Category: How to Read Music

Chord Symbols: add2 or add9? (includes my video on using added ninth to chords)

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Hi everyone!  I recently received a question today (on my YouTube channel), an excellent one, the topic of which is subject to debate.  The question is in response to one of my videos about using add9 chords on piano.  (A link to the video is included below.)

I thought I would share the thread here:

VIEWER: Isn’t the D in Cadd9 supposed to be an octave higher? I guess I’m just confused as to why it isn’t Add2 instead.

Continue reading “Chord Symbols: add2 or add9? (includes my video on using added ninth to chords)” →

108 Piano Chords

Visual Catalog of 108+ Piano Chords

Here’s an interactive  eBook that I put together as a reference for my Piano Chords 108 series.

 

IMPORTANT:

This book can serve as a stand-alone reference for checking your piano chords.

However:

The sole purpose of my Piano Chords 108 series is to teach piano students how to memorize all 108 of these chords as they appear on the piano keyboard.

Therefore, this catalog should be used, ideally, only to check your understanding of the memorization system taught here.

MORE ABOUT THIS BOOK

Chords are listed alphabetically. Each chord is spelled out by using a simple image (consisting of dots on a keyboard, indicating which keys/notes make up the chord in question).

 

In a nutshell, all the standard three and four-note chords are illustrated.

 

LIST OF ALL CHORD TYPES ILLUSTRATED IN THIS BOOK

 

Major triads (all)

Minor triads (all)

Major 7th chords (all)

Minor 7th chords (all)

Dominant 7th chords (all)

Diminished triads (all)

Diminished 7th chords (all)

Half-diminished 7th chords (‘Minor-7 flat-5’) (all)

Augmented triads (all) Continue reading “Visual Catalog of 108+ Piano Chords” →

Sheet Music: Lick #1 from A Study in Blues Piano

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Blues/Improv Students:

How’s yo blues?

I’ve had requests for piano notation covering the blues licks in my course, A Study in Blues Piano.

That course is video-based, and teaches from a chord-based improvisation point of view.

I sometimes resist providing notation for improvisation-focused courses, because it can almost promote blind imitation, rather than creative playing.

That said, I’ve had a couple of convincing requests lately from students who wanted to have sheet music to supplement this class. As a result, I’ve decided to provide notation for several of the licks, plus notation for a complete blues piano solo (featuring licks from the course).

Here’s a downloadable PDF file for Lick #1, “Energy.”