David Story, Online Piano Lessons from Toronto
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Tips, free lessons, and inspiration

Preconcert Preparations

9/21/2023

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How to prepare to attend a classical music concert.
  1. Find out which pieces will be played.
  2. Choose one to study.
  3. Search out background information, from reputable sources, on the composer and the piece.
  4. On YouTube you will find experts speaking on well-known pieces. They may be worth a listen.
  5. If the piece is in the public domain, you can download the score here: IMSLP: Free Sheet Music PDF Download
  6. Play a few of the themes of the piece. Violin I is a good place to find these themes.
  7. Watch the score on YouTube scroll as the music plays.
Below I've created an example using Beethoven's 5th Symphony.
Beethoven's 5th Symphony Background

Talking Heads

Short explanation
This goes deeper
Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic (1977) with scrolling score
Free score and parts
The score and parts are at the bottom of this page. 
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Can Ai Compose a Jazz Piece?

9/21/2023

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I recently returned from Scotland where I attended, Mostly Audio 2023, an audio/music/Ai workshop and conference. This video summarizes all that's wrong with Ai generated music while missing the creative possibilities of Ai. 

My take aways from this video. 
  • It presents a new way to sound conventional. Whereas the old way of producing banal music took time and effort, this is much quicker. 
  • This is to music composition what paint by numbers is to art. 
  • The part I enjoyed the most was the human generated vocabulary of the introduction. It was dope!
  • The part I didn't enjoy was the voice over telling me what my reaction was supposed to be. A variation on a leading question. 
  • The latest con, that you too can be a musician without time or much effort. 
  • Thank goodness, the output of these musical geniuses will remain buried on YouTube. 
Musical skill, vision, and creativity will be paramount to overcome the limitations of this new medium. To succeed as a musician in the future, you will have to be better than this. As "this" will flood the market.  

However, this video does raise interesting questions for music education. The structure, delivery methods, and content of musical education will need to quickly evolve to stay relevant. But I have a few questions. 

Relevant to whom?
Do all students want to be creators or producers?
What will be the nature of musical collaboration?
Who will have time to listen to all this easily generated music?
Who will care?
Is the joy of making music in the work or the output?
How will this be monetized?
Did the "creators or producers" of this video have licenses to use the likenesses of John Coltrane?

David
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Ear Training Help

9/15/2023

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I wish this had been available when I started playing piano as I was not a gifted ear player. In fact, I struggled. On top of this my teachers didn't stress aural development either. They were all readers first. So, my development was glacial. Thankfully, things have changed for piano students. 

How did I develop my sight reading and aural skills? In college I was given proper ear training. Later, I took up the drums, learned countless tunes by ear, and wrote them down. For the last decade I've been teaching online where I don't always see students' hands clearly. My ear learned to hear individual notes out of place. My sightreading developed early because I was a lazy student. It was more fun to read tunes than to practice them. Consequently, I became a professional sight-reader. I still am. 

If I can help you, call me. 

​David
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RCM Ear training link
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AudioMostly Conference Edinburgh Scotland August 2023

9/6/2023

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What an exciting time of learning. I was able to experience live coding, VR sound, Ai developments in musical education and more under the direction of young and exciting researchers. It was just what an old goat needed, some fresh ideas. 

One thing that did strike me was how dated the synthesizer music was. The young musicians were in the thrall of the 1990s. That took me by surprise. 
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The walk from downtown to Napier University was lovely and peaceful. 
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Six concerts that changed my musicial life

8/18/2023

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I've been attending concerts for over half a century. That's a lot of concerts. Many have been completely forgotten, a few others can be recalled with some sort of prompt, and a small number remained seared in my mind. I counted seven concerts that changed me in some significant way. Here's the story of those concerts. 

