All Materials (c) 2020 Tremaine Parsons |
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Free!
Introduction
to the 88 note Keyboard
(Where
did the black keys come from??)
(6 Minutes)
Free! |
Free!
keyboard_intro.mp4
Free! |
| Posture
and Bench Height |
posture.pdf |
First
Keyboard Exercise
BTW:
We hate exercises and promise to keep them to a
minimum.
(2 Minutes) |
exercise1.mp4 |
| Note:
Absolute beginners might take a week or so of the above octave exercise once
a day before attempting the Scale Tone 7th Chords below. The Scale Tone 7th
Chords may be a heavy lift right off the bat but when you get to playing
these, it's half the battle. Also go ahead and view the additional lessons
without necessarily trying to play them while practicing previous exercises.
Multiple views of all lessons will help things "sink
in". |
|
The
Scale Tone 7th Chords
Correction:
At 2:45 into this video I identify a 6 (VI) chord as an E Major 7th when
I should have identified the chord as an A minor 7th
chord.
Addl.
Note: This exercise may be difficult for beginners. Do the best you can to
step through the chords, up and down, both hands, once a day. This will get
easier in time. You could also drop the left hand index finger note or the
right hand middle finger note for starters if it makes things a little
easier.
(5
Minutes) |
scale_tone_7th_chords.mp4 |
A
little more on The Scale Tone 7th Chords
and
the scale tone Triads
(3.5
Minutes) |
drop5l.mp4 |
Why
use the "The Scale Tone 7th Chords"
This
is sort of a "Must Read"
(revised
01/02/21) |
why_scale_tones.pdf" |
Free!
Short Demo of my 2 basic playing styles
This
is just a basic II VI chord progression in the key of C Major
with a few variations
Note: In section where I am playing melodies in my right hand at one point
I'm just running through the notes of the VI scale tone 7th chord.
(3 Minutes)
Free! |
Free!
style_demo.mp4
Free! |
Introduction
to Simple Song Structures
Pardon
the Oooops at the end of the 2nd video
(and
the Rooster voice)
(3
Minutes)
(2
Minutes) |
simple_song1.mp4
simple2.mp4 |
Developing
a sense of Time/Meter/Tempo/Rhythm
(3
Minutes)
Plus:
Two printable documents
Note:
Time/Meter/Tempo/Rhythm/Syncopation are as important as any notes that you
play on any instrument. |
time.mp3
time.pdf
time_rhythm.pdf |
Review
of Scale Degrees/Note Names/9th,11th,13th
(5
Minutes) |
scale_review.mp4 |
A
little more on the 9th and the Root with the Scale Tone 7 Chords
(5 Minutes) |
double_duty.mp4 |
A
little more on Intervals
(3
Minutes) |
interval_review.mp4 |
The
Dominant 7th Chord
Note:
When I mention the "alternate dominant" it is also referred to as the "substitute
dominant".
(4
Minutes) |
dominant7.mp4 |
II-7
V7 I Maj7 Chord Progression
Review
A
little more about the previous chord progression
(2
Minutes) |
251.mp4 |
Common
Scale Tone 7th Chord Alterations
On
I and IV chords lower 7th 1/2 step (makes both dominant 7)
On II, III, and VI chords raise 3rd 1/2 step (makes all three dominant 7)
Plus: An example
(5.5
Minutes)
(1.5
Minutes) |
scale_alts.mp4
scale_alts_example.mp4 |
Chord
Inversions
(5 Minutes) |
inversions.mp4 |
Song
Chord Notation Variances
(updated
12/29/20) |
chord_notations.pdf |
| Reading
Music (please read) |
reading_music.pdf |
| Playing
Solo, Solo with your Voice, or In A Band |
svb.pdf |
Common
Chord Progressions
Printable
PDF |
chord_progressions.pdf |
| Common
Song Forms (A, AAB, AABA...) |
song_form.pdf |
Play
the Blues!
Left
and right hand starter pack (l and r)
Another
simpler Blues example
A
Blues "Turnaround" (Also used all the time in
jazz)
Scales
and Patterns on top of blues_simple
Scales and Patterns (tri pul et)
Scales
and Patterns (3/2 and 2/3)
(Now
you'll know I'm crazy - and a little out of
practice)
1]
(3 Minutes)
2]
(4 Minutes)
3]
(2.75 Minutes)
4] (1.5 Minutes)
5]
(4.5 Minutes)
6]
(3 Minutes)
7]
(2.5 Minutes) |
1]
blues1l.mp4
2]
blues1r.mp4
3]
blues_simple.mp4
4]
1625_turnaround.mp4
5]
blues_patterns1.mp4
6]
blues_patterns2.mp4
7]
blues_patterns3.mp4 |
A
little Theory - The TriTone
(5.5
Minutes) |
tritone.mp4 |
More
on the III VI V I
progression
Correction:
At 1:18 into this video I refer to a chord as the 1st inversion of the V
Dominant 7 when it is actually the 2nd
inversion.
(4.5
Minutes) |
36251.mp4 |
The
79 Million Dollar Chord Progression
A copyright lawsuit based on a chord progression that has been around for
eons
(4
Minutes) |
a-.mp4 |
More
on the Substitute Dominant Chords
Also
note that I am dropping the 5th degree of the chords (the index/first finger
of my left hand).
A
2nd different song with same basic chord
progression
(4
Minutes)
(1.5
Minutes) |
sub_dominant.mp4
ip.mp4 |
Anticipation
- per Berklee College of Music Glossary
A
technique of melodic or rhythmic alteration which changes a note or chord
that occurs on-the-beat to be played early resulting in syncopation. The
most common anticipations occur one-half beat early (an 8th note anticipation),
a quarter-of-a-beat early (a 16th note anticipation), or one-third of a beat
early (a triplet anticipation). When the anticipation occurs in the melody,
it is a melodic anticipation. Anticipations are sometimes also called "pushed
notes" or "pushes."
