Bjørn Broer from Netherlands posted a video on the Quaverbox Facebook page and in it he plays the chord progression Dm C Bb A. This video is my response and here I play the same chord progression while adding a few chord modifications and fillers. The resulting chord progression looks more like Dm9 C2 Bbmaj9 A7#5. I also demonstrate some simple two note patterns that are very effective over a progression. As I often do, it ends off with some jazzy piano improvisation. oh, and Pacman makes an appearance. Yes, Pacman.
I don't really know how to play the blues well. I know a couple of chords, a scale, and how to fake it. This video will show you the basic idea of what I do. Although I've called this a beginner blues piano lesson, it's really aimed at those who know their chords reasonably well and can follow a fast bluesy run on video. The basic progression I use contains only three chords - C7, F7 and G7. These dominant 7th chords based on the I, IV and V are typical of blues. I also use the C blues scale to form riffs and runs.
C Blues scale = C Eb F F# G Bb C
However, I only adhere loosely to this scale, as I sometimes include a D or B as passing notes too. In other words, I use the C blues scale to create that bluesy feel, but glean from the C major scale for variation. If you watch closely, you'll notice that I'm using the same riffs and chord structures over and over. I'll change the inversion of some of these chords, alter the length of the riffs, but really, it's the same basic stuff played repeatedly and disguised as something different. Hope you learn something from this beginner blues piano lesson :)
The humble A minor triad is often the first minor chord that a piano student would learn. It's the relative minor of C major which means that the key of A minor shares the same key signature as the key of C major. Below is a list of some modified Am chords and possible ways to voice them.
Look at the Am7 above. It resembles a C major triad with an A in the bass, ie. C/A. The next chord along Am7add11 looks like a C2/A. You won't see these chords written as C/A or C2/A because these symbols don't convey the true minor quality of the chord, but from a piano improvisation angle, it's quite handy to think of the Am chord as a C over A.
In fact, I encourage all beginner students to pair these two chords in their heads. When you see an Am chord symbol, think "C". This is because any basic modification (eg. C2, Cmaj7) or any cool run that can be applied to a C chord, can be converted into an equally cool Am chord or run, by playing an A in the bass instead of a C. This principle makes it very easy to produce some great sounding Am chords with minimal effort.
Here are more variations of the Am piano chord. These modifications result in a harsher effect and are often played in jazz. The final chord Adim7 isn't technically an Am chord variant as it's based on the diminished triad and not the minor one, but it does sound sufficiently "sad" and complex so I just added it to the mix!
Watch the video and get a feel for the differing qualities of each chord, then experiment with them in your own playing. Invert them, or modify them further. Build your own collection of Am chord piano voicings, and the next time you see an Am on a lead sheet, you'll have a dozen options to choose from!
Many students think that learning complex chords will make their playing sound more professional. Great chords might impress, but never forget the basics like expression and variation. In this video I demonstrate that good expression, combined with basic chord modifications can make a simple C major chord come alive.
This piano tutorial is a mixed bag of goodies for beginners and intermediate students. It's in the tougher key of A flat, but I chose that deliberately because too many students aren't getting enough exposure to these flat keys. It's also the key of John Legend's "All Of Me" which I have a shot at playing in the video (sort of). You'll pick up some basic improvisation tips along the way and hopefully memorise the VI IV I V chord progression too.
After 2 years of laying low, Quaverbox is now back! With the release of my new website comes the launch of the long awaited Lesson 12 and a new free video. The Quaverbox Course now includes all the newer lessons and each of the piano tutorial videos have been recompressed at an improved HD screen resolution of 1280 x 720. A big thank you to all my faithful YouTube and Facebook subscribers - your encouraging words and feedback have been the motivation for me to get more tutorial videos out there!
This piano tutorial is for my many teenage students who adore One Direction and need some quick tips on playing I Want on the piano. The video assumes you already know how to play chords reasonably well so it moves along at a decent pace.
Unlike other "How to play One Direction I Want" videos, this doesn't show you every single note to play on the piano. I'm just here to give piano improvisers a few options and variations that will have you easily memorising the chord progressions used, and to learn the improvisation techniques to get you playing I Want quickly. So in the end, it may not be exactly what you hear on the One Direction album, but hey.. it still sounds pretty cool, and none of your friends will notice the difference :)
Over 7 hours of instructional video
PLUS Worksheets with further exercises and examples.
Also receive the BONUS 64 page Quaverbox Manual
and a FREE half hour Jazz video lesson!
