Membership Required

Subscribe to a membership plan for full access to this show and learning resources!

Start Your Free Trial

Instructor
Austin Byrd
Q&A
2:08:38
12/22/2020 9:00 am (PST)

In this Q&A Submissions video, Austin Byrd answered all of your questions about the piano and music in general that were submitted in the month of November.

00:29 – Michael Elkind: How do you figure out the key signature?

05:25 – What sequence do you follow to learn blues and jazz?

11:04 – Mel: How do you finger the F and Bb minor blues scales

14:31 – Is it important to memorize chord progressions and scales when improvising?

17:43 – Liz Napier: How do you structure practice and improve at memorization?

21:15 – Craig Douglas: How do you improve at fingering?

24:24 – What should I practice each day and when can I move on?

30:25 – Jay Doo: What are the most common scales to improvise over a minor 2-5-1 progression?

34:06 – How do you create different ideas for ballads, and what tips do you have for advanced fills?

38:52 – Jerzy Kolbusz: Where can we find classical pieces?

39:31 – Jirka: What is the best waya to memorize music?

42:31 – What course do you recommend for top 40 lead sheets?

44:50 – Can you play blindfolded? How do you acquire that talent?

47:11 – Laurent: How do you retain songs in your repertoire?

49:22 – Mariana Tani: How do you create a solo intro for Fly Me To The Moon?

53:31 – Arthur Pullis: Why do we invert 7th chords?

56:52 – Len Zimmerman: How do you know what chords to use at a gig?

59:21 – Karin Chambless: How do you vary patterns in a pop song smoothly?

1:02:37 – Is it essential to know A and B voicings by heart?

1:04:57 – Robert Marier: What exercises help to improve sight reading?

1:06:42 – How do you improve hand speed, and relieve shoulder pain?

1:12:34 – Gareth Carr: How do you play the runs in “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

1:16:04 – Daniel Ortiz: How do you finger the walking bass for “O Christmas Tree”

1:18:48 – Joan Baird: Does C7 have a Bb?

1:20:43 – Mark Finckle: Should you use the pink for stride piano?

1:23:23 – Julian Clarke: How can I combine shells and block chords? How do you create an intro and outro?

1:27:15 – Lance Bradstreet: Can you play a flashy descending blues riff for the end of “Amazing Grace”?

1:29:26 – KS: Can you make a workshop on how to use fills and embellishments for jazz?

1:31:38 – Rachel Pobi: Can you count the last measure of “Somebody Loves Me”?

1:33:15 – Jay Doo: What scales do you use to improvise over a major 2-5-1?

1:35:37 – Rachel Pobi: Is it important to know diatonic chords of minor scales?

1:37:23 – Vanessa Harkins: How do you learn and memorize jazz?

1:40:16 – Aleksandr Kruglov: How do you quickly memorize inversions for 7th chords?

1:42:35 – Barbara Wilcox: Can burlesque blues be mixed with other styles?

1:45:28 – Miriam Kook: Do you have tips for stride accuracy?

1:48:34 – Sameh Basta: How do you voice chords used in tritone substitution?

1:52:17 – Sally Tulk: What is the best way to feel time? How do you improve hand coordination for improv?

1:56:45 – What courses help with learning jazz soloing?

2:00:04 – Itche Vasserman: What advice do you have for harmonizing melodies?

2:03:26 – Chris Rodgers: In walking bass, how do you decide to walk up or down?

2:05:17 – Joshua Parkes: How much time to practice before moving on in learning track foundation sections?

2:07:28 – Jeff Swallen: How do you identify chords without a fake book?

2:08:34 – Robert Francis: What is the best way to develop hand coordination for jazz?

Click here to submit your questions for the PWJ staff to answer in the next Q&A Submissions video. All questions are due on the last day of the month to be included in the next month’s video.

Monthly Update (September 2023)

In September, we released 4 new Courses, 4 Quick Tips, 6 Smart Sheets, 11 Backing Tracks, and more!

Office Hours (September 26)

Office Hours are an opportunity to get interactive feedback from a professional piano coach!

Member Circle (September 25)

“Member Circle” is a zoom meeting led by a Community Leader where students will have the opportunity to share their breakthrough moments with each other and discuss a particular theme.