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Key of A Minor – Jonny Darko

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Instructor
Jonny May
Course
Beginner
01:36:17

Every major key has a darker partner, and A minor is the partner of C major.

Major keys tend to sound happy and bright, while minor keys sound darker and more emotional. A minor is the perfect first minor key to learn, because like C major, it uses only the white keys. In this course, you’ll learn the A minor scale in each hand, plus two variations that give minor music its unique flavor. You’ll hear how each one sounds a little different.

Next, you’ll learn the chords used most often in A minor and four common chord progressions (chord patterns) you’ll hear in real songs. Then you’ll bring it all together with Jonny Darko, a fun original tune with a playful nod to a certain movie.

Once you’re comfortable, you’ll learn inversions, which are different ways to play the same chord, and use them to make Jonny Darko sound smoother. Then you’ll play it along with a bass and drums backing track, so it feels like you’re playing in a band. Finally, you’ll learn simple ways to play chords for someone else to sing or play along to.

Course Objectives
  • Play the A natural, harmonic and melodic minor scales and understand how they differ
  • Learn the most common chords and four essential chord progressions in A minor
  • Use inversions and smooth voice leading to connect minor chords beautifully
  • Perform Jonny Darko along with a bass and drums backing track
  • Support a singer or instrumentalist with simple, effective accompaniment grooves
Learning Focus
  • Chords
  • Groove
  • Lead Sheets
  • Scales
  • Songs
Featured Reviews

View PWJ member reviews of this course!

Great tune
I really enjoyed the course. Just as structured as the first course and with a nice catchy melody that reminded me of “MAD World”. The further you progress, video after video, the more fun you have with what you've learned. I'm now looking forward to the next step.
Fun and a bit challenging
Nice intro. I like it goes step by step
A Light in the Darko!
Much like the Course on C Major, this course combines a thorough introduction to the Key of A Minor covering Natural, Harmonic & Melodic Minor scales, all of the Chords generated by these 3 scales, typical Chord Progressions, Chord Inversions and a challenging, but fun, original song to combine all of these skills in a meaningful and realistic application. By the end of the Course, I felt very confident playing material in the Key of A Minor!
Fantastic Inversions
This course is perfect for beginners. The steps are so simple to follow and the explanations are really thorough. I highly recommend lesson 6 with other grooves once you're familiar with lesson 5.
Fun in a minor key
Really challenging to get two hand coordination but I love it!

Course Lessons

1
Key of A Minor – Lesson 1
17:12

Natural, Harmonic, & Melodic Minor Scales

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2
Key of A Minor – Lesson 2
16:02

Common Chord Progressions, 4 Examples

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3
Key of A Minor – Lesson 3
26:04

Jonny Darko, Lead Sheet, Melody, Chords, Patterns

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4
Key of A Minor – Lesson 4
21:00

Inversions

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5
Key of A Minor – Lesson 5
6:34

Performance with Backing Track

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6
Key of A Minor – Lesson 6
9:25

Accompaniment

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Featured Reviews

View PWJ member reviews of this course!

Great tune
I really enjoyed the course. Just as structured as the first course and with a nice catchy melody that reminded me of “MAD World”. The further you progress, video after video, the more fun you have with what you've learned. I'm now looking forward to the next step.
Fun and a bit challenging
Nice intro. I like it goes step by step
A Light in the Darko!
Much like the Course on C Major, this course combines a thorough introduction to the Key of A Minor covering Natural, Harmonic & Melodic Minor scales, all of the Chords generated by these 3 scales, typical Chord Progressions, Chord Inversions and a challenging, but fun, original song to combine all of these skills in a meaningful and realistic application. By the end of the Course, I felt very confident playing material in the Key of A Minor!
Fantastic Inversions
This course is perfect for beginners. The steps are so simple to follow and the explanations are really thorough. I highly recommend lesson 6 with other grooves once you're familiar with lesson 5.
Fun in a minor key
Really challenging to get two hand coordination but I love it!
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