Do You Really Need a Teacher?

No you don’t — Yes you do
With all the TV infomercials and website piano teaching courses out there, all exclaiming how fast and easy it is to learn to play piano with just a little practice each day and their fantastic, innovative secrete system, who needs a teacher? Why pay 40 to 75 bucks a week for a teacher, when all those magic courses can teach you to “play like a pro” with little effort?. Well folks, in plain English, it ain’t gonna happen! -- you playing like a pro that is -- from a TV, website or email/mail-order piano course.

"If all it took was a few bucks and little practice,
there'd be piano player on every corner"

Playing at a professional level requires years of study under the tutelage of more then one piano teacher/coach, along with much OTJ experience playing with other musicians. How does the adult beginner, with job, family, and all of life’s daily challenges, find the 2 to 4 hours of daily practice needed to begin to accomplish this? Let’s stop talking about “playing like a pro”--especially as an adult beginner.

"A teacher's purpose is not to create students in his own image, but to develop
students who can create their own image" ~Author Unknown

Now, Down to Reality
What CAN be accomplished without a teacher; with those courses? Plenty! Music theory can be learned, chord and scale knowledge, how to read music, play songs at an intermediate level, and most important—enjoyment. If that was the goal...success! Other things that WILL be gained from this type of learning WILL be the development of many bad playing habits, (unavoidable) incorrect fingering, a bad sense of time, incorrect pedaling, etc. Which won't matter if your goal was simply, and wonderfully, fun!

But... (there’s always a but) over time, what happens quite often is, (for many) frustration, boredom, and a feeling that something is missing, or just not right. Many self-taught students begin to desire more; a better sound, better technique, more knowledge, etc.

Even though many of these courses claim to be able to take students to an advanced level, the student can’t seem to do it on their own. Many folks who spend from 6 months to two years playing on their own eventually decide to take formal piano lessons to advance their playing. They seek help. Enter the teacher... and there are some surprises in store...

The Battle Begins - (A Tough Situation For Both)
When the teachers evaluates this type of students playing, he realizes that much correction is needed to get them on track. So, it’s back to the basics in order to rebuild. The correction process begins. It takes work, and desire. Some students accept this and get down to work. Others, become stressed because they feel like everything they’ve done was a waste of time. Some will defend and fight to keep what they do because they've done it so long, much of it feels and sounds right to them. They don't hear the colliding of chords due to incorrect pedaling for example—along with so many other self-developed bad habits. Many will just back off the lessons. It's easier then all that work.

It will take a special teacher to motivate them to stick with it—to encourage them on. But it’s not easy to break bad habits whether on the piano or in life—it takes work. So, do you really need a teacher? I vote yes—from the very beginning if possible; that is if you want to play above an amateur level. If you use this site or any of the others to help you with your playing, you will accomplish even more, and much faster if you've got someone to keep an eye out for you—keep you on track. So, think about it.

See the 'Finding The Right Teacher' - Not So Easy' and the 'Teacher Types' articles for more info.

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Piano Teacher - Not An Easy Job

THE WAY IT USED TO BE... The piano teacher... Yes, that sweet ( or tyrannical) silver haired elder who all the neighborhood’s children go to on Saturday to take their piano lessons. She had one teaching method for all—do it right, or get a crack on the knuckles. It’s a bit different these days.

Many a piano student today is an adult beginner. They may have grown children who are now out of the house, and they're going to do things that they haven't had the chance to do up till now, or never had the chance to do growing up, or to continue what they started as a child. And one of those things is to play the piano; "it’s my time now". There’s not as many kids today taking piano lessons as there used to be. They’re much too busy with their computer, Xbox, Ipods, TV, etc.

"The piano teacher cannot avoid, nor keep from adjusting
to the intervening of the students personality"

BAGGAGE... One reason children generally make good piano students is the lack of life-problems they have to deal with. (for the most part). No relationship, career, or money problems etc. Life is not getting in their way; they pretty much have clear heads. So they just seem to absorb information faster, and we adults are amazed at how fast they learn. Well, it’s no wonder.

Today’s piano teacher may find themselves primarily with adult students. With these students, comes various already formed life habits, personality traits, ideas and daily challenges that carry over into the piano learning process, which at times can hinder learning process—sometimes helps. This becomes a huge challenge for the teacher. So many personalities to work with. (See The Article; ‘Students Types’) for a breakdown of this category—it's pretty interesting.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF STUDENTS... (the short take) The piano teacher cannot avoid, nor keep from adjusting to the intervening of the students personality. A confident and motivated student, is spoken to and taught differently then one with an inferiority complex. Also, teaching a first time student is different from teaching a student who has just changed teachers, or has had some negative experiences with past teachers—this brings on a whole new set of challenges for the teacher. Yes, one would say that it’s a bit like being a psychologist.

THIS IS SO EASY... A teacher who thinks that there’s only one way; a one-for-all style or approach, is in for a big surprise. If they’re not good at dealing with people in general, they will fail in teaching. Just as in life, people (students) will test you. They will judge the teacher’s reactions and responses to their performance, their questions, their challenges, etc. Did they feel encouraged? Was the teacher patient? Did he/she help them overcome a particular problem? Did the teachers tone of voice help or offend? As much as what the teacher expects from a student, the student will have expectations of the teacher.

Teaching piano and music can, and quite often becomes personal. As with any regular interaction between two human beings, a relationship of some kind is formed; for better or worse. When a teacher helps a student learn to play music, something wonderful happens for that student; and teacher. A partnership, a bond, is attained; if, the teacher can communicate in such a way as to help the student grow their love of music and the piano. Yes...‘Piano Teacher, Not An Easy Job.’

"The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book"
~Author Unknown

(HOME PAGE)

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Piano Teacher Types - All Kinds Of Them

Sometimes when I'm being a bit reflective of the days when I was taking lessons, I think about the kinds of teachers I've had... and there were many. I'm fascinated when talking to some of my students about their past teachers and the stories they tell me. Many times it causes me some heavy deja vu. I thought it would make for a good, and hopefully helpful post. If you have a story or two, it might be fun and interesting, and possibly helpful to others if you tell us. Oh... tell us about the good ones too. This post is really about what to watch out for, on the negative side of things. So, let's take a look!

The...Stay The Course Type (His Course)
This teacher is systematic—only one way for all students. Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, and so on. This may be fine when learning in a formal, traditional manner, and for young students with many years of learning ahead of them, but, it’s not for everyone. We're all different, our desires, the music we love and want to play differ, and unfortunately does not come into consideration with this type because, “this is the way it’s done”. Each week the student assigned another page in the book, and the following week is the test... and so on. He only knows this way and hasn’t the ability to deal with different students types with different needs and goals.

When it comes to adult students, the teacher needs to learn what the students aim is, and then create a course of study in that direction. Yes, it’s true that some amount of trust in the teacher’s judgment is necessary, but, if you feel that something is not right over a reasonable amount of time, it’s time to reconsider. (That being said... this method may work for you).

The Clock Watcher (“Gotta go now")
Yes, teaching is a business. The teacher is making a living. But when I hear a teacher say, “I get this price for a half hour, and this price for and hour”, it reminds me of another profession as old as the world itself.yes, It’s necessary for a teacher to have time guidelines if he’s going to see X amount of students a day. He can’t leisurely for hours with each one—that is unless he gets what he gets for gets. :-/ I've had a coupe of teachers that when my time was up, they would stand up with one hand out, and one foot pointed to the door. (Literally) It didn’t matter if I was in the middle of a question—they were, gone. I frown on teachers with the goal of squeezing in as many students as they can in a day. I've never met a piano teacher that made the Forbes 500 list—I wish some would stop trying.

At times, a half hour to forty five minutes may be all that a student needs, or can absorb; any more can cause overload and does not benefit the student. There may be times when the student needs more, to have the teacher work with them. A good teacher will know when either applies. A piano lesson (I prefer piano session) should be anywhere from forty minutes to an hour and a half in general. If you notice the teacher looking down at his watch as much as he looks up at you and the music, with an occasional yawn thrown in, it may be time to consider a change—not wasting of your valuable time.

The Disciplinarian (The Knuckle Cracker)
I’ve never had my knuckles cracked, but I’ve come close. Man, this old school stuff still exists...I've got the battered students to prove it. The ‘knuckle cracker’ is my metaphor for the strict, down to business teacher. He has no patience for doing it wrong and has no bones about letting you know. He is the ‘master’—the master tells you what he expects of you. If you've got one of these... run!

The Great Player (hey, look at me!)
Ahh.... one of my most interesting teachers. Man, could he play. He played so well that 75% of each lesson was listening and watching him play. The first few times, I loved it. I think he enjoyed hearing to me say, “wow”, and “Oh my God”. In fact, I think he enjoyed it so much, the lesson format never changed. At first I thought, “exciting, so this is where I’m headed, this is what he’s gonna teach me”. But I began to feel a bit discouraged also, “I’ll never play like that”. Why? Well as I soon found out, he had no system, no method of instruction on how to get there. It was a few notes scribbled on paper and too much conversation. Anything I did learn from him was by imitation. I never quite understood what I was playing or why. I had to figure it out myself.

The Not So Great Player (Helps if he/she could play)
What can we say? It’s always nice to have a teacher who can demonstrate the materials they’re teaching. As I said in my 'Finding The Right Teacher article', he doesn’t have to be a Chopin, Oscar Peterson, or Billy Joel, but at least have a good feel for the music they’re teaching. One student told me that when she asked the teacher if she could learn how to play ______, the teacher said "ok, we could play around with some of that stuff". My student told me that he could not play, nor had any knowledge of that particular style of music, but was willing to spend time, and HER money playing around with it.

The One Step Ahead Of You Guy
So here I am learning a particular style, at a certain level, in which a few problems exist here and there. The teacher sits down to show me a few things to help me out...or, perhaps I should say, to show me a thing or two! Rather then playing at my level to demonstrate and teach me how, and what I should be doing, he bumps it up a couple of notches and looses me in the dust. So I ask, “could you slow down a bit?” He doesn’t, I still can’t figure it out, and now I’m feeling really frustrated and begin to hate this guy for making me feel inadequate. It’s the same for each lesson. But, but, he’s very encouraging though, or tries to be... “Keep at it, you’ll get it”. Maybe I will, maybe I won't...but you won't be around to find out. Back to the search.

Give’em A Chance, But...
All teachers deserve a chance. (See article ‘Piano Teacher, Not An Easy Job’). This article defends the teacher and explains what a responsibility this job can become. Sometimes, there’s a method to their madness. If you judge to fast, you could miss the pot of gold at the end. But after two, or three, or six months of working diligently on the work, and you’re not getting what you want, it may be time to start thinking about a change.

Your teacher should have a planned approach, teaching you to play in the style of music you like. Learning to play that 88 key monster in a daunting task and any age. Students can become discouraged—at times they feel that they may not have the ability or talent to play. This is normal. Learning to play can become stressful. The piano teacher needs to help the student overcome these hurdles. If you do not feel good after each lesson, feeling as if, “hey, I think I could do this”, then he or she is not doing their job. Some say, that’s a lot to put on the piano teacher—that, "he’s not a therapist you know". Well, that’s true—but he IS a teacher. Over time, the teacher / student relationship becomes a personal thing... a kinship is formed... and the teacher should know how your personality works in relation to learning the instrument.

"A master can tell you what he expects of you. A teacher, though,
awakens your own expectations" — Patricia Neal

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Finding The Right Teacher - Not So Easy

This article is aimed at primarily adult beginners, ages 20 to 80. I hope it helps with one of the most important aspects of learning piano— finding the right teacher. Unfortunately most beginners stay to long with a teacher not knowing if he or she is right for them. Here are some things to think about. You might want to check out 'Teacher Types' article. Good Luck. And if you have questions regarding your teacher or the subject in general, you can post a reply or contact me. 

Finding the right teacher is important at any level of learning. He/she can take you along the correct path, not only learning how to play, but learning how to learn on your own. Whether your teacher recommendations came from the local music store, referrals from the local college, or a friend, you are going to have to interview. You are interviewing candidates for a job position with certain qualities that will help you make a choice.

What Do I Ask The Potential Teacher?
Well, the obvious for starters. “How long have you been teaching?” “What’s your background?” “Can you play the piano”? (kidding) Try and get a feel for the person. I wouldn’t be concerned if he or she is teaching two or twenty years, or how many diplomas they may have. Your first step toward that final decision might be to remove any misconceptions of what makes a good teacher. (This should stir the soup) You could loose a diamond because of these misconceptions.

"A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary"

~Thomas Carruthers

Misconception #1
A formal education, (a degree) is a prerequisite for a good teacher. Yes... and no. If I were a music student in high school or college planning a performance or teaching career, I would want someone who has gone through the process and could prepare me for what lay ahead. But, if I 'm an adult beginner or intermediate student just wanting to learn to play my favorite songs, or improve my pop or jazz playing, the formal degrees are not necessary.

Argument For Misconception #1
Many folks would ask at this point if I would go to a doctor who did not have a formal education. Or if I would feel comfortable flying a commercial airliner with a pilot whose previous experience was a couple years of tree-topping in a rented Piper Cub. The answer of course is, “no”. But I would gladly let a highly recommended, unschooled mechanic work on my car. The best one I ever had was a neighbor who fixed cars for a hobby. I would also gladly take foreign language or math instruction from a talented high school or college student.

Traits of a Good Teacher...
There are traits I’d like to see in a teacher before any concern of their credentials. If I get both, fine. What I want in a teacher does not come with a diploma. Let me explain...

My ideal teacher, loves to teach. He/she is concerned with the students growth and progress—the student’s success becomes personal, and feels a personally fulfilled as the student accomplishes goal after goal. You will get a feel for this in a short time. My good teacher is patient and motivating, with good communication skills. Simply stated, the teacher ‘cares’. If you feel any of these traits are not present in your teacher, you might want to think about looking elsewhere.

Some of the best teachers I’ve had were ones where I found myself impatient to get to the lesson. I could have sat for hours with them. I loved learning from them. I’ve also had teachers where I watched the clock more than them. “Get me outta here”! (See Article: ‘Teacher Types’)

Misconception #2
A good teacher must be a great player. An emphatic not true. Of course, they should know their instruments. It’s motivating, exciting and fun when they can demonstrate what they teach—but, do they have to be a Chopin, an Oscar Peterson, or a Billy Joel? Absolutely not. It’s just human nature to want to brag about your teacher. “My teacher was a student of the great...”, “My teacher played with so-and-so” etc.

Look at some of the greatest sports coaches in history; many were just average players without any outstanding career accomplishments. But they knew the game - they knew how to teach - they knew how to motivate and encourage. They, were teachers! They brought out the best in their players. A music teacher should be like that coach, creating excitement and heightening your love of music through a method of teaching that moves you along.

What it takes to learn an instrument and make music is first, a love of music, then desire, excitement, and motivation, and... a good teacher to keep those things energized in you. The plain truth is, many great players are just not good teachers. Some are—however, most are not. Why is that? Because they are not teachers, they are players. It’s all they’ve ever done, play. There’s a huge difference.

Some of the greatest frustrations of students and musicians I have known throughout the years came from studying with great, well-known players who could not teach what they know—nor did they have the patience. Lessons might be an hour or so of conversation, with them doing most of the playing. “Try this”, they say, “or maybe that”, “sometimes this works”, and “you should learn your scales and chords”. And financially, if the player-teacher is well established player in the field, one can expect to pay a high fee—up to $150 an hour.

I am not saying a great player cannot be a good teacher, well worth the big money—it’s possible, they DO exist, they're just hard to find… yet, not necessary for beginner to intermediate players. These types of player/teachers are better off as coaches to those who already have some knowledge and skills. So, take your time and choose wisely. Let me know if you need some advice. Now, when you have some time, take a look article #2. ‘Teacher Types’ for examples of teacher types. It’s actually part ‘B’ of this one.  Here are some teacher web resources.

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains.
The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires"

~William Arthur Ward

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Free Piano Beginner Instruction Booklets

I'm in the process of working on (3) free booklets for beginners-much of which will posted on-site. Now I know that there's a million places online for beginners. Some good, some not. Most are teaser sites for getting a sale for the complete course. As I said, some are good. But, the booklets I'll be giving to beginners have a unique twist in that they're geared to getting them up and running in much less time then what might be considered normal.

So keep your eye out. I'll post as soon as at least No.1 is completed. Oh... as well as the booklets, there will be tons of free beginner posts.... All beginner materials on 'Piano Booklets Learning System' are gratis.

"You can learn new things at any time in your life if you're willing
to be a beginner. If you actually learn to like being a beginner,
the whole world opens up to you."

ABOUT BOOKLETS•••••••••••••••HOME•••••••••••••••BOOKLETS INDEX

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COMMUNITY MUSICAL EVENTS

If you'd like to announce a community musical event, please do so in the 'comments' section. This is a great way for learners to get out there and listen.

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ANNOUNCE YOUR GIG

I thought it would be great if musicians could post where and when they're playing. This way fellow readers could go and listen... and learn... As most working musicians know, a huge part of learning is being able to watch and listen to others play.

So, here it is; just announce it in the 'comments' section.

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INTERNET PIANO TEACHER RESOURCES

Here's a list of website's where teacher's can be found.
If you know of any I don't have listed, or have a
teaching website of your own, please
'contact me' and I'll list it promptly.

Huge List

The Learning Musician

MTNA Nationally Certified Teachers of Music Directory

Find Piano Lessons.com

Piano World

PianoTeachers.com

PianoTeachersDirectory.com

How to Find a Piano Teacher for a Child

A short video by a nice gentleman with some suggestions

If you live in the U.K. try this

Piano Teachers List

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PIANO TEACHER LISTING & MORE

Teachers of all instruments can list here if they wish—especially piano teachers—use the 'Contact Me' icon on the left to send me all the pertinent information and I will post it here. Please specify the Instrument(s) and style(s) you teach along with any other pertinent information such as what State and City you teach in. There’s no charge for this service, no stipulations, and, keep it on the site as long as you wish. And if you wish to be removed, just gimmie a shout.

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CONTACT ME

Do you have questions, recommendations, criticisms? Do you have a site you want me to take a look at—a music or piano book you’re curious about— a website or piece of software promising to make you the best piano player on earth? Maybe I made a boo boo somewhere, a broken link—a speling error somewhere? Don’t be shy—let me know what you want or think.

If you would like to contact me to make any suggestions, comments, or site recommendations, use the 'contact' button on the left or the link at the top of the page. Or, if you have any questions of a musical nature and/or need help related to the site materials that you prefer not to post publicly, always feel free to give me shout.. but try your best to post it in the blog as this could help others that may have the same type of questions. I'll do the best I can to give you a hand.

You can also contact me for information regarding private study—that is if you live in South Florida and my schedule allows. I will respond as soon as possible.

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Great Piano/Music Website Reviews

These posts will discuss and review music and piano related websites that I recommend... Many others have created some good to excellent piano learning sites. Many free, and many for a fee. Both categories have some great materials. If they have materials covering a subject I intended to cover here, and they do it better, I'm going to tell you. I'm not trying to compete. I'm trying to get the best information I can. As far as some of the pay sites. Only, I repeat only if I think it's much more then worth the fee's will I guide you in that direction. I have to say though, a couple of them are just, great!

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Piano and Music Software

Reviews & Recommendations of piano and music software such as 'notation', 'recording', learning. etc. If I missed some good ones, please comment. If you want me to take a look at something for you, just ask.

