The Ultimate Piano for Singers Course - Beginner to advanced

1. PRESENTATION VIDEO: Same. Bed body feels just a little bit big now our song on the radio, but it don't sound the same. When our friends talk about it, does it just does down. Mom breaks a little yawning. It all just sounds like too young to dumb to realize that I soon vote you hours and hold your hand. So give you a, a hours on head, the chance take you to a three part wanting to stand, now, baby stands in, she stands with another man on the things I should have done when I was a man. 2. How to play the piano and sing? Introduction of the course: Hey there. I hope you're all doing great. Welcome to the very first video of your piano learning journey. I'm super excited to dive right into the core of things and discuss topics that would truly help you progress. But before we get started though, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for putting your trust in me and also congratulate you on taking this important step. Give yourself a round of applause because you should be proud. Now, if you're here today, ready to embark on this piano learning adventure, it's because you've made the decision to pursue your passion at the fullest. So don't pay attention to those who will try to discourage you. Just let them talk and stay focused on your goals. For being ambitious in life is a wonderful thing. All right? I'm going to let you dive into your practice. There's no rush at all. So just take your time. And of course, if you have questions along the way, just feel free to ask me whenever you need to. I'm here to support you every step of the way. Alright, let's get started. 3. Locate the C note : the C major scale: Hey there, welcome to our very first lesson. We're about to embark on an exciting journey to learn the piano. Just before we dive in, I want to address a question that comes up quite often and it's about the equipment. Personally, when I started out, I had a seriously beat up piano that was of course, secondhand that my parents bought me at a flea market. Some keys didn't even work, but that didn't stop me from learning. So here's the thing to remember. Whether you have a fancy $30,000 piano or a basic $40 synthesizer from a flea market, for example. Well, I want to say that as long as you have the motivation and a reasonably functioning piano, well, you've got everything you need. So that's the answer for those wondering about equipment. Now, I do assume that you have a piano or a synth, so let's get started without training. In this first course, we'll focus on the basics. Specifically the keys of the piano. If you already know the keys, you can skip this video, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you're absolutely confident about it. Let me give you an example. Could you play a node? Yes or no? Either way, it should sound like this or here, if you got it right. Well, feel free to skip ahead for the rest of you. Let's get started. So our first task is going to be to find the C note. That's where it all begins, and it's essential to know how to locate it. Let me explain an easy method to find this key. So what do we have here? We see white keys and black keys. For now, let's focus on finding the C note. Here's a super simple technique. We're going to use the black keys as our guide. So as you can see, there are always groups of two black keys, then three black keys, two black keys, three black keys, two black keys, three black keys, and so on. All right, so the first step is going to be to locate the areas on the piano with two black keys. Okay? Don't worry about the areas with three black keys for now. Just find the spots with two black keys. Okay, once you found these areas, the C note will be directly to the left, the G. So locate any group two black keys. All right, the note is going to be directly to the left simple, right? Also notice that there will always be in the same position to the left of the two black keys. Now let's try our first exercise. We're going to play a note so you can play it anywhere on your piano. It doesn't really matter here, I'll play the note right here. Now, if someone asks you to play the note, but an octave above, well, it would be here. Another octave above would be here. Another octave would be here. As you can hear, it's always the same note. Meaning, in the opposite situation where someone would ask you to play the note an octave below, then it would be here. An octave below would be here, another octave below would be here. Okay, congratulations, You now know how to locate the C. Not trust me, this rule applies to all pianos and synthesizers. The note will always be to the left of the two black keys. Once you understand this, it'll become super simple. The white keys correspond to the nodes C, D, E, F, G, and B. All right, while the black keys represent sharps and flats. And we'll cover those in the next video. Now let's play the C major scale together. So it goes like this. You might be wondering, what exactly is a scale? Well, a scale is simply a series of nodes within an octave. We can go above the octave like this and play the C major scale as well, or we can start below an octave as well. Here, there's no problem at all. It still remains the C scale. As we explore other scales for different keys on the piano, it won't be as straightforward as the C scale, which were only white keys. But for now, let's focus on the C scale. The easiest one to play, last thing to do is to check your finger placements. Okay? So there are specific positions for your fingers. You'll notice that when we start with the thumb, we end with the pinky. Okay? If we were to number our fingers, it would be 12345. So here's how you want to play this scale. 12312345, the reverse would follow the same pattern, 54321321. Before we delve into other scales, for every key on the piano has its own scale, let's get acquainted with the black keys as we're going to need to use them. We will learn their names and how to play sharp and flat notes in the next video. Good luck with this lesson and I'll see you in the next one. 4. The black keys: Hey there. Welcome to the second lesson of this piano course. In this lesson, we're going to cover the black keys. Black keys might be chal***ging, but let me tell you that every pianist has gone through this, and you will too. But don't you worry, I'm here to help you out. So let's dive right into module one, chapter two. In the previous chapter, we learned the C major scale, which went like this. C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. Before we explore the scales of other keys, such as EF and so on, I previously mentioned that you needed to know about the black keys. Unfortunately, you cannot just avoid these black keys for long because they are just as important as the white keys. First off, let's clarify what a sharp note and a flat note means. If we go by the traditional music school definition, a sharp note raises the pitch by a chromatic semitone, while a flat note lowers it by a chromatic semitone. I want to make things easier for you. The main point to remember is that sharps and flats are exclusively located on black keys. So whenever you talk about sharps or flats, we're never dealing with white keys. Let's take the note as an example which you know how to locate easily now. So to the left of the two black keys. Okay, So the black key just above C is called C sharp Y. Well, sharp means it's one semitone above. But what's a semitone in music? It's the smallest interval on the piano and equals to one key. So from C to C sharp, there is just one key. Okay? Which we call a semitone, But from C to D, well, we have 12. We have to go through two keys. So we call it a whole step or a full tone. Now let's find the D sharp node. The D node is here. The D sharp node is going to be the black key, just one semitone above, one key above D. This is going to be D sharp sharp. The node here, one key above, is going to be sharp, one semitone above sharp A sharp. Maybe something might be bothering you. Now, why don't we have an Sp and a sharp? The reason is simple. If we go one semitone, one key above, we directly reach the note. What if we go one semitone key up the? Well we reach the. And that's why these notes don't have any sharp associated with them. So we've covered all the sharp notes. C sharp, sharp, sharp, sharp, and A sharp. But what is a flat note then? Remember, sharps were black keys positioned to the right of the corresponding white notes, one semitone above, one key above. Well, flat notes are the same black keys, but this time positioned to the left of the corresponding white notes. If we go back from the B note, the black key, that is going to be one semitone below the white key. One key, the left is going to be the B flat. Okay? A one semitone to the left is going to make the flat. Note here. This is then going to be the flat. One semitone to the left would make the flat. Then one semitone to the left flat. But again, something might bother you, and I completely understand why didn't we mention the flat or the flat? Well, for the same reason, that didn't have a sharp and the B didn't have a sharp either. If we take the note and that we go one key to the left, well, we reach the note. What about the one key to the left? We reach the note, there are no flat nodes associated with the C and the. Here's another observation, the same black key. For example, let's say this one can be both called sharp flat. It's the same. The A sharp here could perfectly be called a B flat, just like the flat could also be called a D sharp. The D flat could be called a C sharp. To assist you further, I've created a PDF file that explains everything in detail. I highly recommend you check out this document on your computer or print it out or have it displayed somewhere in order to follow along. This PDF file also includes exercises that will help you better grasp the concept of sharps and flats. Now that you've unlocked the secrets of sharps and flats, we can move on to the other keys of the piano. In the next video, we'll learn the scales for D, E, F, G, and B. Once you have a good understanding of these white key scales, we'll move on to the black key scales. Shall you have any questions along the way? Remember that I'm here to help. Good luck with your practice. Stay motivated. Work hard. And I'll see you in the next video. 5. White keys major scales: Hey there. Welcome to the third lesson of this course. In the previous lesson, we covered the black keys and their significance. Compared to the white keys, you learned how to identify sharp and flat notes and distinguish between them. Now that you're familiar with all the keys on your piano, we can fearlessly dive into a learning scales because we'll need both white and black keys for this. In this video, we'll focus on the scales of the white keys. The scales of the black keys will be covered in the next lesson. Make sure to download or print out the peda file provided for this specific lesson because it will be a helpful resource to support your learning throughout this course. Alright, let's dive into maja one, chapter three. First off, let's quickly refresh our memory on the composition of the C major scale. So it went like this. C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. Also remember the finger placements that we talked about, the 12312345, because that's exactly what you're going to want to use for this lesson. A little side note though, I suggest you pause the video after each scale that we study and spend a few minutes practicing it before moving on to the next one. All right, let's build up the D major scale. The D major scale is composed of D, F sharp, G, A, B, C sharp, and D. Just a quick clarification for those wondering, I could have also called the F sharp note, G flat note, okay? And the C sharp note. I could have also called it a D flat. But since we're ascending in the scale, we can use sharps. If we were descending the scale, it would be D, D flat, B, G flat. To play this major scale properly, you want to use the same finger placement that you used for the C major scale, 12312345, and the reverse would be 54321321. I suggest you pause the video and repeat the major scale while paying attention to your finger placements. Now let's play the major scale. The major scale is composed of sharp sharp A, B, C sharp sharp. The descending version would be flat, flat. A flat flat. And the same finger placement, 123-12-3455 on 4321321. Remember to take the time to repeat the scales before moving on to the next one. Next up is going to be the scale. The scale includes a sharp, okay? And for this specific scale of major, the finger placement is going to be different. We're going to play 1234, then 1234, okay? 1234 on E234. And the descending scale of major is going to follow the same pattern, 43214321. Practice this back and forth before moving on to the scale. The scale is composed of G, A, B, C, D, E sharp, and okay. And from here you can go back to the first finger placement method, 1231, 2345, 5432. 1321. Now, the A major scale, which is composed of the A, B, C sharp, D, F sharp sharp. The descending scale would go like this, A flat, flat, flat. And you're going to play this with the first finger placement. 1231, 2345. 5432. 1321. Let's move on to the final scale, The B major scale, composed of B, C sharp sharp. F sharp sharp sharp, okay? And the descending scale would go like this, B flat flat, flat, flat, flat with the initial finger placement 1231, 2345, 5432, 1321. I admit there are quite a lot of sharps in the scale, but that won't stop you because you are motivated and determined to succeed. Feel free to check out the PDF file associated to this lesson where I have listed all those scales. For you to conclude, I strongly recommend practicing these scales on your own. Keep training at your own pace. And remember, you are not alone in this journey. So if you have any questions, I'm here to help you take care, and I'll see you in the next lesson. 6. Black keys major scales: Hello and welcome to the four lesson of this module. In the previous lesson, we covered the scales of the white keys from C to B. Now it's time to move on to the scales of the black keys, which are equally important. But I have good news for you though, there are fewer scales for the black keys compared to the white keys. Meaning, we have seven scales for the white keys, while the black keys have only five scales. Let's dive into chapter four. Let's begin with the C sharp major scale, composed of the C sharp, D sharp, sharp, sharp, sharp C. And in order to play the scales of the black keys, well, we're going to need new finger placement patterns. Here's how you're going to play the sharp major scale, 23123412. The descending scale would go like this to 1432132. Remember that you want to keep the same fingers when ascending the scale, as well as for descending the scale. Also, take note that this C sharp major scale is exactly the same scale than the D flat major scale. They are identical and represent the same black key. Moving on to the D sharp or E flat major scale, that includes D sharp, G, G sharp sharp, C, D, and D sharp. The reverse would be flat. C flat, flat, flat. For this specific scale, here's the finger pattern, 3123, 4123, 3214, 3213. Please repeat these scales at least a few times before moving on to the next scale. Let's continue with the F sharp major scale, or the G flat major scale, Consisting of sharp, sharp, sharp, sharp, sharp and sharp. Of course, the descending scale would then be flat flat flat, B, B flat flat flat. For this specific scale, here's the finger pattern 234123. The 122-132-1432 Next up we have the sharp major scale, or the flat major scale, Consisting of sharp, sharp, sharp, sharp, sharp. The descending scale would be A flat flat, D flat, C, B flat flat. And here's the finger placement for this specific scale. 3412, 3123, 3213, 2143. Lastly, we have the sharp major scale, or the B flat major scale, composed of A sharp, D sharp sharp. The descending scale would give us B flat flat flat. Here's the final finger pattern for this specific scale, which is going to be 4, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2 on E. Four. Remember to practice all these scales going back and forth multiple times. Before playing the next scale, you will find the finger patterns of each scales in the PDF file I created for this lesson. I would also like to give you a mnemonic for remembering the finger patterns of the black keys. So let's say that we have two groups. We have sharp and D sharp, okay, forming one group of black keys. And then we have the F sharp sharp and A sharp, forming a second group of black keys. The C sharp major scale begins and ends with your second finger. The D sharp major scale begins and ends with your third finger. Okay, then we move on to the second group. And the F sharp major scale begins and ends with your second finger. The G sharp major scale begins and ends with your third finger. And the sharp major scale begins and ends with your fourth finger. You see there's some a logic pattern here, and this method actually eases the learning process of those scales. Work diligently, stay focused, and I'll see you in the next lesson, where we'll study the minor scales of the white keys of your piano. Take care and I'll see you in the next one. 7. White keys minor scales: Hello everyone, and welcome to the fifth chapter of this first module. In the last two lessons, you learned the major scales of all the keys on your piano, both white and black keys. In this lesson, we will do the same process, but this time we will focus on the minor scales of your piano. Let's begin module one, chapter five. Just like before, we will start by looking at the minor scales of the white keys. And in the next lesson, we will cover the minor scales of the black keys. Minor scales are a bit different from major scales in terms of the node they include and the sound color they produce. However, the number of keys and the finger placement patterns remain the same. Then for the major scales. In this lesson, we will go through all the minor scales of the white keys on your piano. Starting with the minor scale. The C minor scale consists of C, D sharp, G sharp sharp C, okay? The descending scale would give us C, B flat flat, flat. As I told you, the finger placement is going to be the same. Then for the major scales, we're going to play this 1231, 2345, 5432. 1321. Always remember to keep the same finger pattern when ascending and descending the scale. I recommend you practice this scale a few times before moving on to the next one. Let's move on to the D minor scale, which is composed of A sharp, C and D descending. The scale would give us D, C, B flat, A, D. We're going to use the same finger pattern then for the major scale. 12 312-345-5432 on 321. Next up is the E minor scale, which includes sharp G, A, B, C, D, and the descending scale would give us D, C, B flat E. And keeping the same, 12312345 finger placement. So 1231, 2345, 5432. 1321. Please practice those scales back and forth. Before moving on to the next scale, let's move on to the minor scale composed of F sharp sharp, sharp, D sharp descending. The scale would give us flat flat, C, B flat flat. And I don't know if you remember, but we had a different finger pattern for the major scale, which was 1234 and then 1234. Well, for the minor scale of we'll also use those specific placements. Here it goes. 123-412-3443 to 14321. Moving on to the minor scale, which consists of A sharp sharp, and the descending scale would give us flat D, C, B flat. From here, we're going to go back to our initial finger pattern, which was 12312345. So it goes like this. 1231, 2345, 5432, 1321. Again, for a better understanding, I highly suggest you practice these scales and it's descending versions a few times before jumping on to the next scale. Now let's learn the A minor scale composed of A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A. You'll admit this one is pretty easy compared to the others, and now you know it, the finger placement is going to be exactly the same. 1231, 2345. 5432. 1321. Finally, we'll have the B minor scale, which is composed of B, C sharp, D sharp, A descending. This scale would give us a flat, flat. Of course, we will keep the same finger pattern. 1231, 2345, 5432, 1321. Remember to practice both ascending and descending of those scales for the muscle memory to work out its magic. In this lesson, you have learned all the minor scales of the white keys on your piano. Remember that you can always refer to the PDF file associated with this course for a comprehensive summary of this chapter. You'll also find some practical exercises. I'm fully aware that scales may not be the most exciting aspect of learning the piano, but their importance is undeniable and you will soon realize it, especially in the next modules of this course. Take care and I'll see you in the next one. 8. Black keys minor scales: Hi everyone and welcome to the sixth chapter of this first module. In the previous lesson, you learned all the minor scales of the white keys on your piano. Well, guess what. In this lesson we will continue our exploration of minor scales, but this time focusing on the black keys. Lets begin made one chapter six. Okay, let's start with the C sharp or the D minor scale, which is going to be composed of C sharp. Sharp, sharp sharp. A, B, C sharp. Okay, remember that for the black keys we had different finger patterns. Well, here for the C sharp or flat minor scale, we're going to use the 231, 231-233-2132, on E32. Just like the previous lessons, I recommend you practice ascending and descending the scale before moving on to the next one. Now let's move on to the D sharp or flat minor scale, composed of sharp, sharp, sharp, sharp, sharp, sharp. Then descending this very scale would give us flat, flat, B flat, flat, flat, flat. And here is the finger pattern that we're going to use in order to play this D sharp flat minor scale. 3123, 4123, 3214, 3213. Next up we'll have the F sharp or flat minor scale, including the F sharp sharp, A, B, C sharp, D, and F sharp descending. This very scale would give us flat D flat, A flat, flat. Here's the finger placement in order to play this minor scale. 2312, 3123, 3213, 2132. I know that I repeat myself, but please make sure to practice those scales back and forth. Before moving on to the next scale, let's study the sharp or flat minor scale, composed of sharp, sharp, sharp, sharp, sharp, sharp, descending. This scale would give us a flat, flat, flat, flat, B flat, and a flat. Here's the finger pattern we're going to use in order to play this minor scale. 3412, 3123, 3213, 2143. Always make sure to keep the same fingers when ascending and descending the scale. Moving on to our last minor scale, the sharp or B flat minor scale, composed of A sharp, C sharp, sharp, sharp, sharp, and sharp descending, This scale would give us B flat, flat, flat, flat, flat, C, B flat. Here's the finger placement that we're going to use. 4123, 1234, 4321, 3214. It is important to practice both major and minor scales of both white and black keys of your piano because they represent valuable skills that will greatly benefit you in your musical journey. Of course, you will find a PDF file summarizing the content of this lesson. And shall you have any questions? Don't hesitate to reach out. Take care. And I'll see you in the next one. 9. Your first chord : the C major: Hey everyone and welcome to the first chapter of the second module. First off, I want to congratulate you and express how proud I am of your progress. You're definitely on the right path to become a musician. This module is going to be a crucial turning point in your piano learning journey because we'll be diving into chords. Chords are absolutely essential for playing songs. So this module is going to be a significant step forward for you. And to be honest, you'll see that chords are not as complicated as they may seem. Let's start module two, chapter on E. In this lesson, we will start by understanding what a cord is and how to build one. I hope that you'll remember well, the notions start in the first module, especially the names of the notes like C, D, E, F, G, AB, and the sharp flat notes as well. This knowledge will be crucial for following along, but don't worry, I'll make sure to review and reference the first module regularly to keep you on track. Alright, so what exactly is a cord? A cord is a combination of at least three keys. We will play together. These nodes will create a chord and it should sound harmonious and not dissonant. There are various types of chords, such as major chords, minor chords, seventh chords, diminished chords, and many more. And I promise that we'll explore them as we progress through this course. Now let's start with the two simplest chords to form, major chords and minor chords. So we'll begin with the major chords. You'll see that forming a major chord is quite straightforward. If you can count up to four, then you're good to build a major chord. Just follow this pattern, 1234 and then 123. Let's take the note as our reference and form the major cord. So we'll start by playing the note, okay? Now you want to count 1234. And you want to place your second finger there, okay? Then you want to count 123, and here you have it, the C major chord. Let's do it together again, starting with the note you want to count 1234123. And here you have the C major chord, okay? And it's going to be the same thing for all the keys of your piano. All right, let's now build the minus cord, and again, we'll start with the C note. And this time you want to count 123 and then 1234. And here you have it. The mind, you probably noticed the big difference in sound between a C major and a C minor. The C minor chord has like a sadder or darker tone. When comparing them, you'll observe that only the middle finger actually changes position, while the first and the third finger don't move. Now here's a mnemonic tape for you to remember how to build major and minor chords easily. Remember one specific order out of those two, okay? And think about moving your second finger either to the left or to the right, depending on what you want to play. For example, let's say that you want to play a minor chord. Well, you just have to remember how to build the major chord. And then moving your second finger one semitone to the left and there you have built minor chord, of course, show you want to remember the minor chord. Well let's say that you want to play the major chord. You know that the C minor is like this. In order to play the Mg cord, you still have to move your second finger, but this time one semitone to the right. You have built the chord in case you wonder, this simple rule applies to all the keys on your piano. You'll see that if you practice well, it'll become more intuitive and automatic because your fingers will naturally fall into the correct positions. Before I end this video, I wanted to emphasize that everyone progresses at their own pace. If it takes you weeks to master these chords, well, that's perfectly okay. The most important thing here is to understand how to build major and minor chords. Trust me, it's simpler than it seems. In the following chapters of this module, we'll take it step by step to make it as easy as possible for you. We'll first start with the major chords of the white keys, then we'll tackle the minor chords of those same white keys. Okay, it's time for you to practice and work on these major and minor chords. Here's what I suggest. With the knowledge you gained in this video, just try to build the major and minor chord of let's say D and E. Just let me remind you that you can refer any time to the PD of documents I've provided which summarize everything covered in this video. If you have any doubts or questions, just feel free to reach out to me anytime. We'll meet again in the next video to put what you've learned into practice. Keep up the great work and good luck for the second module. 10. White keys major chords: Hello everyone and welcome to the second chapter of the second module. In the previous video, we discussed chords and today we'll continue practicing those chords. By now, you've learned how to form major and minor chords, which is fantastic and as promised, in this lesson, we'll cover the chords of all the white keys, so C, D, E, F, G, and B. By the end of this video, you'll have a solid grasp of the major chords for these notes and we're going to follow the same logical process. So let's get started. First, let's address the chal***ge I gave you in the previous video. I asked you to try playing the major and minor chords of D. And just to refresh your memory, if you want to play a major chord, well, you want to place your first finger on the note, then count 1234 second finger, and then 123 third finger. For the major chord of D, we will start by playing the D note, then count 1234 second finger, and then 123. You created the D major chord, just like for the major cord. In order to form the mind of D, you simply want to move your middle finger one semitone to the left. You just built the D minor chord. D major minor, major, D minor. It's going to be the same process for the chord, starting by playing the node. Then count 1234123 and you've built the major cord, just like for the previous chords. If you want to create the minor chord, you just have to move your second finger down a semitone. You built the minor cord. Minor, major, minor, major, minor. Congratulations if you made it and figured it out without watching this video or checking the PDF file for the answers, let's just keep up the pace. Next up is going to be the major cord. We will start by playing the node like this, then we will count 1234123. Here you have it, the major chord, including the node A and C. Now let's play the major chord beginning with the node, then counting 1234123, the cord composed of B and D. Moving on to the A major cord, starting with the A note, we will count 1234123. Here we have it, The A major cord composed of a C sharp, D flat, and finally the Mad starting with the B. Then we'll count 1234123. And you've built the B major chord composed of B, D sharp, and F sharp. Great job. You've now played all the major chords of the white keys of your piano to make it automatic. And in order to play a song fluently, repetition is key. Practice and repeat these chords over and over again until they become second nature. Don't be afraid to train intensively. The more you practice, the faster you progress. I do understand though, that time constraints may be a factor, especially if you have other commitments. However, if you can practice these chords at least five times a day, you'll achieve remarkable results over time. In this lesson, we covered all the major chords for the white keys of your piano. I suggest you practice playing major chords of the white keys starting from the note all the way up to the B major chord. And I recommend you repeat this exercise at least five times a day. And if you can practice even more well, just go for it. Here's a little tip though. Try practicing during nighttime right before going to bed because your brain retains information more effectively during sleep. Remember, practice is key to success. Keep up the great work. Take care, and I'll see you in the next one. 11. White keys minor chords: Hey everyone and welcome to the third chapter of module two. In the previous chapter, we covered all the major chords of the white keys from C to B. As promised, in this video, we'll focus on the minor chords of the same white keys first. Let's have a quick review. I hope you remember the definition of a chord. A combination of at least three keys that are played simultaneously, creating a harmonious and cohesive sound. You already know how to form major chords using the technique of choosing a note and then counting 1234 and then 123 to place your fingers properly. Knowing that this technique works for all the keys on the piano, both white and black. In this video, we'll explore the minor chords of the white keys on your piano to form a minor cord. The secret is to remember the structure of a major cord and then simply moving your second finger one semitone to the left. The goal here is going to be to form the major cord and then the mino cord for each chord, allowing you to practice both in one video. Let's start with the C cord. You already know how to form the C major cord using the counting technique. Place your finger on C, then count 1234123. This is the major cord. Now to form the C minor cord, simply move your second finger, one semitone to the left. And there you have it. The mind, let's move on to the D major cord and it's going to be the same process. Place your finger on D, then you want to count 1234, then 123, here's the major cord. In order to form the mind, just move your middle finger one semitone to the left. This will create the Mind major cord. Now, place your finger on then, 1234123. Here's the major. In order to create the mind, we just move your middle finger, one semitone to the left. You have built the mind. I highly recommend pausing the video at this point and practicing these chords on your own. Now that you understand the method, just give it a try. