Catalog Search Results
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 25
Language
English
Description
It's time. You've learned enough about music theory and notation that you are ready to tackle sight-reading head-on. Here, you will be introduced to several new sight-reading pieces as well as a technical étude. You'll also continue your study of the Dance in D Major and the Sonata in C.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 15
Language
English
Description
So far, you've been practicing five-finger scales, but in Western music, a complete scale is an octave, or eight notes. Expand your abilities to play full eight-note scales, and practice with C major, G major and D major. In addition to working on your existing repertoire, you'll add the jazzy "Minor Romp" and "A Turkish Tune" to the mix.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 9
Language
English
Description
This episode will enrich your musical life by building the technical foundation upon which piano music is based. Inverted chords (moving the lowest note of a triad up an octave) is a complex musical detail that will open your ears for future episodes. Learn to recognize how inversions look on the staff and the correct fingerings to play them.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 28
Language
English
Description
In this episode, you will refine much of your existing repertoire. You'll then try your hand at Liszt's Liebestraum. While this piece can be quite challenging for students, Professor Pike has created a special arrangement designed for your current level of ability. Work on adding musical expression to these Romantic-era pieces.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 13
Language
English
Description
Now that you are growing comfortable with the major key signatures, shift your attention to the minor finger patterns and chords. You'll learn several new pieces ("Skip to My Lou" and a minor étude), and you'll continue practicing your efforts at sight-reading. You will also discover an important new skill: how to harmonize a lead line.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 29
Language
English
Description
By now, you have learned enough music from the masters that you are participating in a musical tradition. Revisit the sonata form and consider the modified "mini sonatina" form. Practice with "Brahms's Lullaby", Gurlitt's Waltz in C, Liszt's Liebestraum, and a theme from Mozart's Sonata in C.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 8
Language
English
Description
Transposition - moving a melody from one key to another - is an important skill often under-used in traditional piano episodes for beginners. It provides an opportunity to get to know the different musical keys and can help you jazz around with an old piece of repertoire. Practice transposition with a few melodies, including "Woodland Jaunt."
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 11
Language
English
Description
Find out about a practice technique called "blocking," which will help you recognize chord patterns more easily - a major step toward sight-reading. Practice three types of accompaniment patterns: the broken-chord pattern, the waltz (3/4 time) pattern, and the Alberti bass pattern.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 21
Language
English
Description
Over the past few episodes, you have moved from very basic off-staff rhythms and pitches to much more complicated rhythmic patterns. Today's episode takes your knowledge of the minor keys to a whole new level as you examine the natural, harmonic, and melodic forms of the minor scale. Also, witness "syncopation" in action in Swing Low.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 16
Language
English
Description
Hone the new musical skills you learned in Episode 15. After reviewing scales and learning to harmonize a minor melody, you'll experiment with a new rhythm pattern. Dig into "A Turkish Tune" to isolate problem spots, and then try your hand at a theme from Beethoven's Minuet in G.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 3
Language
English
Description
The piano is a brilliant instrument because it can be used for both melody and harmony, the lead tune and the accompaniment. In this introduction to harmony, you'll explore the tonic and dominant notes of a scale, and you'll revisit Ode to Joy to better understand these concepts in action.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 27
Language
English
Description
Continue your exploration of piano technique as it developed in the Romantic era. After some warm-up work on scales and extended arpeggios, you will find out what makes Chopin's style so interesting, and what made Liszt such a virtuoso. Conclude with a lullaby from Brahms.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 26
Language
English
Description
Shift your attention from the Classical period to the Romantic era, roughly 1800 to 1910. After surveying some of the major historical and intellectual developments of the period, you'll begin work on seventh-chord arpeggios. You'll also learn rules for beginning pieces at the appropriate tempo.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 1
Language
English
Description
Let's start by playing some music! From minute one of this course, you will be at the piano, fingering keys and playing tunes. In this opening episode, you'll familiarize yourself with the piano, perform a few basic exercises to warm up, and explore some introductory rhythm patterns. By the end of the episode, you'll know how to play the theme from Beethoven's Ode to Joy.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 34
Language
English
Description
It's good to practice music from different eras to ensure your musical diet is well-balanced. Here, survey chorale-style piano music across the ages. You'll enjoy the hymn-like harmonies in Schumann's Chorale Opus 68 no. 4 as well as the Ode to Schumann. Then, turn to another, more challenging piece by Schumann.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 22
Language
English
Description
Revisit the expressive quality of music and how you can use the techniques you are learning to better convey expression. Professor Pike offers a few tips for where amateurs tend to get distracted with anticipation. Reflect on how musical dynamics are related to the musical line, form, and harmonic progression.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 6
Language
English
Description
Round out your study of the major five-finger patterns, and how "accidentals" (changing a pitch by half a step) work. Jazz around with "When the Saints Go Marching In," and then learn about the interval of the fourth. Add "Aura Lee" - the folk song Elvis used for "Love Me Tender" - to your repertoire.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 36
Language
English
Description
Professor Pike concludes with a final rhythmic pattern - triplets. After playing a Hungarian dance, you will try your hand at Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, a fitting coda for a course that opened with the Ode to Joy. Reflect on what you've learned and discover how to continue your study of the piano after this course.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 19
Language
English
Description
After reviewing your sight-reading skills to date, going over the Beethoven Minuet again, and revisiting the secondary chord progressions, Professor Pike shows you two new time signatures: 2/4 time and 3/8 time. She also shows you some new music: the peppy "Cheerful Tune" and the "Rocking Étude" to bring compound meter to life.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 32
Language
English
Description
Through much of this course, you have worked on some challenging masterpieces, many of which require difficult hand shifts and much practice. Here, Professor Pike shares a few strategies for "deliberate practice," a systematic way to help you through the challenges. Learn a new harmonization example in the key of E minor.
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