Posts Tagged ‘basic chords’

Learning Music for Absolute Beginners

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

Learning music for beginners

Learning music as an absolute beginner can be frustrating if you do not know where to start. There is no right or wrong way for a beginner to learn, but there are simple steps that can help anyone make learning music fun.

First of all, you’ll need an instrument of course. If you have access to a piano, you have got a head start. The piano is the easiest instrument to begin learning, yet is also the most versatile. Its notes are set neatly in a row with nothing hidden. Because of this simple layout, the piano can be used to learn the basic principles of music which will then carry over into other instruments.

The piano has two sets of keys: the white keys and the black keys. Each key plays a different note. Starting on the note C and playing the next six white keys to the right will form the C major scale. Of course, finding the note for a beginner is half the challenge.

To find a C, look at the black keys. There are two groupings of black keys: two keys and three keys. Look for a group of two black keys. The white key just to the left of this group is C.

Now that you’ve found C, you will be able to play the C major scale. Just start at any C and move to the right, playing each white key in sequence until you have reached the next C on the keyboard. You have now played the C major scale, one of the building blocks of learning music. The notes are as follows: C D E F G A B.

Many popular songs can be played with this scale. You can play the melody of Old MacDonald using these keys. You can also play Let It Be by the Beatles, using only the C major scale. Both the melody and chords of the song can be played using the white keys.

Of course, no one wants to stop learning there. Learning some basic chords will be the next step. A basic C chord is played by placing the thumb on a C, the middle finger on an E, and the pinky on the G. Play these keys at the same time and you have played the C chord.

There are many more scales and chords to learn, but any beginner can start with C and create some nice results. Learning music needs to be fun, as theory and technical exercises can make it seem more like work. The great thing about learning how to play chords and melodies in C is that pretty much any white key melody will work over any white key chord progression. For someone learning to play the piano, this is encouraging.

Learning music can be easy and enjoyable when a beginner starts off on the right key. By following the easy steps outlined here, anyone can make beautiful music from day one. The greatest musical minds in the world all started off at the beginning and so can you.

10 Top Reasons You Should Learn to Play ‘Chord’ Piano

Monday, July 21st, 2008

Everybody should be able to play at least a little chord piano...

EVERYBODY Ought to Learn to Play At Least a Little Chord Piano!

There are roughly umpteen zillion reasons why you should learn

enough chords to be able to “chord a song” at the piano.

By “chord a song”, I mean the ability to play 3 or 4 chords on

the piano in some sort of rhythm while you or someone else sings

the tune. To do this, you don’t need to be a Van Cliburn; all you

need to do is learn a few basic chords and be able to more back

and forth between them in some organized rhythmic pattern.

For example, did you realize that all of these songs (and

hundreds more) can be sung or played with just 3 chords?

Auld Lang Syne

Amazing Grace

Kum Ba Ya

Silent Night

Joy To The World

Jingle Bells

Happy Birthday

Down In The Valley

On Top Of Old Smoky…

and hundreds or maybe thousands more!

Add just one more chord to the basic 3, and you can play another

thousand songs or so. So why not learn a few chords and start

your chording career?

Here are my top 10 reasons for learning “chord piano”:

1) It’s easy. Learn 3 chords and start in — it’s not rocket

science!

2) Even though it’s easy to get started, you don’t have to stop

there. You can learn more and more chords and more rhythm

patterns and get really good if you choose to.

3) You’ll be able to play “Happy Birthday” while the gang sings

it, since it only has 3 simple chords.

4) You’ll be able to play half-a-dozen Christmas carols like “Joy

To The World”, “Silent Night” because they too have just 3 simple

chords. In case you haven’t noticed, Christmas comes every year,

so every year you’ll get better as you participate in family

gatherings.

5) You can help your kids learn to play the piano, guitar, or

most any other instrument by learning chords. Most teachers don’t

teach chords, so you’ll be giving your kids an advantage by

learning chords.

6) People will admire you. It’s true. Musicians are popular.

Anyone who can play anything is in demand at parties and social

gatherings. And if you can “chord” while others sing, you’re

bound to be popular.

7) Piano playing using chords is good for your brain. Studies

have shown that people who actively participate in music do their

brain lots of good. And since chords require 3 or 4 notes at a

time instead of one, you are giving your brain a good workout.

8) Piano playing, particularly using chords, is good exercise for

your wrists and fingers. (Take the time to learn about correct

hand position, though!)

9) Piano playing is excellent therapy for the stress of life.

Many professional people come home from a hard days work and

relax by expressing their emotions on the keyboard. Play a few

dark and angry chords, and you’ll be surprised how much better

you feel!

10) Piano playing is a blast. It’s just plain old fun. So learn 3

or 4 chords and get going. Maybe you’ll stop there and enjoy it

the rest of your life.

But just maybe you’ll love it so much that you keep going and

turn yourself into an excellent piano player who can read music

as well as play chords!

To get started, go to http://www.chordpiano.com