(2
Minutes) |
anticipation.mp4 |
Lets
look at a piece of Sheet Music
Note:
Read the pdf first
(2
Minutes) |
allofme.pdf
allofme.mp4 |
Let's
do a song - "Calm"
The first video will just play the
song/progression
(Please
ignore the sticking blue F key at 1:18 in)
The
2nd video will attempt to explain the chord progression
(1.75
Minutes)
(3
Minutes)
You
can also hear this song Solo or with Bass, Drums and Flute at:
www.tparsons.com/music/#calm |
calm_example.mp4
calm_explain.mp4 |
What
the heck is a Sus 4?
Or #11?
Correction: In this video I refer to the sus 4 as a sustained 4th
when I meant to say suspended 4th
(4 Minutes) |
sus4sharp11.mp4 |
Another
Progression
IM9
III7#9 IVM7 III7b9
VI-79 II79 V7sus4 IM7
(b = flat)
Correction:
At 2:04 and 3:11 into the 2nd video I say:
"seven minor seven" and should have said "six minor seven"
(1 Minute)
(3.5
Minutes) |
progression.mp4
progression_deets.mp4 |
I7
VI7 II7 V7 Stride Vamp (all dominant chords)
Stride
can be loosely defined as laying down a bass note and then a chord in your
left hand.
Song
Form: AAB (8)(8)(12)
(1
Minute) |
1625stride_vamp.mp4 |
A
III-7 bIII7 II-7 bII7 ditty (b = flat symbol)
(1.5
Minutes) |
3625ditty.mp4 |
What
the heck is a Diminished Chord?
(2
Minutes) |
diminished.mp4 |
What
the heck is a Augmented Chord?
Correction:
At 0:30 into this video I say "half step" and should have said "whole"
step.
(4
Minutes) |
aug.mp4 |
A
great scale to ride on top of dominant 7th
chords
My
"Magic Scale"
(5.5
Minutes) |
magic_scale.mp4 |
Yikes!
Which fingers do I use where when playing melodic
lines
(3.5
Minutes) |
yikes.mp4 |
More
II-79 V7 IM69 bIII9 with some magic scale
and bVII713 VI-79....
(5.75 Minutes) |
more2516b76.mp4 |
Another
snippit with some magic scale
(1.5
Minutes) |
another_snipit.mp4 |
Ahh,
what about songs set in a Minor Key?
Some Comments with a Link Document (pdf)
(6 Minutes) |
minor_blurb.mp4
minor_key.pdf |
A
Minor Key Snip
I use this in the B section of one of my compositions
(3.5 Minutes) |
b-snip.mp4 |
A
Little Latin piece...
Stolen from the 79 Million Dollar progression! (yeah
right)
(1.75
Minutes) |
latin_steal.mp4 |
Two
Right Hand Dittys with a little magic
On
the VI7 and V7 Chords
(3
Minutes) |
rh_ditty.mp4 |
Left
Hand Chord Demo/Experiment
Not sure if I like this one...
(3
Minutes) |
motor.mp4 |
Sloppy
Stride
Similiar
to above chords but played in stride style. Follow the bass notes and see
if you can sense the patterns and hear or see when the cords are going Major,
Minor, or Dominant. There are a couple of Diminished chords in there as well.
(2.25
Minutes) |
sloppy_stride.mp4 |
3
More Tips, Tricks, or Snips
(4.5
Minutes) |
3tips.mp4 |
And
another one similar to middle tip of the above video
(3.5 Minutes) |
1_b2_2_b3_1.mp4 |
When
chords get too muddy
(4
Minutes) |
mud.mp4 |
Arpeggiate
Chords Example
(2
Minutes) |
arpeggio.mp4 |
Build
Any Chord
This
is one good way to build any chord
Please
read and print the pdf
Correction:
At 5:17 into this video I say "F minor" and should have said "F# minor".
(7
Minutes) |
build_any_chord.pdf
build_any_chord.mp4 |
Time
to start branching out from the C Major
Scale
Spread
our wings...
All
of the above X 11 other Major Scales
Actually, it's not nearly as bad as this might
seem... |
|
Any
Major Scale
(2.75 Minutes) |
any_major_scale.mp4 |
Chromatic
Chord Exercise
and,
we hate exercises!
(3 Minutes) |
chromatic_chords.mp4 |
Ascending
tritone progression
Available as "279" song on my compositions page
(2.5 Minutes) |
ascending_tritone.mp4 |
Lets
doodle in the key of D minor
Clarification:
Initially I refer to the D minor 7th as the VI minor 7th of the relative
Major scale of F Major. However, I then switch and refer to the chord numbers
based on the scale of D minor.
I = D minor 7 IV = G minor
79 V = A Dominant 7 (or bII79 b =
flat)
Also:
you may notice an F# C interval leading into the IVmin79th. This
would represent a bV dominant leading into the minor IV chord.
(3.5
Minutes) |
d-.mp4 |
| End
of Lessons included in initial zip file download |
download.html |
Sunshine
- V Augmented Example
(3.25
Minutes) |
sunshine.mp4 |
Wholetone
Scale Solo Example (snippit)
(2.25
Minutes) |
whole_snip.mp4 |
Another
Whole Tone Scale example
Stevie Wonder
(1.5 Minutes) |
sw_wt.mp4 |
You've
Changed
Form: AABA - 8,8,8,8
Note: I muff the timing a bit in a few places but what the hey
(4 Minutes) |
youve_changed.mp4 |
|
|
Tremaine
Parsons