How to Play Almost Anything On Piano
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How is it possible that pianists like me can hear a song once, and then play it?
How is it possible that I can play hundreds of songs by memory, and improvise in almost any style on the spot?
Do I have some super-human power?
I’d like to think that I’m just brilliant, but the truth is, I’m more like you than you might think.
I haven’t invented any groundbreaking piano techniques.
I don’t play as fast as many classical pianists.
And I often fumble, make mistakes, and hit wrong notes at the piano.
So what is it that allows me to do what seemingly 99% of pianists can’t?
Well, it started for me as a teenager. I realized something about songs…
They use the same predictable patterns of melody and chords.
And it didn’t matter if it was jazz, blues, pop, or rock. They all recycled the same patterns.
My breakthrough came when I learned to identify the patterns.
Suddenly everything clicked.
My ears, mind, heart, and hands were suddenly integrated.
I felt “one” with the piano.
There was no longer a disconnect between what I heard with my ears, what I comprehended in my mind, what I felt in my heart, and what I played with my fingers.
It just all started to flow and make sense.
But this breakthrough wasn’t “taught” to me. I had to realize it on my own. And that’s why so many students struggle.
It remains a mystery.
Well, today, I’m demystifying this once and for all. In this lesson, I show you exactly what I do to hear any melody, identify it, and play it at the piano.
And I think you’ll be surprised by how simple this really is.
Writer
Jonny May
Jonathan May is a pianist from Southern California who specializes in many styles of piano. At age eighteen, Jonny became the youngest pianist to perform at Disneyland. Each week he entertained thousands of guests with his arrangements of American classics and Disney songs. Jonny has also performed with the Youtube...
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