  1. Cecil Taylor, Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, late 1978. He brought his unit. I remember a drummer and a saxophonist. Again, a packed club. I had tickets to both shows. I retreated to a coffee shop after the first show, unable to go on. I was overwhelmed. It was my first experience with musical greatness.
  2. Bill Evans, Jazz Workshop, Boston, 1978. I saw Evans twice. Both times I arrived early and got the seat closest to the piano. It was of course wonderful. I still have the autographs of the band in my copy of the Bill Evans songbook. It took decades to overcome the influence of those two shows on my piano playing. Lesson? Who we listen to will determine how we will play.
  3. Steve Reich, Bottom Line, New York City, 1979. The club was packed with enthusiastic supporters. I didn’t have the foggiest notion of who he was, what the music was going to sound like, in fact, I can’t remember how I even ended up there. But there I was. Nexus, the percussion ensemble was set up and ready to go. Reich came out, the festivities began. I was completely and totally baffled. People were going nuts; it was like a rock show except the music was 1970s era New York City loft music. I remember being angry. This was my first experience with my limitations as a listener. I was criticizing art I didn’t understand. Yes, I was a teenage philistine.
  4. Vladimir Horowitz, Symphony Hall, Boston, 1980s. Electric is the only word to describe it. It was beautiful, people cried, he played and played and played. He shaped every single note. Years later I earned my ARCT in piano pedagogy with the sound of that experience still ringing in my ears.
  5. Miles Davis, Kix club, Boston early 1981. Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, Ron Carter, and Wynton Marcellas sat in the front row. Miles came out with Bill Evans (sax of course), Mike Stern, Al Foster, and a bassist I don’t remember. Miles played trumpet and synthesizer. The place lost its mind. I was screaming like a 12-year-old at a Sky dome show.
  6. Canadian Opera Company, "Wozzeck", Hummingbird Centre, Toronto, 2006. I went with a group of fellow artists. At the end of the performance, we sat in stunned silence. It was the saddest, cruelest, most pathetic story ever put to song. Horowitz taught me the limits of beauty, Berg, the other side. It was devastating.
  7. Berlin Philharmonic, Roy Thompson Hall, 2016. Sir Simon Rattle at the baton. The first half was a mélange of Schonberg, Webern, and Berg. The second half was a Brahms symphony. During the 12-tone half, the guy beside me was humming along. If you know the music, you’ll understand how remarkable that is, and how funny. During the Brahms there was a pizzicato section. It sounded like a giant classical guitar. What did I learn? I’m not the only one who likes 12 tone music. Second, I fully appreciate why this orchestra is considered the best in the world.

David
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How to spend thirty minutes practicing jazz piano

8/5/2023

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Spend 15 minutes playing along with a recording. 
  • Comp the chords
  • Play the melody
  • Play the melody and chords
  • Steal licks
​Spend 15 minutes of one of the following activities. 
  1. Practice the scales, chords, and arpeggios for the tune you will be jamming with. 
  2. ​Transcriptions. “Stealing licks” or as Harry Pickins says, collect sounds.
  3. Practice sight reading chords from the fake book.
  4. ​Practice writing out the chords in the following ways. The photo below comes from a recent lesson. 
  • Voice leading chords
  • Sonny’s thumbs
  • Rootless voicings
  • Guide tones
     5. Spend 15 minutes listening and analyzing a recording and ask: “What is going on here? How many times do they play the form in any recording you are listening to?” What instruments do you hear? Is the music played swing or straight? From which era does the music come from or mimic? And so on. 

Have fun. 

​David
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How to maintain your jazz repertoire.

7/30/2023

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How to maintain your jazz repertoire.

I recently attended a Q&A with Lynn Seaton, bassist, and Regents Professor from North Texas State University. My question to him was on how he maintains his repertoire when jazz gigs are no longer 6 nights a week.

His answer.
  1. I have a list of memorized pieces to work from.
  2. At the end of every practice session, I play a 45 minute “set” from the list by playing with play along recordings of Jamie Aebersold or iReal pro phone app.
  3. I cycle through this repertoire in a methodical way, by focusing on difficult tunes, not the simple tunes. I don't waste my time.
  4. I consider a tune memorized when I can write out a chord chart from memory. 

