BUILD A KEYBOARD ‘VOCABULARY’

February 11, 2010 by slyons  
Filed under Mistakes to Avoid Learning Keyboard

BUILD A KEYBOARD  ’VOCABULARY’

I know about 3 French words.  So if you want to talk to
me in French, it will be a very short conversation. 
However, I DO speak keyboard…and I don’t mean I speak 
about keyboard.

One of the secrets to my keyboard method is that it reveals
a set of ‘building blocks.’  They eventually become a
player’s ‘vocabulary,’ allowing him or her to musically
express anything they want.

I don’t teach just ‘notes’ or just whole songs. I teach
both of those, but I also have to teach something in
between…

Players need a set of ‘musical words’ in order to speak
their mind on the keyboard. These ‘words’ are things like
chords, rhythms, and short fingering patterns. 

So my tip again is:  start building up a vocabulary of
these elements (even while you’re learning to read
music.)
LET’S TRY THIS

This may be difficult to do via email (DVD’s are easier),
but I want you to do an experiment with the first kind
of ‘word’… chords.

First get on the keyboard and find ‘middle C’ (remember it’s
just to the left of the 2-black-note pair in the middle of
the keyboard.)  Play that with your right thumb.

Now let your middle finger come down on the second white
note up from that.  Then let your pinky come down on the
second note above the middle finger’s note. (There should
be one white key between each finger.)  Play them all at
once.

That’s a chord called ‘C’ (named after the single note it
was built on.)  For now, just forget about what to call
it.

Now I want you to ‘mess with it’ by changing one of its
notes.

Move your middle finger to one of the black notes on either
side of the note its on now.  Play the chord again.

Notice how your feelings change when you hear this new
sound.  That’s because your fingers just ’said’ something
different.  Now you can move that middle finger to the
other black note.  Play the chord again and notice how
it changes the feeling.

You’ve just built a couple words into your keyboard vocabulary!
There are hundreds more where that came from, and I teach
lots of them in PIANO FOR ALL.COM! GET FREE ACCESS HERE! 

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