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. It's all part of the learning process. In any case, the answers will be provided in this chapter, so don't worry. Moving on to the minor cord. So let's start by forming the major cord by placing your first finger on. Then counting 1234123 major. Now to form the mind of you only need to take your second finger and lower it, one semitone. Here you have it, the mind. Next up, let's play the minus cord. Starting with the major chord, 1234123 major. Now, in order to form the minus cord, you just have to lower your second finger, one semitone to the left. Now on the mind, we'll begin by forming the A major cord using the counting technique of 1234123. There you have the A major cord. And then to form the mind, you just have to take your second finger and lower it one site. Here you have the mind. Lastly, let's play the B minor chord, starting by forming the B major chord, like this, 1234123 major, to form the B minor chord. You know this method. Now you have to take your second finger and lower it, one semitone. There you have it. The mind, as a practical exercise, I recommend playing all the major minor chords of the white keys on your piano, alternating like we just did between major and minor chords. Here's an example, starting with the C major. Just play the C major and then C minor, move on to D major, minor major minor, F major, minor, major, minor, major, minor, major minor. Remember that practice is key. Good luck for this lesson. Now that you know all the major and minor chords of the white keys of your piano, well, you have the foundation to play your first songs. It is very important to understand the method and put in the practice time. However, don't get discouraged if you don't remember the chords right away. Playing an instrument is a gradual learning process. After watching the lessons, it's crucial to exercise, train and repeat the exercise before moving on to the next chapter. Also, don't forget that a PDF document associated with this course is available for reference. And if you have any doubts, don't hesitate to contact me through the internal messaging system practice. Well, take care and I'll see you in the next one. 12. Black keys major/minor chords: Hello everyone, and welcome to the fourth chapter of module two. In the last two videos, we covered all the major and minor chords of the white keys on the piano. By now, you should be familiar with the method of forming major and minor chords. So count 1234 and then 123 in order to place your fingers correctly for a major chord and for a minor chord. Well, the counting pattern is simply going to be reversed so that we will count 123 and then 1234 in order to form a minor chord. So in this lesson, we'll refine this method a little further. As always, I encourage you to manage the video at your own pace, meaning you can either play along with me or pause the video at each chord. Practicing in advance just before discovering the solution is also a very effective method as it allows you to immediately address your mistakes and correct them. Let's begin module to chapter four. Today we'll focus on the black keys chords. I understand that it may seem a bit monotonous to apply the same method repeatedly in multiple videos to make it more convenient for you work on both the major and minor cord simultaneously. In this video, since you're already familiar with the method, it will save you some time. So for the C sharp major cord, simply place your first finger on C sharp and then count 1234. Second finger 123, and there you have it, the C sharp major cord, or the D flat major cord. Okay? And turning this cord into a minor cord is going to be very simple, since you already know that you only need to take your second finger and lower it one semitone to the left. And here you have it, the C sharp minus cord, or the D flat minus cord. Okay, now let's move on to the D sharp or E flat major and minor chords, as you know, you want to place your first finger on D sharp, then count 1234 second finger, and then 123 third finger. And there you have it, the D sharp major cord or the E flat major chord. In order to create the minor cord, just move your second finger one semitone to the left. Of course, you could perfectly use the county method in order to create a minor cord. For example, D sharp is here, minus cord is 123, and then 1234, here we have the D sharp minor cord, and it's exactly the same, since there is no E sharp, we'll continue with the sharp or flat again, I suggest you pause the video and try to build the F sharp, G flat major, and minor chords by yourself. I'll let you a few seconds to pause the video. Okay, let's proceed to form the major cord. Just place your first finger on F sharp or flat, and then count 1234, second finger, then 1123, there you have it, The sharp major chord or the G flat major chord. In order to form the mind, you just have to lower your second finger, one semitone to the left. Here you have it. You build the sharp mind or the flat mind. Moving on to the sharp or the flat major and minor chords, you want to place your finger on the sharp, then count 1234, then 123. Here you have the sharp major cord or the flat major cord. In order to form the minor cord, it is the same method, you only need to lower your second finger by a semitone. There you have it, The sharp mind, or the flat mind. Lastly, let's play the sharp or B flat, major and minor, exactly the same process. I'm going to let you a few seconds to pause the video. Let's proceed. A sharp, you want to count 1234, then 123, Here you have it. The sharp major cord or the B flat major cord in order to form the mind. Well, it's the same method. You only have to lower your second finger, one semitone to the left. You have built a sharp mind or the B flat minor. Remember, it's all about repetition. Consistency and persistence. Training and practicing are essential for developing the necessary mechanisms. As an exercise, I suggest you play all the cores of the black keys that we've covered in this video. Practice forming the major chord first and then the minor chord or vice versa. By doing this, you will reinforce your memory of the correct keys and also solidify the concept of shifting your second finger one semitone to the left or to the right. Work hard and don't hesitate to reach out. If you have any questions, take care and I'll see you in the next one. 13. Let's play with your left hand: Hello everyone and welcome to chapter five of module two. In the previous chapters, we covered all the major and minor chords of all the keys on your piano. In this lesson, we will bring everything together by introducing the left hand. Yes, it is time to incorporate the left hand and play the chords with both hands. It may seem a little daunting at first, but with practice and persistence, you will master it and I can guarantee that. Let's get started. Okay, so in this lesson we will go through all the chords that you've learned so far. But this time introducing the left hand, which will play what we call bass notes. The bass note played by the left hand will correspond to the chord you are playing with your right hand. For example, when playing the major chord, well with the left hand, you want to play the bass note of C, okay? Same goes to all the chords of your piano. If you play the E major chord, well, the left hand will play the bass note of this adds more and richness to the sound. It is very important to play those left hand notes with your little finger. Training your finger since the beginning is going to be crucial. And to prove this, I'm just going to play you something. I don't know if you recognize the song, but it was Goodbye Philadelphia by Peter Inci. Now let's go through the chords you learned together. Remember, the left hand plays the bass note corresponding to the chord you're playing with your right hand. And make sure to play those with your pinkie. So for now, just start by playing the chord with the right hand. And play just one note, the C bass note, with your little finger, okay? And this will actually allow you over time to add a second octave right here with your thumb to create an even fuller sound and increase the amplitude of your cord. Will continue with the C sharp major chord, like this. With your left hand, you're going to play the base node of C sharp with your pinky so that you can reach the octave, okay? Just note that the C sharp minor chord be played with the same C sharp base notes with your left hand. Okay? So C sharp major, sharp minor, same base. Okay? We'll now move on to the D major chord, played with your right hand like this. With your left hand, you're going to play the base note of D with your pinky and try to reach the octave. Then D minor, we're going to keep base. What you want to do is repeat this pattern for each playing the bass note with the left hands little finger. I will slowly go through major and minor codes of all the keys on the piano just to make sure that you fully understand the process. Starting with C major, then try to form the C minor, okay? Then C sharp major, C sharp minor, D major minor, D sharp major, D sharp minor major minor. F major minor, F sharp major, F sharp minor major minor, G sharp major, sharp minor, major minor. A sharp major, A sharp minor, major minor. As you noticed, the bass note stays the same. Regardless of the nature of the chord, whether it was a major chord or a minor chord, the base was always the same. As an exercise, I recommend playing all the Ds you've learned so far, alternating between major and minor chords. If you want, you can start with just one note in the left hand, playing the bass with the little finger. And once you're comfortable doing this, try adding a second octave with the thumb. For this will take your play into a whole new level and you'll be ready for what's coming. To conclude this module, I suggest you continue practicing all the major and minor chords. Adding the base node with your left hand. Stay positive. Work hard and enjoy the process. Take care. And I'll see you in the next one. 14. Understanding rhythm: Hey everyone and welcome to the first chapter of our third module. First off, I want to take a moment to say how proud I am of all of you. Making it to this point of the course shows real dedication and progress. In this module, we'll dive deeper into piano playing and even start playing our first songs, Trust Me. By the end of this module, you will have a solid foundation and be playing with confidence. So let's jump into module three, chapter one. Today we're going to talk about rhythm and how to play in it. First of all, you have to know that the speed of a song is measured in BP M, which stands four beats per minute, and it tells us how many beats or pulses we have. In a minute, we'll use a 44 rhythmic figure as our reference. But what does that mean? What is a rhythmic figure? In music, a rhythmic figure refers to a specific pattern or sequence of note, durations, and rests that create a distinctive and recurring rhythmic pattern. Rhythmic figures are then the building blocks of rhythm and are used to create various rhythms within a piece of music. The notation for rhythmic figures typically uses a time signature, which is a numerical symbol placed at the beginning of a musical piece or section to indicate the rhythm structure. Time signatures consist of two numbers stacked on top of each other. So let's take an example here. The first number in the time signature represents the number of beats per measure. Okay? A measure being a grouping of beats. And the first number tells you how many beats there are in each measure. The second number in the time signature represents the value that receives one beat. For example, if the number is four, well, it means a note called a quarter note gets one beat. If the number is eight, it means an eighth note gets one beat. I'm going to use claps because I want to make sure that you're following me here. A time signature in music tells you how to clap or count the rhythm of a piece. Let's take the time signature, 44, so the top number can be understood as the number of claps per measure. Okay, Here, basically it tells you that you should clap four times in each measure. It's like saying, we're going to clap four times before starting the song. And that's also why drummers always count before the music starts, okay? So that everybody is synchronized in rhythm. And the bottom number is actually like the type of clap that you're going to have to use in this example. The bottom number is also four, and it means you should clap with a quarter note rhythm. Now let's understand what a quarter note rhythm is. It means that each clap gets one beat, and all four claps fill up the entire measure. If you were to clap along with a 44 times signature, it would sound like this, 112-34-1234 with equal time between each clap. Now let's try another example with a different time signature like 34. Here the top number three tells you that you should clap three times in each measure. Always refer to the drummer who is going to be like 123123, okay, before starting the music. And the bottom number, which is four again, tells us that we use a quarter note rhythm just like before. So 12, 312-312-3123, Different time signatures can create different clapping patterns, and that's what gives Music its unique rhythmic feel. Finally, let's define the 68 rhythmic figure using the same explanation with claps. Now you know that the top number represents the number of claps per measure. Here it is six, and it tells us that there are six claps in each measure, and that would go like this. 12 345-612-3456 And the bottom number eight means we use an eighth note rhythmic for each clap. Let's understand what an eighth note rhythm means. Well, it means that each clap is faster, a quarter note rhythm. And in this case, you can think of it like two quick claps for every bit. And I'll make this even easier to understand by using a metronome. If you don't have one, no worries. Because you can find p***ty of metronome apps on line on your phone. Here's how this metronome looks like. It's called a Metronome Pro, but this is the free version that you can download anywhere on the App Store or the play store. In the upper left corner, you'll find the rhythmic figure, which in this case is 44. But if you click on it, you'll be able to make all kinds of rhythmic figures, including the 6834 and many more. Also notice the circular arcs that adapt to the numbers of beats that you choose. Then all you need to do is press okay and press the play button. At the center, you'll find the tempo or the BPM. And with the keyboard, you can type in any number you want, then tap done, press play, and you roll set. Also notice that in this particular app, the first beat of the measure is displayed in red, which is very useful especially for this module about rhythm. So my metronome right here is set up to 80 beats per minute with a 44 rhythmic figure. So the first exercise would be to play the major chord with the metronome, 80 beats per minute. 44 rhythmic figure, 2341234. Remember you want to play the chord at beat one, okay? 123, 412-343-4234 to 3434, okay? Another exercise that you could do, for example, is to play all the major courses that you learned so far, but with the metronome. So it would go like this, 4123, 4342, 3423, 4234 gone, 234, gone, 2341234 and so on. Okay. I highly encourage you to practice with the metronome on your own. Set it to a comfortable tempo and play the course that you've learned so far. Making sure to play them on beat one. Remember that repetition is key and playing with the metronome will actually help you develop your sense of rhythm and synchronization between your hands. In the next lesson, we'll continue practicing with the metronome and play all the course we've learned. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out. I'm always here to help you along the way. Keep up the great work, stay consistent, and I'll see you in the next lesson of our third module. Take care and happy playing. 15. How to play in rhythm: Hey everyone and welcome to chapter two of our third module. In the previous lesson, we explored the concept of rhythm and how to play along with it. Today we're going to continue using the metronome because we're still in learning and training mode. Remember, it's helpful to count the beats out loud as you play in order to maintain the timing and synchronize your hands. If it is possible for you, try to play the first base with your pinky and its octave with your thumb. I know that it might be a bit uncomfortable at first, but trust me, it's worth the effort. In this lesson, we'll be playing all the chutes we've learned. But this time we will add the metronome to the mix. You can play along with me in real time or pause the video and practice on your own. Let's dive into module three, chapter two. So what we're going to do in this lesson is use all the knowledge you gained with major and minor chords and incorporate it with what you're currently trying to master rhythm. So just like in the previous lesson, we'll begin with the metronome set at 80 bits per minute with a 44 rhythmic figure. And that means we will count four times for the first measure and play on the first count of each following measure, which I'll indicate of course. And we'll be alternating between major and minor chords. Let's get started with an example. 1, 2, 3, 4 1 2, 3 4 1 2, 3 4 1, 2, 3 4 1 2, 3 4 1 2, 3 4, 2, 3, 4, et cetera. All right. Now that you've understood the method, let's play all the chords you've learned so far. 234 to 34 to 34. 343-434-3434 to 34 to 3434 to 343434. The 34343434 to 343-434-3434 to 3434. Excel***t. As you could see, we played the chords each time. We said one meaning at the beginning of each measure. Of course, you don't have to follow exactly this exercise. You could actually come up with an exercise based on the areas you want to focus on. For example, you could practice only the major chords of the white keys like this. 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 2, 3, 4, 3, 4, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3 4 1, 2 3 4 1, 2 3 4 1, 2, 3, 4 Or you could play exclusively the minor chords of the black keys. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4. And also feel free to play backwards. Let's do, for example, the minds of the white keys starting from B minor 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 4, 3, 4, 3, 4, 3, 4. Please keep in mind that in spite of this course, you are a self taught pianist. And that means that you have to be aware of your strong points and weak points so that you're able to progress through this course. Adapting some of the exercises, like the rhythm related ones, in order to strengthen specific skills. In this lesson, we combine what you've learned so far, meaning the chords, with the rhythmic aspect. Be aware that this combination literally gives you the necessary tools to play songs. And remember, this is not about understanding the rhythmic figures perfectly. The overall goal is to play with a steady tempo, and that's what actually matters at the end of the day. As an exercise, I encourage you to continue playing the course with the metronome. And if you can just try to incorporate the two octaves with your pinky and your thumb. Here's a little technique for you. Try visualizing the next chord before playing it. As you become familiar with the distance between your fingers for each chord, visualizing the next one will become easier. This visualization technique can greatly improve your playing practice. Well, take care and I'll see you in the next one. 16. How to use the pedal(s): Hello everyone and welcome to chapter three of our third module. In our previous lessons, we played major and minor chorus and learned how to play in rhythm at a tempo of 80 beats per minute. In this chapter, we'll delve into the sustained petal and explore how to use it with the chords you already know. Let's dive into chapter three of module three. First off, I want to mention that if you don't have a sustained petal, that's okay. While it's preferable to have one, it's not mandatory. Meaning you can always buy a sustained petal later and refer back to this lesson to learn how to use it. For those who are curious, I recommend watching this video to understand the basics of the sustained petal and its usage. However, if you believe there are other things that you need to practice and that you don't find it relevant or you don't have a pedal, just feel free to skip this video and move on to the next one. It's all about personal preference. So let's begin. The sustained pedal is typically found on acoustic pianos, and it's the rightmost pedal. When you press this pedal, it allows a note to continue resonating even after you release the key. To demonstrate, I'll press and release the C note without the pedal, and that would be okay. So as you can hear, the sound stops immediately after I released it. But if I press the pedal and then play the node, I can release it and the sound will continue to resonate. There is another pedal called the left pedal that is used to manually shift the mechanics of the piano, making the notes softer. By pressing this particular petal, you will reduce the distance between the strings and the hammer, resulting in a softer sound. On some pianos, you may find a third pedal known as the middle pedal or the sustento pedal. This one's pretty special because it allows the last played to resonate while the other nodes become softer, creating a unique effect. Now let's review how to use that sustained pedal with the chords that you already know. The sustained petal is particularly effective when playing cord progressions, which we'll explore in the next lessons. If you play the Mg cord without the petal and release the keys, the sound stops immediately, right? But if you press the sustained petal before playing the Mage cord, then release the keys, the sound continues to resonate. Now the question is, how do we use the petal when changing cords? The key here is to experiment and test it out. If we keep the petal pressed while changing the cords, it will create a messy and confusing sound. To demonstrate this, let's press the pedal and then play the major major major, while keeping the pedal pressed Major, major, major. I keep my pedal pressed and as you can hear, the notes from all the cords resonated at the same time. And that's not what we want. Instead, we want to lift our foot off the pedal at the very moment of changing the cord. Let's press the pedal, play the C major. And when you're about to play the next chord, just release and press the petal, just like this, okay? Now G major, release and press again, okay? And then back to C major, release the petal and press it again at the very moment that you change the chord, okay? And by releasing the petal, you actually create a clear distinction between the chords and that's essential. So I suggest you practice this technique until you can comfortably reproduce the effect. In a nutshell, the sustained petal is used to cut the sound of the previous chord and give a fresh start to the next one. It's essential to follow the method precisely, and once you have the hang of it, just repeat the cycle and make it automatic. In this lesson, you learned how to use the sustained petal, also known as the loud petal or the damper petal, on your piano. Although it might seem chal***ging to master it at first, it becomes more relevant and easier when playing songs. If you're not ready to incorporate the pedal right now, just don't worry. You can focus on understanding the concept and you can explore it further in the future. In the next lesson, we'll dive into chord progression, which are crucial in song structures. Mastering chord progressions will open up a world of possibilities for playing a vast range of songs. So keep practicing, stay focused, and most importantly, enjoy the process. Take care. And I'll see you in the next lesson of our third module. 17. Your first chord progression: Hello everyone and welcome to chapter four of module three. In our previous lesson, you learned how to use the sustained pedal effectively. Now it's time to dive into the exciting subject of chord progression. Understanding this concept is going to be absolutely crucial if you want to play songs. So let's get started. First of all, let's define what a chord progression is. Well, it's simply a sequence of harmonious chords that repeat in a loop. While there may be some variations and changes here and there, the initial chord progression remains the same. Keep in mind that it's pretty common to have one and only chord progression throughout an entire song. In this lesson, you will learn your first chord progression which starts with the nodes. So the chords in this progression are going to be major, minor, major, and major. Let's go through the chords major, and you're already familiar with this chord, right? Then A minor, okay? Then F major, then major. The order of the progression is major minor, F major and major. And we'll repeat the sequence in a loop. And if you're going to use your petal, it's essential to lift the petal each time you change cords and then immediately press it back. For this will help you to create a cleaner sound. In this example, I'll set it to 80 beats per minute. And to work even more, let's use a 68 time signature, which means there will be six beats per measure. If you don't feel comfortable using the sustained petal yet, that's perfectly fine. Okay. So you can skip it for now and add it later once you're more confident I'll be using the petal, but it won't change anything for you in case you don't use it. Let's start playing the cord progression with the metronome. Remember to play the cord right at the beginning of each measure on the count of one, okay? And we will play each chord for two measures to six to 566-66-6666, So keep practicing and repeating this chord progression so that you can play the sequence indefinitely. By the way, the chords you've played might already sound familiar because they have been used in so many songs including Hallelujah. I'm just going to play an excerpt though. I've heard there was a secret chord the David played in place, the Lord, but you don't really care for music. Do see it's the same chords. The same chords are also used in the song Let it Be by the Beatles. When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother may comes to me speaking words of wisdom. Let it be, or I'm yours by Jasim Ross. So I found he no more. No more. So there's no need to come from again. Hard time. In short, this is fade and you can also play stand by me. When the night has come and the land is dark and the moon is the only light will see. See how magic those chords are. And even though the order of the chords might change, it is still the C major chord progression, meaning the C major key. And there are so many other songs using the same chords. I don't even know if you realize how many songs you could actually start practicing from today. Keep in mind that this is just the beginning because there are so many other different code progressions to explore. Good luck for this lesson. Okay, in the next lesson, I will reveal a secret technique that will make plain code progressions much easier. Your right hand will require less movement, resulting in a smoother playing. Stay committed to your practice and remember how far you've come on this musical journey. Until next time, take care and I'll see you in the next one. 18. A secret piano skill : inversions: Hello everyone and welcome to chapter five of module three. In the previous lesson, you learned your first chord progression. In this lesson, I will give you a very useful technique so that you can play those chord progressions very easily. Let's get started. As a reminder, the C major chord progression was composed of C major, A minor, F major, and major. If you're using the sustained pero, just remember to lift it each time you press a new chord. Now let's focus on the technique. The idea here is to shift notes within the chords in order to make your playing more fluent and easier. That technique is called the inversion method, the mind consisting of C and E. Well, you could, for example, take the two keys here, the C and E, and you could actually drag them over here. It's the same note. Okay? In that case, it would give you this cord shape for the A minor, because this is still an A minor. Okay? A minor. This is also a minor. A minor. This is also a minor. Okay. I'm just inverting here the notes, but it's still the A minor cord. The goal of this technique is to help you get a fluent playing, instead of doing C major, A minor like this, because you see that your hand moves a lot. Okay, well now since you inverted the note and the note and that you put them here, well, that means that you only have one note, one finger to move in order to play the major. And directly go to A minor. Major. A minor. And so much better and harmonious then see what I mean. This inversion technique could be applied to the other chords as well. For example, let's look at the major chord composed of A and C. What if I take that up here and then I put it here? Well, here's the new shape of the major. Okay? Major, major, major, major, major. You got the point. Now, instead of doing a minor major like this, you can do it like that. A minor major, just one finger to move from a minor to major, okay? Major, one key to move to make a minor. And from a minor one key to move to make major. It's much more harmonious than doing. I think you're starting to see the pattern, right? So let's continue with the chord to simplify this, why not take this D note and play it here so that now we have this chord shape for the major chord. They roll the same D. Okay, Now let's play the entire progression using these modified, starting with the major minor, F, major major, and back to major. Okay, I'm just going to play the codes with my right hand so that you exactly see what's happening. C major, A minor, F major, G major. Okay? Do not hesitate to use the PDF file associated to this lesson if there's anything you didn't understand. And of course, feel free to reach out to me anytime if necessary. I'm here to help. Don't worry if you feel a bit lost at first. It is pretty normal as the court ships have changed. However, notice that the composition of the have remained the same. I suggest you take the time to practice and master this progression with the modified Ds for it will become the foundation for your future development as a pianist. Right now you're learning to play chords in different ways. You're actually expanding your knowledge of the instrument and your skills as a pianist. In the next module, we'll dive deeper into code playing techniques. And we'll explore different ways to play code progressions, not just by shifting notes, but also by using various fingering techniques. Also reflect on how far you've come in your musical journey and the possibilities that lie ahead. This course aims to provide you with the tools and techniques to become a skilled musician at your own pace. So just keep up the great work and I'll see you in the next one. 19. Another chord progression: Hey everyone and welcome to the first lesson of module four. Before we start, I just wanted to say congratulations to each and every one of you. You've come a very, very long way and you should be proud of yourselves because the knowledge and skills you've gained are a result of your determination and hard work. Keep it up, you're on the right track. Now in this module, we're going to dive deeper into code progressions 'cause today I'll be teaching you a second code progression. And trust me, it's not going to be more complicated than the first one. So let's get started. So this new code progression is made up of the following chords, G