​What a great answer. After he practices, he rehearses from his list. How simple is that?  My plan is to follow his lead for a year and see what happens. I'm going to use the list below as a goal for revitalizing my repertoire on the mallets. 

Happy practicing. 


David
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100 Must Know Jazz Tunes Consensus List (neffmusic.com)

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Why should we study music theory? A student's report

7/26/2023

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     "I have been a student with David for the past couple of years. While my primary instrument is Trumpet, I decided to take piano to broaden my knowledge. I have never had music theory, either in school or private lessons. David is taking me there through the piano. He assured me that all the skills I would learn through theory and practice on the piano were transferable to other instruments. David has a way of simplifying theory concepts, making them easier to understand. 
     I had an opportunity to play Trumpet at a private service recently. Playing completely solo - no other musicians. One piece happened to be the one David and I were working on. Everything we had done came into “play” and those skills I have learned completely transferred to my Trumpet and I played the best I have ever played. 
     When you ask yourself, “Do I really need to know this?” I can honestly say, Yes! and it pays off in performance quality."

Barb


Thank you, Barb. 

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New jazz Student's First Lesson

7/12/2023

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A New Student's Profile
 
The new student is a young professional with a keen interest in learning to play jazz piano. They took piano and trumpet lessons in high school. They have a basic understanding of music theory. Aural skills are excellent.

Their program will include the following components:
  1. Learning several simple jazz melodies by ear. This will give them something to work with as they learn to improvise. And they won’t be simultaneously working on a tune and trying to improvise at the same time. Using their ears to learn the melodies from YouTube recordings will teach them to articulate the melodies in an idiomatic way because reading melodies from the fakebook never does. Jazz is an aural art form not a visual one. Come to think of it, so is Classical piano.
  2. They have started learning, by rote, the sixty jazz chords: Major 7th, Dominant 7th, minor 7th, minor 7b5, and diminished 7th chords. These are the basis of jazz harmony and jazz improvisation.
  3. I recommended that they revisit written piano music to keep their piano skills sharp because jazz piano is notorious for “killing” the left hand of pianists.
  4. First tune up is C jam Blues. (You can view this part of the lesson for free. No strings attached.) They began learning the different interpretations of that famous melody. Along the way they heard simple licks the pianists put in the music. These licks, learned by ear, are the beginning of their library of idiomatic phrases for later use.
If I can help you, call me.
 
David 
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Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel Study Guide

7/7/2023

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This is a perennial favorite of music students. Let's look at a few key terms and concepts. 

Canon is a melody that accompanies itself at a staggered interval. Row, row, row your boat is a well-known example. In this canon the melody, played by the violinists, follows itself in two measure intervals. 
Ground Bass is the violoncello melody that repeats its 8 note pattern throughout the piece.
Cembalo or continuo is the chordal accompaniment that is improvised behind the violins. In this video it is played by the organ and the lute. Notice that the cembalo left hand outlines the ground bass. 

Other notable orchestral canons can be found in J.S. Bach’s Musical Offering. The canons in that suite of pieces feature 2 violins chasing each other around accompanied by the continuo.

Have Fun. 

David
Original Score
Modern Score
1/4 Tempo chord track for practice
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Ten Things Music Students Can Do Over Their Summer Break

6/22/2023

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  1. Take a short break from piano to refresh and recommit to the project. 
  2. Go to a piano concert. 
  3. Practice more. 
  4. Review your favorite pieces from the past. (You will quickly notice how you have improved.)
  5. Teach yourself, using YouTube, how to make dance music tracks on Garage band.
  6. Try learning a new genre of music. If you play jazz, pick a classical piece and vice versa. 
  7. On your walks listen to the best pianists play the style of music you like. 
  8. Catch up on your theory.
  9. Find some new friends to make music with. 
  10. Go to music camp. 

Have a great summer. 
​
If you would like to meet in the summer, call me. I have some limited availability. 

Cheers, 

david
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Blue Bossa Jazz Piano Lesson

6/10/2023

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This is a lesson given to a student this week.

