The Best Decision I Made Was Firing My Piano Teacher
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E flat minor 11. B flat 7 flat 9. D 7 flat 13 sharp 9.
When I was 11, my first jazz teacher gave me those chords for Body and Soul, one of the hardest tunes out there. He scribbled the letter names on a piece of paper and sent me home.
I stared at that chicken scratch until my head hurt. After five weeks I was more confused than ever… so I quit. I figured jazz was only for the super talented.
A year later, my band director Greg showed me three chords, one scale and one exercise. After one lesson I was playing the blues and improvising.
Same kid. Different approach.
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to spot the teachers, methods and habits that are quietly holding you back. You’ll see why saying no is what makes room for the yes that changes everything. And you’ll learn why a systematic approach gets you further than a pile of cool tricks.
You’ll come away knowing exactly what to cut, so you can put your practice time into what actually moves your playing forward.
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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