Official Launch of Practical Guide to Piano Playing

Here is the website to the new piano course

Order your piano course and learn more about it here.

A Practical Guide to Piano Playing

I am excited to announce the incoming launch of our new piano course:

"A Practical Guide To Piano Playing"

This new course is scheduled to be launched on January 22nd, 2009.

It comes with 2 dvds (each of 55 minutes) and a 81-page book.

Take a look at the preview video:


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Here are some of the topics covered in the course:

1. How do I find time to practice?
2. How can I get better at playing in different keys?
3. How do I decide/recognize what the left hand chords are in a piece of music?
4. How can I play and read sheet music faster?
5. How do I decide on proper fingering?
6. When you come across a new piano piece, how do you know which fingers
and which position to use?
7. How can I play a new piece with both hands together without pausing?
8. I’m having difficulty in reaching the octave
9. I’m having a hard time reading notes above/below the staff lines. Can you
give me some pointers?
10. I have trouble with getting the notes in the treble and bass cleft mixed up
11. I do not have steady rhythm and cannot seem to follow the rhythm
12. How do I play a thick chord with emphasis on the top note?
I3. I tend to hit piano keys too hard, how do I control my playing volume?
14. What can I do about stiff fingers?
15. I do not know some of the music terminology, can you help me?
16. How can I play piano without making errors?
17. I'm wondering how I can tell what key the singer I’m accompanying is singing in?
18. How can I make my melody sound more interesting?
How do I find balance between improvising and practicing/learning new piece?
Practice log
How can I make my playing more musical and more expressive (build artistry)?
How can I improve my technical speed and accuracy?
How do I practice Bach’s piano pieces?
How do I memorize a piece? I have trouble playing from memory.
How do I combat “stage fright”? My hands freeze and I can't play in front of
anyone.

We will offer many bonuses and free shipping to the first 200 customers.

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Piano Lesson Online

I recently posted a video clip online for those who likes to learn how to create runs and fillers on piano music. This piano lesson is an interesting one - you get to see me arrange the music in an effective way.
If it has been a dream of yours to improvise and play beautifully on the piano, our piano lessons -Piano Improvisation course, Piano Accompaniment, Christmas Arrangement course and Sweet Sounds of Jazz will take your playing to the next level. Remember--you must also practice, applying the knowledge you acquire from the course is the secret to mastering your new found skills.

Learn To Improvise Piano, Improvising Exercises

I recently came across a video of a pianist whowas improvising on the Oprah Winfrey show. I think you should take a look at the video.


What was interesting about this video was Oprah'scomment - she said, "Improvisation is a gift."
I don't know what you think about this comment,but I certainly do not agree with it. I have realized, through my own piano playing and teaching, that improvisation can becultivated and developed over a period of time.
In fact, I receive emails from many of you telling me how much your improvisationaltechniques have improved after taking our piano courses over the years.
Head over to watch this video now.


You will see that she improvised beautifully. Itcertainly took her many years to develop the kinds of styles and techniques that allow her to do so effortlessly, but, it was a skill she developed through practice and not a gift she was born with.
The fact is you too can become a great improviser with practice and the right learning tools.
If it has been a dream of yours to improvise and play beautifully on the piano, our piano courses -Piano Improvisation course
Piano Accompaniment
Sweet Sounds of Jazz
will take your playing to the next level. Remember--you must also practice, applying theknowledge you acquire from the course is the secret to mastering your new found skills.

Halloween Music? Halloween Music For Download

I think many of you can recognize the following theme music for Halloween (I do not celebrate Halloween). The music is a famous classical piece composed by J.S. Bach, Toccata and fugue in D minor, Yet - very few know the original piece. Many people associate the theme with scarry music/horror movie.

This original piece was composed in the key of D minor - Bach composed the piece for organ.
Very often, composer arrange/compose a piece in minor key to create a special "mood", in this case, it is rather thrilling and dramatic. That's why it's used in many scarry movie that are associated with Halloween music.

One of the other piece that is associated with Halloween music was composed by Ed Grieg - The Hall Of The Mountain King. I think even Harry Potter films used it :)

Tips for playing jazz piano

It is frequently said that music plays a crucial role in creating a human experience. Jazz is famous for the evocative impression it leaves universally. Jazz had its origins in Blues music, though it also carries an influence from other genres. To be a perfect jazz player, you have to follow its elementary rules. If you are an amateur, you need to focus on the basics and the early Swing Era.

As a jazz piano student, you need to explore the best of some of the recordings. The most important step is to analyze jazz piano with close observation given to the early works. Some renowned, jazz piano works - like the Art Tatum, Count Basie, Thelonius Monk and so on - are a great help for beginners. As a serious student, you observe Jazz by closely following the works of the veterans. Regular practice can and will turn you into a master pianist.

Start with a systematic approach. Learning the basic theory of all 12 major scales is mandatory for each step. As a beginner, you should master these scales, read music, and play the basics even if they are not exactly Jazz. This keeps you right in tune. It is suggested that you purchase a songbook to accompany your studies.

Understanding the symbols and tabs of chords and guitars is pivotal. This understanding will help you catch on to the basics very easily. As a learner, you should be aware of the major, minor, dominant, half diminished, and diminished chords of every key. Once these scales are mastered, you are completely ready to move on.

You will notice that after regular practice you are playing a song without actually reading any music. Now is the time for some introspection. You can check your shortcomings, make the distinctions between the original tune and yours, and modify from there.

Understand that learning piano is possible only by actually playing it, not by reading a book. It certainly requires total dedication and zeal.
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Sweet Sounds Of Jazz Improv: