PLAY PIANO WITH CHORDS

Playing the Piano with Chords

Volume 1

A book to teach pianists to play chords. Although geared toward beginning pianists, it could be used by any one who wants to learn to play the piano by chord.  The following skills are taught in volume 1:

1-Recognize and play the intervals of minor and major 3rds.

2-How triads are formed (the concept of stacked 3rds).

3-Similarities in chords. For instance, C major, G major, and F major are all formed using only white keys.

4-Recognize and play the four basic chord types (Major, Minor, Augmented, and Diminished).

5-Play the various chord types in various styles. For example, block chords, arpeggiated chords, Alberti bass, boogie, etc.

6-Learn to move between the chord types by changing one note. For example, when moving from C major to C minor, one lowers the middle note of the triad by one half step.

7-Begin to improvise using the four basic chord types.

8-Be familiar with enharmonic spellings of chords. For example, Gb major and F# major use the same keys on the piano, but they are spelled differently.

9-Recognize and play the various types of seventh chords.

10-Playing with a metronome is encouraged to build speed and mastery. This volume focuses on the four main types of chords with an introduction to seventh chords.

Playing the Piano with Chords

Volume 2

2nd book in a series to teach pianists to play chords. Skills taught include:

Chords that go with scales

Embellishments of chords through non-harmonic tones and chord extensions

Modulation

Transposing

9th chords, 11th chords, 13th chords

Turn arounds

Common jazz voicings

Augmented 6th chords

Sequences

Neapolitan chords

Chromatic Mediants

Tonicization

Secondary dominants

Circle of 5th progressions and chord voicings

And much more