- Guide to the Course (Start Here!)
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- Getting started
- How to follow the lesson sequence
- Laying the groundwork
- Beginning to accompany
- Learning to pedal; more theory
- Building a repertoire of songs and styles
- Videos that are not part of Play & Sing
- How to get the most out of the course
- Practice made simple
- Piano or keyboard?
- The DoctorKeys philosophy
- Go to it!
- The Seven White Keys
- Intervals: Let's Talk Relationship
- Chord Basics
- Playing Your First Piece (Part 1)
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VIDEO: Playing Your First Piece (Part 1).-
- 00:00 Hear the whole piece
- 00:54 Keyboard height, your posture.
- 01:13 Playing the C chord--notes, fingering, rhythm.
- 01:47 Hand shape, using arm weight, a relaxed wrist.
- 02:46 Practice tips.
- 03:03 Moving on to the F chord.
- 03:23 The G chord.
- 03:44 Preview of Part 2
- Playing Your First Piece (Part 2)
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- VIDEO: Playing Your First Piece (Part 2).
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- 00:04 Preparation--the secret to moving effortlessly from chord to chord.
- 00:37 Practicing the transition.
- 01:12 Putting it all together--the complete chord progression, and the ending.
- 02:14 The chord sequence written out.
- 02:24 More practice tips.
- 02:35 Recap.
- Inversions: The secret to smooth chord changes
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- VIDEO: The power of chord inversions. (1 minute, 12 seconds.)
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- 0:00 Introducing inversions
- How to invert a chord
- One chord, three positions
- VIDEO: Chord Inversion Exercise. (2 minutes, 34 seconds.)
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- 0:15 The C chord—fingering for each position, each hand
- 0:40 Basic chord technique
- 2:00 Practicing the F and G chords
- Song Essentials
- How to Play a Simple Ballad
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- VIDEO: A 3-Chord Accompaniment, Step by Step. (5 minutes, 36 seconds.)
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- 0:12 Michael, Row the Boat Ashore, one of many songs (pop, rock, blues, etc.) that use the same chords
- 0:39 Michael, Row performed as you're about to learn it.
- 1:16 The first C chord, fingering explained
- 1:38 Technique: Let gravity do the work
- 2:00 Play and count
- 2:17 Play and sing
- 3:00 Transition to the F chord
- Michael Row chord graphics to print out
- Tips for playing and practicing chords
- How to Read a Chord Chart
- How to Play a Simple Ballad (part 2)
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- VIDEO: The Rest of the Song. (5 minutes, 58 seconds.)
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- 0:09 Using your Michael Row chord chart
- 0:39 Changing fingers on a chord can make it easier to play the next
- 1:30 The rest of the song, step by step
- 4:44 A great way to practice chord progressions
- The Bass Line: Your left hand was born for this
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- VIDEO: How to Play a Simple Bass Line. (7 minutes, 32 seconds.)
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- 0:08 What a bass line can do for your arrangement
- 0:49 The standard bass line formula
- 1:06 Bass notes and rhythm for Michael Row
- 1:44 Fingering for the left hand
- 2:12 Gaining independence between the two hands
- 2:47 Practicing the song with bass line, step by step
- 5:30 Adding rhythmic interest
- 6:34 See and hear Michael Row complete
- How to Use the Sustain Pedal (Part 1)
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- VIDEO: How to Use the Sustain Pedal (Part 1)
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- 0:12 Introduction
- 2:17 What the pedal does
- 3:04 Using the pedal to sustain and connect chords
- 4:02 How to create smoothness without muddiness
- 5:31 Preview of parts 2 & 3
- How to Use the Sustain Pedal (Part 2)
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- VIDEO: How to Use the Sustain Pedal (Part 2)
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- 0:05 How to position your heel and foot
- 0:55 The pedal exercise
- 3:40 Troubleshooting
- 5:30 Preview of Part 3
- How to Use the Sustain Pedal (Part 3)
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- VIDEO: How to Use the Sustain Pedal (Part 3)
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- 0:04 Changing the pedal every 4 beats
- 1:46 Changing the pedal every 2 beats
- 3:17 Changing the pedal on each beat
- 4:01 Changing the pedal on each 1/2 beat
- 4:17 Learning when NOT to pedal
- 5:31 Reading pedal notation in sheet music
- 7:08 Recap; final thoughts
- Half steps, whole steps, sharps & flats
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- VIDEO: Half steps, whole steps, sharps & flats (5 minutes, 08 seconds.)
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- 0:13 Half steps and whole steps
- 2:28 Sharps
- 3:35 Flats
- How to play any major scale or major chord
- How to transpose a song using numbers
- Piano Accompaniment Styles for 50 Great Songs
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- VIDEO: (13 minutes, 38 seconds.)
- Note: This 2-part tutorial moves faster than other lessons and covers more ground. If you prefer a slower, step-by-step approach, feel free to move ahead to the Blues Shuffle and Imagine tutorials.
- I use the songs listed below in bold to teach you to play the styles. Then, you can apply the same rhythmic patterns to other songs on the list (and many more).
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- 00:12 Introduction and lists of songs & styles.
- 01:19 Chord review, plus one new chord (vi).
- 03:10 Step 1: Get the chord changes for your song. Where to get free lead sheets. Playing by ear.
- 04:26 Step 2: Transpose (put the song into your key).
- 05:13 Step 3: Match up the song with a rhythm style.
