Catalog Search Results
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 2
Language
English
Description
After reviewing the introductory finger patterns you learned in the first episode, delve into the concepts of pitch and meter. Find out about the concept of measures and different types of notes. Then explore the C major five-finger pattern and play it in action with your first étude.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 19
Language
English
Description
After reviewing your sight-reading skills to date, going over the Beethoven Minuet again, and revisiting the secondary chord progressions, Professor Pike shows you two new time signatures: 2/4 time and 3/8 time. She also shows you some new music: the peppy "Cheerful Tune" and the "Rocking Étude" to bring compound meter to life.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 20
Language
English
Description
Reflect on the relationship between parallel major and minor keys. For example, D major and D minor are not relative keys (like C major and A minor), but they do have an intriguing relationship. In this exploration, you will refine your technique for harmonizing melodies and learn the "Bell Melody" and "Elephant Stroll."
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 32
Language
English
Description
Through much of this course, you have worked on some challenging masterpieces, many of which require difficult hand shifts and much practice. Here, Professor Pike shares a few strategies for "deliberate practice," a systematic way to help you through the challenges. Learn a new harmonization example in the key of E minor.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 33
Language
English
Description
Music in the 20th and 21st centuries comes in many different styles. Here, you will survey a few common trends and find out about some of the more highly regarded composers of the past century, including programmatic music of Jean Sibelius and Béla Bartók, as well as computer-generated sounds and non-traditional piano techniques.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 1
Language
English
Description
Let's start by playing some music! From minute one of this course, you will be at the piano, fingering keys and playing tunes. In this opening episode, you'll familiarize yourself with the piano, perform a few basic exercises to warm up, and explore some introductory rhythm patterns. By the end of the episode, you'll know how to play the theme from Beethoven's Ode to Joy.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 3
Language
English
Description
The piano is a brilliant instrument because it can be used for both melody and harmony, the lead tune and the accompaniment. In this introduction to harmony, you'll explore the tonic and dominant notes of a scale, and you'll revisit Ode to Joy to better understand these concepts in action.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 6
Language
English
Description
Round out your study of the major five-finger patterns, and how "accidentals" (changing a pitch by half a step) work. Jazz around with "When the Saints Go Marching In," and then learn about the interval of the fourth. Add "Aura Lee" - the folk song Elvis used for "Love Me Tender" - to your repertoire.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 13
Language
English
Description
Now that you are growing comfortable with the major key signatures, shift your attention to the minor finger patterns and chords. You'll learn several new pieces ("Skip to My Lou" and a minor étude), and you'll continue practicing your efforts at sight-reading. You will also discover an important new skill: how to harmonize a lead line.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 28
Language
English
Description
In this episode, you will refine much of your existing repertoire. You'll then try your hand at Liszt's Liebestraum. While this piece can be quite challenging for students, Professor Pike has created a special arrangement designed for your current level of ability. Work on adding musical expression to these Romantic-era pieces.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 5
Language
English
Description
Begin to familiarize yourself with the landmark pitches on the staff. By practicing various five-finger patterns (including C major, D major, E major, and A major), you will soon be able to match a tune to a specific tempo. This episode also introduces the concept of "chords," a triad of notes that allow for richer accompaniment.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 24
Language
English
Description
Continue your study of the Classical period with a look at one of the most important forms in piano music: the sonata-allegro. See why the seventh chords are so important for classical music, and then survey the life and music of Haydn. Practice Mozart's Sonata in C and Haydn's Dance in D Major.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 31
Language
English
Description
After warming up with a waltz, you'll learn "Rameau's Minuet," a piece widely anthologized for music students. Then, go back to the Baroque to learn about Bach's fugues and Pachelbel's famous Canon in D. This episode gives you a chance to refine your skills in harmonization.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 4
Language
English
Description
"Tempo" refers to speed in music, and it can be measured with a metronome. Continue working on the interplay of harmony and melody. When you add time to the equation, you can explore "intervals," or pitches in a scale. You've learned enough at this point to study basic notation - the first step toward musical mastery.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 25
Language
English
Description
It's time. You've learned enough about music theory and notation that you are ready to tackle sight-reading head-on. Here, you will be introduced to several new sight-reading pieces as well as a technical étude. You'll also continue your study of the Dance in D Major and the Sonata in C.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 10
Language
English
Description
Here, build on the last episode about chord inversions and take a deeper look at the dominant chord. Try your hand at transposing a new chord progression into various keys, and then practice some C major cross-hand arpeggios. The move may be tricky at first, but Professor Pike gives you plenty of time to practice.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 35
Language
English
Description
Like its counterparts in art and literature, impressionism is a powerful musical movement that conveys a vague aural picture through interesting chords and progressions. Claude Debussy is the master of impressionism, and you will review his approach - and see how una corda pedal can help you mirror his sound.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 30
Language
English
Description
Artistic discipline is defined by having the persistence to continue learning difficult music over an extended period of time. This episode gives you time to practice what you've learned before traveling back in time to the Baroque era, before the modern piano as we know it was invented. Survey the instruments and style of the period.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 23
Language
English
Description
Learning to play the piano is about more than acquiring, perfecting, and practicing techniques. Understanding the time periods of music history help inform your understanding of practice. Here, start with the Classical period and learn how the piano developed as an instrument. Play Mozart's theme from the Sonata in C.
Author
Series
How to Play Piano volume 16
Language
English
Description
Hone the new musical skills you learned in Episode 15. After reviewing scales and learning to harmonize a minor melody, you'll experiment with a new rhythm pattern. Dig into "A Turkish Tune" to isolate problem spots, and then try your hand at a theme from Beethoven's Minuet in G.