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Learn all 12 Minor & Minor 7th Chords – Today!

Hello Friends,

Today I’m happy to present the next lesson in my ongoing course, Piano Chords 108.

Class Audience: Any musician who’s struggling to memorize the individual notes to all those dang chords on piano or keyboards, and looking for a solution.

Today: Learn how to immediately call up the notes to any of the twelve minor chords on a keyboard — without having to rely on rote memory.  This lesson applies to all twelve minor seventh chords as well.

Coming next:  Dominant seventh chords.

*This series is currently FREE to the public, but will soon be a premium members-only course.  Our members keep this site alive, and 100% ad-free.  Thanks to all!

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Blues Piano Licks #1 and #2 from “A Study in Blues Piano — Focusing on 12 Licks”

Students of blues, pop, jazz, rock, et al:

This is the first lesson in my course,  A Study in Blues Piano: Focusing on 12 Licks.

BLUES LICK #1:  Energy

Lick #2, plus all the others, are available 24x7 to members of Piano With Kent (All-Access).

BLUES LICK #2:  Da-boo-da, Boo-dee-ooo

Sorry!

The content you're trying to access below is for members only.

Thanks to all!

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Learn all 12 Major & all 12 Maj7 Chords by Pattern (not by rote)

Today I’m happy to present the next lesson in my ongoing series, Piano Chords 108.

Class Audience: Any musician who’s struggling to memorize the individual notes to all those dang chords on piano or keyboards, and looking for a solution.

Lesson Description: Learn how to immediately call up the notes to any of the twelve major chords — without having to rely on rote memory.  This lesson applies to all twelve major seventh chords as well.

Coming next: The minor and minor seventh chords.

*This series is currently FREE to the public, but will soon be a premium members-only course.  Our members keep this site alive, and 100% ad-free.  Thanks to all!

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New! Optional Sheet Music for “A Study in Blues Piano” (Blues Licks)

Hey!

In response to student requests for sheet music illustrating licks from my video course, A Study in Blues Piano: Focusing on 12 Licks, I have so far created notation for several of the licks.

Today, I have another sheet for you, which I hope will also be helpful.

Remember, sheet music materials are completely OPTIONAL for this class. Blues is an improvisational art form!

Continue reading “New! Optional Sheet Music for “A Study in Blues Piano” (Blues Licks)”

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Bohemian Rhapsody Movie Sparks “Third Beat” Questions

In the film Bohemian Rhapsody, there’s a scene where Queen’s guitarist Brian May is pitching his song We Will Rock You to the band (film clip is below).

He says, “…now, I want you to clap on the third beat.”  Of course, this is a movie, and I have no idea if he really said it like that.

Regardless, I’m using this scene as a fun starting point to talk briefly about counting rhythm.

Fact is, when We Will Rock You is counted in the regular way, the beat looks like this:

The completely natural (and intuitive, and correct) way that most people would count this song is:

Continue reading “Bohemian Rhapsody Movie Sparks “Third Beat” Questions”

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Eastern Scales, Relative Minor, and The Educated Guess

Fellow Theory Geeks,

Even among some good musicians, music theory is occasionally regarded as more of a “nice to know” thing.  Interesting place to visit, but they don’t want to hang around too long.

By contrast, I am shameless enough – dare I say, proud enough – to put forth that I am a music theory GEEK. I like staying “all up in theory land,” and often.

Music theory teaches us WHAT works, and also what CAN WORK.  And, if it AIN’T WORKING, it’s usually easier to know WHY, because you possess a systematic command of how rhythm, melody, and harmony work together.

Notice I put rhythm first. Too often neglected — but I put it first in my musical thinking. More on that in other posts.

OK…If you’ve read this far, I guess we have a quorum! Two geeks is always a quorum in my experience. Partly because it’s so hard to find a third geek, on short notice. Anyway welcome, can I get you some coffee? Orange Julius?*

Continue reading “Eastern Scales, Relative Minor, and The Educated Guess”

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Music Theory “Trivia” Time!

Which interval is pictured above?

(a) Diminished Seventh.

(b) Minor Sixth.

(c) Augmented Fifth.

(d) Both A and C are correct, with name depending on the implied key center. They sound the same, by either name.

(e) Both B and C are correct, with name depending on the implied key center. They sound the same, by either name.

(f) The famous “Lost Interval of Egypt.”

THE CORRECT ANSWER  is….

Continue reading “Music Theory “Trivia” Time!”

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Sheet Music: Lick #2 from “A Study in Blues Piano”

 

Here’s a downloadable PDF file of sheet music for Blues Piano Lick #2, for optional use with “A Study in Blues Piano.”

This is entirely optional material, as far as completing the above course is concerned. As I said yesterday, this is a supplement I’m putting together, in response to recent requests that  I’ve had from students who can read music.

Non-music readers:  This course was designed to require ZERO reading of music.  Fear not!