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Teach Yourself Piano Overnight

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Teach Yourself

Piano Overnight!



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Introduction

Hello Future Musician,

I always like to stress to all of my students that playing music is not nearly as

difficult as it seems. It does not take a genius to be a good musician. You can

learn to do amazing things with your hands. It just takes the desire/motivation to

do so….and don‟t forget practice! “Practice makes perfect.”

Think about it, to excel at any profession/activity/hobby/sport/etc. it takes a lot of

practice. For example, NFL Football stars practice like CRAZY every day of the

week for hours to maintain their ability…

Good News!

This course does not require an insane amount of practice. By the end of this

lesson you will have a good idea of how to:

1. Play notes on the Piano/Keyboard

2. Play a simple song or two

3. Play your „major‟ scale in the Key of C

4. Learn Simple Chords

5. Tips to Practicing Piano!

6. and more…



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Let’s Get Started!

This is a Piano/Keyboard with the NOTES written on each key.

Let me break it down for you. There are ONLY 12 notes in existence and they

repeat themselves over and over again in what we call „Octaves.‟ Pronounced

(Octives). An Octave obviously refers to the number 8 (Oct.)

Musical Notes are identified by letters of the alphabet. The letters in music are A,

B, C, D, E, F, G. There is NO „H‟. After „G‟ it simply starts over at „A‟ again (see

above).

How can you have more than one „A‟? The TONE of the note sounds the same,

but the „pitch‟ is higher or lower. There are many „A‟s‟ on the piano and many of

the other letters as well. The lowest „A‟ will sound extremely low like a Bass and

will not be very distinguishable. The highest „A‟ will sound very high pitched like

a flute or piccolo.

The best example of an Octave I can think of is in the song „Happy Birthday.‟

The part in the middle where you sing “Happy BIRTH-day to so and so…” The

word „Happy‟ let‟s say is a „C‟ note, the next word „BIRTH‟ would also be a „C‟

note but one octave above the „C‟ that you sang for the word „Happy‟. It‟s a big

stretch, a whole 8 notes! So it‟s 8 notes from „A‟ to „A‟ and „C‟ to „C‟ and so on.

Thus, it‟s called an „Octave‟.



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OK, back to my original point. Did you realize what I said? There are ONLY 12

notes in existence! This makes music a lot easier than you though eh? EVERY

SONG YOU‟VE EVER HEARD WAS MADE UP OF A COMBINATION OF

THESE 12 NOTES. No matter how complicated of a Mozart song it is, there are

only 12 notes to choose from:

A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G# and then back to ‘A’.

The Black Keys are in sets of 2 and 3. I call them „twins‟ and „triplets‟.

At the beginning (the left) of the „Twins‟ is the note „C‟. At the beginning of the

„triplets‟ is the note „F‟. The twins and triplets repeat themselves over and over

again and the note at the beginning of them will always be the same. In front of

every pair of twins will be „C‟ ALWAYS. This will help you memorize which

notes are which, without writing the notes on each key!

What do the „#‟ signs mean?! The # sign stands for “Sharp”.

So if you see „A#‟ that means “ „A‟ Sharp.” C# = C sharp and so on.

The Sharps (#‟s) are the black keys. The very next key to the RIGHT of any

given key is the „Sharp‟ of that note.

On the piano, the distance between any note to the very next note (whether the

next note is a black key OR white) is called a „half-step‟. So from „A‟ to „A#‟ is a

half step. From „A#‟ to „B‟ is also a half step. NOW NOTICE „B‟ and „C‟. There

are no sharps in between them but they are still considered a „Half-Step‟. This is

very important to understand because a lot of people think that if you go a „half-

step‟ from one letter the next note will be that letter „Sharp‟. This is true for



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MOST notes except for „B to C‟ and „E to F‟. If you look at the piano above

you‟ll see that E goes right to F and they are both white keys and the same for B

to C. These are STILL HALF-STEPS. There is no „B#‟ because „B#‟ would just

be called „C‟. An „E#‟ would just be called „F‟. These are the TWO exceptions.

If you skip a half-step and go directly from let‟s say, „A‟ to „B‟, it is called a

Whole Step. Remember those exceptions now! The difference from „B‟ to „C‟ is

NOT a whole step. Remember, from „B‟ to „C‟ is a HALF-STEP because they are

right next to each other. So from „B‟ to „C#‟ would be a WHOLE-STEP. Same

goes for „E‟ to „F‟ (half step). From „E‟ to „F#‟ would be the WHOLE STEP.