major, minor major, and D major. And make sure to use your pinky for the base, and if you can try to add the upper octave, okay? If you use a sustained pedal, remember to lift your foot off the pedal each time you change. And then press it again immediately. Let's begin by the major. We'll play it just like we did in the previous lesson. We're going to use the inversion technique. And bring the D by placing at the beginning of the chord. Okay, you can always play the codes in different ways, of course. But for now, I'll show you how to stay close to the note. Now let's talk about the E minor cord. I suggest you take a moment to pause this video and see if you can figure out which notes to move in order to make your playing easier. Take your time and then come back to the video. Okay, that was kind of a trick question. If you couldn't find any specific nodes to move, don't worry. Because sometimes you just don't need to make any specific movements. In this case, the major cord was already inverted. And that very inversion actually allows us to play the mind by just moving our thumb. Okay? Major, minor, major, minor, Just one finger to move. And that's it. It's as simple as that. And there you have your mind, okay, to recap. For the major chord we play in it like this, okay? And for the minor chord, you just need to move your thumb here on the note. And of course change the base note, okay? So major, minor, major, minor compared to this standard major chord, minor. Now with the inversion of major, and then one finger to move from major to minor. Now let's quickly go over the C major and the D major. I think you already know these chords pretty well. We won't spend too much time on them. Just play the C major as usual, and the same goes for the D major chord. These two don't need to be inverted. But again, this is just one way of playing because all we did here is staying close to the node, so it's all about your preference. And of course, you could also switch between inverted and standard chords. You are not obliged in any way to stay with one unique de, shape. If you wanted to play the first major like this and then the second major you played like this, it's your choice and it's perfectly musical. So for this specific progression composed of major, minor, major, and D major, well, we only inverted the major chord. And you noticed that it made a significant improvement to the overall chord progression fluency. Let's go through the whole progression one last time. Starting from the beginning, play the major cord, then the E minor cord by moving your thumb, then major, finally the mag cord. Remember to lift your foot off the petal. If you're using a sustained petal, please feel absolutely free to invert the codes as you wish. It actually depends on the nodes you want to stay close to. For example, you could have inverted the maj cord. Let's start this progression again. G Major, one finger to move in order to form the E minor. Then for the C Major composed of C, E, and G, well, you notice that here you have an E. Here you have A. The only thing left is moving your last finger from B to C to form the major. You get the point. All right. You have many possibilities. Another exercise that you should do is modify the order of the progression. What if you had this particular order, minor, major, major, and major? Let's play this minor, major, major, major. So you see that everything works perfectly, even though the order have been changed, okay? You can do pretty much what you want with this, right? They will sound good in any case. So many possibilities. And remember that it's also about observation and curiosity. So start exploring the different notes of your piano and all the possibilities that you have. In this lesson, you've learned a second chord progression, the major progression. The first progression you learned was composed of major, A minor, F major, and major. And now you have a second progression composed of major, minor, major, and D major. For practice, I encourage you to spend some time working on these progressions. So repeat them until the code sequences become second nature to you. The more you practice and the more fluent you'll become. Trust me, it'll be worth the effort. Good luck with the rest of Mago Four. Take care. And I'll see you in the next one. 20. How to repeat any chord progression: Hey everyone, welcome to the second chapter of module four. In the previous lesson, you learned your second chord progression. Now it's time to master these chord progressions by playing them in a loop. You'll see that this is a very important skill to master. Because what you really want to do is to consider these progressions as structures for playing songs and even for creating your own compositions. So let's dive into module four, chapter two. In this lesson, I will introduce a method that will help you play your code progressions in a continuous loop as you may have noticed, especially with the first progression. So the major chord progression that you learned well, you were able to play songs like Hallelujah or let it be. The goal of this lesson is going to be to familiarize yourself with the progressions you've learned. So the major code progression. And the progression, the method I suggest is to practice with a metronome. We'll start by playing the C major chord progression in a loop for 30 seconds. In order to do that, remember that the speed is measured in BPM that stands four beats per minute, since there are 60 seconds in 1 minute. Well, we could see this as a 60 PM. Speed. Now you might be wondering how you will know when 30 seconds have passed without counting in your head. Well, here's a simple calculation. Each progression has four chords played at the beginning of each measure. And we have four beats per measure, so four times four equals 16. And this means that it will take us 16 seconds to play the chord progression once. So simple mats, if you want to reach 30 seconds approximately, well, we'll simply repeat the code progression twice. And for 1 minute of continuous playing, you'll have to repeat that code progression four times, which will be equal to 64 seconds. Okay, let's play the major progression composed of major, minor, major, major. Set your metronome to 60 beats per minute with a 44 time signature. And we'll leave two measures before we start playing. I'll first show you an example. 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3 4 4 to 34. Second time 34. Let's do this together. 1 2, 3 4 1 2, 3 4 3 4 2, 3 4, 3 4 3 4 Sd. Time 3423434 and you played for 30 seconds. Obviously, if you want to play for 1 minute, you'll need to repeat this cord progression four times. Now let's restart this exercise, but this time with the G major chord progression. Remember to play the octaves and the chords simultaneously, and to lift your foot off the pedal when changing. We'll leave two measures before starting. And this time as well, you want to count the beats out. Here we go. 1234. 1234. 3434. 3434. Second time, 34343434. And you played the G major progression for 30 seconds. I highly encourage you to practice until you're comfortable with the changes of both progressions. Of course, you could also change the order of the and still do this exercise. Let's say that I'm beginning with the minor 3423434 major 34 major 34 major, 434 major four, major four. And back to G major. Again, the possibilities are limitless. Remember that playing the code progression twice will give you approximately 30 seconds. And repeating it four times will give you about a minute of continuous play. So feel free to extend the duration based on your progress. The secret to success is consistent practice at a pace that suits you. The goal is to develop muscle memory so that your fingers automatically find the right keys. Additionally, train yourself to visualize the next chord Before playing it, think about which finger needs to be moved and in which direction, left or right. I know it may seem chal***ging at first, but with time, you'll do it without even thinking about it. For exercises like these that require reflection and memory, I suggest practicing at night. Playing the piano before sleep improves learning because your brain continues to process information during the night. So be aware of that and have confidence in your potential. Keep up the great work and I'll see you in the next one. 21. The first method to play chord progressions: Hi and welcome to chapter three of module four. In this lesson, we will explore different ways to play the chord progressions you learned. Focusing on playing them as you would for a song. This will be particularly useful if you are a singer or part of a music band. Let's get started. Okay, so let's take the first chord progression you learned, the C major chord progression, and apply a different approach to playing the chords. From this very lesson, just know that every exercise you'll do will be focused on developing your skills so that you can play songs. So from now on I assume that you know your skills and your chords, that you're also beginning to use your sustained pedal. But in any case, you're still going to develop skills while practicing. So let's learn some more interesting stuff. We'll start with an exercise using the major chord progression. And we're going to just play the chords the way you've been playing them since the beginning, but adding more coherency and rhythm. You should see on your screen the major chord progression. And we're going to play the bass node once and the chords four times. Here's how we should sound. 134. 134-123-4234 Okay, You're turning now and again, just like the previous lesson, we are going to use our metronome in order to play continuously for 30 seconds. So you'll need to play the code progression twice. Here we go, 2341234. The second time, I recommend that you practice with the metronome, counting the beats out loud. This exercise will help you develop a rhythmic sense while playing and learning the at the same time. So it has quite a few advantages. Now let's move on to the second exercise, which requires a bit more concentration. In this exercise, you will play the left and right hands separately, never playing them simultaneously. So your hands will swing back and forth. Meaning when the left hand plays, the right hand is up. And when your right hand plays, the left hand is up. Okay, This may be a bit chal***ging at first, but with practice you'll get the hang of it. Let's start without the metronome so you can hear how it sounds. So you want to start with the bass node followed by the chord and repeat 1234, and then you change the chord. 1234, F1234 major 234. The key here is to understand that it is now the left hand turn to play on each beat while the right hand is played off beat. I'll show you with the metronome what an off beat sounds like. First, I'll clap on the beat, and then I'll clap off beat, so that you can hear the difference. 34, this is on the beat now off beat, okay, Right in the middle here, it is exactly the same thing. 1, 2, 3, 4, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4. Now let's play the piano with the metronome again. Let's set it to 60 beats per minute and leave two measures before starting 234. 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 3, 3, 4, 3, 4, 3, okay? Of course, feel free to set up the speed that suits you. You've probably noticed that this method of playing actually created some kind of rhythmic code progression. And also note how the feeling, the emotion, the vibe has changed from one plane to the other. Now let's move on to the major code progression, which will follow the same exercises and play style. The codes will be different, but the approach remains the same set metronome to 60 beats per minute. Leave two measures before starting. And let's begin the first exercise of base nodes once and codes played four times at each beat. Here we go, 2, 3, 4 1 2, 3 4 1, 2, 3 4 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 2, 3 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4. Okay. Feel free to continue if you want to. As you might have guessed already, we're going to do the second exercise with the major progression, where the left hand played on the beat, and that the right hand played the codes off beat, which should sound like this. 1234. 1234. 1234, 1234. Okay, let's play this for 30 seconds using the metronome 342-34-3334 Keep in mind that these exercises can be applied to all the code progressions you could come up with. Your focus here must be on mastering the movement of your hands. Take the time to practice these different ways of playing with the progressions before adapting them to your specific needs and preferences for training, I suggest repeating the progressions. Either the progression or the progression, or even both. Don't hesitate to work with a metronome, which will make it easier and also help you to acquire a solid rhythm. Understanding you can start by repeating each exercise twice, so for 30 seconds, and gradually increase the duration as you become more comfortable. In this lesson, you have learned one of the many methods for playing chord progressions. Remember, this method applies to all major chord progressions, not just these two. So the whole point here is about mastering the movement of your hands, not just the specific chords. I recommend you practice these exercises and chord progressions until you can play them continuously. The goal is to develop a sense of rhythm and a fluency. In the next video, you will learn how to play our dos by dissociating your fingers. A game you'll surely enjoy personally. I often play in the style and I'm delighted to teach it to you. Remember, have confidence in yourself and your abilities for, with practice and perseverance, you can achieve great things. Keep up the hard work. And I'll see you in the next video. 22. How to dissociate your right hand: Hello everyone and welcome to the fourth chapter of this fourth module. In the previous lesson, you learned two different ways, two different playing styles for your code progressions. The first exercise involved the right hand playing the cordes, while the second exercise focused on the left hand playing on the beat, and the right hand was off beat. By now, I hope that you have practiced and mastered these techniques. In this lesson, we will dive deeper into finger dissociation because previously you dissociated your hands, but now we will focus on dissociating your fingers. Let's begin module four, chapter four. So this lesson is going to be all about finger dissociation. The following exercises might be chal***ging at first, but with practice you'll be able to master them. The first exercise involves playing the chords in a semi RPG pattern. Let's take the Mg chord. Instead of just playing it like this, we're going to play it differently, okay? And that would involve a swinging movement with the thumb and the other two fingers like this, okay? The thumb is going to play the root note, while the second and third fingers, I'm going to play the second and third notes of the chord simultaneously, 1212. Okay, so in this lesson we'll focus on the dissociation of the right hand. So let's practice this exercise by playing all the chords we have learned. So here's how you should count for this method. 4234234, gone 3434, gone 234 til. Okay, let's do this together. Feel free to play the bass notes as well, okay? 3412343. So for this method, you notice that the thumb is played on the beat and that the two other fingers are played off beat. I definitely shouldn't tell you this, but if you find the black keys chal***ging, you can focus on the white keys for now. Because for these kinds of exercises, you have to focus more importantly on the movement of the hand. And not on the Ds anymore, because you are supposed to know them. So that means you could only play the white keys if you wanted to. 341-234-3333, and why not minor codes now, 3434. So again, feel absolutely free to adapt all of the exercises start in this course according to your strong and weak points. Okay, let's move on to the second exercise. This exercise will completely dissociate your fingers, preparing you to play your progressions in start with forming the major, okay? And each one after the other moving to the right and then to the left. Turning to the starting node. And you want to repeat this pattern for each that you learned. Let's do this with the metronome and feel free again, to play the bass notes. But keep in mind that the focus of this lesson must be on the movements of your right hand. Okay, I'll play the bases, but focus on the movement of your right hand. That's the most important thing. That's the goal of this lesson. 234 to 343434 to 34, gone gone, four, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone 2, 343-434-3434 to 32. 342-342-3432 to 4343434. Okay. Of course, you could also do this exercise with the minor keys of all the keys of your piano. I don't know if you heard the true potential of this particular method, but I will speed it up and I think that you will understand there are so many songs that you this particular method. And that reminds me of a song though my redo. I'm so tired, A suppressed by my childish face and iss to leave. Oh, you just leave because your presence still lingers here. It won't leave me. These ones won't seem to heal. This pain is just too real. Just too much time. Can please just see the potential of this method. The song, Someone like you by Adele is also following the same finger pattern. The settle down, You see what I mean? I hope that you see the potential of this method. So I recommend you practice these exercises on the progressions that you've learned, adapting the patterns to each. And this will definitely reinforce your skills and help you assimilate the techniques in a more musical way. By focusing on finger dissociation, you are developing an important aspect of your piano playing. It may feel chal***ging initially, but with dedication and practice you will improve. In the next video, I will introduce the dissociation of your left hand. So I hope you're ready. Because this skill will take your songs to a whole new level. Take care, work hard. And I'll see you in the next one. 23. How to dissociate your left hand: Hello everyone and welcome to the fifth chapter of this fourth module. In the previous lesson, you learned how to dissociate your right hand and gradually play the notes separately. In this lesson, we're going to dissociate the left hand. Focus on playing more than one or two octaves. Before we begin, I hope you're already comfortable playing octaves with at least two fingers, but don't worry, the exercise I'm about to teach you can actually help you to reach that second octave. Let's move on to the exercises. The first exercise is designed to help you reach the second octave using a specific method. Start playing the node, then you want to count seven keys, 1234567. And you want to place a second finger here, and the third finger is going to go up the octave, okay? 1 second finger here, seven notes away. And then with your thumb, just play the other octave. This stretching exercise would normally help you to reach that second octave. And it's going to be the same thing for major, for example. Okay, so with my left hand, I have my first finger here, then 1234567, my second finger go there, and then the thumb will play the octave of the first node. Here's D major with three base nodes. Major the same first finger on. Then 1234567, second finger here. And the thumb will play the octave, the first one. And he here's major with three base notes. Okay, so we're going to play all the major chords of the white keys with three base notes each time until okay, for this exercise, I intentionally removed the chords of the black keys, but know that you will have to practice them as well. Let's do this with the metronome 341234 on 3 1 2 3 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 3 4 1 3 4 3 4 1 3 4 5 2 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 to three minus chords. 1 2 3 4 5 2 3 4 3 4 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 1 2 3 4 3 4 to 341234. You could also practice the left hand only. Okay, Remember the method first node, then count 1234567. Second finger goes there, and the thumb to the octave of the first note, okay? Of course, inversion works perfectly with this method, F major, major minor. Okay? So I suggest you practice this exercise with the metronome, repeating it multiple times. If you still struggle with reaching the second octave, continue playing with just the first octave and the node located seven keys away. Instead of doing just one base, you can do the first node and then the node that is seven keys away if you cannot reach that second octave yet. Okay, I can promise you that with time and practice, you will eventually be able to reach that second octave effortlessly. Now that you know how to play with both hands using chords and dissociating your hands, you can start implementing what you've learned in the previous lessons into your actual playing. For example, you could practice those different styles, those different methods on the progression or the major progression. And also feel free to experiment with other chord progressions. Remember, music is about creativity and freedom, so have fun mixing everything together to improve your skills. As a training, I recommend focusing on practicing the dissociation of your left hand with these exercises. In the next lesson, you will learn how to incorporate these techniques into playing your court progressions differently. I still want to acknowledge and congratulate you on your progress so far. You've come a very long way since the beginning of this training and your dedication is truly admirable. Keep up this positive spirit and energy as you continue to climb higher steps in your musical journey. Don't get discouraged. Always remember how far you've come. Take care and I'll see you in the next one. 24. 1st exercice to rhythmic patterns (4/4): Hey there. And welcome to the sixth chapter of the fourth module. In this lesson, we will put into practice everything you've learned in the past two chapters. Essentially, we'll be focusing on two new rhythms that are all about finger dissociation. The goal of the following exercises is going to be to help you play your code progressions in our go and add variation to your interpretations as you see fit. As a good pianist, it's important that you have multiple techniques up your sleeve. So as you're becoming an expert in this field, you must master various concepts including finger dissociation. All right, let's dive into module four, chapter six. In this video, you'll learn new rhythmic patterns that directly relate to what you've previously learned. We'll be doing exercises that involve dissociating both your hands and your fingers. The idea is to review all of the exercises we've covered so far, providing a general recap in one video. No need for you to search through multiple videos anymore. We'll group everything here. To start, let's review the very first rhythmic pattern you learned in chapter three. And it involved playing octaves while the right hand just played the cord on each beat. Do you remember? It was on E234. Okay, so we'll now apply this to the major progression with a metronome set at 70 beats per minute. Rhythmic figure 44, and we will give ourselves account of two measures before we begin playing. Here we go, 2342343, okay? And feel free to play as long as you want. Remember to raise the pedal for each chord and then pressing it back again immediately. Okay, let's now do the same thing on the major progression. Here, I'm only playing the chord progressions twice. But please repeat those chords for a couple rounds and concentrate for the whole goal is to play them indefinitely. Great. Now let's move on to the second exercise from chapter three, which involved alternating hands. So remember that when you played the left hand, the right hand was up. And when the right hand was playing, the left hand was up. Okay? Okay, so the left hand plays on the beat, while the right hand plays off beat. Let's strike this with the C major call progression at 70 beats per minute, 34 to 34333. Feel free to continue if you want to. Now let's do the same exercise for the G major progression to the Okay, let's now do the very first right hand finger dissociation exercise with the C major progression. So to refresh your memory, it sounded like this. So thumb and the two fingers. Thumb, two fingers. Okay. 12341234. Let's start the metronome and play Four gone 234, gone 2343 for 343334. And now the same exercise on the G major progression on 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 4, 3, to 34, to 343 to 34. Please repeat those exercise more than twice. Okay? Let's move on to the fourth exercise. So remember that it sounded like this, the pio style, okay? Arps that need total right hand finger dissociation. Okay, so we're going to first practice with the major progression. Just start the metronome, leave two measures, and let's play 1234134, Car 34343434. And the same exercise on the major code progression. 12 341-234-3333 Can remember that you have to practice these exercises in a loop. So try to last as long as you can without making a mistake, which is totally fine, by the way. And a part of the process, as I showed you in the previous lesson, the song, Someone Like You by Adele is played with the same rpos that you just played. So don't underestimate those exercises I'm giving you, because they are truly meant to help you play songs. Okay, so now let's move on to some brand new rhythmic patterns. This next exercise is all about the left hand dissociation. So what you're going to do here is play two octaves with your left hand. Then go thumb two finger swinging style with your right hand. Okay? 12341234 And then minor. 12341234 major. 123412, 34g major, 41234, and then back to major now with the metronome set at 70 beats per minute. And we're going to start by playing the C major code progression. 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 3 4 3 4 1 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 And now the same thing on the G Major progression. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 4, 3, 4, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 4, 3, 4, 3, 4, 5, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3. You can either play the octaves or the first note, the note located seven keys away, okay? Okay. Right now, I feel like I need to clarify something. So actually you're not obliged to do this exercise the way I presented to you, okay? For example, instead of doing thumb and then two fingers, you could start the two fingers and end with the thumb. And that would give this variation. Doesn't that remind you something That's, let's imagine it's played with this finger pattern. So please explore the possibilities that your piano gives you. Keep in mind that the most important point here is to play the correct chords on the beat, and that's all that really matters. Okay? So feel absolutely free to experiment as much as possible. I recommend you try to repeat those exercises for as long as you can, because this is exactly what you're going to have to do if you are planning on playing entire songs. All right. Now let's combine the dissociation of both left and right hand with this new method I'm going to teach you, this specific exercise is for those who managed to play the three bass notes effortlessly. The first node, then the node seven keys away, and eventually the octave of the first node, okay? So it goes like this. On the C major code progression, notice that each note of the chord you play with your right hand is played along with your first finger of your left hand. Never with the second finger of your left hand. Okay. So one see your chord is played on the first third bat, 12341234. Let's do this with the metronome 341 by God, God Brain, bread, brain, by. And now the same exercise with the major code progression, one to 33333331. I hope you're following me here. Feel free to pause the video and take your time practicing on your own. As you probably noticed, since the beginning of this lesson we only played 44 rhythmic figures. So that means that all of the play styles you learned are adapted to 44 rhythmic patterns adapted to 44 rhythmic songs. In the next lesson, we'll practice on different rhythmic figures and therefore expand your skills on the piano practice. Well, stay motivated and I'll see you in the next one. 25. 2nd exercice to rhythmic patterns (3/4): Okay, so now let's move on and practice code progressions and different methods of playing on a 34 rhythmic figure. Remember that for this specific rhythm, you had to count 12. 312-312-3123 The exercise involves playing octaves on the first bit, and then playing the code twice on the last two bits. And we'll repeat this pattern twice before moving on to the next chord. Let me show you how that would sound. 123-12-3123 1231. 2312, 3123, 1231. Now let's try with the metronome still at 70 beats per minute, but you need to set it up to a 34 rhythmic figure at this time. And we're going to use the C major chord progression. Here we go to 32323123. By, by, by, by, by, by, by 333. I suggest we redo this exercise with the major code progression to 3 312-312-3123, to three, To 323-233-2312 again 12 312-312-3123 to 323-12-3123, Let's add a variation to this. What if we played the two octaves separately without changing our right hand? That would give us something like this. 123 on 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, okay? So the second octave is played half beat 123123, Okay, For those who haven't reached that second octave yet, remember that you can achieve pretty much the same feeling if you play the note located seven keys away. In the case of the Mag progression, that would give something like this one to 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3. Okay? Choose a method that suits you and here we go with the metronome. Three gone. 23 gone. 23 gone 23 gone. 23 gone two to three. Be and now the same thing but with the major cord progression to the 232, 323-333-3333 again, gone. Gone three gun gun gun. Again, you are not obliged to do as I say. You can explore different ways of playing as long as you stay on the beat. For example, you could play the chords in an Argo style, keeping the same 34 rhythmic figure, and it would sound like this. 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3. You could also do 1231, 2312, 3123, 1231 to 3123123. As long as you stay on the beat and that you play the chord on beat one, then you're all good. And of course, the same goes to the major chord progression. 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1. I guess that by now you're starting to gain more and more skills throughout all of the exercise we're doing. So keep practicing and be aware that you're becoming more and more fluent. And I'm pretty sure that you're also getting a sense of musical logic as you play regularly. In the next video, we'll practice chord progressions with a 68 rhythmic figure. Take care, and I'll see you in the next one. 26. 3rd exercice to rhythmic patterns (6/8): Here we go again with exercises based on a 68 rhythmic figure. Just like the two previous lessons, we're going to practice with the chord progressions that you learned and play the piano with different methods. Remember that since we are in a 68 rhythmic figure, now you must count up to six before moving on to the next measure. So we're going to take the C major chord progression. And the first exercise we'll do is play the octaves on the first beat. And then dissociate the fingers of your right hand and play each node of the chord from left to right until six. Here's how it should sound like. 12 345-612-3456 And then you change the cord. 12 345-612-3456 major, the same way. 12 345-612-3456 major. 456-12-3456 Okay. I suggest you set up the speed at 50 beats per minute for this particular rhythmic figure. Otherwise, it's going to be a little fast. Here we go. 3, 4, 5 6 2, 3, 4, 5 6 3 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 2 3 4 5 6 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 3 4 5 6 1 3 4 5 6 1 3. Again, 463-456-3456 to 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 3 4 5 6, 4, 6, 6 grade. Another method added to your skills. Let's do the same pattern for the major chord progression. 646-34-5634 563-45-6346 to six to again 2 3, 4, 5 6 3 4 6 4 6 3 4 5 6 to 345-63-5666 Please note that every method is going to work as long as you stay on the beat. That means that you can even do that. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 6 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 6 1, 2, 3, 4 5 6 1 to 3456 or even 1, 2, 3, 4 5 6 1, 2, 3, 4 5 6 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. So be aware that you're absolutely free. The next exercise is for those who perfectly manage to play three base notes with the left hand. Indeed, this time you're going to have to play three base notes on 12 345-612-3456 And then you change the chord. 12345. Si 123456, okay? 1 2, 3, 4, 5 6, 1 2, 3, 4, 5 6 1 2, 3, 4, 5 6 1 2, 3, 4, 5 6. With the metronome, it would sound like this. 6 5 6 3 4 5 6 3 4 5 6 1 3 4 5 6 1 3 4 5 6 1 3 4 5 6 1 3 4 5 6 1 3 4 5 6 1 3 4 again 3 4 5 6 4 5 6 1 3 4 5 6 4 5 6 1, 3, 4, 5 6 5, 6, 4, 5, 6, 4, 5, 6. And if we do this again on the G Major code progression, well you'll see that the hand and finger pattern is going to stay exactly the same. Here we go again, directly with the metronome 634561, The 634-56-3456 to 345-63-4561 to 3456. 3456 1345 6134. Again, 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 5, 6, 5, 6, 5, 6, 6. I highly encourage you to practice these methods because once again, I remind you that these are made to help you play songs. Meaning that you could already start playing your first songs and implementing the methods you learned so far. Because if I speed up the rhythm, here's how it's going to sound. That right here is the power of those exercises. So don't underestimate them. Practice them well, because they will literally lead you to your goal of singing and playing the piano. In this lesson, you've learned several new ways to play your code progressions. But keep in mind that this list is absolutely not exhaustive. There are literally countless variations and possibilities you can explore to make your song sound unique. The key here is to respect the rhythm while experimenting with different variations. Remember, music allows you to be creative and express yourself freely. Finally, let me tell you that once you're comfortable with them, you'll be able to play any song you want and add that dose of personality with a piano playing style that is going to be yours. Say goodbye to instrumentals and Youtube karaoke. You're now playing an instrument yourself. That wraps up this lesson, but remember, this is just the beginning of your exploration. So keep experimenting and pushing your boundaries. I just can't wait to see where your musical journey will take you. Take care, and I'll see you in the next one. 27. Introduction to transposition: Hey there, And welcome to the fifth module of this piano for singers course. First off, I want to congratulate each and every one of you for your incredible journey So far, your determination and eagerness to master the piano is truly admirable. If you're watching this video, let me tell you that you're officially a self taught pianist. Although I'm here to help and guide you, it is important to recognize that you've done all the hard work on your own. So congrats to you. By this point, you have gained a wealth of knowledge about the piano and have mastered most of the essential skills that will serve you throughout your musical journey. However, there are still some crucial concepts that every pianist should know and understand. So far, we have covered the C and the G major code progressions, but it is important to note that they aren't the only code progressions out there. But don't you worry? I can guarantee that we won't be starting from scratch in order to learn new code progressions. Instead, we'll delve into a highly useful technique called transposition that will allow you to create any code progressions. Isn't that amazing. So let's kick off module five, chapter one. In this lesson, we'll explore the world of transposition. I will show you why mastering transposition is an absolute must for any musician you'll see soon enough that you'll often find yourself playing alongside other musicians, whether it's other singers, guitarists, bass players. Regardless of your musical goals, you'll soon discover just how useful transposition can be in many situations. Speaking from personal experience as a singer myself, transposition has been a game changer for mastering my interpretations and truly owning a song from start to finish. Okay, so what exactly is transposition? It's when you shift notes or chords to a higher or lower register in order to achieve a specific goal. Let's say that you try to sing a song that is played using a major chord progression, but you find it too low for your voice. Well, you have the power to transpose it perhaps to plus one. Which would give you a major code progression instead of the major code progression. Meaning that when you're using the transposition technique, you have to know that this alters all of the chords contained in the progression. So if we take the mag code progression, which allows to display on your screen, you will have to change every chord of it according to the key that you want to reach. I'm going to explain in the next lesson the transposition process in detail. But for this first lesson of module five, I just want you to understand the potential of this technique and when you need to use it. To illustrate this, I'll just take a song from a male singer that has a higher voice type than average, and I'm thinking about Michael Jackson. So let's imagine that I want to sing his very famous song, Heal the World, knowing that I'll probably have to transpose the chords to match my voice type, which is clearly not as high. So I'll display for you the original chords of that song. We're going to focus on the chorus, but keep in mind that this process works absolutely everywhere. So first I'll sing this song using the original chord, and here's how it's going to sound like heal the word. Make it better for you. For me, and the entire human brace. There are people, if you care enough for the living, make a better place for you. For me. I guess you heard it. It's definitely a bit too high for my voice type. Here, I'll quickly transpose this code progression to minus one using the transposition technique, which is going to give me a major de progression. Heal the word, make it a better place for you and for me and the entire human race. A P, if you care enough for the living, make a better place for you. For me. And I could feel here that the Mage chord progression was much more suited to my voice. Within your musical journey, as you begin playing songs on the piano, well, you'll often encounter the situation where you'll need to raise or lower the tonality of a song. Especially if you are a singer yourself or working with other singers. Well, you'll frequently find yourself needing to transpose songs to match specific vocal ranges. And that's why mastering the scale of transposition is going to be incredibly useful. One more thing to keep in mind when it comes to transposition, you have to count in increments of 0.5 considering the semitones. So transposing to plus or -0.5 actually means shifting by a semitone, while transposing to plus or minus one actually means shifting by a whole tone. In this lesson, you've gained a deeper understanding of transposing nodes and chords. Module five might be a little shorter than the others, but once you grasp the logic of transposition, well, there's not much more to add. With some practice, you'll find it surprisingly easy to transpose your chord progressions. Once you've truly mastered transposition, you'll feel as free as the air itself, accompanying yourself while singing or playing for other singers will become effortless, as you will be able to adapt any song to any desired key Meaning if you're part of a band or looking to join, one know that transposition will be a valuable skill because each individual has their own unique voice and every band has its own unique style and preference for a particular key. And that's where transposition becomes incredibly useful. The transposition technique will also allow you to replace instrumental tracks and other karaoke found on Youtube. Because let's be honest, it's very rare that a karaoke perfectly fits our voice. I agree that there are some channels that do provide karaoke in different keys to accommodate more people. But remember that a song, whether it's the key, the speed, or even the play style is meant to be the reflection of your personality. Also, keep in mind that if you take a Youtube karaoke, then it also means it is non original. It means that anyone can take this instrumental and it's not unique anymore. Music is all about freedom and creation. So please go ahead and create your own music, craft your own accompaniments, arrange songs to suit your style, and sing your heart out. To truly make a song your own, you need to master the music and be perfectly in sync with your instrument. In our next lesson, we'll dive deeper into practicing transposition. And this will further solidify your understanding of this skill. And you'll be able to implement it effortlessly in your own playing. Keep your motivation high and congratulations on the progress you've made so far. Take care and I'll see you in the next video. 28. Exercices of transposition: Hello and welcome to the second chapter of module five. In this lesson, we're going to put into practice what you've learned in the previous chapter. We'll explore different cases of transposition using the code progressions you already know. The goal of this video is to give you enough knowledge to practice transposition on your own. Trust me, it's not as complicated as it may seem. Let's dive in, let's start with the major code progression, which consists of major minor, F, major major. By now, I'm pretty sure that you know that by heart, transposition involves shifting the chords to the right, meaning higher, or to the left, meaning lower. In order to achieve the desired effect, let's say we want to transpose the major chord progression up by one tone. The major chord progression would then become a D major chord progression. Remember that transposition is calculated in increments of 0.5 plus one. Actually means 0.5 plus 0.5 We reach D, but here's the thing. It's not enough to just transpose one chord of the chord progression. All the chords need to be changed for the song to sound, right? If the major becomes a D major, that means that the minor 0.5 plus 0.5 the A minor becomes a minor, okay? The major 0.50 0.5 the major becomes a major. And finally, the major, 0.5 plus 0.5 becomes a major. Now you're good to go because you have transposed the whole progression. As you noticed, even after the transposition, the A minor still was a minor chord, okay? So from a minor we have minor, okay? It's, it stays. Or if it's major, it stays major. Now if you play all the transposed chords together, we get this new progression of major, minor, major, and a major. And of course, you can use the inversion technique to make your playing more fluent and harmonious, just like this. So I'll keep the standard D major and I'll invert the three last chords, major, minor, major, major, and back to major. See how easy and harmonious it gets with a few inverted chords. That's the beauty of inversions. You actually have the freedom to rearrange the chords in different ways, as long as it sounds good, as long as you play the right keys, regardless of the order. Here's another interesting observation. What if you add up plus 3.5 to the progression? Let's see major. We're going to start from the not and count plus 0.511 0.522 0.533 0.5 and we reach on the No major. The major becomes a major. Okay? Now, the minor starting from the note 0,511.522 0.533 0.5 and we reach the, since it was a minor, the transposed is going to be minor. I believe that you've already understood, but let's keep going. F major from the note 0.511 0.522 0.533 0.5 We reach the node F major. We're now at the C major, Okay, Now major from the E. 0.511 0.522 0.533 0.5 And we reach the D node, the major becomes a D major. Transposing the major code progression up by 3.5 generates the major code progression. Similarly, if we transposed the major code progression down by 3.5 that would also get the major code progression. Okay, it's time to make things even clearer because I'm going to give you a technique to find all the Te progressions of any given key. Your piano without even transposing. Only downside though, you absolutely need to master your scales. So the technique I'm about to teach you actually keeps you from writing down the cords and then transposing them afterwards. So let's take the C major chord progression and compare it to the C major scale. Remember the C major scale that we covered in module one? It went like this. Now, if we had to number the keys based on the C scale, you agree that you would have seven nodes, right? 1234567. Well, in order to create a chord progression out of this scale, you will need to focus on the first note, the sixth note, the fourth note, and the fifth note of the scale. So now if you look at the chords contained in the major chord progression, what do you notice? The first, fourth, and fifth node of the scale are major chords, while the sixth note of the scale represents a minor chord. And that literally gives you the major de progression. The first note being C. It's major, okay? The six note being A. And you know that the sixth node of the scale is A minor, so A minor. Then take the fourth note of the scale and it's A major, okay? And the fifth node of the scale, Major, you have your major chord progression. Also note that the second node of the scale is also representing a minor cord here. Since it's the D node, it would be a D mind, which you could actually include in your chord progression. So whenever we talk about chord progressions, we actually mean chords from the scale, and that's a very important concept to remember. This sequence of 1645 will always work regardless of the code progression you want to play. Let's imagine you want to play the major code progression using the same numbering system. We'll first start by playing the major scale, then we're going to number it 1-7 Now you know that the first node, the fourth node, and the fifth node represents major chord, respectively major, sharp, major and major. You also know that the sixth note here, D, represents a minor chord. This is going to be, and now you have your progression. The sequence of 1645 on the F major progression is going to give us the F major six, the D minor four, the major and fifth, the major. And of course, feel free to invert the chords as you wish, just like this. And there you go. You built the F major chord progression using the major scale. Now if you want to chal***ge yourself and become a master at it, I encourage you to learn all the code progressions of all the keys of your piano. It's a fantastic exercise that will literally enhance your skills. Shall you have any doubts on scales? You can go rewatch the first modules lessons where we already covered those. So for the next lesson, I'm going to give you an exercise that's absolutely crucial to your progress and essential for following along. And it's going to be to find all the code progressions from all the keys of your piano using the technique of transposition. It's very important that you complete this exercise because the next lesson will be built upon it. You'll find all the guidelines for the exercise in the PDF file associated with this lesson. We'll meet again in the next video for the third chapter of module five. Keep your motivation high and enjoy the process. You have come a very long way. So be proud of your progress. Take care. And I'll see you in the next one. 29. Let's do the exercices together: Hey everyone and welcome to the third chapter of the fish module. In the last lesson, you took your first steps in transposition and got familiar with the technique of shifting codes up and down. In the exercise I gave you, you were asked to do the same thing, so shifting the corresponding codes and fill in the blanks. Now let's go through the exercise together and make sure we stay on track with this transposed code progression. Get ready for chapter three, module five. All right, let's start with the correction of the exercise I gave you in the previous chapter. You were asked to transpose the major progression while maintaining the order of the codes you learned, meaning the 1645 order. Let's begin. If you add 0.5 to the major progression, it becomes a sharp major code progression composed of C sharp major, A sharp minor, F sharp major, and sharp major. As you saw, some of these ores were already inverted. But you must be familiar with this scale by now. If you played this code progression, you must have noticed that it sounded perfectly good. Now let's continue together. Remember that a plus 0.5 shift means moving one key to the right towards the higher nodes. If we apply 0.5 to the C sharp, it becomes a D. We are now in the D major progression that gives us a new progression, D major code progression. In order to build the D major progression, you will first need to play the D major scale. Then you want to number it 1-7 according to our order of 1645. The course of the D major code progression will be D major, minor, major, and A major. Let's give it a go. Moving on, lets apply another plus 0.5 this time to D, which will give us the D sharp or E flat major scale. Following the same process, we will play the D sharp, E flat major scale. Then mentally number the nodes and apply the order of 1645. This will automatically give us the D sharp, or flat major progression composed of D sharp major minor, G sharp major, and A sharp major. Let's play this new code progression and listen to how it sounds. Great job so far. Now let's add another plus 0.52, D sharp, resulting in the. So we are now playing the major progression. First you know that you have to play the major scale, then number that scale, 1-7 And that would give you the major code progression composed of major, C sharp, minor major and B major. Let's listen to how it sounds. It works perfectly. If we add another plus 0.5 to the node, we'll reach the node, meaning the major code progression that will give us the major, D minor, A sharp, major, and major so far. Good. Let's continue with another plus 0.5 added to the node that is going to make us reach the F sharp or flat node. So here you want to play the F sharp major scale, or the G flat major scale as you prefer. 12345 67, and that would give us the sharp major, D sharp minor major, and C sharp major. Adding 0.5 to the F sharp major is going to generate the major. You're familiar with the major code progression. I'm quickly going over it. 12334567. That's the reason why you've been playing the major, then minor, then major, eventually major. Now let's add 0.5 again on the node, which is going to create the sharp or flat major chord progression. We'll first play the scale and number it 1234567, according to our order of 1645. That would give us the sharp major chord, minor cord, C sharp major cord, and D sharp major cord. Moving forward from the sharp plus 0.5 would make us reach the A node. So we're now in the A major code progression. So we'll first play the scale and number it 1234567, and that would give us the A major, F sharp, minor, D major, and major. Let's play this code progression and listen to the major code progression. Next up is going to be the A sharp or flat, since we made 0.5 from the A node, okay? So first step is going to be to the R B flat major scale. Then number it, 1234567, and that would give us the AR major, minor, Hart major, and F major. Let's play these codes and listen to the HR, B flat major code progression. Lastly, let's add another 0.5 to the A sharp node so that we reach the node resulting in the major code progression. Let's play the major scale and then number the nodes of the scale, 1-71234567 Then, if we apply the order of 1645, this will give us the major cord, sharp minor cord, mad and sharp major code. Let's play these codes and listen to the major code progression. Before we finish this chapter, I wanted to give you some useful explanations. The transposition technique we've been practicing can work in any direction. If you ever need to transpose a code progression to the lower range, you simply need to go backwards instead of upwards on the keyboard. It's exactly the same process as an exercise To improve even more your skills, I recommend practicing all the code progressions we covered by changing the order to 6415. That will give you an even deeper understanding of transposition. I'm going to play the C major chord progression with the new order so that you know how it sounds. So 6415, If you have any questions or doubts about any musical subject of the course, feel free to ask me. I'm always here to help you out. In the next chapter, we'll delve into another interesting technique related to transposition. So stay tuned, keep up the great work. Stay motivated. You only have one more lesson before module six where you're going to learn a whole new set of take care. And I'll see you in the next one. 30. A new skill : modulation: Hello everyone and welcome to the fourth chapter of our fifth module. In our previous lesson, we talked about the numbering system for scales which allowed you to play chord progression in the order of 1645 for all the notes on your piano. Today we're going to dive into another concept that naturally stems from transposition. Now that you've got the hang of transposing, I'm not worried about your scales in that area. So in this lesson, we'll focus on understanding modulation. Let's jump right into chapter four, module five. By now, you should be familiar with the process of transposition so that you're capable to take it a step further. You've learned the method and practiced the exercises. So now we're going to move on to the next level modulation. In other words, how to change the chord progression on the go. And you'll see that this technique will bring a very special feeling to the song. Because yes, it is absolutely possible to switch from a chord progression to another. If you don't want to stick to the same chord progression throughout the entire song, you can actually modulate your song, giving it a fresh new twist. Even though modulation is not as essential as transposition was, for example, I still want to teach you this technique just in case you want to use it. So modulation is the technique that will allow you to change the chord progression during a song. Generally, most popular songs that we hear today are constructed with one single chord progression, which means a repeating sequence of generally four chords until the end. But as a pianist and a musician, you have the power to control the music and decide how you want to play your songs. If you are a singer, this technique will breathe new life into your song, elevating it to new heights, and adding more personality to your interpretation. In this lesson, I'll go over various types of modulation and provide you with specific cases where you can apply this very technique. Remember, we covered major scales and minor scales of all the keys on your piano, both white and black keys. When we first talked about chords in module two, I showed you a very simple technique using the 12341234 second, the finger, 123 third finger, in order to create a major chord. 1231234 to create a minor cord that works perfectly fine. But in reality, there's another technique called the 135 method, and that will allow you to find any major or minor Cod. Let's take the C major scale, number it, 1-7 And in order to play a major chord, that you need to take the first note, the third note, and the fifth node. And that's it. You have your major chord. And look at this, If I do the minor scale and then number it, 1-7 Well, I still have to take the first, the third note and the fifth node in order to create the minor chord from the minor scale. Okay, let's say you want to play the major cord now, okay, Just play the scale then. Number it, 1-7 And then take the first note, the third note, and the fifth note. Here you have G major chord, you want to play the min cord, well you just have to build up the minor scale, then number 1-7 and then the first note, the third note, and the fifth note. There you have it, the mind, one last example. With the mind, you will need to play the minus scale first, then number it 1-7 And then simply take the first node, the third node, and the fifth node. There you have built the E minor chord. You see how much scales are useful for, like everything, like every chord you learned were based upon a given scale. The reason why I didn't introduce this technique earlier is because people usually don't enjoy learning scales as their first priority when starting to learn an instrument. I completely get that, which is why I provided this alternative method of 1234 second finger. 123 third finger, because this is the method I used at the beginning. So I believe in it and also because I guessed that you didn't want to learn scales by heart either, because that's precisely what you would have been asked to do in music school. You should have had to learn every scale one by one. White keys, black keys, before they teach you how to build chords. And that also makes sense since chords are based upon scales. Personally, I believe that knowledge is knowledge no matter when you get it. Ignoring this method didn't keep you from playing your first chords and maybe even singing your first songs. So it's totally okay to acquire knowledge in a non traditional way. Instead, practice is, I believe, The most important aspect of your learning, now that you understood that Coors were built upon scales, the modulation technique will make even more sense to you. The first concept to grasp is the relativity between major and minor scales. In simple terms, a major scale always has a related minor scale. When you learned your scales in the first module of this course, you probably did notice that among all the scales that you learned, there were major scales composed of the same nodes than minor scales. For instance, the major scale is composed of the same node than the A minor scale. They both contain exactly the same notes. And this is what we call the relativity of scales. It explains why a major scale always has a related minor scale. Just like a pair of shoes. You can't have one without the other. The only difference is that they don't start at the same note. But that's not a problem because when you compare the notes, you'll see that they're exactly the same. Another important thing to note is that to find the relative minor scale of any major scale, you simply count six notes within the scale. For example, if you take the C major scale, 123456, and you'll find the note, you know that the relative minor scale of is A. And of course, this works for absolutely any node of your piano. Let's try another example. Let's suppose that you want to find the relative minor scale of the major scale. We're just going to play the major scale and count six notes within the scale, 123456, you reach the node. That means that the relative minor scale of major is D minor. You see it's a consistent pattern, a technique that will work everywhere. Also notice that the relative minor scale is always located six notes away. That's also why in our code progressions, the six note was always a minor chord. The six node of the scale represents both the relative minor scale and the relative minor chord. That's why there is an A minor in our major chord progression. Okay, because it is the sixth note of the C major scale. See how everything makes sense. Now, in the previous lesson, I introduced you to another order of play code progressions. And it was the 6415 order which put the A minor chord at the first position. But to reinforce a bit more the feeling that we want from a minor de progression, we're going to have the same order, but based on the A minor scale. And that will reinforce the sadder tone. Minor progressions are known for. Let's first play the A minor scale, then number it 1-7 and now we're going to look at the first node, six node, the fourth node, and the fifth node. Since this is a minor code progression, all the chords are going to be minor except for the sixth node. It's exactly the opposite of major code progressions where the sixth node was always a minor code. The first node is A, that'll be an A minor, okay? The sixth node is an F, it's going to be a major major. Then the fourth node is D, it's going to be a D minor. Finally, the fifth node is going to a minor, which gives us the current code progression. Let's see how that sounds. Okay, that's great, but where does the modulation part comes? Well, you'll see that you'll encounter a ton of songs that would combine both major chord progressions and minor chord progressions within the same song. For example, in the song Let It Be by the Beatles, they're using a modulation technique for the chorus. The verses of the song begin with a C major. When I find myself in times of trouble, comes to me, speaking of wisdom, let it. But the chorus actually starts with the A minor chord. Let, let, let, let. This is the first method of modulation. Changing the order of chorus, and starting a distinct part of a song with a different chord. And the reason why this was possible is because the A minus chord is the relative mind of major. Now I'm going to teach you another modulation technique which is going to be much more hearable and will bring a significant change in terms of feelings and emotions. For this matter, you're going to have to learn a new concept called parallel scales and parallel chords. If we take the example of a C major scale, well the parallel scale is going to be minor. Same goes for the chord. The parallel chord of major is minor. The parallel chord of minor is obviously the major. This is working for any chord of your piano. The major parallel chord is going to be minor. Okay? Just like the parallel chord of sharp minor is going to be sharp major. Let me recap real quick. Relative scales are scales containing the exact same nodes but starting with a different key. You know that the six node of any given scale is representing the relative chord, or the relative scale. And parallel scales are simply the opposite scale or the opposite chord. The parallel scale of major is going to be minor, and the parallel chord of major is going to be minor. In order to use the second modulation technique, you're going to have to use your knowledge both on relative chords and parallel chords. We'll start with the Maged progression with the 6415 order. So we'll begin with a mind which is going to be simpler for understanding the concept. So what you're going to do is play the 6415, and then instead of playing the Mage cord again, you're going to want to play a C minus cord at the beginning of the second loop. Okay, so first loop, and now play a C minus cord. Okay, now you will have to remember, in which major code progression did you have a six note? Don't worry, I got you covered for this example. So you'll find a note at the sixth position within the D sharp major progression. And even if you play the D sharp major scale, you'll notice that the six note is a 1234566. That means that the next chords that we're going to play after the minor are sharp major, D sharp major, and A sharp major. Let me do this again from the major code progression. And then I'll switch to the D sharp major code progression using the order of 6415. Now the D sharp major code progression, starting with minor. Note that this modulation technique allows to elevate any song by adding plus 1.5 each time that you use it. And that's why we were initially on a C major chord progression, but by playing the parallel chord of C major being minor. Well, we switched to a D sharp major chord progression with the 6415 order. Okay, now what if you wanted to modulate again? Well, you'll have to take the major chord at the first position in the scale, meaning D sharp major for the third loop. Well, you're going to play the parallel chord of D sharp major, which is going to be D sharp minor. Same question comes up. In which major cord progression did you have a sharp node located at the sixth position? Of course. Feel free to pause the video and try to find the answer by yourself. The answer here was the F Sharp, if I play the F Sharp Major Scale 12. 