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Books/Videos Reviews and Recommendations

Here is where I'll do my best to inform you of the most useful books & videos on a wide variety styles and systems. It’s a big job. I will literally purchase each book & video we review, put them through the paces checking for content usefulness, clarity, and the ability to apply the information etc. I'll rate them on a 1 to 5 stars scale and... beginner, intermediate or advanced. It'll probably be mostly 4 and 5 star because If I do not like something, I wouldn't feel comfortable giving someone's hard work a low rating. I know, then 'how can I call it reviews'? Well, let's just say I'll talk about what I think is the most helpful.

I'll even offer advice in their use and recommend additional items that will compliment the reviewed item—and, which of my booklets best supports and/or prepares you for its use. Check back often for new reviews. On many review pages I'll provide company links to purchase the item, if you wish. I’ll recommend where the item is available and least expensive. You can also use these links to browse other music categories and shop around.

They serve a dual purpose; one is, your convenience, the other is for me. When a visitor to PBLS clicks one of these to make a purchase, I receive credit and a small reimbursement. This helps offset the time & cost of maintaining Piano Booklets Learning System.

Ok, Let’s Find That Perfect Book or Video!
Just click on a ‘BOOK’ or ‘VIDEO’ link Below to choose a category of interest. Remember, I'm here to help—so use that ‘contact’ link if you have questions.

Oh, One Very Important Tip!
Various styles have similarities. You may not be interested in ‘Blues’ type of music, but, it can teach you a great deal about improvisation and chord voicing's, comping, soloing, etc. that can be applied to your favorite style of music. And while you may not want to become a ‘Gospel’ Pianist, these styles teach an enormous amount information on rhythm, bass line movement, and chord structure. etc. Stay open to exploring all styles as they will help you to discover many ways of playing music that will begin to merge together helping you to develop your individual style...‘your own sound’.

BOOKS
Blue Books............................
Piano Technique Books.....
Jazz Books............................
Gospel Books......................
Pop Piano Books................
Music Reading Books........
COMING SOON...................

VIDEOS
Blues Videos........................
Gospel Videos.....................
Pop Piano Video..................
Improvisation Videos..........
Learn Piano Videos.............
COMING SOON....................

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ARTICLES INDEX

If you haven't already done so, please take a moment and read the
'ABOUT FREE ARTICLES' page link at the top of the page.

Here's a listing of the intended and already published PBLS articles. As they become available, each listing will turn into a link taking you the about page of that subject.

TEACHERS: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

• Finding The Right Teacher
• Teacher Types
• Piano Teacher... Not An Easy Job
• Do You Really Need a Teacher?
• Teacher Info On The Web.

PRACTICING: It’s The Only Way, But Which Way?

• Practice Methods.
• Going Slow, It’s The Only Way To Go
• Practice Tips & Tricks
• Practice Info On The Web

THE PIANO STUDENT: We’re Not All The Same You Know

• Student Types
• The Older Beginner

TECHNIQUE: It’s Not Just How Fast You Can Go

• What Is It?
• How To Acquire It
• Technique Info On The Web

MISCELLANEOUS: Various Subjects and Thoughts

• So You Want To Play The Piano?
• Frustration & More Frustration
• It’s All In The Timing
• Reading Music, The Left Hand

GUEST ARTICLES: Your Contributions to The Site!

(HOME PAGE)

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About The Free Articles

FREE ARTICLES HELPING YOU ALONG THE WAY

The purpose of this category is to be a reference resource for many facets of the playing piano and the piano experience. The psychological as well as the physical. These articles will be helpful in the many steps and situations that one has to deal with when beginning and continuing to learn the piano.If you have an idea or recommendation for an article that you would like to see here, then ‘contact me’ and let me know. I’ll create an article on the requested subject. For now you can check out the 'ARTICLES INDEX' link at the top of the page.
Are you a teacher, amateur or professional musician, songwriter, vocalist, recording engineer etc.? Do you have a music site or learning piano blog that you would like to promote? Do you do anything music related? Then make your voice heard here, through the ‘article’ format. All articles must, we repeat, must, be informative and helpful to the reader. I will not accept self-promotion only articles.

As you write your article, ask yourself, “what am I giving to the reader?” If it meets that criteria, then go ahead, promote yourself. Offer a link to your site or blog... I’ll post it with your article.

So, if you would like to submit a 'Guest Article', feel free to 'contact me'. I'll review it, and if I feel it's worthy, LOL, (I'm sure it will be) then I'll put it in the 'Article Index' link page crediting you and your site, as well as putting a general link to you site on PBLS. Maybe we can exchange articles, other info, and links to each other?

“The pause is as important as the note" ~ Truman Fisher

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The Booklets Index

If you haven't already done so, please take a moment and read the
'ABOUT THE BOOKLETS/POSTS' page link at the top of the page.

Listed below are some up and coming post subjects in relation to the booklets. Not all posts are listed here. Most of these will have coinciding booklets. As they become available, the listing will turn into a link taking you the page/post of that subject. There will be a full description, a lesson on the subject with real-life examples and explanations—including sound files. There will also be a sample page or two of the booklet and an opportunity to purchase the booklet if so desired.