Louis Armstrong, on the topic of how to improvise, said something to the effect, "memorize the melody, mess with the melody, and then mess with the mess." For beginners, this is the best advice I've ever come across. It is truly the shortest distance between A and B. Or jazz newbie to intermediate jazz student and beyond. 

Prerequisites:
The student can already play. Therefore, it is a question of what to play and less of how to play it.  
Warmup:
Two octave scales: C, F, Db, Bb, Eb
Four note broken chords: C, F, Db, Bb, Eb 
Two octave arpeggios: C, F, Bb, Db, Eb
Please use a metronome and practice different tempi, dynamics, and articulations.

Etude
Being able to play the broken chords is an important starting point in improvisation. 
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Free Blue Bossa Broken Chords
Repertoire
  1. Listen and copy the interpretations of the melody from the recordings below. Pay attention to articulations and rhythmic variations.
  2. Add the left-hand chords to the melody and mimic what you can recall. 
  3. Now, from memory, play along with the recordings. When the solos begin, keep your left hand playing until the melody returns. Then add the melody back in. 
  4. Start “stealing” cool licks you hear the soloists playing. 
  5. Next, practice the melody from memory with a play along track. Then practice the broken chords over the left-hand chords.  Then experiment with the new licks you’ve discovered.
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Blues Bossa broken chords as licks
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This week's artwork

6/8/2023

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A selection of whiteboard Zoom notes from the past week or so. It gives a good snapshot of what goes on in students' classes. 

If you would like to join us, please contact me. 

​David
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Is it easy to learn to play the piano?

6/6/2023

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Years ago, while adjudicating piano exams in Aurora Ontario, I heard a young child came in to sit for her grade 2 piano exam. The performance was so beautiful, it took my breath away. Could you learn to play as well as her? Yes, with patient work. Thankfully to play the piano competently only requires you to follow a well-worn path. A path that has evolved over the last two hundred years beginning with CPE Bach's 1787 "Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments," to today's Adult Piano Adventures by Nancy and Randell Faber. I invite you to follow the links for more information. 

However, you will need to plan to succeed; so please consider the following conditions that you will need to meet: 
  1. Time to practice. 
  2. Resources to pay for lessons.
  3. Realistic expectations.
  4. Patience.
  5. Trusting the process. 

If I can help you, please call me. 

David
text: 905-330-1349
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Sitting at the correct height. How high is high?

5/31/2023

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This guy explains how to sit on the piano bench correctly. He includes a discussion and demonstration of the correct distance to sit from the piano and the height of the bench. As he says, sitting correctly will help us play easier and avoid injury. 

Enjoy.

David
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Royal Conservatory of Music Quick Study Tips for Piano Students

5/26/2023

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Consider each of the following before beginning.
  • Title. The title can tell you a lot about how the piece is going to be played. Consider: Avalanche verses Minuet in D. One title suggests a piece that will be loud, fast, and dramatic. The other title suggests refinement and graceful movement. 
  • Composer. Mozart requires a different musical approach and touch than Bach or Gershwin. 
  • Key signature. Is this piece in a major or minor key? Practice this scale before beginning. 
  • Time signature. Look for changes. 
  • Tempo. In the end, musicality will be more important than tempo. However, you will need to play at a tempo that is within range. 
  • Dynamics. Often overlooked with unfortunate results. 
  • Clap the rhythm while counting aloud over a metronome.
  • Repeat signs. Missing these is embarrassing. 
  • Articulations. Legato, staccato etc. bring life to the music. 
  • Search for funny business like clef changes, hand over hand, key signature changes, and tempo changes often lie hidden from first view. 
Now practice hands separately, paying attention to the fingering. Remember: slow and methodical practice will yield quicker results. 

