chord alterations
Piano Chord Alterations
Making sense of chord extensions and alterations can be confusing when you’re first getting started. In this course, Jonny simplifies the concept by teaching the most common chord alterations used in jazz and popular music. You’ll master each altered voicing by first finding the easiest way to identify it, and then practicing the concept with … Continue reading “Piano Chord Alterations”
Chord Alterations
Learn the most common chord alterations for dominant chords. Discover helpful tricks for finding each alteration, and practice them with exercises in 2 positions.
Play Rich, Full Piano Chords in 5 Steps
Would you like to be able to play rich, full piano chords like a seasoned studio musician? If you’ve assumed that the ability to play lush and elegant piano voicings requires years of music theory, think again! In today’s Quick Tip, Play Rich, Full Piano Chords in 5 Steps, Jonny May shares how you can … Continue reading “Play Rich, Full Piano Chords in 5 Steps”
The Mu Chord (Steely Dan Chord) for Piano
If you thought that you’ve heard of all the chord types out there, you might need to think again. In today’s lesson, The Mu Chord (Steely Dan Chord) for Piano, John Proulx shares how to play a beautiful chord with an unusual name. That’s right, it’s called the Mu Chord (pronounced like “Moo”) and its … Continue reading “The Mu Chord (Steely Dan Chord) for Piano”
Major 9th Chords—The Most Beautiful Piano Chord
You’ve probably heard about major 9th chords, and maybe it seemed like it was just another chord from the seemingly endless list of different chords you need to know. Or maybe you know a little bit about major 9th chords but you aren’t sure how to apply it to real music on the piano. Well first … Continue reading “Major 9th Chords—The Most Beautiful Piano Chord”
Quintal Chord Stacks for Piano
Have you ever heard a chord that makes your heart break? Well, in today’s Quick Tip, Quintal Chord Stacks for Piano, John Proulx shares how to play the most heartbreaking chord voicing of all. By discovering how to combine stacks of perfect 5th intervals in specific ways, you’ll be able to apply the sound of quintal … Continue reading “Quintal Chord Stacks for Piano”
The R&B Piano Chord Progression For Beginners
Are you a beginner piano student who loves R&B music? If so, then we’ve got great news for you! You can play colorful R&B piano chords even as a beginner. In today’s Quick Tip, The R&B Chord Progression for Beginners, Jonny May shares a soulful R&B progression that’s within reach of beginner pianists. In all, … Continue reading “The R&B Piano Chord Progression For Beginners”
What are Polychords?
Sometimes music theory terms sound way more complicated than the actual concepts that they describe. For example, perhaps you’ve come across the term polychords and felt a bit intimidated. Ironically, this concept actually makes playing complex chords way easier, despite its ominous sounding name. In today’s Quick Tip, What Are Polychords?, John Proulx explains how the … Continue reading “What are Polychords?”