Now, the post information will be enough for most to begin to use this information—but if you feel a want, or need to develop this technique further, there will be an option to purchase the full booklet in which there will be many, many more examples and idea applications—as stated in the 'ABOUT THE BOOKLETS/POSTS' post, at very inexpensive and fair pricing. Remember: All Beginner Booklets, and More... Are Free!

I'm listing as many as I have plans for at the moment. Not all posts will have an accompanying booklet. And the ones that will, will eventually follow—they take a bit of time to create. All readers that either subscribe to the blog or get a feed, will of course be notified of the new booklets as they become available. And, if there's any targeted subject you do not see here and would like to see in a post or booklet, just contact me and let me know.

“The expert at anything was once a beginner”

JUST SOME OF THE FREE BOOKLETS FOR BEGINNERS:

• Beginner #1 - Your very first steps learning the piano.
• Beginner #2 - Your next steps as a beginner.
• Beginner #3 - Moving along nicely.
• Triads - Basics / Part 1 - The foundation of your chord knowledge. Two Hands.
• Triads - Left Hand Broken / Part 2 - Closed

THE TRIAD - Not just a simple chord. First learn the basics well in Parts 1 and 2. Then move on to Part 3 for a powerful use of this chord. Then Part 4 for further development. And finally, to Parts 5 and 6 where you will begin to learn how to move them around the keyboard creating terrific fills and modern, gorgeous harmonies. Just knowing your triads well can have you sounding like a pro. (If you know how to apply them.) I'll take care of that end :-)

• The Dominant 7th Chord - Very important chord - learn this well!
• The Minor 7th Chord - Another very important chord!
• The Diminished 7th Chord - And one more very important chord!
• Blues - Part 1 Beginner - A great style of music for learning much of the piano.
• Timing - Rhythm - The Heartbeat of Music
  
• Scale Basics - Introduction to Scales
• 
  

BEGINNER / INTERMEDIATE BOOKLETS:

• Triads - Open Broken / Part 3
  

OPEN TRIADS - Continuing with triads, we now learn a simple left-hand technique that will create a flowing beautiful harmonic movement to all your ballad playing. Then we continue with the open Dom. And Minor 7th chords. With this combination of tools you will begin to develop a more professional sound.

• Amazing Triad Part 4 - 3 & 4-Parts for Right Hand Facility
  
• Amazing Triad Part 5 (3 Powerful Patterns) - Movin' Around for Right Hand
• Amazing Triad part 6 - As Polychords (Upper Structures) For Two Hands
• Open Minor7th and Dominant 7th Chords - Open & Move
  
• Play Stride Piano: - A Simple, Yet Effective Method

SIMPLE STRIDE PIANO - Traditional Stride Piano can take years to master. With this simple, effective technique you can sound like a seasoned stride player. A prerequisite for this technique is knowing your ‘CLOSED and OPEN forms of Major/Minor triads, and 7th Chords'.

• Deceptive Cadences - Tricking the Listeners Ears For Some Pleasant Surprises!

DECEPTIVE CADENCE - A great tool for creating that unexpected, beautiful, interesting and surprising sound your listeners never expected. This great technique is especially good for endings.

• The Dominant 9th and 11th Chord - Plush, Beautiful Chord Creation
  
• The Minor 9th and 11th Chord - Continuation of Beautiful Chord Creation
  
• Chromatic Passing Chords - Creating Movement
  

CHROMATIC PASSING CHORDS - Learn this simple trick for creating more ovement in your songs. This technique will create an exciting feeling to your songs. Easy to learn, and effective.

• The Half-Diminished Chord - (Or Minor 7b5 Chord) Very Necessary!
  
• Voicings: - Intro To Shells
• The Blues: Part 2
• The Blues: Part 3

THE BLUES - Learn how to play blues piano with this 3-part booklet system. Each booklet stands on its own, yet if you wish to advance, you can. You know.... there's Blues, then there's Blues, and then there's Blues again.... Meaning, there are many kinds of Blues... You will understand and learn about this as you progress through the post's on PBLS.

• Chord Changes Basic Harmony #1
• Chord Changes Basic Harmony #2
• Chord Changes Basic Harmony #3
• Altered 7th Chords - For More Exciting Sounds

ALTERED 7ths - Take those 7th chords you know and learn how to change them into modern sounding chords. You will learn various ways to transform these basic chords to create a various sounds and moods. You must know your 7th chords first.

• Reharmonization: First Steps to making a song even more beautiful, or exciting.
  

REHARMONIZATION - Most songbooks and sheet music offer only the ‘basic’ chords needed to play a tune. These basic chords are often misleading and/or amateurish. You will learn how to change, or adjust, or correct, or create new chord types to make your playing harmonically correct and sound thoroughly professional. You’ll need a good grounding in the 'Scale Tone' Chord System to fully understand and make sense of this.

• Working With AFakebook
• Left Hand Bass Lines Part 1

INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED BOOKLETS:

• Reharmonization Continued - Continued.....
  