The reason why people make this mistake is because from every other white key

to the next white key is a WHOLE STEP. (Because there is a black key in

between which is the half step).

What precisely are key and time signatures and why is gaining in intimate

knowledge of them critical? Because without this information, absolutely no

written music can be disseminated into notes played on the piano keyboard.

Neither can unwritten music, for that matter.

Key Signatures and Time Signatures

Key signatures dictate that musical scales and notes that the piece is written in,



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and is to be played in. If there are no flats or sharps in the key signature then the

key is either "C Major" or A Minor, represented by the white keys on the piano

keyboard.

There can be up to seven flats or sharps, representing all the other possible

iterations of major and minor keys. Then, there are exceptions, notated by

specific sharp or flat symbols next to the notes themselves. A student taking

beginner piano lessons must learn to recognize these exceptions to the initial key

signature and make the appropriate corrections.

This would be analogous to a policeman waving you through a red light--you

need to be on your toes and be ready to adapt to changes along the way.

Then, there are the various time signatures that dictate the number of beats in

each measure of the piece, as well as what type of note gets assigned the one-beat

value. The most common of these is known as: 4/4. This corresponds to there

being four beats in each measure with a quarter note getting one beat.

Although extremely ubiquitous, don't take this for being the same thing as "dull".

Virtually all music ever written by the Beatles was in 4/4 time. The body of work

created by the Beatles has been regarded as simply brilliant by listeners and

musicians for eons, so this is proof that the time signature is not that important, in

as far as the quality of the music written in it is concerned.

The time signature 3/4 is another classic, as it describes music written in "three".

This is the time signature for every "waltz" ever written, and it gives the music a

nice airy bounce. Once again, the "4" designates that the quarter note receive one

beat.

Although 4/4 and 3/4 are by far the most common times signatures, many others

have been used, most notably in jazz. Tunes written in "five" (5/4) tend to give



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the piece an offbeat "snap" which is particularly intriguing. The famous jazz

musician Dave Brubeck was quite fond of writing works in "five".

Okay... now, what if that bottom number is not a 4? Instead, let's say it's a 2. Is

this possible? Yes, of course! Though less common, it's absolutely something

used often enough. Referring back to Item B above, that 2 means what?

That's right - a half note gets one beat! Now, this is not the "typical" situation we

were referring to earlier. But don't fret... because, although we've changed the

value of a half note in this case, all the other note values take on a value that is

proportionate to that half note.

In other words, a quarter note is worth half of a half note - always. Therefore, if a

half note gets 1 beat, then a quarter note will get half a beat. And, yes, all the

other note values have values proportionate as well. It's just simple math.

Whether in common or in less fashionable key and time signatures, the competent

student must be prepared to accommodate abrupt changes as created by the

composer if he/she wants to be able to faithfully reproduce written music

accurately. Starting on the road to this state of ease is the job of every student of

beginner piano lessons.



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How to Play 3 Easy Piano Chords

Piano chords provide the harmony and backing to any tune. If you are a singer, it

is great away to accompany yourself. Once you know a few chords, there is no

limit to what you can use them for in music, by varying the way that you play

them.

The 3 easy chords you are going to learn are C major, F major and G major.

Major means happy and bright in music.

A piano chord consists of 3 alternate notes on the piano. To play this shape you

need to form a matching shape with your hand. Your fingers are numbered -

thumb =1, index finger = 2, middle finger = 3 and so on. If you are playing a

chord with your right hand the fingering is 1 3 5. If you are playing with your left

hand, the fingering is 5 3 1.

Allow your hands to relax on your lap. Slightly raise fingers 2 and 4. Feel the

chord triangle on your lap. A very important part of playing chords is to keep

your wrists relaxed. Play the chord and follow through afterwards. Your wrists

should never feel tense or tight.

Sitting at the piano, find C. C is the white note on the left of 2 black notes

together. With your right hand form the chord triangle 1 3 5 and place your thumb

on C. Your 3 fingers should be covering C E and G. Play the chord cleanly and

follow through.



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Practice this using your left hand, lower down the piano. You will use the same

triangle shape using the fingering 5 3 1.

The 2nd chord is F major. Move the hand shape so that your end finger is on F. F

is 3 white keys above C. The 3 notes that make up the chord of F major are F A

and C.

The 3rd chord is G major. This consists of G B and D.

Practice the chords with each hand separately. Then play them together. You will

get a rich warm sound. Experiment with different rhythms and begin to unlock

the magical effect of piano chords!