​Good luck. 
Download the poster
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Tresillo Rhythm in Jazz

5/25/2023

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This African rhythm is found throughout the popular music of the Americas for centuries. Here it is applied in a jazz context. You will hear it in the introduction of "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin, The Charleston by Green Hill, and Chinatown by Teddy Wilson. It is still heard today loudly emanating from the cars of young men. Jelly Roll Morton called it the "Spanish tinge." You can hear it in "The Crave." It is also called the Habanera Rhythm as heard in the introduction of St. Louis Blues. 
The crave sheet music
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St. Louis Blues Piano Score
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Eleven Jazz Pieces to Learn by Ear

5/25/2023

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Learning the melodies to jazz standards will save you a lot of time and bother. The thesis is this.
  1. You will play with rhythm and correct articulations from day one.
  2. As you become more sophisticated in your use of jazz theory, you have a readymade place to work on it. It is exceedingly difficult to practice theoretical concepts if you are struggling with the piece. 

David
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TCB’s final concert for the 2022-23 season returns to the beautiful Glenn Gould Studio

5/16/2023

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I'm finishing my first year with the Toronto Concert Band and what a thrill it has been. From drum set to piano, xylophone to tympani it has been a journey of intense rehearsal, thrilling concerts, private practice, and fellowship.

At the upcoming concert I will be playing: 
  1. Vibraphone
  2. Finger cymbals
  3. Xylophone
  4. Tympani
  5. Crash cymbal
  6. Triangle
  7. Sharker
  8. Drum kit
  9. Glockenspiel
  10. And... cowbell, lots of cowbell

Come join us and say hi after the concert. 
​
When: June 10, 2023 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Where: Glenn Gould Studio, 250 Front Street West

Tickets: 2023 Spring Concert - Toronto Concert Band 

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Intermediate Piano Warmup in A major

5/10/2023

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I suggest you vary the tempi, dynamics, and articulations of the following warmup etude. These passages can also be transposed to other keys, both major and minor. 

​David
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Free Download
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Tips from Angela Hewitt on keeping one's musical memory intact

4/25/2023

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Angela Hewitt shares her tactics, strategies, and stories on how she keeps her musical memory strong. It is interesting to note that musical conservatories, like the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, have developed curriculums that prepare the ground for developing and helping to maintain musical memory. 
  1. Logical sequencing of material.
  2. Repertoire that must be memorized.
  3. Theoretical knowledge and application.
  4. Foundational skills of techniques and etudes.
  5. Historical knowledge
  6. Aural skills.
  7. Sightreading
  8. Score study
  9. Assessment

Link to the article: ‘Like sex and religion, we don’t like to talk about memory’: pianist Angela Hewitt on how she keeps hers in shape | Classical music | The Guardian
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Learning to Jam with others. How do I go about it?

4/5/2023

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A student writes, “Hey David, I wanted to check my learning strategy with you. My goal right now is to play better at the jams I attend. Most of them are funky with someone creating a groove, and everyone jumping in.
I noticed the keys players are all very good at hearing the bass and figuring out the progression— or finding a groove within a set progression. At my level, I’m usually asking others what key we’re in (although it doesn’t always work since it changes) and then playing the root chord and inversions of it. I’ll sometimes create groove lines from the respective blues scale, but that’s about it for my understanding.
Taken together, I’m thinking the number one thing I need to work on is: Ear training.
For that, I’m thinking I focus on training my ear to understand:
  • Major ii, V, I in every key
  • Major I, vi, ii, V, I in every key
  • I, IV, V in every key
Does this sound like a good start to being able to jam with others in the scenario described above?
Thanks!

My response.
Yes, this is a good start. Here are some more ideas to consider.
  1. Ear training consists of the following elements: chord and interval recognition, identifying chord progressions, learning tunes by ear, learning licks by ear. Furthermore, practicing your scales, chords, and other keyboard techniques using a metronome will be immensely helpful in learning to play with other musicians’ time feel. This is another aspect of ear training—staying in place.
  2. Keyboard skills. Always be working on basic piano skills separately.
  3. Repertoire knowledge. There is an old say that goes, “they that know the most tunes wins.” Practice jamming with songs that have less than four chords in them. Here are some searches to get you started. You can approach these tunes in several ways. For one chord tunes, just look up the title without looking at the key. See if you can figure out the key, ditto with the 2 chord pieces. The list below was created from the first link. I can't guarantee that each piece has only one chord, they came from the internet afterall, but it's a start. 
​
  • pop songs with one chord - Search (bing.com)
  • pop songs with two chords or less - Search (bing.com)
  • pop songs with three chords or less - Search (bing.com)
  • pop songs with four chords or less - Search (bing.com)
Have fun.
 