• Shells and 10th Voicing's

VOICING’S: INTRO TO SHELLS - A left hand style played by every pop and jazz piano pro for over 50 years. Once again... You first need to know your basic triads and 7th chords.

• Advanced Blues
• Left Hand Arpeggio System: Part 3

LEFT-HAND ARPEGGIO SYSTEM - One of the most powerful, interesting, and challenging styles for the beginner, intermediate, and even advanced students. You can play this exciting left-hand style by following this step-by-step, systematic method. This style of playing creates a fullness to songs like no other style can. A prerequisite for this booklet is that you know your ‘Open Triads’ & ‘Open 7ths’. These two techniques lay the foundation for this advanced step in your playing.

• Left Hand Bass Lines #2

AND MUCH MORE TO COME!

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About This Blog

Hi all... Now that I'm not playing professionally anymore and have become a piano teacher, I'm excited to extend my teaching on to Internet. My 'Piano Booklets Learning System©' is where beginning, intermediate, hobbyists, and even advanced piano students will discover a huge amount of information on all aspects of piano playing: with 95% of it gratis. Here are just some of the subjects I plan on covering.

Jazz and Pop Piano Styles  •  Blues Piano  •  The Great Standards  •  Broadway  •  Latin Piano  •  Gospel Piano  •  Pop and Jazz Scales  •  Pop and Jazz Harmony  •  Music Theory  •  Improvisation  •  Pop and Jazz Chord Voicings  •  Altered Chords  •  Rhythm  •  Piano Technique  •  Practice Methods and Tips  •  Fakebooks and Leadsheets  •  Song Reharmonization  •  Left Hand Arpeggio Systems  •  Sight Reading  •  Many Helpful Articles  •  and so much more.

Most subjects will have beginner to advanced instruction with accompanying articles, tons of examples (on real tunes) and live audio demonstrations. (Eventually I'll get to video) This is a huge encyclopedic project I'm taking on, so check back often to see what's new; or subscribe with you email or RSS feed. There will never be any spam emails from here. And there's never any sign ins, or sign ups to access any part of the blog.

Many of the methods I offer are not traditional. (some are) It’s the tips & tricks of the trade method. Think of them as ‘shortcuts’—a fast track way of achieving your goals. Beginners need to know the basics of course. Intermediate players will learn a myriad of tips, tricks, and methods to get them that pro sound without a lot of technical jargon. There will also be a variety of music and piano software reviews, book and website reviews, and recommendations.

There will also be the optional availability of very inexpensive 8 to 20 page booklets focusing on specific subjects of this blog that will allow you to dig in and study in more depth—if you feel you wish to. Hence the name, 'Piano Booklets Learning System©'. Yet, so much of that info will be given in my posts, and that will suffice for most.

With so much information, many opinions, and varied methods of learning to play piano available, it can become confusing for the learner causing a lack of focus and direction. Which books? Which tapes? Which teacher? Keep in mind, that your goal is to ‘play music’ (the kind you want to) In order to create self-motivation and desire, you need a faster way to arrive at your goal. It's my desire to help you realize your goals as soon as possible.

All this without an overabundance of technical jargon and time-wasting exercises and theory that may delay your potential progress. That being said... As you progress, you may wish to learn more advanced methods and techniques—that’s the time to jump into more theory and advanced subjects. That information will be available here at PBLS. Enjoy!

So... thanks, and I hope you enjoy and learn... and share!

And... as always, feel free to contact me with any questions regarding any of the subject matter. But first... Let’s make some music!

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PR: wait... I: wait... L: wait... LD: wait... I: wait... wait... CY: wait... I: wait... L: wait... YCat: wait... I: wait... Top: wait... I: wait... L: wait... C: wait... SD: wait...

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Booklets/Posts Index

If you haven't already done so, please take a moment and read the
'ABOUT THE BOOKLETS/POSTS' page link at the top of the page.

Listed below are some up and coming post subjects in relation to the booklets. Not all posts are listed here. Most of these will have coinciding booklets. As they become available, the listing will turn into a link taking you the page/post of that subject. There will be a full description, a lesson on the subject with real-life examples and explanations—including sound files. There will also be a sample page or two of the booklet and an opportunity to purchase the booklet if so desired.

Now, the post information will be enough for most to begin to use this information—but if you feel a want, or need to develop this technique further, there will be an option to purchase the full booklet in which there will be many, many more examples and idea applications—as stated in the 'ABOUT THE BOOKLETS/POSTS' post, at very inexpensive and fair pricing. Remember: All Beginner Booklets, and More... Are Free!

I'm listing as many as I have plans for at the moment. Not all posts will have an accompanying booklet. And the ones that will, will eventually follow—they take a bit of time to create. All readers that either subscribe to the blog or get a feed, will of course be notified of the new booklets as they become available. And, if there's any targeted subject you do not see here and would like to see in a post or booklet, just contact me and let me know.

