| Do you recall the advertisement that used to be run in | | | | after that, I had the opportunity to play in a school |
| countless magazines and newspapers? | | | | combo -- but to do that, I had to learn chords, and learn |
| "They laughed when I sat down at the piano...but when | | | | them fast. |
| I started to play..." ? | | | | I didn't really know where to turn, so I sent for a $2. in |
| I remember very well the first time I played piano for a | | | | some mechanics type magazine I saw this ad for a |
| group. They DID laugh. It was a disaster. I overheard | | | | chart of chords and soon I was playing chords such |
| the leader say "Let's get somebody with some rhythm | | | | as Em7 and G7 with both hands. Talk about excited! It |
| in there to play." | | | | wasn't long before I started to play all kinds of tunes |
| Ouch! | | | | using various chords & progressions. And I discovered |
| That hurt. I determined never to be embarrased like | | | | that my sight-reading speed greatly improved at the |
| that again, and set out to make sure I never was. | | | | same time, because now I understood what I was |
| Guess what? | | | | seeing on the printed page! |
| Nobody laughs anymore. And they don't laugh at my | | | | So I came in through the back door instead, and now I |
| students, either. | | | | enjoy what I used to hate! Why? Because I |
| Why? | | | | understand what I'm doing because now I understand |
| Because I discovered... | | | | chords and chord progressions. I eventually went on to |
| -- The BACKDOOR to piano playing -- | | | | get advanced degrees in music and literature from |
| What in the world is the "backdoor to piano playing? | | | | Southern Oregon University -- and it was easy |
| Chords. | | | | because of all I had learned about music theory and |
| There is a "backdoor" to playing the piano that is both | | | | harmony due to playing and understanding chords. |
| fun and quick -- it involves using chord patterns: years | | | | Can you do the same? There's really no reason why |
| and years of scales, drills, rote practicing, etc. Chords | | | | you can't if you have the desire. Start looking at sheet |
| are like shorthand -- they are a shortcut to playing the | | | | music with new eyes: look for notes that make up |
| piano without all those boring lessons. | | | | chords and then analyze those chords. Before long |
| Formal training is fine if you have the time and money. | | | | you'll start seeing a pattern of recurring chords - in |
| But most adults don't want to wait forever before | | | | other words, chord progressions. Do this for a few |
| they can play something enjoyable on the piano. Did | | | | months while simultaneously learning about chords and |
| you hate piano lessons as much as I did. Not only that, | | | | how they are formed, and music will take on a new |
| but all I could do was play the written music exactly as | | | | dimension for you. Why be tied to the written music |
| it was written. Without the sheet music in front of me, I | | | | score when you can view music like a "road map" that |
| didn't have a clue what to do. So I lost interest in piano | | | | takes you from here to there. |
| playing until the incident described above. But shortly | | | | |