Funk Chords – The Complete Guide
Would you like to be able to play hip-sounding funk chords on piano? With today’s Quick Tip, Funk Chords—The Complete Guide, you can! In this lesson, John Proulx breaks down the “Top 5 Funk Chords Every Pianist Must Know” to play funk and soul-infused music of artists like James Brown, Herbie Hancock, Bill Withers, Stevie … Continue reading “Funk Chords – The Complete Guide”
6th Chords – The Complete Guide
As piano students progress from beginner to intermediate levels, they gradually begin playing chords with more notes. Generally, this means shifting their focus from triads to seventh chords. Somewhere along the way, they might be introduced to 6th chords—but this is not always the case. Moreover, piano students who do learn how to build major … Continue reading “6th Chords – The Complete Guide”
Augmented Chords – The Complete Guide
Perhaps you know what augmented chords are, but how often do you use these peculiar and slightly jarring chords in your piano playing? In today’s Quick Tip, Augmented Chords—The Complete Guide, Jonny May shows you how to use augmented chords to make your music sound even more interesting. Believe it or not, augmented chords are … Continue reading “Augmented Chords – The Complete Guide”
Chord Extensions – The Complete Guide
Do you want to play insanely beautiful chords at the piano, but you’re not sure where to start? Many students think that pro pianists have an innate gift that enables them to simply hear beautiful chords and play them instinctively. However, the truth is that most professionals use a very specific system known as chord … Continue reading “Chord Extensions – The Complete Guide”
Upper Structure Triads – The Ultimate Piano Chord Hack
Piano students who embark on the journey to learn jazz usually discover early on that the learning curve is pretty steep. In fact, some jazz lead sheets contain chords symbols that look about as random as alphabet soup. For example, how can professional jazz pianists effortlessly play chords such as G7(♯9♭13)? It’s because they use … Continue reading “Upper Structure Triads – The Ultimate Piano Chord Hack”
Diminished Chords – 5 Essential Piano Techniques
Are you a chord collector? That’s right, a chord collector. Some students have the habit of collecting information about chords in the same way that other collectors accumulate coins, stamps, baseball cards or plush toys. Generally speaking, collectors do not make common use of whatever it is that they collect…and for good reason. That’s because … Continue reading “Diminished Chords – 5 Essential Piano Techniques”
2-5-1 Chord Progression—5 Levels from Beginner to Pro
The 2-5-1 chord progression is indispensable to the compositional fabric of the Great American Songbook. Therefore, an essential study topic for jazz piano students is how to play 2-5-1 progressions using conventional jazz piano voicings. Today’s Quick Tip explores this most important skill in 5 levels—from beginner to pro. You’ll learn: What is a 2-5-1 … Continue reading “2-5-1 Chord Progression—5 Levels from Beginner to Pro”
The Most Beautiful Jazz Piano Chord
Do you know how to play an ordinary dominant 7th chord, like G–B–D–F? Can you play a basic minor triad, like C♯–E–G♯? If so, then we’ve got great news for you! You can play the most beautiful jazz piano chord! To the untrained observer, watching a jazz pianist continually transition from one beautiful jazz piano … Continue reading “The Most Beautiful Jazz Piano Chord”
The Sharp Four Walkdown Jazz Chord Progression
What happens when you tell a child, “Guess what, I have a surprise!?” Immediately, their eyes light up as their eyebrow raise. Their attention becomes gripped on experiencing the surprise. That’s because good surprises always bring fun and excitement. This is also precisely why jazz musicians love to play chord substitutions. Chord substitutions have a … Continue reading “The Sharp Four Walkdown Jazz Chord Progression”
3 Steps to Make a Chord Progression Bluesy
What do we mean when we say “bluesy?” The specifics might be difficult to describe, but the sound is unmistakable. The blues, as a genre, generally follows a 12-bar structure and uses a specific chord progression. But other musical characteristics also contribute to the unique blues sound. In fact, Dion Brown, director of the The … Continue reading “3 Steps to Make a Chord Progression Bluesy”
3 Incredible Techniques with Piano Sus Chords
As a piano student, how often to you play sus chords? If you’re like many students, perhaps not very often. In fact, it’s fairly common for piano method books to omit sus chords altogether from the harmonic landscape. Other books that include them may only make mention of them in passing. As a result, piano students … Continue reading “3 Incredible Techniques with Piano Sus Chords”
Play Piano Lead Sheets with Extensions & Alterations
In this course, Daine will walk you through the piano lead sheets of 8 different chord progressions and show you how to utilize various piano techniques to create a richer and more interesting sound. You’ll learn how to implement chord extensions & alterations in the top 3 jazz styles: jazz swing, bossa nova, and jazz … Continue reading “Play Piano Lead Sheets with Extensions & Alterations”
Play Piano Lead Sheets with Extensions & Alterations
Learn how to transform piano lead sheets with chord extensions & alterations. Using 8 common chord progressions, you’ll understand how to apply these piano techniques to create a richer and more interesting sound.