“The expert at anything was once a beginner”

JUST SOME OF THE FREE BOOKLETS FOR BEGINNERS:

• Beginner #1 - Your very first steps learning the piano.
• Beginner #2 - Your next steps as a beginner.
• Beginner #3 - Moving along nicely.
• Triads - Basics / Part 1 - The foundation of your chord knowledge. Two Hands.
• Triads - Left Hand Broken / Part 2 - Closed

THE TRIAD - Not just a simple chord. First learn the basics well in Parts 1 and 2. Then move on to Part 3 for a powerful use of this chord. Then Part 4 for further development. And finally, to Parts 5 and 6 where you will begin to learn how to move them around the keyboard creating terrific fills and modern, gorgeous harmonies. Just knowing your triads well can have you sounding like a pro. (If you know how to apply them.) I'll take care of that end :-)

• The Dominant 7th Chord - Very important chord - learn this well!
• The Minor 7th Chord - Another very important chord!
• The Diminished 7th Chord - And one more very important chord!
• Blues - Part 1 Beginner - A great style of music for learning much of the piano.
• Timing - Rhythm - The Heartbeat of Music
  
• Scale Basics - Introduction to Scales
• 
  

BEGINNER / INTERMEDIATE BOOKLETS:

• Triads - Open Broken / Part 3
  

OPEN TRIADS - Continuing with triads, we now learn a simple left-hand technique that will create a flowing beautiful harmonic movement to all your ballad playing. Then we continue with the open Dom. And Minor 7th chords. With this combination of tools you will begin to develop a more professional sound.

• Amazing Triad Part 4 - 3 & 4-Parts for Right Hand Facility
  
• Amazing Triad Part 5 (3 Powerful Patterns) - Movin' Around for Right Hand
• Amazing Triad part 6 - As Polychords (Upper Structures) For Two Hands
• Open Minor7th and Dominant 7th Chords - Open & Move
  
• Play Stride Piano: - A Simple, Yet Effective Method

SIMPLE STRIDE PIANO - Traditional Stride Piano can take years to master. With this simple, effective technique you can sound like a seasoned stride player. A prerequisite for this technique is knowing your ‘CLOSED and OPEN forms of Major/Minor triads, and 7th Chords'.

• Deceptive Cadences - Tricking the Listeners Ears For Some Pleasant Surprises!

DECEPTIVE CADENCE - A great tool for creating that unexpected, beautiful, interesting and surprising sound your listeners never expected. This great technique is especially good for endings.

• The Dominant 9th and 11th Chord - Plush, Beautiful Chord Creation
  
• The Minor 9th and 11th Chord - Continuation of Beautiful Chord Creation
  
• Chromatic Passing Chords - Creating Movement
  

CHROMATIC PASSING CHORDS - Learn this simple trick for creating more ovement in your songs. This technique will create an exciting feeling to your songs. Easy to learn, and effective.

• The Half-Diminished Chord - (Or Minor 7b5 Chord) Very Necessary!
  
• Voicings: - Intro To Shells
• The Blues: Part 2
• The Blues: Part 3

THE BLUES - Learn how to play blues piano with this 3-part booklet system. Each booklet stands on its own, yet if you wish to advance, you can. You know.... there's Blues, then there's Blues, and then there's Blues again.... Meaning, there are many kinds of Blues... You will understand and learn about this as you progress through the post's on PBLS.

• Chord Changes Basic Harmony #1
• Chord Changes Basic Harmony #2
• Chord Changes Basic Harmony #3
• Altered 7th Chords - For More Exciting Sounds

ALTERED 7ths - Take those 7th chords you know and learn how to change them into modern sounding chords. You will learn various ways to transform these basic chords to create a various sounds and moods. You must know your 7th chords first.

• Reharmonization: First Steps to making a song even more beautiful, or exciting.
  

REHARMONIZATION - Most songbooks and sheet music offer only the ‘basic’ chords needed to play a tune. These basic chords are often misleading and/or amateurish. You will learn how to change, or adjust, or correct, or create new chord types to make your playing harmonically correct and sound thoroughly professional. You’ll need a good grounding in the 'Scale Tone' Chord System to fully understand and make sense of this.

• Working With AFakebook
• Left Hand Bass Lines Part 1

INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED BOOKLETS:

• Reharmonization Continued - Continued.....
  
• Shells and 10th Voicing's

VOICING’S: INTRO TO SHELLS - A left hand style played by every pop and jazz piano pro for over 50 years. Once again... You first need to know your basic triads and 7th chords.

• Advanced Blues
• Left Hand Arpeggio System: Part 3

LEFT-HAND ARPEGGIO SYSTEM - One of the most powerful, interesting, and challenging styles for the beginner, intermediate, and even advanced students. You can play this exciting left-hand style by following this step-by-step, systematic method. This style of playing creates a fullness to songs like no other style can. A prerequisite for this booklet is that you know your ‘Open Triads’ & ‘Open 7ths’. These two techniques lay the foundation for this advanced step in your playing.

• Left Hand Bass Lines #2

AND MUCH MORE TO COME!

(HOME PAGE)

READ THE REST...