David

One Chord Songs

  1. Locker - 35007 
  2. Drifter's Escape - Bob Dylan
  3. Helen Wheels - Paul McCartney & Wings
  4. There Is a Mountain - Donovan
  5. Stupidly Happy - XTC
  6. Electric Avenue - Eddy Grant
  7. Joy - Lucinda Williams
  8. Mississippi Boll Weevil - Charley Patton
  9. Exodus - Bob Marley
  10. Panadero Ensoñado - Pescado Rabioso
  11. The Enchanted Gypsy - Donovan
  12. Con Altura - Rosalía, J Balvin
  13. Papa Was a Rolling Stone - The Temptations
  14. Crosseyed & Painless - Talking Heads
  15. Watussi - Harmonia
  16. Get the Party Started - Pink
  17. Nevermind - Leonard Cohen
  18. The Hustle - Bars of Gold
  19. Tomorrow Never Knows - The Beatles
  20. Ever So Lonely - Monsoon 
  21. Coconut - Harry Nilsson 
  22. American Woman - Lenny Kravitz
  23. Get Up, Stand Up - Bob Marley
  24. Chain of Fools - Aretha Franklin
  25. Fire- Ohio Players
  26. Who Knows? - Jimi Hendrix
  27. Careful with That Axe, Eugene - Pink Floyd
  28. Loser - Beck
  29. Church of Anthrax - John Cale & Terry Rile
  30. Jump Into The Fire - Harry Nilsson
  31. One Chord Song - Stoney LaRue
  32. The National Anthem - Radiohead
  33. Jimmy Bell - William "Cat Iron" Carradine
  34. Sloppy Drunk Again - Walter Davis
  35. LazyBones - Soul Coughing
  36. Push Upstairs - Underworld
  37. Showbiz Kids - Steely Dan
  38. Machine Gun - Jimi Hendrix
  39. Daydreamer - Menswear
  40. Voyage Automatique - 35007
  41. Run Through The Jungle - Creedence Clearwater Revival 
  42. Wang Dang Doodle - Willie Dixon
  43. Deeper Well - Emmylou Harris
  44. Bullet the Blue Sky - U2 
  45. The Story of One Chord - Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper
  46. Moanin' at Midnight - Howlin' Wolf 
  47. Radar Eyes - The Godz
  48. Spoonful - Cream
  49. Mondo in Mi 7a - Adriano Celentano
  50. Whole Lotta Love - Zepplin 
  51. Walking in Your Footsteps - The Police
  52. Keep On Chooglin' - Creedence Clearwater Revival
  53. Seeds - Bruce Springsteen 
  54. DNA - Kendrick Lamar
  55. Snake Farm - Ray Wylie Hubbard
  56. Price - Super Furry Animals
  57. E minor or Em7 (playable with E or E7 also)
  58. Smokestack LIghtnin' - Howlin' Wolf 
  59. I'm Bad Like Jesse James - John Lee Hooker
  60. Thank You - Sly & the Family Stone
  61. I Asked for Water - Howlin' Wolf
  62. What Are Their Names? - David Crosby
  63. Know - Nick Drake
  64. Pablo Picasso - Modern Lovers
  65. Hallo Gallo - Neu!
  66. Relax - Frankie Goes to Hollywood 
  67. Alta Suciedad - Andrés Calamaro
  68. Powertruth - 35007
  69. Bodak Yellow (Money Moves) - Cardi B
  70. Mi Gente - J Balvin, Willy William, Beyonce
  71. DNA - Kendrick Lamar
  72. Mañana en el Abasto - Sumo
  73. Send Me Your Pillow - John Lee Hooker
  74. The Story of Bo Diddley - The Animals
  75. Peter Gunn - Henry Mancini
  76. Which Way Do Red River Run? - Mance Lipscomb
  77. John Henry - Buster Brown
  78. The Beat Goes On - Sonny & Cher
  79. Ding Dang - The Beach Boys
  80. See My Jumper Hanging On the Line - R.L. Burnside
  81. Shanty Blues - Henry Thomas
  82. Mona - The Rolling Stones
  83. Run On for a Long Time- Bill Landford
  84. Paradise - Sade
  85. Peter Gunn - Henry Mancini
  86. Losing Face - I Am Snow Angel 
  87. Political World - Bob Dylan
  88. One Chord Song - Keith Urban
  89. Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley
  90. Dance to the Music - Sly & the Family Stone
  91. My Jack Don't Drink No Water - Shortstuff Macon
  92. Everyday People - Sly & the Family Stone
  93. Low Rider - War
  94. It's a Rainy Day Sunshine Girl - Faust
  95. Bad to The Bone - George Thorogood
  96. U.S. 41 - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
  97. Catfish Blues - Robert Petway
  98. Spike Driver Blues - Mississippi John Hurt
  99. Shotgun - Jr. Walker & the All-Stars
  100. Rubberband Girl - Kate Bush
  101. Magic Bus - The Who
  102. Boring Girls - Pissed Jean
  103. The Bogus Man - Roxy Music
  104. Know Your Rights - The Clash
  105. Who's He And What Is He To You?- Bill Withers
  106. Space for the Papa - Jeff Beck
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Piano warmups for intermediate students

