Introduction
Learning to play the piano can be a fulfilling and enjoyable endeavor, but it can also be quite challenging, especially if you’re new to the world of music. If you’ve been looking for an effective way to learn the piano by focusing on chords and chord progressions, Piano-by-Chords is here to help. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the benefits of learning the piano through chords and how Piano-by-Chords can make your musical journey both fun and productive.
What Is Piano-by-Chords?
Piano-by-Chords is an online platform that offers a unique and effective approach to learning the piano. Rather than the traditional method of starting with sheet music and complex music theory, Piano-by-Chords puts the focus on learning and mastering chords. Chord-based piano learning is an excellent way to quickly start playing your favorite songs and understanding the piano’s fundamental structure.
Why Choose Chord-Based Learning?
Chord-based piano learning has several advantages, making it an ideal choice for beginners and even experienced musicians looking to broaden their skills:
- Immediate Satisfaction: Learning chords allows you to play songs from the very beginning. This instant gratification can be incredibly motivating, as you’ll feel like you’re making progress right away.
- Versatility: Chords are the building blocks of music. By mastering them, you can play a wide variety of songs across different genres.
- Creative Freedom: Chords empower you to improvise and create your music. You can experiment with chord progressions and develop your unique style.
- Easy Memorization: Chord patterns are easier to remember than complex sheet music. This simplifies the learning process and allows you to focus on playing rather than reading.
- Play by Ear: Chord-based learning encourages you to develop your ear and play music by ear, a valuable skill for any musician.
How Does Piano-by-Chords Work?
Piano-by-Chords is designed to provide a structured and user-friendly learning experience for students of all levels. Here’s how it works:
1. Comprehensive Learning Material: When you join Piano-by-Chords, you’ll gain access to a wealth of learning materials, including e-books, video lessons, and audio exercises. These resources cover a wide range of piano styles, chords, and techniques.
2. Progressive Curriculum: The program is structured in a logical and progressive manner, guiding you from basic skills to more advanced techniques. Each lesson is designed to build upon the previous one, ensuring a smooth learning curve.
3. Video Lessons: Over 200 video lessons are included in the program, featuring the creator and instructor, who will explain and demonstrate keyboard functions. These videos are invaluable for understanding proper hand placement, fingering, and sound production.
4. Audio Exercises: Piano-by-Chords offers over 500 audio exercises and songs. These are strategically placed alongside each exercise to provide immediate feedback on your performance and pronunciation. Listening to these exercises is an excellent way to refine your piano skills.
The Piano-by-Chords Educational Program
The program consists of several books, each focusing on different aspects of piano learning:
Book One – Party Time: This book serves as an introduction to the program and the keyboard. It covers essential principles, including chords, rhythms, and basic music notation. By the end of this book, you’ll be able to play popular songs and create melodies.
Book Two – Blues & Rock N Roll: Building on your knowledge, this book introduces blues rhythms and emphasizes left-hand rhythms. You’ll learn to play the 12-bar blues in various keys, adding versatility to your repertoire.
Book Three – Chord Magic: This comprehensive book covers all chords for every key and their inversions. It also introduces the “cycle of Fifths,” a crucial concept for understanding music’s structure.
Book Four – Advanced Chords Made Easy: This book delves into more advanced chords and provides practice patterns for diminished and cluster chords. You’ll also learn Beatles-style playing, allowing you to play iconic songs.
Book Five – Ballad Style: Focusing on ballad-style playing, this book guides you through creating your ballads and encourages experimentation. It teaches you how to improvise, craft melodies, and apply the ballad process to known songs.
Book Six – All That Jazz & Blues: This content-rich section helps you build a foundation in jazz. You’ll learn about the blues scale, jazz rhythms, and improvisation. Quartal harmony and seventh chords are also covered.
Book Seven – Advanced Blues & Fake Stride: This book expands on your blues knowledge and introduces advanced chords. You’ll also learn about blues techniques like slides, tremolo, and turnarounds. The second section teaches you stride piano, both fake and real.
Book Eight – Taming The Classics: Focusing on sheet music, this book includes a review of musical notation and key signatures. It teaches you to sight-read music “the Pianoforall Way” and play classical pieces by composers like Beethoven, Bach, and Chopin.
Book Nine – Speed Learning: This book focuses on scales, arpeggios, and other elements essential for improving your piano skills. It includes practice routines and memory tricks for key signatures and seventh chords.
Bonus Book – The Practice Of Mindfulness: Although not directly related to piano, this e-book offers tips on creativity, focus, and mindfulness, which can benefit your overall learning experience.
Pros of Piano-by-Chords
Piano-by-Chords offers several advantages for aspiring pianists:
1. Audio and Visual Lessons: The program combines traditional e-books with audio and video clips, catering to different learning styles. This multi-modal approach is particularly helpful for beginners who may not be familiar with reading sheet music.
2. Immediate Progress: The chord-based approach ensures that you can start playing and enjoying music from the very first lesson.
3. Focus on Musicality: Piano-by-Chords teaches you to play by ear, improvise, and compose melodies. These skills are often overlooked in traditional piano curricula but are essential for developing musicality.
4. Emphasis on Left Hand: The program encourages you to practice your left hand, which is often neglected in traditional piano methods. This leads to balanced and proficient playing.
5. Clear and Organized Content: While e-books may appear less detailed than printed curricula, Piano-by-Chords organizes its content well, making it visually clear and easy to comprehend.
Cons of Piano-by-Chords
Despite its many advantages, Piano-by-Chords has some limitations:
1. Technique Not Emphasized: The program does not focus on piano technique, such as hand position, posture, and wrist movements. You may need to supplement your learning with external resources for these aspects.
2. Limited Music Notation: If you aim to become proficient in reading traditional sheet music, Piano-by-Chords may not provide enough exposure to music notation terms and symbols. It’s advisable to seek supplementary resources for this.
Why Piano-by-Chords Is Best for You
Piano-by-Chords is an excellent choice if you fall into one of the following categories:
1. Beginners: The program is designed with beginners in mind and provides a smooth learning curve to kickstart your piano journey.
2. Those Seeking Instant Gratification: If you want to start playing your favorite songs right away, the chord-based approach will offer immediate satisfaction.
3. Aspiring Musicians with Limited Time: If you have a busy schedule, Piano-by-Chords’ efficient learning method can help you make the most of your practice time.
4. Musicians Wanting to Play by Ear: If you’re interested in developing your ability to play by ear, improvise, and compose music, this program is an ideal choice.
5. Adults and Teens: Piano-by-Chords is suitable for both adults and teens who want to create real music quickly and enjoy a diverse repertoire.
Conclusion
Piano-by-Chords offers a unique and effective way to learn the piano, focusing on chords and chord progressions. While it may not prepare you for advanced classical music, it equips you with valuable skills to play a variety of songs, improvise, and create your music. By understanding chords, progressions, and keys, you’ll develop a strong foundation for exploring the world of music. So, if you’re looking to master the piano by chords, Piano-by-Chords is your ideal companion on your musical journey.
Ready to start your chord-based piano learning adventure? Visit Piano-by-Chords and unlock the world of music through chords. Use coupon code “SAVE20” at the checkout for an exclusive 20% discount on your course purchase.