3456, we do reach the D sharp. The third loop is going to be played with the codes contained in the F sharp major progression with the order of 6415. I will play again, beginning with the C major code progression, so that you will hear the difference with the code order 6415. I believed that you felt something here, right? Did you feel that musical elevation each time we modulated? That's exactly what we're aiming for. Now, what's going to happen if we modulate again? You're going to want to take the first note again here, F sharp major, and make the parallel chord of F sharp major, which is going to be F sharp minor. Now you want to find the major chord progression with an F sharp note at the sixth position. Again, please feel free to pause the video and find the answer by yourself. It's going to be much more effective for your brain and your ears. The next chord progression is going to be the A chord progression, because if we play the A major scale, 121456, you see that the six note is an F sharp. Not while keeping the 6415 code order. Here's how it's going to sound from the beginning Modulation. Modulation. Modulation. I hope you heard it, that feeling of elevation each time we modulated the chord progression. Notice that here in the last chord progression that we played, the first node is A major. If we modulate again, we will have to play the parallel chord of A major. And so we're back to the A minor we started this exercise with. As you can see, if you play with parallel chords, you could keep modulating the song, raising it up further and further. Now I'll play an excerpt from a song that utilizes this very modulation technique, so you can understand how it should sound within the structure of a song. And it's going to be a well known song called Vivo Perl, by Andrea Bocelli. You'll notice the continuous elevation in the music brought by the modulation technique. Here we go, Dalmatia. Pero Primero. Louis Braces. I hope that gave you a sense of how modulation can transform a song and add something very special to it. And the last modulation technique I would like to teach you is the most simplest one out of the three. And it consists in simply shifting from a chord progression to another. There are no special rules here. You can pretty much do whatever you want. The only thing to keep in mind is that the more you'll go far away from your starting key, the more complicated it will be to sing on pitch. If you're singing and playing the piano again, I'll sing you a song using this kind of modulation so that you can feel the difference within the structure of a song. This modulation technique I'm about to teach you is very used in Disney movies. So the perfect example would be to sing you a Disney song, right? And there's only one song I can think of right now. And I really don't mean it in a stereotypical way because I'm not a, an Indian. But yeah, I think you guessed the song I'm about to sing, right? It's going to be the song. A whole new world. A whole new world, a dazzling place, a new bo, I'm way up here. It's crystal clear that now, whole new world with you. Unbelievable sight, undescribable feeling. Soaring to blame free willing through an unless dime sky. Okay, you heard it and I think that you understand now when I say that modulation techniques elevate songs and open up so many possibilities as well. So that's going to conclude this lesson on modulation. You've seen how it's closely related to transposition and how it allows you to add a fresh breath of life songs. You could, for example, modulate your covers or your own songs and if it's well made and that the moment is also well chosen, well, you can bring a sense of elevation to the song and communicate to your audience that you know what you're doing. And remember that now that you know how to transpose modulation isn't as difficult as it may seem, good luck to you all and I'll see you in the next one. This lesson wraps up the fifth module of this course. I encourage you to practice and familiarize yourself with each concept. Start in these videos before moving on to the next module. In the upcoming module, we'll delve into some exciting topics because you will be learning advanced chords and discover that they can also consist of more than just three notes. I won't reveal too much right now, but I can assure you it'll be a very interesting module. Actually, this next module will help you bring more depth to your songs and you'll see how these advanced chords can greatly enhance your performances. Congratulations for all the hard work you've done so far. Take care and I'll see you in the next one. 31. Introduction to complex chords: Hey there. And welcome to the very first chapter of module six. If you're watching this video, it means you've already reached a very satisfying level of piano skills, but you're still hungry for more improvement. So you've got the basics, down rights of scales, rhythm using the sustained pedal, major minor chords, inverted chords, and even some advanced techniques like transposition modulation, or even creating chord progressions easily. You've also learned how to find relative scales and relative chords, and you're also familiar with parallel scales and parallel chords. In short, you've already come a very long way and I congratulate you for that. But here you are seeking to take your piano playing to new heights, and I absolutely love that. In the sixth module, we're going to focus on something that many pianists tend to neglect and it is enriching the chords you already know. Very often we set off for simple major and minor chords, and that's fine. But in this module, we'll explore chords with different colors, allowing you to add your personal touch and develop your own musical signature. Now, in this first chapter, we won't be diving straight into advanced chords. Instead, we'll take it step by step, just like we've always done since the beginning of this course. Let's start this lesson. Before we get into the theory, I want you to hear the potential of these advanced chords. So I'll play the G major chord progression once with the basic chords that you're familiar with, and then again with some advanced chords because you'll definitely hear the difference. Let's start with the G major chord progression using the basic chords. And now let's listen to the G major chord progression with some advanced courts added. See how advanced chords add a whole new color to the sound. Remember that besides your interpretation, these chords allow you to inject even more emotion into your playing. Even if you incorporate just one or two advanced chords in your songs, it can make a significant impact and showcase your growth as a musician. Now let's start practicing these advanced the chords of different colors. From this point forward, you're no longer just playing songs, you're also telling stories through your music. In this module, we will explore various types of advanced courts, such as seventh courts, major seventh courts, suspended courts, augmented courts, and diminished courts. Trust me, with all these courts to work with, you'll never run out of material. But remember that to fully grasp these courts, you will need to have a good understanding of scales. Let me give you a simple example. I believe you're very familiar with the Mg A court, right? So, the very first technique that I gave you was to Count 1234123. Okay? And the other way around, four minor court, so 12312344. Then I taught you a second method consisting of taking the first note, the third note, and the fifth note of the scale in order to form a chord. And that's what we're going to use in order to form our new chords. Let's say I ask you to play a major seventh chords. How do we start? Well, we'll begin by playing the major chord as a foundation. Okay, then you just have to follow the scale and simply add the seventh note of the C major scale, 1234567, first third, fifth note, one seventh note, in order to create the major seventh chord by incorporating the seventh note here. In this case, we transform the standard C major chord into a major seventh chord. It's as simple as that. Here's another quick observation. I said major seventh, what does that mean? That means there are also minor seventh chords, but don't worry, the process is going to be exactly the same. To form a minus seventh chord, you add the seventh note of the minor scale corresponding to your minor cord. We'll cover all of this in the upcoming lessons. So no need to panic if your goal is to become a pianist and sing along or accompany other artists. The sixth module is going to be crucial for developing your playing style and expanding your knowledge of the piano. These advanced chords may not be commonly used in today's popular music, but you'll find them extensively in genres like jazz and funk. So I encourage you to listen to jazz. The more you immerse yourself in it, the better your ear will become, allowing you to truly feel these chords and add that personal touch to your interpretations. As we progress through the upcoming chapters, I'll give you more tips. First things first, keep working on your scales. It is incredibly important and I could never stress it enough. And I know that it might sound repetitive or even a bit tedious. But scales are the foundation for following this module effectively. Secondly, practice forming major seventh chords and minus seventh chords. Now that you're familiar with the method, you'll find it much easier. And of course, we'll practice all these chords extensively in the next chapters. I admit that we didn't practice much in this lesson, but I had to make sure you understood the concepts that we were going to cover in this sixth module. Show. You need a visual reference with everything I said in writing. Well, you can check out the P DF file associated with this lesson where everything I said is going to be summed up. Remember, I'm here to help you out. So if you have any questions or need guidance, don't hesitate to reach out. Lastly, congratulations on your journey so far, not many people make it this far, so you should be incredibly proud of yourself. It's not just about doing more than the others, but rather your determination and thirst for knowledge that sets you apart. So keep up the great work. I wish you the best. With the next videos, take care, and I'll see you in the next one. 32. Major 7th chords: Hey there, and welcome to the second chapter of the sixth module. In our last lesson, we started diving into major seventh chords. I know that it can be a bit tricky, but by the end of today's lesson, you will be able to form major seventh chords. So let's dive right into chapter two, module six. In this lesson, we're going to learn how to form major seventh chords on all the keys of your piano. But before we get started, it's crucial to emphasize the importance of mastering your scales. And when I say scales, I mean all the keys on your piano. At the very least, make sure you know the scales of the white keys. But it's even better if you can tackle the black keys too. Trust me, it'll make your life so much easier. Let's break down the term major seventh. You could literally hear by the name that these chords are firstly going to be major chords and that you're going to build them using major scales. Let's start with our good old friend. The note, meaning our first major seventh chord will be the C major seventh. As always, we'll take it step by step for you to really understand the importance of mastering those scales. Let's play the C major scale. Next up, we'll number the C major scale, 1-7 Remember that in order to build chords, you want to take the first, the third, and the fifth note of the scale. Here you have your major chord. Now what would you need to do in order to transform this standard into a major seventh chord? Well, you guessed it. You're going to want to add the seventh note of that same scale, which makes C major seven feel the difference between the standard C major chord and the major seventh chord. No matter what you're playing, the base note is always playing the root of the. For the major seventh chord, just like the standard C major, the base node is still going to be C. Now I would like you to take a shot at forming a D major seventh chord using the same method that we just learned. I'll guide you through the first steps. Let's play the D major chord. Great. Now let's form the D major scale. Now, mentally number the D major scale, 1-7 Finally, place your fingers on the first, third, fifth note, and seventh note of the scale. You formed the D major seventh chord. Of course, the base node is going to be the same standard D major and D major seventh. It's always the same base nodes. Let's do one more example, this time with a sharp chord. How about the F sharp major seventh chord, or its equiva***t G flat major seventh chord? Remember whether it's a white or black key? The method remains exactly the same. We'll follow the 1357 pattern based on the nodes included in the scale. I will let you give it a try. Go ahead, hit pause, and play me an F sharp major seventh chord. Okay, let's walk through the process again. Firstly, you want to play the F sharp major chord. Okay, great. Now let's play the scale now. Number it, 1-7 and you want to place your fingers on the first, third, fifth note, and seventh note, you formed the F sharp major seventh chord, or G flat major seventh chord. Keeping the same base at F sharp. Okay, with practice, you'll get the hang of it. Now, I would like you to continue practicing major seventh chords using the exercises provided in the PDF file. Repetition is key to truly master these concepts. In our next lesson, we'll move on to exploring minor seventh chords. Exciting stuff ahead. So that wraps up this lesson. Remember if you have any questions or doubts, I'm always here to help. Just keep working hard and recalling how far you've come. Your dedication and thirst for knowledge have set you apart. And I'm incredibly proud of you. Take care, keep up the fantastic work. And I'll see you in the next one. 33. 7th chords: Hello everyone and welcome to the third chapter of the sixth module. In our last lesson, we tackled major seventh chords. And now it's time to delve into the world of seventh chords. Let's jump right into chapter three, module six. Before we dive in, let's clear up something that could lead to confusion. You probably noticed that we write a big M before the seventh to indicate that it's a major seventh chord. Now here's the chord type that we're going to focus on in this lesson, which is written C seven. Here we totally removed the M to indicate that this chord is constructed as a major chord and that the seventh note is going to be from the minor scale. What we're going to do here is first build up the major chord and then add the seventh note from the parallel scale. Meaning the minor scale, which is going to be here. It's different from the major seventh chord, now it's seven chord, which is also different from the C minor seventh chord. Okay, but we'll cover this in the next lesson. Let's focus on the C seven. Build up your major chord, and then add the seventh note from the parallel scale, the C minor scale. Okay, remember that it's very important that you know your scales in order to follow this module properly. If you've got the 1357 method down for major seventh chords, you'll have no problem with standard seventh chords. Please take a moment and compare the sound of the standard C major chord and the C seven chord. Notice the difference. It's just that one node that gives it that distinct color. It's incredible. Keep in mind that as long as you follow the method, you won't go wrong. Now let's move on to another seventh chord. Let's try and form an seven chord. I'll give you a moment to form the seven chord. Feel free to pass the video and give it a shot. Here you go. Okay, I hope you gave it a try. First off, you can play the minor scale in order to locate the seventh node. So 1234567. It's the node, okay? So now what you have to do is build the major chord and then add the God that you located from the minor scale. And here you built the seventh chord. If you played it even before I showed it to you, then you did a fantastic job. Congratulations, let's practice a bit more now, try forming a D sharp seventh chord. Go ahead and pause the video to give it a shot. Remember, it's all about copy page using the same method. It's your turn. Okay, The process is exactly the same. First you want to play the D sharp minor scale in order to locate the seventh node of that scale. 1234567, it's going to be the C sharp. Now you want to create the D sharp major chord and add the C sharp. You built the D sharp seventh chord. Keep in mind that once you've mastered these chords, you can easily switch the positions of the different nodes to make your playing more fluent. Just like we did with major and minor chords in the previous modules. Using the inversion technique, you will see that it's not as complicated as it may seem. Just follow the method and you cannot go wrong. If you want to take it a step further, perhaps even become a composer. Mastering these chords is going to be crucial because that will help you to bring even more emotions and color to your interpretation and playing. That wraps up this lesson. I've also included some exercises in the PDF five for you to practice these chords even more. Keep up the great work and I'll see you in the next lesson. 34. Minor 7th chords: Hey there, and welcome to the fourth chapter on advanced courts. Today we're going to tackle all the differences between all these seventh courts, once and for all, with the learning of minor seventh courts. I know that major seventh courts, regular seventh courts, and now minus seventh courts can be a bit confusing. But don't worry, I'm here to help and clarify the different concepts. Remember that if you have any trouble understanding anything in the course, feel free to reach out to me. Now, let's get started with minus seventh chords. In this lesson, we'll be focusing exclusively on minor seventh chords. Before we begin, it is important to note that the chords will be working with are all minor nature chords. Since we're forming minor seventh chords, it is no surprise that we'll be starting with the C minor seventh chord First, let's play the C minor scale. Now you want to mentally number that scale, 1-7 And finally, what you want to do is place your fingers on the first, third, fifth, and seventh note of the scale, okay, Allowing you to form the C minor seventh chord. Here's the cool part. Compare to the seventh chords where you had to first form the major chord, then add the minor seventh note of the parallel scale here for minus seventh cord. Since we're working with minor chords from the start, well, you simply need to play the C minor scale and place your fingers on the first, third, fifth, and seventh note of that scale. You'll notice that it has a distinct sound compared to the major seventh chord or even the seventh chord. So standard C major major seventh, seventh, and C minus seven. Okay, now let's keep up the momentum and give you some time to practice on your own. Try forming an E minor seventh chord. Feel free to pause the video and give it a shot. Take your time. It's your turn. All right, I hope you gave it a go. Your minor seventh course should sound like this. Did it sound the same? If you succeeded, that's fantastic. It means you've really grasped the technique and the steps of the method. Let's do this together. So first play the E minor scale, then number it mentally, 1-7 Then you want to place your fingers on the first note, the third note, fifth note, and seventh note of the E minor scale in order to form the minor seventh chord. Just like before, I've prepared for you some specific exercises included in the pedia file so that you can practice these minor seventh chords on your own. You'll also find some explanations that recap everything covered in this lesson and the last two lessons. As always, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to me. In this lesson, you've learned how to differentiate between all the seventh chords and that's a big accomplishment. Now you can distinguish between major seventh seventh chords and minus seventh chords. Remember that the big M indicates a major seventh chords, while the small M indicates a minor seventh chords. And if you only have the number seven, while you know you have to form a major chord, then add the minor seventh note. Trust me, it will all start to make sense with practice and repetition. Take care. And I'll see you in the next one. 35. 6th chords: Hello everyone and welcome to the fifth chapter of the sixth module. In the previous lessons, we tackled the formation of seventh courts. So that you can now distinguish between three types of seventh courts. Now it's time to dive deeper into the world of advanced courts. So let's start this lesson. Remember that the more chords you know, the richer your songs will be. That's also the reason why I want to expose you to a variety of different courts so that you have p***ty of work with. The courts that we're going to learn in this lesson are called sixth courts. By now, you're probably familiar with the method of court formation using scales, and some of you might have already guessed how to form sixth courts. Lets take our starting point, the node, and form a major six chord. Let's play the C major scale. Remember, a chord is formed by the scale using the first, third, and fifth note of that scale, whether it's a major or a minor scale. In order to form a sixth chord, we simply add the sixth note of the scale to the first three. For example, a major six chord would sound like this. Okay? Of course, keeping same base. Yes, I said a major six, so you guessed it. There are also minor six cords. But here's the thing. Whether it's a major six scored or a minus six scored, the six node is always the one from the major scale. In this case A, okay? Major six, minor six. Another method to form a sixth chord is to form the major or minor cord and then add a fourth finger, a whole tone after the fifth note. Let's take the example of major. We form the major cord like this and then add a fourth finger, A whole tone after the fifth, not whole tone. Here, you build the major six D. Okay, From the mind, it's exactly the same process. First build the mind, and then after the fifth note, just add a whole tone, You formed the minor six chord. This method remains the same for all major and minor chords, of all the keys on your piano. Okay, let's try another one. How about a D major six chord? First, play a D major chord, okay? And then add a fourth finger, a whole tone after the fifth note, like this. 0505. And you've just built the D major six chord to form the minor six chord. Since the six note doesn't change position, you only have to lower your second finger, one semitone. And you've created the minor six chord. As you noticed, if you follow the rule of adding a fourth finger, a whole tone after the fifth note of the scale, it will always work. Let's do one more code for practice. We'll form the major six and minor six codes. So we'll first start by forming the major chord, okay? Then we'll add a fourth finger, a whole tone after the fifth note, 0505. And you've just built the major six chord, okay? And in order to play the minor six chord, well, you just have to take your second finger and lower it, one semitone. And there you have built the minor six chord. Now I'll let you practice on your own. Try to form the major N minus six chords for the G and A node. Feel free to pause the video and take your time. It's your turn. Let's go through the chords together to see if you got them right. First, the major six chord, you want to play the major chord and then add a fourth finger, a whole tone after the fifth note of the scale. 55. You've just created the major six chord. Okay? If you wanted the minus six chord, well you know now that you only have to lower your second finger. One semitone. You've built the minus six chord. Standard major major six, minus six. Now let's do the major 6.6, beginning by the major one. Start by playing the major chord like this, and then add a fourth finger, one whole tone after the fifth node, 0505, and you've built the major six chord. Okay, So now in order to build the minor six chord, you only have to lower your second finger. One semitone there. You've built the minus six chord, standard major, major 66, minus six. Finally, let's play a major six and a minor six chords. For a major six, you want to form the A major chord, okay? And then add a fourth finger, a whole tone after the fifth node, five there, you've built the A major six chord. If you wanted to play the A minus six chord, you just have to lower your second finger. One site, there you have it. A minus six chord, standard? A major major six. A minor six. See that? It's exactly the same method for major minor six chords. Note that the sixth note is always at the same location initially given by the major scale. Remember that you can always move the notes around to suit your playing style. Just like we learned in previous modules when we studied inversions. If you follow the super simple method of adding the fourth finger a whole tone after the fifth note, I'm confident that you were able to form all these chords without any problems. Now you might think that we're moving through these chords quite quickly, but don't worry, because we're going to practice them all in the next modules where everything will be explained in detail with musical context so that you know how to use those codes within the structure of a song and start incorporating them into your own core progressions to help you practice. I've prepared an exercise specifically designed for these sixth chords. Always remember that you should be proud of the progress you've made so far on this journey. You've come a very long way since the beginning. Good luck with this chapter and the exercises and I'll see you in the next one. 36. Suspended chords: Hello everyone and welcome to the sixth chapter of the sixth module. In the previous lessons, you learned how to form seventh and sixth chords. In this video, you will learn to form what we call suspended chords. Let's dive into module six, chapter six, Suspended chords. What are they? Unlike the seventh and sixth chords, where you could get some help by looking at the name for suspended chords, I must admit that there is no indication on how to build them. The reason why we call them suspended chords is because they are built different. Indeed, they are neither major nor minor. They are literally suspended between the two. Firstly, you got to know there are two types of suspended chords. So you'll have what we call two chords and four chords where the S actually refers to suspend it. Sometimes it is possible that you come across just without a number. In this case, it will be in most cases, a four chord. The important thing to know when forming suspended chords is that we remove the third node of the scale and replace it with another node. Now you're probably wondering which node. Well, it is very simple. We will have to refer to the number after the. If it is two, you want to remove the third node and replace it with the second node of the scale. If it is four, we will replace the same third node and replace it by the fourth node of that scale. Normally, just with these explanations, you should have an idea on how suspended chords are built. Let's form our first suspended codes together. Let's start with the node, as we usually do, and let's form the codes of C 2.4 What is the first step? The first step is to play the C major scale, like this. Second step would be to mentally number the scale. And finally, as you can imagine, just place your fingers on the first note, the second node and the fifth node, which gives us two. I personally love this chord, so beautiful. What about the four now? Well, it is exactly the same thing. We will place our fingers on the first note, the fourth note, and the fifth note of that same scale, which is going to give us the four chord. This one also sounds incredibly beautiful. Okay, I'm going to give you a very useful tip that will help you build suspended chords easily. You can just start by playing the C major chord, okay? And then move your second finger, a whole tone to the left, to create the two chord, okay? Now, if you want to create the four chord, just start by playing the C major chord. And then move your second finger one semitone to the right, which will create the four chord. It's as simple as that. Let's continue a little bit more. We're going to play the C sharp two chord and the C sharp four chord. I'm going to give you a moment to review the method and form these two chords. I invite you to pass the video and see if you can form the C sharp two and C sharp four chords. It's your turn. So did you succeed? We're going to find out right now how to play the C sharp to the first step of the method was to play the C sharp major chord. Okay? Then moving a second finger, one tone, so two keys to the left. And you built the C sharp. S two chord, C sharp major, C sharp sus to C sharp major C sharp, us to. Now let's play the C sharp four or just apply the same method. First form the major chord of sharp and then move your second finger, one semitone, one key to the right There you have it, the sharps four chord. C sharp, major sharps four. C sharp major sharps four. As you can see, it is not that hard when starting up from the major chord. Okay, let's do some more so that you get familiar with this method. Take a moment and try to build a 2.4 chord. It's your turn, okay? Normally, if you followed the method, you could not go wrong. Let's play it together. The first step is going to be to play the major chord. Then take your second finger and move it one tone to the left. Two keys, in order to form the two chord. Major Jesus, two major Jesus, two for building up the. You also want to start by forming the major, then take your second finger and move it, one semitone, one key to the right There you have it, the major Jesus, four, major four. In comparison to other chord types, suspended chords really give that impression of leading somewhere else. Just try to play all the suspended chords of all the keys on your piano. Now that you're familiar with the method, as an exercise, you could do this. For example, play the major chord of any given key, let's say the D, D major, okay? And to build up the two major, four major, two major, four major two. And do this for all the keys of your piano. Major four major two, or F sharp major, F sharp major sharp, four sharp major sharps two. In order to help you feel what I want you to feel, I'm going to play your favorite progression, the C major chord progression. And I'm going to incorporate a suspended or listen closely to the emotion this chord is adding to the chord progression now, so resolving to. Did you hear what suspended chord can add in terms of emotion? And I only added one. I'll just to imagine the potential of well placed suspended chords within a chord progression. There are lots of different ways to use these suspended chords. In the last example, I first played the four in order to conclude with the major chord. This particular combination is perfect if you want to finish a song, because the four created some of a harmonious tension so that you want to get back to the major chord because it resolves so well, keep in mind that by doing so, you also obviously extend the song ***gth by one measure. You could also stay on one single node and alternate between those three chords. Major 2.4, Michael Jackson did that in the song called Black or White, and it is composed with the major progression. We're going to play the major, four, major, and two again. Take a moment to pause the video and try to form those chords before watching the solution. Remember, practice is key. Off you go. Did you succeed? Let's see, The first step of the method was to play the major chord, E major, okay? Now, in order to form the four chord, you had to move your second finger, one semitone to the right. Okay? For the S two, you had to take your second finger and move it one tone. So two keys to the left. Us two major. Us four major. Us two. And now let's add the major. And you're good to play Black, White. Let's give it a try. I took my baby on the side of Bank. Is that go with you? And the same now, I believe miracles and miracle has happened. So this was just one song using suspended chords, but know that there are countless songs that exploit their power. The more you play the piano and the more you unconsciously work your ear. And you'll see that at some