- 05:04 4/4 POP BALLAD STYLE: Auld Lang Syne, Hey Jude, Imagine, Let it Be, Knockin' On Heaven's Door, Blowin' in the Wind, Aloha Oe, My Hometown, Mother (John Lennon), Red River Valley, Can You Feel the Love Tonight
- 09:31 3/4 TIME (WALTZ FEEL): Silver Bells, Cielito Lindo, Piano Man, Amazing Grace, Clementine, Waltzing Matilda (chorus), Home on the Range, Edelweiss.
- 12:23 Recap of Part 1, preview of Part 2
- Piano Accompaniment Styles for 50 Great Songs (part 2)
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- VIDEO: (11 minutes, 03 seconds.)
- (See comment for previous video.)
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- 00:05 ALTERNATING BASS STYLE (for uptempo songs): When the Saints Go Marching In, Octopus's Garden, Love is a Rose, 76 Trombones, The Gambler, Jambalaya, All I Want is You (from Juno), Getting to Know You, Do-Re-Mi.
- 2:35 BROKEN CHORD BASS: Yakety-Yak, Ob La Di, Cecilia
- 4:20 SHUFFLE SHYTHM: The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wim-o-weh part), Hound Dog, Kansas City, Your Mama Don't Dance, Whole Lotta Shakin', Amazing Grace, Heart and Soul, Georgia on My Mind
- 6:03 BROKEN CHORD RIGHT HAND: Silent Night, Someone Like You, Unchained Melody, Can't Help Falling in Love, The Way You Look Tonight, Memory, This Year's Love, Fallin', Billie Jean (Chris Cornell acoustic version)
- 10:27 Recap of Part 2.
- How to Play a 12-Bar Blues Shuffle
- NOTE: This lesson (parts 1 & 2) is optional. You don't need to master it before moving on to the next lesson.
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- VIDEO: How to Play a 12-Bar Blues Shuffle. (5 minutes, 58 seconds.)
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- 0:08 Songs you can use this for, plus a brief demo of Hound Dog and Your Mama Don't Dance
- 1:03 Overview of the chords and inversions
- 1:38 How to play the left hand part
- 2:15 The right hand part
- 2:24 Putting the 2 hands together
- 2:58 How to play a shuffle rhythm
- 12-Bar Blues Shuffle (part 2)
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- VIDEO: 12-Bar Blues Shuffle (part 2) (8 minutes, 59 seconds.)
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- 0:14 The rest of the chords
- 1:03 What the left hand plays for each chord
- 1:32 All right hand chords, inversions, and fingering
- 2:39 How to play tricky chord changes with ease
- 4:05 Practicing the rest of the chords, step by step
- 4:39 The turnaround: back to the beginning we go
- 5:46 An easy turnaround
- 6:36 Other turnarounds (to add variety)
- 7:13 Other left hand patterns
- 7:49 How to give your playing a rock "feel"
- John Lennon's Imagine (Part 1)
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- VIDEO: John Lennon's Imagine (Part 1).
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- 00:00 Hear the arrangement.
- 00:41 An overview of the chords.
- 01:26 Introduction & verse: how to play and connect the chords.
- 02:40 An easy rhythmic style you can use.
- 03:22 A bass line variation for the above.
- 03:32 A richer arrangement--left hand plays two notes instead of one.
- 04:57 A third option--the rocking right hand.
- 05:58 Preview of part 2.
- John Lennon's Imagine (Part 2)
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- VIDEO: John Lennon's Imagine (Part 2).
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- 0:06 How to play the descending bass line.
- 0:35 A more interesting bass line rhythm
- 0:52 Verse ending: 2 options
- 1:37 The bridge of the song
- 1:54 Altered chords explained
- 2:26 Two ways to connect and finger the chords of the bridge
- 3:54 Bass line: how to transition from the end of the bridge to the next verse
- 4:04 Song structure: how to put it all together; how to end the song.
- 4:30 How to vary the accompaniment to create interest, and to separate the song sections
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- Free bonus lessons for subscribers!
- When you subscribe to the Play & Sing course, you also gain instant access to the following lessons. (They will eventually be part of a separate DoctorKeys course intended for those who want to play piano solos. )
- Piano Technique: A Whole-Body Approach (Part 1)
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- VIDEO: Piano Technique: A Whole-Body Approach (Part 1). (10 minutes, 20 seconds.)
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- 01:36 Letting gravity do the work
- 03:33 Practicing the release
- 04:56 How to sit (height, posture)
- 05:35 Hand position; drop onto thumb
- 09:02 Recap; preview of Part 2
- Piano Technique: A Whole-Body Approach (Part 2)
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- VIDEO: Piano Technique: A Whole-Body Approach (Part 2). (11 minutes, 24 seconds.)
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- 00:19 Finger position; how to play a five-note scale
- 03:19 First chord exercise
- 05:19 Tips and troubleshooting
- 10:14 Moving on from here; playing faster
- Ode to Joy: A Piano Solo
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- VIDEO: Ode to Joy (easy piano tutorial) part 1 (7 minutes, 14 seconds.)
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- 0:36 Ode to Joy played up to tempo
- 1:17 Played in slow motion
- 2:32 Step-by-step instruction
- Ode to Joy (Part 2)
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- VIDEO: Ode to Joy (easy piano tutorial) part 2 (5 minutes, 12 seconds.)
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- 0:35 Ode to Joy (middle section) played in slow motion
- 0:59 Step-by-step tutorial
- Big Leaps Made Easy
- Prelude in C
- The Play & Sing course outlined on this page teaches you to play by ear. Absolutely no music reading is required. However, some of you have requested the sheet music for the piece I play at the beginning of the "Whole Body Approach" video, so I've put it online.