3/30/2023

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I recommend playing these warmups at various tempos with a metronome. Transposing these exercises to different keys is also highly recommended. 

David

Key words:
  • Scales
  • Scales in contrary motion
  • Diatonic chords
  • Broken chords
  • Arpeggios
  • Piano warmups
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Free Download
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Harmonising Pop Melodies: Lead Sheet Strategies

3/29/2023

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Adding a single note, at strategic places, will enhance the fullness of the arrangement. For popular music from the 1950s to today, say Carol King or Beyoncé, this will work. Whenever the melody is at rest, add the 3rd or 5th of the chord below the melody, as illustrated above. 

This lesson presupposes you understand the meaning of root, third, and fifth of a chord. And, have a basic grasp of intervals. If you struggle with this call me, I can help. 

David
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Vanilla chords for Jazz students

3/24/2023

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So many beautiful pieces to learn and so many chords to master. It's a real problem for beginning jazz students. Lester Young, the legendary sax player of the 1940's, is known to have requested or demanded that the pianist play the "vanilla chords." "Forgot the fancy reharmonizations, just give me the vanilla chords; I'll decorate the harmony." Or something to that effect. It was a story told to me many decades ago. So, here are the vanilla chords for hundreds of jazz standards. Let it be your guide to taking the harmony back to a more manageable level. ​
vanilla chords
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Me: What was Lester Young referring to when he said play the vanilla chords?

ChatGPT: Lester Young was known for his distinctive and influential saxophone playing style in jazz music. There are a few different stories and interpretations of what he meant when he referred to "vanilla chords."
One interpretation is that Young was encouraging his fellow musicians to stick to the basic, fundamental chords in a song, rather than adding too many complicated or unusual harmonies. In this sense, "vanilla chords" could be understood as simple and straightforward chords that provide a solid harmonic foundation for improvisation and soloing.
Another interpretation is that Young was referring to the use of the basic major and minor chords in a blues progression. In this context, "vanilla" could be seen as a metaphor for the basic, essential ingredients of a blues song, and Young was emphasizing the importance of staying true to that traditional form.
However, it's worth noting that the exact phrase "vanilla chords" does not appear in any known recordings or transcripts of Young's performances or interviews. So the meaning of the phrase remains somewhat elusive and subject to interpretation.
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    You've got to learn your instrument. Then, you practice, practice, practice. And then, when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wail.
    Charlie Parker

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    I'm a professional pianist and music educator in West Toronto Ontario. I'm also a devoted percussionist and drum teacher. 

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