point you'll be able to recognize a suspended chord from another chord. So in order to recap, there are two ways to form these suspended chords. Either in relation to the scale or by using the tones and semitones of your piano starting from any major chord. I don't know which method you prefer, but I like to simplify my life. So personally, I use the second method because it is easier. If you understood the method, you're good to form suspended chords without any problem. As usual, you'll find exercises so that you can practice those suspended chords directly in the PDF file I provided for this specific lesson. And don't forget that if you have any questions I'll be more than happy to answer them. Take care and I'll see you in the next one. 37. Augmented chords: Hey there. Welcome to the seventh chapter of our sixth module. In our last lessons, you learned suspended chords and now we're going to dive into the exciting world of augmented chords. Don't you worry if it sounds a bit intimidating, I promise it's not as scary as it seems. Just follow the method I'm about to share with you. And you'll be forming those augmented chords in no time. So let's get started with module six, chapter seven. Before we jump into augmented chords, let's go over a crucial point. Augmented chords are essentially major chords. So to transform a basic major chord into an augmented chord, we'll raise the fifth note by a semitone. Let's put this right into practice. So we'll begin by forming our reference chord, which is the major chord. Okay, Now what you need to do, as I mentioned earlier, is raising the fifth note, 1235. The note, we'll raise it by one semitone. Here's the augmented chord. C major augmented, major augmented. Let's do another one, and then I'll give you some time to practice on your own. Next up, let's form the augmented chord. Play the B major chord like this, and then raise your fifth by a semitone to the right. Here's the augmented major. Augmented major. Augmented fifth is raised by one semitone. Now it's your turn to practice. I would like you to form the augmented chord. Take a moment to pause the video and come back. Once you formed the augmented chord, off you go. How did it go? Let's recap the method first, you want to play the major chord, then you want to take the fifth note and raise it, one semitone, one key to the right. Here you have it, the augmented chord, F major augmented. F major augmented. If you got it right without watching the solution, congratulations, you're doing an awesome job. Remember, always begin by forming the major chord and then raise the fifth, not by a semitone to the right. Okay, I need to clarify something very important in the examples. The fifth is always played by your last finger. C major fifth note is here augmented. It's always the same last finger that is playing the fifth note. But in the case of an inversion, keep in mind that the fifth note is not always played with the last finger. If I had played an inverted F major chord like this, where is the fifth note here? The thumb actually plays the fifth note, because in this case, I took the fifth note and placed it at the first position. The fifth note is actually here. If you want to make an F augmented chord with the inverted F major, you would have to move your first finger, okay? Your first finger. One semitone to the right. Major augmented, major augmented. Of course, same goes for seventh chord, six chord suspended cards, or any other chord type. My whole point here being to show you again how important scales are, let's move on to another chord. Your next chal***ge is to form the D augmented or take a moment to pause the video and give it a shot. When you're ready, come back and we'll check it out together. All right, let's see how you did. Step one form the D major chord like this. Step two, raise the fifth note by a semitone to the right, so one key to the right. And there you have it. You've just played the augmented chord, D major augmented. D major augmented. Last example. Before I give you a very useful tip, please go ahead and from the D sharp augmented chord using the exact same process. I'm absolutely sure you can do this. I'll let you pass the video, it's your time to play. Okay, I guess you easily played the D sharp augmented chord. First step was to play the D sharp major chord like this. And then you want to raise your fifth note by one semitone, so one key to the right. You built the D sharp augmented chord. D sharp major sharp augmented. D sharp major. D sharp augmented. Now, here's the little secret. What if I told you that with four augmented chords, you could automatically unlock eight more augmented chords? Let's dive into the technique that will help you achieve this. It's called inversion. And yes, you already know what inversion means, which is simply moving notes of a chord around on the piano to make your playing more fluent. As I mentioned earlier, there are four augmented chords that are absolutely essential for you to know. So here are the chords C augmented, C sharp augmented augmented, and D sharp augmented. So, the ones you just did, let's start with the C augmented chord and use the inversion technique. So here's C augmented, okay? And we'll move our first finger to the last position. Okay? Like this and check this out. Our augmented cord became an augmented chord just by inverting from the augmented invert the first, no, you built the augmented cord. Let's keep going with this inversion technique. So we stopped at the augmented cord, just the first node at the first position, and move it at the last position. There you have it, the sharp or flat augmented chord. If you invert that sharp, a flat augmented chord, well take the first note and place it here. We're back at the augmented cord. Isn't it fascinating how these inversions work? In conclusion, the first round of inversions allowed you to play the augmented, the augmented and the sharp A flat augmented chords. To generate other augmented chords, we'll just use the same process and invert the C sharp augmented chord. Let's form the C sharp augmented chord like this, okay? And then take your first finger, so the first node, and put it at the last position. You just built the augmented chord, major augmented. Once again, let's invert the augmented chord and move our first note to the last position. You just built the augmented chord, you can check a major, A augmented, two more augmented cores free see that by knowing just two augmented reds, so to say, the augmented and C sharp augmented chords, you've already managed to form a total of six different augmented chords. Pretty cool, right? But we're not done yet. There are still two more chords you need to know, the augmented chord and the D sharp augmented chords, and these will help you to form four new chords. Let's do this first, let's play the augmented chord like this, and let's proceed to the first inversion. The first node, put it at the last position. You just built the sharp augmented chord, or flat augmented chord. Lastly, let's invert the sharp flat augmented chord by moving the first node at the first position. At the last position, you just built the A sharp or flat augmented, or what you want to do is the exact same process with the D sharp augmented chord. Now that you're familiar with the method, I will let you pause the video and try to form the two last augmented chords on your own. It's your turn to play. Okay, so the first step was to form the D sharp augmented chord like this, and then process to the first inversion. Take the first note at the first position and take it to the last position that would make the augmented chord. Okay, now let's proceed to the last inversion, taking the first and putting it one octave above. And you just built the augmented, or congratulations, you're doing an incredible work. In this lesson, you've learned how to form augmented chords and you also notice that there aren't too many of them, right? In fact, with just four chords, you could unlock all the augmented chords on your piano. And that's a fabulous thing, thanks to the inversion technique, you only needed to know the chords of augmented C sharp augmented augmented, and D sharp augmented. Of course, you'll find a PDF file summarizing everything we've covered in this lesson along with exercises to help you practice these augmented chords. Take care and I'll see you in the next one. 38. Diminished chords: Hello everyone, and welcome to the eighth chapter of the sixth module. In this lesson, we are going to tackle diminished chords. You will see that diminished chords also have a color of their own. Let's dive right into module six, chapter eight. So diminished chords, how do we build them? The first thing to know about diminished chords is that they're initially minor chords, as opposed to the augmented chords which were initially major chords. And I'm sure that everything's going to be just fine because if you're watching this video, I assume that you are perfectly capable of building minor chords, as in the previous lesson. There's going to be a method you will need to follow so that you cannot go wrong. As you can imagine, we're going to start with the C diminished chord. So at the beginning of this video, I told you that diminished chords were minor chords. So the first thing to do here is to form the standard C minus cord like this. Okay, once you formed your mino cord, you just have to move the fifth note of the scale here, your last finger, but not always, the fifth note by one semitone, one key to the left. There you have it, the diminished chord. So what you're going to do now is play another node, three keys away. First node is 123, Second finger, 1233 finger, 1234 finger. This a note is called a minus three. Okay, That makes the diminished seven chord. That's the chord shape that we're going to use for the method. Maybe some of you already guessed, we're going to use the inversion technique in order to find the other diminished chords. Remember that for augmented chords you needed to know four augmented chords and you could form them all. Well, for diminished chords you actually only need three to form them all. First, let's form the diminished seven chord, okay? 123-12-3123 Okay, diminished chord. And let's proceed to the first inversion. Move your first finger at the last position, one octave above you, D sharp or flat diminished seventh chord. Just by inverting the C diminished seventh chord. Okay, let's continue with the method. Let's invert this D sharp diminished seventh chord by taking the first node at the first position and putting it at the very last position is formed the sharp or flat diminished seventh chord. Now let's invert the F sharp diminished chord by taking the first node at the first position and putting it one octave above at the last position. You've just built the A diminished seventh chord. If you invert the A diminished seventh chord again, well you'll be back at the diminished seventh chord. See that once again, the inversion technique helped us generate three new diminished seventh chords. You can now form the diminished seven, the D sharp flat diminished seven, the sharp flat diminished seven, and the diminished seven chords. Let's move on to the second chord that we're going to be inverting, and it's going to be the C sharp diminished seventh chord. Let me remind you of the method real quick. So first off, you want to play the standard C sharp minus chord like this. And remember that the chord is formed by minus third first note, 123-12-3123 This is the C sharp diminished seventh chord, or the D flat diminished seventh chord. Let's proceed to the first inversion. Take the first note, C sharp, and put it one octave above at the last position. You've just built the diminished seventh chord. Grade two more inversions to go. I highly encourage you to pause the video and try to form the next two inversions on your own. Even if you make mistakes, it's absolutely fine and you're going to have the answers anyway. It's your turn to play from the diminished seventh chord. Let's move our first finger at the first position to the last position. You've just built, the diminished seventh chord. Let's continue like this and proceed with the same inversion technique on the diminished seventh chord. Moving the first finger at the very last position. You've just built the sharp or flat diminished seventh chord. You saw that with only two diminished seventh chords. The diminished seventh and the C sharp diminished Scheven. Well, you've been able to form six new different diminished seventh chords, and that's just by using the inversion technique each time. We're not going to do here the three chords that are still missing for I want to let you do them as an exercise. As usual you'll find within the PDF file exercises so that you can practice forming these diminished seventh chords. And I also wrote down the method so that it is crystal clear for you. I believe you noticed that the method wasn't very complicated because at the end, once you formed your initial diminished seventh chord, well, the only thing left to do was inverting and automatically generating new diminished seventh chords. Besides, I also gave you the counting tip as all the nodes are separated by three nodes each time. The functionality of diminished and augmented chords is a bit different from the codes that you've learned so far. For example, you definitely could not create a chord progression exclusively composed of augmented or diminished chords. Actually, those chords play a specific role when they are included into chord progressions. That's why they are called transition chords. But we're going to do things step by step because personally, I believe that using those advanced chords is part of the many harmonization techniques I'm going to teach you in the next modules. All I have to tell you is work hard, keep your motivation high for you can be super proud of yourself because you're doing an excel***t job. Take care, and I'll see you in the next one. 39. Introduction to module 7: Hello everyone, and welcome to this introductory video of module seven, which will be dedicated to singing. First and foremost, I want to congratulate you on the progress you've made after learning the fingerings. After learning the scales, major chords, minor chords for all the keys on your piano. After learning to play in rhythm, to use the pedal to embellish your playing with the bass notes, you'll learn to create any chord progressions. You'll learn to play with both hands using different playing techniques. In addition to now being able to construct complex chords and from any key of your piano. Well, in this module we will focus on singing and how to accompany your own voice or someone else's in order to convey your emotions in the most creative and personal way. In this introduction, I want to emphasize the importance of warming up and its evident impact on your vocal performances. Indeed, a good warm up can give you a particular ease in reaching notes. It can give you a sense of lightness in your voice, as well as much greater accuracy as far as speech is concerned. I know that warming up is not the most exciting part of singing, but believe me, it applies to everyone and it can make a considerable difference in your performance. Now, before diving into the subject in the next video, I will first give you some good reasons that will hopefully convince you of the importance of warming up. First point. Vocal warm up will help you relax the muscles of your face, jaw, tongue, and neck, which, among other things, will improve the coordination and control of your voice. Second point, it's about the development of your voice. In other words, you will acquire the ability to sing lower and higher notes. A good warm up will therefore allow you to extend your vocal range over time as you will be working on the flexibility of your vocal chords, enabling you to explore new notes and sing in different registers. Earlier I mentioned that warming up also helps with tuning. And indeed the third point is that when you warm up your voice using scales for example, well, you are also training your musical ear and undeniably improving your ability to sing in tune. Now the fourth point is quite interesting, and it's about considering your voice as a fragile instrument that should not be over used, and that needs to be taken care of by warming up your voice. You prepare your instrument as a whole. Working on breathing, posture, action, intonation, all with the aim of producing a quality sound. And the last point I'd like to address, which is more of a psychological aspect, while vocal warm up will have a positive impact on your confidence as a singer. Simply because feeling physically prepared will make you much more inclined to express yourself fully and convey the emotions of the song in the most authentic and original way. A good vocal warm up will also help you avoid potential injuries, such as vocal fatigue, which manifests especially as a decrease in vocal endurance affecting your ability to sing well for an extended period of time. Quite often when vocal warm up has been rushed or neglected well, you may experience throat pain, loss of clarity and vocal power, or even an increasing inability to sing in tune during your performance. And therefore, the purpose of a warm up is to prevent all these little inconveniences by systematically practicing a warm up before performance. As you might have guessed, the purpose of this seventh module is going to be to teach you how to properly warm up your voice. So we'll be doing exercises on the piano and without the piano. But also I will provide you with tips and shortcuts to best prepare your vocal chords for singing. I'll see you in a few seconds in the first chapter of the seventh module. Good luck for this one. Take care and I'll see you in the next video. 40. How to find your vocal range: Welcome back to the first chapter of module seven. Today we're going to figure out your vocal range. But before we dive in, let's get familiar with the piano and it's different sections which will serve as our reference points throughout this module. I know that you won't see it, but C one is right here, 234567. Each section represents an interval, and within that interval we have different keys. For example, if we are in the C three sections, or from here to here, it includes three, C sharp, 3d3d sharp, 333f sharp, 333333. Then you'll be moving to the next section, 444444, et cetera. Now let's talk about the different voice categories. Here's a table to make it easier. We'll start with the base voice, then move on to baritone and tenor for male voices, and then alto, meso, soprano and soprano for female voices. Keep in mind that the table is just a general representation for your vocal range. May extend beyond the notes indicated in here. Now let's get practical and find your vocal range. So grab a piece of paper and write down the lowest and highest notes that you can reach. We'll begin with the male voices, which usually falls 2-3 So we'll start from here, G three, and make a chromatic descent going a bit lower than G two. Okay, we'll go a bit lower than that, just in case some of you have a really low voice. But remember, if you feel any pain or discomfort, stop immediately because you don't want to strain your vocal chords. I will show an example of what you need to do right now. Okay, so the lowest quality note I could reach was the E two. Now I'll do a chromatic ascent from two in order to find the highest note that I can reach. And that's also what you will need to do. I guess the A node is the highest node that I can reach. Now it's your turn, just take a breath. Relax and remember to stop if you feel any discomfort, Ready, here we go. So now you want to write the lowest note that you could comfortably sing. And of course, we're talking about a quality note here, so if you were like, that's not a quality Sound so please write down the real not that you could reach. Next, we'll find the highest of your vocal range, starting from two, and sing comfortably without straining your voice. We'll start right now. Don't forget to write down the highest note that you could reach. If you can go higher, go for it and write down the highest note. Similarly, if you could go lower, just write down the lowest note that you were able to reach. Now you should have two notes, Your lowest and highest. For me, it was 2-4 Now let's move on to the female voices, which generally ranges 3-5 And we'll follow the same process, starting with the four, and we'll make a chromatic descent to identify your lowest note. Same goes for you. You want to write down the lowest quality Sound you could produce. So take a breath, relax and we'll start. Ready? Let's go. Okay, so please write down the lowest note that you could reach. Now let's find out the highest, not that you can reach, starting from the C four. Ready? Let's go. Now please write down the highest note that you could comfortably sing. Now that you all have your lowest and highest notes, those two define your vocal range. Feel free to refer back to the chart and compare your notes with the categories mentioned. In the next lesson, we'll dive deeper into identifying your Ta, considering factors like your larynx and understanding chest voice, mixed voice and head voice take care. And I'll see you in the next one. 41. Identify your own vocal transition points: Hello everyone and welcome back to the second lesson of the seventh module. Today we're going to delve deeper into understanding your voice type. So we'll try to determine your chess voice, mixed voice and head voice, whether you're a male or a female singer. First, let's define those terms. The chess voice, also known as the full voice, is the natural voice that we use when speaking in our lowest register. Meaning that when I talk to you right now, you're actually hearing my chest voice. If you concentrate on the feelings, you will be able to feel the vibrations in your chest and abdomen when using your chest voice. Let's now practice a chest voice exercise so that you perfectly feel what I'm talking about. You want to start by singing a low note using your normal spoken voice. And gradually increase the pitch while trying to maintain the vibration sensation in your chest. I recommend that you also put your hand around here so that you can feel those vibrations better. I'll show you how to do it. Normally, you were able to feel the vibrations in your chest and abdomen. Also, you might have noticed that the higher you go and the less vibrations you're gonna feel. So I still feel them. No vibrations at all now and there back. So the higher you go, the less vibrations you're going to feel. But don't worry, you will understand soon enough that it is completely normal. Next up, let's talk about the mixed voice. So it lies between the chest voice and the head voice. When singing with your mixed voice, you will feel a combination of vibrations in your chest and head, which gave the name mixed voice. Here's an example of the mixed voice and the chest voice, so that you can hear the difference. Try to pay attention to the sensations and try to identify the moments when the voice transitions between those two stages. This is mixed voice and chest voice see the difference. It's not only a matter of volume, it's more about the sensations you must literally feel your voice for. Being able to determine your vocal transitions. And also notice how the mixed voice gives you a lighter feeling, a smoother interpretation, while keeping a certain amount of power. The mixed voice is also going to give you more flexibility, especially in your mid vocal range. Now let's discuss the head voice. The head voice is used for the highest node of your vocal range. Singing with your head voice, you'll feel no vibrations in your chest or abdomen. Instead, you're likely to feel resonances in your head, and this will allow you to reach those higher notes. To develop your head voice, practice vocal placement exercises, and focus on controlling your breathing in order to avoid excessive tension on your vocal chords. Remember, your voice is a delicate instrument, so you want to take care of it. Now let's move on to the practical exercises. You want to take the lowest and highest note that you could reach, the two notes that you wrote down in the previous lesson, and sing through the entire range, note by note in a chromatic ascent. As far as I'm concerned, the lowest note that I could reach was the E two. And the highest note that I could reach was the fur. The exercise for me will consist of singing the whole range, 2-4 in a chromatic ascent, while paying attention to the transitions in my voice and the sensations in my chest, abdomen, and head. Identifying those vocal transitions will help you determine your vocal range and your key, which is the range in which you feel most comfortable singing without strain. So I think I've reached my mixed voice, which is at G three. Let's continue in order to determine my highest voice, the head voice. I'd say that my head voice would start at the node here. In my case, my voice seems to transition from chest voice to mixed voice around the three. And from mixed voice to head voice around the four. Please do the same exercise and write down your own transition points. Feel free to pause the video and give it a try. If I had to write down those transition points for myself, it would look like this. My lowest node is two. My voice transitions from chest voice to mixed voice around the three. My voice transitions from mixed voice to head voice around the four. My highest node is the four. So I'll give you a few minutes to pause the video and practice on your own so that you can identify those transition points for yourself. It is your turn to play. Okay, so I guess that you now have a total of four nodes representing your own vocal transition points. I just want to specify something though. It is perfectly possible that your transition points are sharp notes or flat nodes. There's nothing wrong with that. It is literally depending on your own specific voice. What is great about this exercise is that it not only allows you to identify your transition points, it also help you to locate your preferred key. In other words, you'll find out the range you feel most comfortable singing in, and that's a serious asset for a singer. For example, I know that my preferred key is usually located around the G and the node. And that represents the start of my mid vocal range, which was also confirmed by the exercise since I had reached my mixed voice around the node. So if some day a musician asks you the key your most comfortable singing in, well, you are now totally capable of answering that question. For example, if I was asked what my preferred key was, I would say that we can start off with the node and then move upwards or backwards depending on what we want to achieve or convey. Another way to determine those transition points is to use your larynx. So you want to place your fingers lightly on your larynx and feel how it moves. As you sing through the range, you can notice when it rises and when it falls it rises and keep on rising. If you didn't feel it, there's a very easy way to locate it. The only thing you need to do is swallow, and you'll be able to feel it. You could also sing a low node, and then sing the higher octa, for example. And notice how your larynx acts. I'll use the 3.4 Look at this once you located it, just redo the exercise, but this time focusing on the movement of your larynx. Knowing that the moment it rises will indicate that you're entering your mid vocal range. I suggest you pause the video and try to do the same ascent while paying attention to your larynx. It's your turn. These exercises will give you a better understanding of your vocal range and the points where your voice transitions between chest mixed and head voice. Remember that the classification of voice types should not limit you or your vision as a singer. This historical classification was mainly used in classical music, opera, and music theater in order to determine the specific vocal ranges needed for certain roles. It doesn't really have much relevance in modern music styles where versatility and personal expression are more important. Knowing your voice type is going to be helpful if you're pursuing classical or operatic singing as a reliance with specific roles. However, if you're singing popular songs or pursuing a more contemporary style, well, in that case, knowing your voice type is not essential. It is more important to focus on developing your vocal skills and expressing yourself authentically. In the next lesson, we'll practice warm up exercises for your voice. Good luck and I'll see you in the next one. 42. Guided vocal warm-up (Male): Hello everyone and welcome to this lesson where you'll learn to warm up properly. As the name suggests, this warm up will be particularly effective for men. Remember that if you feel any pain or discomfort, just stop immediately because you don't want to damage your vocal chords. Okay, let's start with the first exercise. We're going to make the sound with the teeth touching the lower lip, V. Since this warm up is for men, I suggest that we match this with the B flat major chord like this. And what we're going to do is sing the three notes, composing the chord. So just like this, and we make a chromatic ascent and do the same thing, and so on, it going lower. Moving on to the second exercise. We're going to do the same thing, but this time with the sound. Okay? And there's a common mistake, which is not really a mistake, but it's about doing it with c***ched teeth compared to the effectiveness of doing the same thing with the relaxed jaw with c***ched teeth. Now with the relaxed jaw, do you hear the difference? Relaxed c***ched. Doing this very sound with the relaxed jaw will generate a deeper vibration. And therefore, the overall warm up is going to be more effective. Again, let's begin by the B flat major chord and make a chromatic ascent until three. And with the sound with the relaxed jaw. Okay, go in back. Okay, now let's move on to the third exercise. So you're going to do the sound Oh, okay, with almost closed lips and sing the first five notes of each scale. Let's start with the G major scale, and I'll first show you how to do it. Your turn. Going back, great job. Now let's move on to the fourth exercise and we'll be doing a very wide A, exactly like after a yarn. Very relaxed. And the exercise you'll be doing is singing the three notes, composing the chord. So we'll start with the B flat major, and I'll first show you the method. Okay, let's begin going back. A All right, we're almost done. The fifth and final exercise will focus on working on your voice, mixed voice, and head voice together. This final exercise will consist in jumping from one octave to the other, and then descending through all the notes of the scale, making the sound. Let's start with the B scale, and I will first show you an example, okay? Oh, oh, okay, let's do this. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Going back. Well done. If you regularly practice this sequence of exercises just for a few minutes, you should notice an improvement in the quality of your vocal performances. You will be able to reach notes more easily and feel more relaxed and confident in your skills. In the next video, I will provide the same warm up for male voices, but this time without me singing and with the camera facing the piano. So that you can simply follow along and replicate the exercises with your own piano. Don't forget to download the PDF file where all these exercises are going to be listed. Good luck, take care, and I'll see you in the next one. 44. Guided vocal warm-up (Female): Hello everyone and welcome to this lesson where you'll learn to warm up properly. As the name suggests, this warmup will be particularly effective for women. Always remember that if you feel any pain or discomfort, just stop immediately 'cause you don't want to damage your vocal cords. So we're going to make the sound with the teeth touching the lower lip. Okay? Since this warmup is for women, I suggest that we match that sound with the major. So, and what we're gonna do is sing the three notes, composing the chord A major. And we're going to make a chromatic ascent. Here we go. So going back, moving on to the second exercise. We're going to do the same thing, but this time with the sound. And there's a common mistake, which is not really a mistake, but it's about doing it with c***ched teeth compared to the effectiveness of doing the same exercise but with a relaxed jaw. Please notice the difference between c***ched teeth and a relaxed jaw. Notice the difference. Doing this very sound with the relaxed jaw will generate a deeper vibration. And therefore, the overall warm up is going to be more effective. Again, let's begin with the major chord and make a chromatic ascent up until D five with the sound, with a relaxed char. I'll show you an example first until D five. Okay, let's start. Al*** back. Okay, Now let's move on to the third exercise. So you're going to do the sound with almost closed slips and sing the first five notes of each scale. Let's start with the A major scale, and I will first show you an example, et cetera. Okay, let's start with the major chord, 0, going back. Great job. Now let's move on to the fourth exercise and we'll be doing a very wide, exactly like after a yarn. And the exercise you'll be doing is singing the three notes, composing the chord. So we'll start with the major chord, and I'll first show you the method, et cetera. Okay, let's begin with the Aj chord, going back. Oh. Oh. All right, we're almost done. The fifth and final exercise will focus on working on your chest voice, mixed voice and head voice all together. This final exercise will consist in jumping from one octave to the other, and then descending through all the notes of the scale, making the sound. Let's start with the scale, and I will first show you an example, and so on. Let's restart from the A Major scale. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, in bed. If you regularly practice the sequence of exercises for just a few minutes, you should notice an improvement in the quality of your vocal performances. You'll be able to reach notes more easily and feel more relaxed and confident in your skills. In the next video, I will provide the same warmup for female voices, but this time without me singing and with the camera facing the piano. So that you can simply follow along and replicate the exercises on your own piano. Also, don't forget to download the PDF file where all those exercises are going to be listed. Good luck. Take care, and I'll see you in the next one. 45. Piano View - Vocal warm-up (Female): Ah. 46. Express vocal warm-up: Hi everyone and welcome to this lesson where I will show you my own technique of express vocal, warm up. It's a quick and effective way to prepare your voice before performing. Let's get started. So we'll be using only our voice. No piano is required for this exercise. So start by producing the lowest pitch that you can produce. And gradually increase the pitch, just like a fireman's siren. Personally, I will repeat this exercise about five times. Keep in mind that this is an express warm up, so you want to keep it short because those exercises will have an intense effect on your vocal chords. The second technique I use is a more playful variation of the blue sound you did in the previous lesson. So this exercise will consist in singing a song of your choice, but instead of singing the lyrics, you'll sing it using the blue sound. It can be the song that you're about to perform, or any song that you enjoy personally. I often choose Conte by Andrea Bocelli. The reason why, because there are many pitch variations in that particular song. And that actually makes the blue exercises even more effective. And it's perfectly relevant since we're doing an express vocal warm up. So I'm going to show you how it sounds. If it scratches your nose, it means that you're doing the exercise well. Okay, so you probably noticed that this song had indeed a diverse range of notes, which provides a great vocal workout. The blue sound itself is already an intense exercise for your vocal chords. This warm up technique not only warms up your voice, but also works on your breathing. Because you will take breath in the same places as you would if you were singing the song with the real lyrics. So that's very interesting. Okay, the last warm up exercise I do involves mouth and jaw stretches. Although it may look a bit silly, it's important to relax these areas. You can stretch your jaw by opening it wide, doing these kinds of stretches. Okay, to conclude this war up, you can give your larynx a gentle massage. Many artists claim the benefits of larynx massages as it improves vocal performance. So just tilt your head back to expose your throat. And use two fingers in order to make gentle, circular movements on your larynx. Okay, Remember not to apply too much pressure. If you feel any pain, stop immediately. Because the larynx is a delicate area and a gentle massage is way enough. You can do this massage for as long as you want, but I recommend doing it for one or 2 minutes every day even when you're not singing this express vocal warm up can be used before going on stage or before giving a speech because it's also going to be beneficial for speaking as well. If you don't have much time to warm up fully. This exercise will help you relax and produce a better sound compared to not warming up at all. I will see you in the next module where I will teach you how to improve the accuracy of your voice through exercises, Exercises that will focus on 0 training and interpretation. Good luck, take care and I'll see you in the next one. 47. Definition of vocal pitch: Hey there. I hope you're all doing grad. Welcome to the eighth module of our Online Piano of a Singer Scores, where we'll dive deep into the concept of vocal accuracy. We'll explore what it means and how you can refine it to make your singing performances even more remarkable and top notch. Let's start by defining vocal accuracy, which is a fundamental and straightforward concept. Every node, regardless of its pitch, has a specific frequency. For instance, if we take the C four on the piano, it has its unique pitch and frequency, and it perfectly harmonizes with the C five, even though it is an octave higher. However, if we play the C along with the C sharp, or D with D sharp, E, and F, G sharp, well, you'll notice that something doesn't quite sound right. The notes seem to clash, creating a dissonant effect. Accuracy in this context refers to the art of playing the notes at the correct pitch. Meaning the art of singing the notes at the correct pitch. While jazz piano may sometimes bend this rule in its exploration of different sounds. Vocal accuracy, on the other hand, remains crucial and arbitrary. As a singer, your voice needs to be precisely in tune regardless of complex piano chords accompanying you. Therefore, it is vital to maintain the same notes in your voice, ensuring that your singing sounds as accurate as possible. To illustrate this point, let me give you a quick example with the beginning of the song, Twinkle, twinkle, Little Star. Starting from the note, it will sound like this. Twinkle, twinkle, Little Star. How I wonder what you are. So that was a correct interpretation of the song, and my voice was tuned to the notes I played on the piano. Now, if I sing this song again, but this time out of tune, it would sound something like this, Twinkle, twinkle, Little Star. How I wonder what you are. As you can tell, it was completely out of tune, and none of the notes I sang seem to match the notes I played on the piano. So how do we achieve? There are a few elements to consider. Firstly, listen attentively to the notes being played. You can even close your eyes and immerse yourself in the sound, capturing every nuance and pitch variation. The note on the piano and the C note that you're going to sing with your voice should be identical. That's when we can truly talk about accuracy when everything is finely tuned. It's worth mentioning that tuning is essential not only for singers, but also for instruments. It's exactly the same theory, meaning that even if one instrument is out of tune, the whole ensemble can sound off. If you struggle to replicate a piano node with your voice and feel like you're singing inaccurately, remember that it's a matter of ear training and practice. Listen, replicate, and ask yourself if it sounds right because you want to be matching the same frequency. And sometimes a slight adjustment is all it takes to transform a wrong node into a correct one. Now for those who still find it chal***ging to strike the right balance, I have an exercise that might help start by singing a random note and try to maintain it steadily, adjusting your air flow and striving to keep the pitch consistent. Then try to find the corresponding piano note that matches the tonal pitch of your voice. Let me demonstrate this real quick. So I'll sing a random note, 0. I was singing an A note. This was a D sharp node. Once you've found the correct piano note that aligns with your vocal pitch, you can gradually work on your accuracy. There's no secret to it. Practice is the key to precise accuracy. The more you'll play and train and the more you'll develop your musical ear. Because this will greatly assist you in singing accurately and with time, you'll also be able to instantly recognize between right and wrong notes. Don't be afraid to take your time. Play at a slower pace and engage in exercises that focus on the tonal precision of your voice. Remember that accuracy is not just a technical matter, it's also about sensitivity. Listen, feel, let the music flow through you. And with consistent practice, you'll be able to convey any emotion you desire through a more accurate and enjoyable interpretation. I will see you in the next lesson where we'll dive deeper into exercises that specifically target the accuracy of your voice and how you can enhance your mastery of it. Good luck, take care, and I'll see you in the next one. 48. Vocal accuracy exercices: Hey everyone, Welcome to the second lesson where we're going to put into practice what you've learned in the previous chapter about vocal accuracy. There are several techniques that can help improve your vocal accuracy, such as working with scales, sound pre visualization, and using psychological tips to enhance your auditory precision. Let's dive right into the first technique which involves singing scales. This technique relies on the assistance of a reference instrument. In this case, the piano. The piano will provide a point of reference for you to align the pitch of your voice with. For example, if we play the C major scale S as well, it must sound identical. You can practice this exercise by playing the scale of all the keys on your piano in the range that suits you. It might look like a vocal warm up, but the focus here is on accuracy rather than warming up. So you want to concentrate on the tonal pitch of your voice and strive to sing as accurately as possible. Oh, major, major. Don't hesitate to practice slowly to emphasize accuracy. Take your time. There's no rush. I'll let you practice this exercise with all the major scales of your piano. And of course, you can also try it with minor scales, just like this minor. The more you practice synchronizing your voice with the piano and the more you'll improve your vocal accuracy. Remember, developing good accuracy takes time and consistent practice. Here's another reason why this exercise is so useful and versatile. Once you feel more comfortable with the piano voice synchronization, you can even try creating a random melody using the notes of the scale and accompany yourself while singing the. You're also going to be able to achieve that with, first of all, the knowledge of your scales, but also by practicing these kinds of piano voice synchronization exercises so that you'll be able to sing any notes you play on the piano. You can even think of it as doing squats or swimming, meaning versatile sports that work various muscles. Similarly, singing scales with your piano or improvising a melody while focusing on accuracy works on multiple aspects simultaneously. It's like a muscle memory exercise for your voice. This will help improve your voice, your vocal accuracy, your musical ear, and also gain a better understanding of the piano and it scales. This is an exercise that I highly recommend, especially if you want to accompany yourself while singing. Now let's move on to the second vocal accuracy exercise I have for you. This time, we'll continue working with scales, but instead of singing the scale simultaneously with the piano, you will sing the next note before playing it. This exercise will enhance your musical ear and inevitably improve your vocal accuracy. It's a great way to progress and refine your skills. Let's take the C major scale and you'll sing the first note and then the second note before playing it, in order to check if you sang it correctly. So you can also apply this exercise to minor scales. I highly recommend doing each of these exercises in all keys within your range, for it will benefit any singer looking to accompany themselves. Additionally, this exercise will enhance your auditory memory and help you develop the ability to recall the specific frequency of a node accurately from my own experience. The more you practice this exercise, the easier it becomes to compose melodies of varying complexity and translate your creative potential into music. I will let you work on these exercises independently, and I'll see you in the next lesson to explore a whole new concept, vocal harmony. Keep up the great work. Take care, and I'll see you in the next one. 49. What is a vocal harmony: Hello everyone, and welcome to this lesson where we're going to dive into the concept of a harmony. So what exactly is a vocal harmony? Vocal harmony occurs when multiple voices sing different notes at the same time, creating a rich b***d of sounds. It's like puzzle pieces fitting together perfectly, resulting in a captivating musical texture. You can start creating a vocal harmony with just two voices. And if you're singing with a group or a choir, you can explore even more complex and creative harmonies. Vocal harmonies will add depth and richness to your performance. Even though each voice sings a different note, they will intertwine and connect, creating a mesmerizing musical experience. Now let's explore how to find, add, and sing vocal harmonies. Using the piano as our reference instrument is going to be very advantages here, because it will allow you to play melodic notes simultaneously, helping you understand how the voices overlap and interact. There are various types of harmonies we'll explore. First, we have the unison harmony, where multiple voices will sing the same melodic line with the same notes. Unison harmony adds a sense of unity and power. If you ever experienced singing the national anthem in a stadium, for example, you know the incredible feeling of musical unity and its emotional impact. Everybody singing the same notes together definitely gives a powerful interpretation. Next we have the harmonic accompaniment, which involves a group of people supporting one lead vocal. In this case, the lead singer will sing the main melody, and the other voices will provide a harmonic support by singing the notes of a chord. For example, three people could harmonize by each singing a different note of a chord. Let's say C major one guy is going to sing, the other one is going to sing A and the third one is going to sing. See what I mean? It's going to be the same for any chord. For example, the F major one singer is going to sing. Second singer is going to sing. Third singer is going to sing, and they all sing F major chord supporting the lead singer. And if it was a minor chord, the process would have been exactly the same. Let's say D minor one singer is going to sing second singer, third singer, and they all sing the tone chord. In the case a fourth person joins with the different vocal range, you could add another node to the standard chord, perhaps a seventh note. Or sing an octave below or above, creating then a different harmonic color. For the major seventh, you'll need four singers sing the C, the note, the note, and the node. The third type of harmony is called canon harmony, where a voice starts a melody and another voice enters singing the same melody, but with the time shift, this actually creates overlapping voices and a harmonious effect. A famous example where you'll find a lot of cannon harmonies is the song Bohemian Rapture by Queen. Lastly, we have the harmony in multiple voices, which creates a choral effect. In this case, each voice sings a distinct part, contributing to the overall harmony. A great example of this specific harmony can be found in the song Hallelujah, No matter which version. And that's the song that I'm going to use in order to explain to you the technical concept that will help you create harmonies easily take care, and I'll see you in the next one. 50. How to find and sing vocal harmonies: Hi everyone. In this lesson, we're going to learn how to find and sing vocal harmonies. To illustrate this, just like I mentioned in the previous lesson, I will use the song Hallelujah. First, we need to find the notes of the main melody, of the voice in the key of C major. The main melody would sound like this, So I'll write down for you these nodes for a better visualization. Now we're going to explore harmonies using the method of thirds. To find the thirds, you need to count three nodes following the scale, including your main note, for example, the third of the node is going to be 123, is going to be the node, okay? Now, the node you want to count 123 and you reach the node the third of is B. And so on the note you want to count 123, the third of A is going to be okay. So let's fill in the table with the course that we already found. And let's now focus on the note. It's going to be the same process, count 123 within the scale, and you'll find the third of F is the note, okay? Now the note just count 123. The third of D is okay, and eventually the third of 123 is going to be the node. Okay, so now we have a third of all the nodes composing the melody of the chorus. So that's the starting point to show you, well, the difference with and without the harmony. I'll first play the main melody solo once, and now I will add the harmony. So please notice the difference and how the harmony will complement the main melody. See this, This is exactly what you want to do with your voice when singing harmonies. So you will have to sing exclusively the new notes we generated. Meaning you want to stay concentrated on your melodic line. If I have to represent what your voice should do, here's how we will sound. For the main melody, I will sing the main melody and I will play the harmony with the piano. And now I will be singing harmonies while playing the main melody on the piano. Hello, hello. You can also create harmonies by moving the main node to the lower third. By doing so, you open up more possibilities. Let's take the nodes of our chorus once again, and we'll find the lower third for each node of the main melody here. It's going to be the same process then for upper thirds. The only difference being that instead of counting forward, you will count 123 backwards. The lower third of Is 123 is the node, the lower third of G is 123, the node, the lower third of the node 12. Three is the F. Okay. Just like before, let's fill in the table with the notes that we already discovered. And let's find the lower third of the F123 is the D, okay? And the lower third of D123 is the note. Finally, the lower third of C is 123, the node. I will replay the main melody of the chorus with solo nodes, and now I'll play it with lower thirds harmonies. So here you got to hear this last note. A node doesn't really fit with the overall feeling of the melody, which is clearly a major melodic construction. The note and the note combined actually generates a darker end, a minor feeling, which would have been great if we were ending this part with the A minor, for instance. Okay? But since this song is in the key of major, then it would be a better match to end with a major feeling. Meaning the A node, for example. Let's redo this better, right? The ending now seems more in phase with the major mood of the song. To help you understand this concept even better, I will sing the main melody with my voice and play the lower third harmony with the piano. Hello, hello, hello. And now I will sing the lower third harmony while playing the main melody with the piano, Lulu. The choice between the upper and lower third harmony depends on the overall feeling of the song. Use your musical intuition to decide which harmony fits best. Let's move on to another type of harmony called the fifth harmony. So in order to find the fifths, you must count five notes without including the first note. Apply this method to each note of the main melody, and you will find the fifths for each note. For example, for the first note, which is you want to skip the first note and count 12345 and you'll find the fifth of E, which is the Feel absolutely free to pause the video and try locating those fifth harmonies on your own. It's your turn to play. Okay, let's do the exercise together. The fifth note of is you want to skip the first note and count 12345, the fifth of is the note, then the fifth note of A. Skip the first note and count 12345, the fifth note of A is. Let's fill in what we already discovered. Now what's the fifth note of the note? Skip the first note and count 12345. The fifth note of is D. Last but not least, the fifth note of the D note is 12345 is the note, Okay? The fifth note of D is finally the fifth note of the C12. 345 is the note. The fifth note of C is A. There you have all the fifths associated to the notes, composing the main melody directly with the harmonies. It should sound like this. Again, same story here. The node is always going to sound minor within the C major scale, since it is the sixth note. Here we go again. We'll change this final A note to a node. I will sing the main melody with my voice and play the fifth harmonies with the piano hao, hao, hao. And now I will sing the harmony while playing the main melody with the piano lollo. And here I noticed that the pitch is a bit too high for me. So what I could do here is actually sing those same notes, but an octave below. And that would sound like this. Hello, and what do you notice? Well, if you lower the fifths by an octave, you'll encounter exactly the same notes you found. For the lower thirds, understanding vocal harmonies might take practice, but it becomes easier over time. Unity in harmonies is crucial, so stay focused on your own melody line. As you develop this ability, you'll be able to create harmonies in various situations. Lastly, remember that the choice of harmonies depends on the key and overall feeling of the song. And that's the reason why we replaced the node by a node earlier. Keep practicing harmonies using these techniques, and you'll be able to create beautiful vocal harmonies for any song. In the next lesson, we will practice vocal harmonies in a very straightforward way. Meaning I will take you inside a recording software and I'll show you how to sing every harmony taught in the previous lessons of this module. For you to perfectly understand the concepts of harmonies, good luck, take care, and I'll see you in the next one. 51. How to build up a choir: Hello everyone and welcome to this lesson where we're going to put into practice the harmonies that you've learned in the previous chapters. I will show you how to create a choral arrangement using Logic Pro or any other recording software. On the left, you will see different tracks named Main Melody, low unison harmony, high unison harmony, lower third harmony, higher third harmony, and fifth harmony. These tracks represent the different vocal parts that I will be recording. So let's start by recording the main melody. Let's go hell. Okay, now let's directly record the low unison harmony, which is going to be exactly the same melody, but octave lower. And when I say the same melody, I mean literally the same notes but octave lower. Let's do this. Okay? Now let's record the high unison harmony, which again, is going to be exactly the same melody, the same notes, but an octave higher compared to the main melody. Let's record Hall Hall. Now let's listen to the three voices together, Ha, ha, ha, ha. Okay, let's move on to the lower third harmony. And this time I will sing the third note below each main melody note. So let me put these tracks on mute, so that you hear the distinctive melodic line of the lower third harmony All. Okay, now let's listen to the four voices together. Hall. Hall. Okay. Next we will record the third harmony. I will put those tracks on mute so that you hear once again the distinct melodic line of the upper third harmony. Let's record Hall. Okay. Now let's listen to the five voices together. Hall. Hall. Okay, lastly, let's record the fifth harmony. For this, we'll sing the fifth note above each main melody note. So I will put these tracks on mute again, so that you hear the distinctive melodic line of the fifth harmony. Hall. Hall Hall. Okay, now let's listen to the six voices. Hall. Okay, great. But you know what, we can still add more voices. So let's create three more tracks. Okay, Three more tracks. And we're going to name them Cannon. Let's do cannon harmony. Canon harmony One. Cannon harmony to cannon harmony three. I will be using the main melody for the first cannon harmony, and then I will do harmonies for the second and third cannon harmonies. Okay, let's record the second cannon harmony, Lulu. Okay, and now the third cannon harmony, which is going to be a higher harmony. Okay, now let's listen to all the voices lull. Okay, well, that's already pretty cool, but we're still not over, and we can easily fit another round of voices. So now let's add three new tracks for additional harmonies, and we'll call them 12, and as you guessed three. And I think that we're going to do some like around here. Let's do this. So I'll do something like, oh, for the first voice, let's do this. Okay, So the second harmony would be, let's do this, okay? And let's do the third 0, which is going to be higher. And we're going to do a. Yeah, we'll do. Okay. Let's do this. Okay? Now, let's listen to all the voices. Halloo, okay? And lastly, I will again, add a new track, and this time I'm going to call it free vocal, and I will try to improvise something, just a random thing that comes to my mind. Ululu halo. Why not ululu? Well, I think we're done. And remember this is just one example. And you can always experiment and create more elaborate harmonies. The possibilities are literally and less once you master vocal harmonies. Congratulations for completing the eighth module on vocal accuracy and harmony. In the next module, we'll cover interesting topics such as adapting a song to your key and adding personal and original elements to your performance. I look forward to seeing you in the next module. Well done on your progress so far and keep up the great work. Take care and I'll see you in the next one. 52. How to find any song's tonality: Hi and welcome to this first lesson of module nine, where you learn how to adapt the music to a voice, whether it's yours or someone else's. One of the first notions we're going to talk about is the principle of tonality. In other words, how to find the tonality or the key of a music. First, we'll have to define the notion of degree. So in order to find the specific key of a song, you absolutely need to know your scales. Or at least know how to sing them, even mentally. For example, if I play the node C, Well, just with that node, you should be able to sing the major scale of the node. This, of course, should apply to any key of your piano, even if I take enough sharp node. If we take up our C major scale, which are also put on your screen, well, you'll notice that each node is represented by degrees. C is the first degree, second degree is third degree, four degrees, 50 degrees, six degrees, and seven degree. You may also have heard the term tonic, or even the term dominant. So I'm showing you on the screen the denominators of these notes, so knowing them is a good thing, but at the end of the day, it's nothing more than just terms for what we're interested in is to work on the ear in order to quickly find the tonality of a song. So what I'm going to do is deconstruct the process of composing music so that you understand the principle of tonality. So what is the first thing to do in order to compose a song? Well, you'll need to choose a key. In other words, choose a scale on which you're going to build your chords and your melodies. To keep it simple, we're going to start the example assuming that the chosen key is C major, which we will therefore call the tonic, and which therefore refers to the word tonality. And this choice of a key of C major necessarily implies certain things, including the fact that all the chords that we're going to create will be built with the help of this C major scale. So finding the key of a song is finding the scale. All the chords have been built with, or in other words, you have to find the tonic. So the first degree of each song that you would like to find the tonality of. We're going to take the example of the song, Let it Be by the Beatles. So I'm going to sing you an excerpt. And during this time, I would like you to do the exercise of listening carefully to the chords and the melody in order to identify the tonic node. So the node to which all the other nodes tend. You have the choice between these four chords that are displayed on your screen. So one of these four chords is the right key. When I find myself in times of trouble, mother may comes to me speaking words of wisdom. Let it be in my **, darkness she is studing right in front of me. There will be an answer at. So what is the tonality of this song? In other words, what did you feel? Because it's really a matter of ears. So it's about listening to the melody in order to identify the note from which everything is built. So the answer here was the C major. And to explain the reason, I'm going to start by showing you why the other chords could not be the right tonality of this song. To make it easier, I'm going to display on your screen the composition of these different chords. So remember that all the notes that you currently see must be from the same scale, so that we can talk about tonality, let's begin by understanding why the F major chord could not be the tonality of this song. First, let's build up the F major scale, which allows to display on your screen. Okay, now we're going to proceed degree by degree, and systematically comparing these nodes to the composition of our Ds. The first degree of the scale is indeed, we see that we have the node in our cords. The second degree of the major scale is again, we see that we do have two. We're good. Let's move on to the third degree of the scale, 123. The node again, we see that we do have an node moving on to the fourth degree, the sharp. Here, we're looking for it. But you can see that none of our cores have an sharp node very radically. It means that the major cannot be the tonality of our song. Keep in mind that from the very moment you find in the scale, even one node that doesn't belong to the composition of the courses that you have, then this red cannot be the tonality of the song. Now let me explain to you why the major is not the tonality either. We're going to do the same analysis if we consider that our tonality is major. It also means that the node is the first degree of the scale and that all the cores have been built with the major scale. Let's play the major scale. First degree of the scale. The node, we notice that we do have a G in two places. We're good. Second degree A, yeah, we do have a two times, we're good too. Third degree, we see that. Yes, we do have a B node here. Let's continue. Fourth degree, indeed we have three S, so we're good. Let's move on. Fifth degree, D, and we see that we do have a D node. We're good, six degree and we can see that we also have the node. And I admit that anyone would be tempted to say that the tonality of this song is major because all the nodes of the scale so far, corresponded to the nodes composing our four chords. But we have to go up to the seventh degree, 1234567, and we reach the F sharp node. At the very last note, we realize that none of our chords have an F sharp node. So unfortunately, the major cannot be the tonality of this song. You see that? It's a really arbitrary rule, but that's how you have to proceed. Finally, why is the A minor not the tonality of this song either? I'm going to go over that pretty quickly, I hope by the way, that a lot of you