The Embarrassing Question

  My piano teacher at 14 was our next door neighbor, Mrs. Bohn.  She was a concert pianist with strong, shortish hands and medium pointy fingers.  She smoked cigarettes heavily and drank Coca-Cola like it was going out of style.  She was a big woman with a confident, outgoingness to match her very loud husky…

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“Play Something” The Dreaded Request

Keyed Up Piano was already a reality when I bought my first piano at age 20.  I found it in a vacant house I was looking at and it won my heart.  It was in tune with a sound so true, I knew immediately it was a rare find.   C. Kurtzmann & Co. was a…

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Where to Begin Learning Chords

Piano play-by-ear hopefuls would be wise to take a lesson from a beginning guitarist.  A beginner doesn’t think much about theory or rhythm, the names of notes, scales, numbers, reading or timing.  They barely know how to tune the guitar. . . . but they do know, to be successful, they’re going to have to…

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The Master Speaks

I am the master.  You may be a master too. Whatever you already know is your plateau.  It may reach to the heavens in knowledge and dimension but your plateau is just one of many.  There are mesas and mountains of brilliant musical minds.  Every musician has one, high or low in proportion to their…

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The Musical Universe – The Number 8 Controls All of Music

Audio Post – LISTEN BELOW   This post is going to give you an enormous insight into music that has never been revealed before.  It is the most powerful understanding of Command.  This simple concept takes people a lifetime to learn IF EVER.  You’d think it to be such an easy understanding that there’s no…

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Fly Little Birdy

This is a stark lesson of playing by ear.  When you’re done taking lessons and know your chords, you’ll settle down on a comfy perch atop your plateau of skill. You aren’t seeking out advanced courses in styling or other courses and maybe don’t have the time.  You ‘re satisfied with how you play but…

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The Black Hole In The Music Galaxy

Being able to play piano by ear is more than just playing the piano.  It is a science of numbers that lets you keep track of where you are and where you are going.  You play intelligently because you understand chords and how to put them together. It really is that easy.  Knowing the basic…

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Bach Was a Hack

There’s no “who’s better or best” comparison between the classical pianist and the play-by-ear hack.  They both wish for the talents of the other but what they want most are the skills of the hack; to understand the instrument and be able to play by ear. Embarrassment and Snubbery A“hack” is one that lacks technical…

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Simplicity Versus Anti-Music

One student that took piano lessons from me was self-taught.  He could play by ear with some coordination and rhythm but couldn’t identify the chords.  He had no idea what he was doing.  He’d been playing for years but had stagnated in his own limited box of knowledge. “Play something.”  I asked “Let me play…

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Three Major A-ha Moments of Independence On The Piano

Recognizing these things are signs you are growing as a musician. 1.  Realizing that you can teach yourself; 2.  Making the “Play By Ear Discovery” (Get the book in the tab above); and 3.  The paradox of knowing all your chords. Always be on the lookout in anticipation of these plateaus and recognize them when…

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