These are downloadable products only, so you'll receive immediate access upon payment. Once you've got them saved on your computer, they're yours to use forever. No monthly subscriptions, registrations or postage required! It works out to just $5 per piano lesson plus the free piano improvisation manual! Watch the above video for more information, then click the big green round button above if you'd like to buy the course :)
This piano tutorial is for my many teenage students who adore One Direction and need some quick tips on playing I Want on the piano. The video assumes you already know how to play chords reasonably well so it moves along at a decent pace.
Unlike other "How to play One Direction I Want" videos, this doesn't show you every single note to play on the piano. I'm just here to give piano improvisers a few options and variations that will have you easily memorising the chord progressions used, and to learn the improvisation techniques to get you playing I Want quickly. So in the end, it may not be exactly what you hear on the One Direction album, but hey.. it still sounds pretty cool, and none of your friends will notice the difference :)
After 2 years of laying low, Quaverbox is now back! With the release of my new website comes the launch of the long awaited Lesson 12 and a new free video. The Quaverbox Course now includes all the newer lessons and each of the piano tutorial videos have been recompressed at an improved HD screen resolution of 1280 x 720. A big thank you to all my faithful YouTube and Facebook subscribers - your encouraging words and feedback have been the motivation for me to get more tutorial videos out there!
This piano tutorial is a mixed bag of goodies for beginners and intermediate students. It's in the tougher key of A flat, but I chose that deliberately because too many students aren't getting enough exposure to these flat keys. It's also the key of John Legend's "All Of Me" which I have a shot at playing in the video (sort of). You'll pick up some basic improvisation tips along the way and hopefully memorise the VI IV I V chord progression too.
Many students think that learning complex chords will make their playing sound more professional. Great chords might impress, but never forget the basics like expression and variation. In this video I demonstrate that good expression, combined with basic chord modifications can make a simple C major chord come alive.
The humble A minor triad is often the first minor chord that a piano student would learn. It's the relative minor of C major which means that the key of A minor shares the same key signature as the key of C major. Below is a list of some modified Am chords and possible ways to voice them.
Look at the Am7 above. It resembles a C major triad with an A in the bass, ie. C/A. The next chord along Am7add11 looks like a C2/A. You won't see these chords written as C/A or C2/A because these symbols don't convey the true minor quality of the chord, but from a piano improvisation angle, it's quite handy to think of the Am chord as a C over A.
In fact, I encourage all beginner students to pair these two chords in their heads. When you see an Am chord symbol, think "C". This is because any basic modification (eg. C2, Cmaj7) or any cool run that can be applied to a C chord, can be converted into an equally cool Am chord or run, by playing an A in the bass instead of a C. This principle makes it very easy to produce some great sounding Am chords with minimal effort.
Here are more variations of the Am piano chord. These modifications result in a harsher effect and are often played in jazz. The final chord Adim7 isn't technically an Am chord variant as it's based on the diminished triad and not the minor one, but it does sound sufficiently "sad" and complex so I just added it to the mix!
Watch the video and get a feel for the differing qualities of each chord, then experiment with them in your own playing. Invert them, or modify them further. Build your own collection of Am chord piano voicings, and the next time you see an Am on a lead sheet, you'll have a dozen options to choose from!
I don't really know how to play the blues well. I know a couple of chords, a scale, and how to fake it. This video will show you the basic idea of what I do. Although I've called this a beginner blues piano lesson, it's really aimed at those who know their chords reasonably well and can follow a fast bluesy run on video. The basic progression I use contains only three chords - C7, F7 and G7. These dominant 7th chords based on the I, IV and V are typical of blues. I also use the C blues scale to form riffs and runs.
C Blues scale = C Eb F F# G Bb C
However, I only adhere loosely to this scale, as I sometimes include a D or B as passing notes too. In other words, I use the C blues scale to create that bluesy feel, but glean from the C major scale for variation. If you watch closely, you'll notice that I'm using the same riffs and chord structures over and over. I'll change the inversion of some of these chords, alter the length of the riffs, but really, it's the same basic stuff played repeatedly and disguised as something different. Hope you learn something from this beginner blues piano lesson :)
Bjørn Broer from Netherlands posted a video on the Quaverbox Facebook page and in it he plays the chord progression Dm C Bb A. This video is my response and here I play the same chord progression while adding a few chord modifications and fillers. The resulting chord progression looks more like Dm9 C2 Bbmaj9 A7#5. I also demonstrate some simple two note patterns that are very effective over a progression. As I often do, it ends off with some jazzy piano improvisation. oh, and Pacman makes an appearance. Yes, Pacman.
Your say about the Quaverbox Course
Hi Terence, thank you so much. Just bought your piano improvisation videos and they are very useful, well explained, at the same time very encouraging to me as a beginner.
Michael Langbrooke. Average Rating: 4.9/5.0 based on 63 reviews.