have already understood, because you're supposed to have already learned it in this course. But what is the A minor scale compared to the C major scale? It's the relative scale, so that, you know, the A minor scale as well as the C major scale have exactly the same notes. Why couldn't we say that the tonality of the song is a minor then? Well, it's just a matter of listening and feeling. And it's especially after this particular melody that you have the feeling of a major sound. Yeah, that's a positive ending right here, that's the mood of the song. We would have more tendency to say that the tonality of the song is C major. We really have this feeling of being home in big and that the major particularly resolves everything. Well, you also notice that if we replace the C major with the A minor, well the feeling at the end is completely different. See that it's really not the mood of the song. That's not the mood. That's the mood. So if you hesitate between a major or minor tonality, well first ask yourself the question of the relativity of scales, but also of the feeling of the music. Is it rather sad? Is it rather joyful? And it's not about the lyrics that you have to judge that it's really about the harmonic feeling that you have of the song. In conclusion, the right tonality of let it be from the Beatles is the C major. For those who had answered correctly, I congratulate you. It means that your ear and your knowledge have developed enough so that you can intuitively hear the tonic note of a song. And I can assure you that's a big step for a musician. So that was the correct way of finding the tonality of a song from a technical point of view. But there's a way to do it by the ear so much quicker than analyzing all the scales one by one. But you must be capable of either sing your scales or do them in your head in order to be able to quickly check if a note is present or not within the chords of a song. And that's what we're going to see in the next lesson, which is a training of your musical ear so that you can find the tonality of a song quickly. I will accompany you in this exercise and show you exactly how to do it in order to develop your musical ear. Take care and I'll see you in the next one. 53. Let's train your auditory memory: Hi and welcome to this lesson where we'll work on developing your musical ear in order to find the key of a song quickly. It is important to note that regular practice is key to seeing improvements in this area. So we'll start by using the C major chord as a reference. And gradually move up the chromatic scale in order to stimulate your auditory memory. I will provide an example by playing the C major chord and singing the scale without the piano. You can also start by playing the chord, then playing the scale and then sing 0. We'll do this exercise with all the major chords of your piano. Here we go, C sharp, major, major. Don't hesitate to descend the courts and do the same exercise. Back down to the C major, 0 ah. And feel free to do the same exercise with the minor chords on your piano. This will further enhance your auditor memory. So it would go like this and descend 0 0 to provide you with more opportunities to practice and work on your auditory memory. I've created two additional videos without commentary and without singing. So one video will focus on the major chords and the other one on minor chords. You can watch these videos and practice on your own. And in the next lessons, we will learn how to adapt a song to your voice or someone else's. Congratulations on your remarkable progress so far and keep up the great work. Take care and I'll see you in the next one. 54. Piano View - 1st auditory memory exercice (Male): Oh, mm. 55. Piano View - 2nd auditory memory exercice (Male): Mmm. 57. Piano View - 2nd auditory memory exercice (Female): Oh. 58. How to adapt any song to a specific voice type: Hello and welcome to this lesson where you'll learn how to adapt any song to your voice tonality. By now, you probably identify the ideal tonality for your voice, as we discussed in previous chapters. In addition, in module five, chapter two, we cover the concept of transposition. In this lesson, we'll build on those concepts to adapt a song to any specific voice tonality. To provide the best relevant example, I will choose a song interpreted by a woman. The song My heart will go on by Celine Dion and adapt it to my voice tonality. Before I reveal the tonality of the song, I suggest that you listen to it and try to identify the tonic note on your own. It's your turn. Okay, So the tonality of this song is major. And as you know now, the chords are therefore derived from the major scale. You can verify this yourself as a mini training exercise, which I highly recommend to do. To effectively adapt a song to your tonality. It is important to identify the highest node of the song. In the case of this song, it's obviously in the chorus part, and that's also the case for the majority of songs. Let's test our voice with the original chords in the key of E major, but I believe that the heart does go once more. You open the door and you're hearing my heart. My heart. Awa. Based on my voice, I feel that the song is a bit too low for me. And singing it higher would allow me to brighten my voice and improve my interpretation. So I will use the principle of transposition in order to gradually increase the key until I find the perfect tonality for my voice. In other words, the vocal range I feel most comfortable singing. So you need to choose according to your specific voice. But as far as I'm concerned, I feel like increasing the key one semitone higher is not going to be enough. So I will directly increase the key by one whole tone, meaning two semitones, meaning two keys. Remember that when transposing a song, you need to transpose each chord individually. Don't forget that major and minor chords retain their nature during transposition, meaning that if you transpose one whole tone on the first chord being C sharp minor, it's going to be 051 and we reach the D sharp. Since we're talking about a minor chord, well, the transposed chord is also going to be A minor, D sharp minor. Let's do the same for the other chords. The B major from the node 051, the major becomes a C sharp major. The A major, 05 on E, the major becomes A major. Finally, the major 051 and we reach the sharp node. The major is going to transform into an F sharp major chord, meaning that we are not in the key of major anymore. We switched to the key of sharp major, which gives us these new chords that we are going to test out. Again, with the voice fare, I believe that the heart does go on small. You open the door and you hear my heart, my heart away. Go on. The F sharp major chord progression was okay for my voice, but I feel like I could push my voice a little bit more and sing a little higher. I will try to add a plus 0.5, reaching. Then the major chord progression, far where you are, I believe that the heart does go on. Once more. You open the door and you hear my heart til as you probably heard, I feel much better in the key of G major because it allows me to fully express myself and exploit the characteristics of my voice. This is how you can adapt a song to your voice tonality, or to anyone's voice tonality. This exercise is highly beneficial and will help you to develop multiple skills simultaneously. With practice, you will become more familiar with transposition. And eventually, you will be able to listen to a singer and determine the key and accompanying chords based on the degrees of the scale. Let's imagine that one day a singer comes up to you and you notice that when he sings, he has a really low voice. Perhaps he's an opera singer. And let's assume that this singer also wants to sing that very song of Lindon, so he starts singing. And your task as the pianist is to determine the tonic note and therefore the key and chord to play along. So he would go like, um, every night in my dreams, that is how I know you go every night in my dreams. Sea. That was the major chord progression. Let's do another example and imagine that the next day a different singer comes up to you and he or she also wants to sing this very song. But of course, in a different tonality. And that singer goes like print my dreams, a Fe major call progression. My dreams see that's way too high for me, but you get the point. Alright, so when singer is singing, okay, you need to find the note on the piano so that you can identify the tonic note. So as you noticed, listening to the singer and therefore identifying the tonic note will allow you to determine the corresponding chords of the progression. Because naturally, if you are on the ninth module, I guess that you perfectly master your scales and by extension, each chord progressions from any key. Anyway, with practice, you will become proficient at accompanying any singer, and I look forward to this day. Finally, I want to emphasize the importance of not relying on digital transposition on your keyboard or piano. Although it may sound easier to digitally transpose, it can strongly limit you when playing on a real acoustic piano. The best way to practice and improve is building and playing the actual chords from the beginning of your learning process. Congratulations on your progress so far. In the next lesson, we will explore song harmonization, including chord alterations and techniques to add complexity and originality to your interpretations. I wish you good luck. Take care, and I'll see you in the next one. 59. Song harmonization 1/3 : chord alteration techniques: Hi everyone, and welcome to this lesson, where we'll explore various harmonization methods to make your interpretations more unique and authentic. We'll take the song imagined by John ***non as a reference song, as I'm sure everybody knows it. And what we're going to do is transform it into a more personal interpretation with a different feeling. Let's start by singing the first verse exactly as in the original song. Imagine there's no heaven. Sees it? If you try, no hell bill above, only sky. Now to harmonize this song, we will need to address several elements including the chords bass and rhythm. Let's begin by the chords. In order to stay within the mood of the song, let's experiment with suspended chords. I will play the major chord twice in its standard form, then switch to two, finally two inverted. Okay? So F major, S, two FS two. Let's see how it goes. Imagine there's no, it's easy if you try no hell above sky, the feeling is different from the original song, which is exactly what we're aiming for. Another technique to explore is transforming those major and minor chords into seventh chords. You've already learned how to build up seventh chords in this training. But another way of playing them is to simply lower your first finger by a whole step to the left from the standard and initial. Because if you play a major playing this, you know that the first node is representing the first degree of the scale. And you also know that the node is the seventh degree of that C major scale. Play the C major seven, like this, it works. Here's the new progression with the initial transformed into seventh chords and will be keeping the same base notes. Imagine there, no, it's easy if you try Bill above the sky, of course. Feel free to use inversions to minimize the movements in your right hand. And yes, you could perfectly continue this song using this method of transforming the chords into seventh chords. Imagine all the people who, and notice that after the seven, I returned to the initial G major. So keep in mind that nothing keeps you from alternating between the altered and original chords. As you've seen, simply altering the right hand already helps to generate a different feeling. This harmonization technique will work well for any song you'd want to personalize so that you can make your interpretations even more authentic and original. In the next lesson, we will focus on base line alteration methods, and explore even more techniques to enhance your playing. Take care. And I'll see you in the next one. 60. Song harmonization 2/3 : bass alteration techniques: Hi and welcome back to this video which builds upon the previous one on musical harmonization. In this lesson, we will focus on the base line. And explore methods and techniques that will drastically change the feeling of a chord and your overall performance. Let's continue with the song Imagined by John ***non and take a look at the chord progression for the verse. So we have the mage chord with the base of, we have the major chord with the base node of. Now let's explore what happens when we alter these base nodes. The first method of base alteration I suggest we do, is to play these chords with the base node that is two degrees below the original base node, while staying within the scale. For example, for the major chord normally played with the base, well, we'll go down two degrees within the scale. One, we reach the node, instead of playing the major with a base, let's play the major with an A base. It's absolutely not the same feeling between this and this. Whereas it's exactly the same chord I play with the right hand. Similarly for the major chord, we won't play the initial, but the node located two degrees below within the scale of major, which is going to be 12, we reach the D node. Let's play the major with a D note. Now let's hear how it sounds when combined with the singing. I will play the note here. Imagine there's no heaven, it says if you try no a bill above a sky. And of course, this base alteration method will perfectly work with the rest of the song. Imagine all the people live today. You, as you could hear, changing the bass nodes completely transformed the feeling of the overall music. Remember that the goal is to embellish your interpretations, so feel free to experiment with different bass nodes now for what I'm about to teach you next will need to do a quick recap. You are now aware that altering bass nodes dramatically change the overall color and fielding of a chord. So for the next method, you're going to want to know the tonic of whatever song you're trying to harmonize for our song. Imagine since the key of the song is C major, it automatically means that our tonic node, meaning the first degree of the scale, corresponds to the major chord. Since it is the chord of the tonic, it is therefore supposed to work with any base node within the C major scale. That means you could play the major chord with the base base base. The magic of music and frequencies also allow you to use some major altered chords such as 2.4 That also means that you could play the S two with the base or the D A. Same goes for the S four base. As you noticed, we were able to keep playing the major and its variations. 2.4 While playing different bass notes every time. And that was possible thanks to the C major being the tonic chord. Otherwise, with another chord, for example, it wouldn't have worked. So what you need to understand here is that you can freely alternate between standard C major 2.4 and play with different bass notes to add variety and colors to your interpretation. To teach you this concept the best way possible. With my right hand, I will only play the major chord, 2.4 while my left hand will play different bass notes. Imagine there's no heaven. It sees if you try no hell, Bill Sky. Imagine all the people live and for today, how amazing is that? You understand now that playing different bass notes can generate various harmonization possibilities with a single chord and two alterations. Creating chords of different colors that may not be immediately obvious, and that's what you want to aim for if you want to re, harmonize the song and produce the most unique performance since the beginning of this module. I'm showing you that you can always take harmonization further, so let's take it further. Why wouldn't we play bass notes that don't belong in the C major scale? I'm warning you, we're about to enter a new world here. To explain this concept, I will shift everything up an octave and see how it affects the overall feeling. Here's the corresponding table. So first we will play the major with an base. Then four with a sharp base, which is not in the C major scale. Right after that, let's play a major with a base. Then a CS two with an A sharp base, which is not in the C major scale either. See where we're going here? We're literally traveling within frequencies. Imagine there's no heaven. It's easy if you travel below, above us sky, it is so different. It definitely brings a brand new mood to this very famous song. And again, please remember that if it works, it's because the C major corresponds to the tonic chord. Otherwise it wouldn't work. Okay? And of course, I could continue the song under this very principle of alternating between base notes within and outside of the C major scale, because it's literally the base note that generates these harmonic variations. And note that with my right hand, I'm only playing the C major, CS two and CS four. Let's continue this song using the same method. Imagine all the people living for two days. You, you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you will join us and the world will be as we, and the world will be one who I hope that you realize now that the possibilities are literally infinite and they greatly influence the feeling you convey. Even the main vocal melody had to be modified in order to align with these new chords. And I believe that you'll agree with me that a lot of things have changed if you compare it with the original song that went like this and now we hear another world. So if you want to become an expert in harmonization and offer new and creative interpretations for yourself or the artists that you work with, I strongly encourage you to explore even more combinations for all the songs you want to play and personalize. You have learned to harmonize the song using different bass notes, and that's great. In the next lesson, we will continue exploring harmonization techniques and I will teach you another way to enhance your performances. Good luck with this chapter practice. Well, take your time and I'll see you in the next one. 61. Song harmonization 3/3 : rhythm alteration techniques: Hi everyone, and welcome to this third lesson on a harmonization. In this lesson, we'll delve into the many rhythmic alterations that you can use, which will allow you to develop the ability to create the most relevant and personal version of a song. Let's focus on the piano rhythm. I'm talking about this 11 of the first techniques that we can explore is using Ar pedos. We'll start with an ascending Arp. Go starting from the first note of the chord. Here's how it sounds when applied to the first chord, okay? So, C, E, G, C, E, G. Okay? And you're going to want to play the F major chord the same way, so it would be something like this. Let's try singing. Imagine there's no heaven. It's if you, You can also try doubling the right hand in order to add more depth to the pedo, like this sky. Alternatively, you can try a descending pedo starting from the last node of the chord like this for the F major. Okay, so imagine there's no heaven. It's easy if you try and double in it. Now, no hell Bill, I will replay this verse firstly with the ascending argo, then I'll switch to the descending pidio without stopping, so that you can feel the difference between the two methods starting from the ascending pidio. Imagine there's no heaven. It sees if you now the descending one. Bill. I personally, I definitely like the descending or pedo more. But of course feel free to choose the one that resonates with you. You are the only one who has the right to choose. You can further alter these Orpgios by changing the order of the nodes. For example, you could create a brand new pattern like this, like C C to make it easier to understand, just number your first three fingers as 12.3 and play 31213121, the 1213121, and you'll play the same way for the F major chord, 31213121. And combined with the lyrics, here's how it's going to sound emerge. There's no even, it's easy if you try, no hell Bill the boy, this is not too bad. Another interesting approach and that may surprise you, is to remove notes from the pedo. For instance, let's try playing only the C, E, and the nodes. Strike. Imagine there's no heaven. It easy if you try no hell below, above sky. See how this creates a unique rhythm that still works well with the song, even if we have literally removed notes. Let me remind you that the key of this song is C major, and that automatically means that you can play any white key on the piano. Feel free to experiment and see what works for you, but here's what I suggest. Imagine the no heaven. It's easy if you try no hell above a sky. There's no specific order nor a perfect way of playing for. The most beautiful thing about harmonizing is that you will never play a song twice the same way. Okay, so we've been exploring rhythm alteration techniques with our right hand. Now why wouldn't we alter the bass notes the same way? Meaning the rhythm of our left hand can be altered too. And that will open up even more possibilities. One method that you have learned in this course was to play from left to right, then from right to left. So this. Let's play the song with this new baseline. Imagine there's no even, it sees if to try no Hello only. Okay, one very important point to keep in mind is that you could mix up the previous alteration techniques you learned in this module. And for example, keep the left hand base playing as it is, and modify the way you play the chord. Remember, you did the 3121 pattern. 3121 on 3121 earlier. So let's try and add that to our rhythm. Imagine there's no even, it's easy if you try no E L above. Only see that both approaches work well and offer different flavors to the interpretation. Additionally, you can also remove nodes from the RP Joe, just like you did earlier, while keeping the left hand base plan as it is. And this time let's play only the 0 and F note. Imagine there's no heaven. It's easy if you try no. Hello, Sky. As you could hear, it still works effectively, even if we removed some of the notes. What I want to show you here is that the possibilities are truly infinite when you begin exploring different alteration methods on the piano. Besides, let me clarify that you don't have to stick to the same rhythm throughout the whole song. You could, for example, use those melodic alterations you learned in order to highlight key moments in the song. And that's precisely where mastering various methods really come into play when you begin synchronizing the emotions generated by the piano with the energy of your voice. Let me quickly remind you how the initial song sounded. We have a very different feeling now. Okay, let's take this a little further. Yes, again, remember in the previous lesson, we played bass notes that were outside the C major scale. And which allowed us to transform the song and make it sound like it was coming from a different world, to the point that even the main vocal melody had to be modified to fit the new chords. So with my right hand, I will only play the C major, sees us two, and sees us four in an orpigiotyle. With my left hand, I will explore different base nodes within the scale and outside of the scale. Imagine there's no heaven as if you travel no He Bill Boson Sky. And I will continue this song using this very method. Imagine all the people live for two days. You may say I'm a dreamer but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you will join us and the world will be as one and the world will be as one. I hope you felt the inherent role your piano technique plays on your overall interpretation and the emotions you want to convey. I don't know if you realize yet the power of those techniques that I taught you in these harmonization lessons. It literally means that once you found the tonic chord and generated the Susto and so you can keep playing those three chords and explore changing bass notes, and it almost sounds like cheating. You can do whatever you want. And the only chords are played where the C major sees us two and sees us four. And remember that if this method is so effective, it's because the key of the song is C major, and that the C major chord, along with the 2.4 alterations can be played with any base node within the C major scale. Meaning that if the key of the song had been major, for example, the same concept would apply. In that case, you would have to use the major chord, 2.4 They would work with any base node within the major scale. You'll have the choice between all those base nodes, G sharp, D, and E. And you can even start composing your own songs using these techniques. As you experiment with different notes and rhythms, you will be able to create complex chords with unique sounds and frequencies, adding depth and emotion to your interpretations. Let me say congratulations to you all. I hope you understood the concepts and techniques taught throughout this module. I'm proud of your progress and the effort you've put in. Remember, keep practicing and don't hesitate to collaborate with other musicians to further develop your skills as a musician. Once again, congratulations and good luck on your musical journey. 62. Adding transition chords: Hello there and welcome to the 11th chapter of this ninth module. In today's lesson, we're going to see another harmonization technique I had briefly mentioned at the end of the sixth module. At the time we were dealing with diminished seven chords. And I was telling you that you were soon going to be able to incorporate them, those diminished chords, into your code progressions as they were passing chords. Well, that day has come, let's see how to add even more emotions to your playing using diminished seven chords. I assume that you know how to form diminished seventh chord, right? Remember that these chords are built using minor thirds first finger, 123, second finger, 1233 finger, 1234 finger. And you have the diminished seventh chord, something that we did not practice with. Diminished seventh chord was the base node playing. Let's take the C diminished seventh chord again. And you could play a base, right? But you could have a few more options here. Remember that we use the inversion technique multiple times during that lesson on diminished seventh chord. And we therefore managed to generate new diminished seventh chords. Well, that means they share the same nodes, right? You follow me. So it also means that you can play the same chord with four different base nodes. C, D sharp, sharp, and A. In other words, the nodes composing the diminished seventh chord. And it also means that even if you invert the chord. So now let's, instead of playing it like this, let's play it like this. Even if the chord is beginning with the D sharp node, you can still play the base, or the D sharp base, or the F sharp base, or the base. It is always going to work. So now that you know this, we are going to be able to move on freely and practice how to incorporate diminished seventh chord or even standard diminished chords into your usual chord progressions. So if you remember, well, I told you that diminished seventh chords were passing chords, transition chords, and what does that mean? It means that we're going to incorporate those diminished seventh chords in between those four chords. Let's try to add diminished seventh chord between the major and the A minor. You'll see that adding a diminished chord before a minor chord is absolutely gorgeous. First off, you want to be aware of the chord coming just right after that diminished seventh chord that we're going to include, the A minor, okay? The A minor is the next chord that we are going to play from that A node. You want to lower one semitone and we'll reach the flat node, or the sharp node. Meaning that we're going to form the diminished Shevin, diminished Shevon. Put it in between the major and the A minor. I'll play it like this, G sharp with the sharp base node. Let's incorporate it to our core progression. And let's play this. Okay? Again, remember that this diminished seventh chord can have several names. Depending on the base that you're playing. You actually have four choices here. You can either call it a D diminished seventh chord, diminished seventh chord. A sharp flat diminished seventh chord. Or even a B diminished seventh chord. And it doesn't matter because they're all composed of the same nodes. In this first example, I use the sharp base node, but what if I use the D or even the node? Let's find out, starting with the G sharp basene, okay? Now the base note, see it's different, okay? Now the base note different, okay? And now the base note, see that they all work and it sounds good every time. Even if the base note keep changing. I will give you one more example, and then I will show you how diminished seventh chord will sound in a song. That initially, don't use them. Final example where it's coherent to play a diminished chord is between the major and the major. Remember, since we want to resolve on the major cord, you want to take it one semitone lower, which will give us the flat or the sharp. We're going to play an F sharp or flat diminished chord in between the major and the major. Again, I'll use the inversion technique, and I will play like this with the base of sharp, starting with the F major. See that again. Now, here's how the whole core progression is going to sound. You noticed that the feeling expressed by the piano is different, and that allows you to put even more depth to your performance. Let's now take the very famous chorus of the song, Heal the World, from Michael Jackson. Here's the chord progression of the chorus. So initially, as you can see, there's no diminished chords in here. But the freedom music allows must encourage you to explore new sounds and new ways of playing. Let's try to add some diminished chords. Feel free to pause the video and try to add some yourself using the knowledge that you already acquired. I'll let your moment to do that, it's your turn to play. Okay, so I suggest we add a first diminished seventh chord between the major and minor. And that would be an A flat diminished seventh chord, or a sharp diminished seventh chord. Let's add another one between the D major and the major, so that will be a G flat or an F sharp diminished seventh chord. Then let's add a third diminished seventh chord between the major and the minor, so that would be an E flat or a D sharp diminished seventh chord. And eventually, let's add a final one between the last two chords of major and major, which would give us the flat or F sharp diminished seventh chord. Let's see how that sounds. And now with the lyrics, just listen to the emotions. Those scores add up the word, make it a better place for you and for me and the entire human race. There are people in, if you care enough for the living, make a better place for you. For me, see that it works perfectly. And add something more to the overall feeling of the song. Let's take our chord progression again and look at those diminished seventh chords. Instead of doing this, you could also do let's say the D, or the, or the sharp, or the B. The chord is going to be named depending on the base node that you choose to play. And you can still invert the chords with your right hand at the end. You are the one deciding according to what you feel and what you want to convey as far as emotions are concerned. Since this was supposed to be an example, I have put way too many diminished seventh chords because I wanted to show you the possibilities. But the whole point of diminished seventh chords is that you play them at certain key points of the song. Or just using one or two transition chords for the whole song is what you want to aim for. Also, keep in mind that each diminished seventh chord can get up to four different bases. And that the method is going to be exactly the same for any song you would like to harmonize using diminished seventh chords. In this lesson, you learned how to use diminished seventh chords as transition chords in order to add even more emotions to your chord progressions. Again, I want to say congratulations for all the hard work that you've been putting since the very beginning of this course. You can be super proud of yourself. Keep practicing and getting better. It is definitely worth it for us. Strongly believe that developing the skill of music is the one thing that you'll never regret. I wish you the best for your musical journey. Take care.