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Key of F# Minor – Jonny’s Ghost Dance

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Instructor
Jonny May
Course
Beginner
01:02:35

F# minor is your first minor key that starts on a black key, and it has a dark, mysterious sound unlike any key you’ve played so far. It’s closely related to A major, so many of the notes will already feel familiar. You’ll learn the F# minor scale plus two variations that give minor music its unique flavor, with the fingering for each hand and strategies for playing them smoothly and building speed.

Next, you’ll learn the 10 chords you’ll find most often in popular songs in F# minor, along with tips for playing them comfortably. Then you’ll learn four of the most common chord progressions (chord patterns) in this key and put them to work: you’ll learn how to groove on each progression and improvise your own ideas over it. To bring it all together, you’ll learn Jonny’s Ghost Dance, an original piece with a haunting, beautiful melody.

Once you’re comfortable, you’ll use inversions to make your chord changes sound smoother and apply them to Jonny’s Ghost Dance. Then you’ll play it along with a bass and drums backing track to hear how it sounds with a full band. Finally, you’ll learn simple ways to play chords for someone else to sing or play along to.

Course Objectives
  • Play F# natural, harmonic and melodic minor in both hands with the correct fingering
  • Learn the 10 most common chords in F# minor and strategies for playing them
  • Learn four of the most common chord progressions and how to groove and improvise over them
  • Play Jonny's Ghost Dance, an original piece in F# minor
  • Apply inversions, perform with a full backing track and accompany other musicians
Learning Focus
  • Chords
  • Groove
  • Lead Sheets
  • Scales
  • Songs
Featured Reviews

View PWJ member reviews of this course!

Good overview.
Like the other courses in this tract, most all I need to know to play in this key. Now I have to practice and understand it is a process
Educational
I’m working on Sounds of Silence which is in F# m so this was a good insight into that key.
Not as easy as you think.
It was surprisingly challenging, even for a beginner's course. lesson 3 was difficult by all accounts.
Enjoyed the course - I noticed there’s no backing track?
Enjoyable and informative as usual. Just an observation - this is the only key (F#m) that has no backing track - is that an oversight?
Fun
Liked the melody! I wrote lyrics to it & that helped me learn it faster.

Course Lessons

1
Key of F# Minor – Lesson 1
27:09

The Natural, Harmonic, & Melodic Scales

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2
Key of F# Minor – Lesson 2
13:28

4 Common Chord Progressions

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3
Key of F# Minor – Lesson 3
21:58

Jonny’s “Ghost Dance,” Melody, Chords, Groove

View lesson
Featured Reviews

View PWJ member reviews of this course!

Good overview.
Like the other courses in this tract, most all I need to know to play in this key. Now I have to practice and understand it is a process
Educational
I’m working on Sounds of Silence which is in F# m so this was a good insight into that key.
Not as easy as you think.
It was surprisingly challenging, even for a beginner's course. lesson 3 was difficult by all accounts.
Enjoyed the course - I noticed there’s no backing track?
Enjoyable and informative as usual. Just an observation - this is the only key (F#m) that has no backing track - is that an oversight?
Fun
Liked the melody! I wrote lyrics to it & that helped me learn it faster.
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