!

Regarding the subject of playing by ear… since this is one of the most popular questions I receive, I would like to point you in a direction: Playing by ear is not as mysterious as it may at first appear. One of those smaller goals along the way is familiarizing yourself with certain fundamentals that can make the process a whole lot easier. Here is one:

Learn your diatonic 7th chords for each key. For instance, in the key of C Major they are:

Cmaj7

Dmin7

Emin7

Fmaj7

G7

Amin7

Bmin7(b5)

You may be asking, “Dave what’s that have to do with playing songs by ear?”

Well, my response would be that, when playing in any major key, those are the chords that form the “backbone” of that key. When you KNOW these chords, you will EXPECT to hear them. And when you expect to hear them, you start making PREDICTIONS as to what you will hear next… and as you gain more and more experience, those predictions become more and more correct!

This is an important part of the process of playing by ear, but it’s a fun process! I have a special course devoted to playing by ear that is customized just for you, based on your level of experience. The lessons are created just for you. But, before we really get into that, I have furnished you with enough above to “chew on” a bit. Learn these chords… there are only four different chord types there.

That’s only a fraction of what you learn in the program The Ridiculously Easy Way To Master Those 7th Chords On The Piano! (It’s very close to being that “magic pill” when it comes to mastering those 7th chords)

So, make it a point to set your compass in the direction of learning those 7th chords… you’ll be so glad you did:)

Remember…

Always…

ALWAYS…

PLAY WITH PASSION!

Musically,

Dave

Check out these piano learning tools!

http://tinyurl.com/pianoamore

All These Flavors (Yum!)… Where Do We Begin???!

Learning chords is one thing… appreciating them is another. If you really want to have a clue as to what “separates the men from the boys” in terms of musicianship, then this will mean something to you…

Let’s say that you have a desire to familiarize yourself with all those 7th chords that you see written all over that sheet music you’ve been trying to get a grasp on. Well, you can take one of two approaches with this:

1) Learn how to play them just so you can say to yourself, “I know them” and then play them when the sheet music calls for them…

2) Learn how to play them and develop a deep sense of appreciation for the “sound textures” or “colors” they create when played and heard.

It will likely come as no surprise to you that I suggest you take on method #2. Think about this… you are wanting to learn these chords so that you have confidence when it comes to playing your favorite songs. Well, those songs were written by a composer who put those chord combinations together for a reason – he or she had a real appreciation and sensitivity for the particular “sound texture” or “color” a certain chord provided in a given area of that song. In addition, the chord combinations (chord progressions) of these “colors” play a big role in what led you to appreciating that song to begin with!

So, you see, when you create a “hunger” within yourself for appreciating the “buffet of flavors” that are available to you with all those chords, your perspective of playing those songs becomes more meaningful. Your appreciation becomes more of that of the composer. In addition, the process of learning these chords becomes a whole lot more fun… what could have been a tedious chore is turned into a real joy ride! I’ll continue with the analogy… imagine yourself at an actual buffet that includes many of your favorite foods. As you make your way through the line, do you simply take two huge spoonfuls of everything there just to say “I got my money’s worth!” or do you take a good look at what’s available and have an appreciation for its presentation, then take a portion and really savor the aroma, and really look forward to fully appreciating it once you get to the dining table?

For example, consider the Major 7th chord… (by the way, if you are not familiar with what a Major 7th chord is or how to play it, you can do say by clicking here… once on that page, sign up for the free trial, and you’ll be put in touch with a video demonstration of how to play it. In addition, you’ll know how to play it in any key that you want to. That program makes it SUPER EASY to master 7th chords!) … okay the Major 7th chord has a sound all its own…

Perhaps you are familiar with the legendary hit Colour My World performed by the infamous rock band Chicago in the 70′s (written by James Pankow)… I would like you to go here to listen to the first chord being played right at the very beginning. You hear the chord being played up and down (one chord tone at a time, which is known as an arpeggio) on the piano four times…

That chord is a Major 7th chord. Now, more specifically, the chord being played is an Fmaj7.

You really want to develop two basic levels of appreciation of these 7th chords as you learn them:

1) Appreciate the sound distinctions between the different types of chords… for example Major 7ths differ in sound from Dominant 7ths, etc… (you can master the ten (10) most often used types of 7th chords in this program)

2) Appreciate the  sound qualities of the same chord type being played in 12 different keys. For example, in that recording, you hear the Fmaj7 chord being played right at the very beginning of the song (the key of the song is F Major). However, if you were to actually hear or play that same musical segment as a Cmaj7 or a Gmaj7 or other, you would experience a different “feeling” when you hear each. You see, each key has its own sound qualities… this is something that theory cannot teach you. Pro musicians are in touch with this. As a matter of fact, composers will choose to write a particular song in a certain key because that key offers a certain “feeling.” Chicago could have performed that song in the key of B Major and, although your appreciation for the song would very likely be at a comparable level as it was played in the key of F Major, you would still be experiencing the song a bit differently – perhaps without even thinking about it.

So, you see… learning your chords really should be a journey to appreciate each and every step of the way. If you were to engage in The Ridiculously Easy Way To Master Those 7th Chords On The Piano, you would be experiencing ten (10) different 7th chord types. And you would be equipped to play each of those chord types in 12 different keys… this results in 120 chord sounds, each to be appreciated and savored for its own uniqueness! Now that’s a buffet worth showing up for!