How to Play 3 Minor Chords on Piano

When you play minor chords on the piano you give an air of mystery to your

playing. Minor in music means sad. A chord means 3 or more notes played

together. So minor chords on the piano consist of 3 alternate notes, played

together, that have a sad and mysterious sound.



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The white notes on a piano are named after the first 7 letters of the alphabet: A B

C D E F G.

Piano fingering is the way that the fingers are numbered. It is identical in both

hands. The thumb is 1, the index finger is 2, the middle finger is 3 and so on.

You are going to learn the chords of A, D and E minor.

On the piano find A. First find a group of 3 black keys and play the top black key.

Slide onto the white key immediately to the left. This is A.

The chord of A Minor consists of every alternate white note from A. The notes

are A C E.

To play the A minor chord in the right hand, place fingers 1 3 5 on the alternate

notes A C E. Form a clear triangle, play the 3 notes cleanly together and follow

through in your wrist.

To play the chord of A minor in the left hand, place fingers 5 3 1 on A C E. Play

as above.

Your 2nd chord is D minor. The notes are D F A.



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To play the chord of D minor in the right hand, place fingers 1 3 5 on D F A. Play

as above.

To play the chord of D minor in the left hand, place fingers 5 3 1 on D F A. Play

as above.

Your 3rd chord is E minor. The notes are E G B.

To play the E minor chord in the right hand, place fingers 1 3 5 on E G B. Play as

above.

To play the E minor chord in the left hand, place fingers 5 3 1 on E G B. Play as

above.



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Let’s learn the ‘C’ major scale!

This is a very important fundamental of music. This „Scale‟ makes up the sounds

„Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do.‟ It‟s called the „Major Scale‟ and it is one of the

MAIN modes of music. There are „major‟ and „minor‟. The „major‟ scale sounds

more happy while the „minor‟ scales sound sad.

Every song you‟ve ever heard was either in a „major‟ or „minor‟ key.

OK so your RIGHT hand is numbered as follows… Your thumb is finger number

1, index finger is number 2, middle finger is number 3, ring finger number 4, and

pinky finger number 5.

Your LEFT hand is the same. Thumb is finger number one, and so on. They go

opposite ways but the thumb is still number 1 and so on.

We are going to learn the scale with our RIGHT hand first. The right hand is the

lead hand in the piano and plays the important lead melodies of a song.

The left hand is an accompaniment and plays chords and bass lines.

So the „C Major Scale‟ is as Follows:

C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C

Moving from LEFT to RIGHT. Finger number One will play the first „C‟.



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Then finger number 2 plays „D‟ followed by Finger #3 which plays „E‟.

NOW PAY ATTENTION:

On the FOURTH Note which is „F‟, you will cross your thumb underneath your

middle finger (finger #3) and play the „F‟ with your THUMB! This allows you to

finish the rest of the scale with the rest of your hand. Fingers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. So, in

case this was confusing, the fingering for C. D. E, F, G, A, B, C would be fingers:

1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

After the third note; „E‟ you CROSS your thumb UNDERNEATH your middle

finger (which is still on „E‟) and play the next note to the right of „E‟ which is „F‟

with your Thumb.

Now, when you come back down the scale…(to the left) you play every note that

you played on the way up the scale AND with the SAME fingers.

So, the scale would be C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, B, A, G, F, E, D, C.

Fingers are: 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1.

The Bold letters and numbers are going „up‟ the scale which is left to right. Then

on the way back „down‟ the scale, (not bold) it is right tgo left.

‘Up’ refers to UP IN PITCH. and ‘Down’ refers to DOWN IN PITCH.

When you play notes from left to right you will always be going UP in pitch from

a LOW sound all the way on the left, it gets higher and higher as you move to the

right and all the way on the right is the HIGHEST pitched note. So thus, when



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you play to the right you are going „up‟.

The video that I included in this report will show you what the „C Major Scale‟

looks and sounds like! I play it slow at first, then medium, then fast.

That‟s just the „C‟ Major scale. There is a Major scale for EVERY key.

There is an „A Major Scale‟ a „B Major Scale, even for the #‟s. „A# Major Scale,

starts on a black key „A#‟).

They ALL sound like „Do-Re-Mi…‟ but they just start on a different pitch.

But don’t worry, I HAVE A SECRET WEAPON!

Everyone loves the „C Major Scale‟ because it is ALL white keys. Every other

scale has a black key in it, whether it‟s one, two, three or more!

Instead of memorizing EACH of the 12 Major Scales which would take a lot of

time, you can use my secret formula that will allow you to play any major scale

based on a pattern. Anything you can do in one spot on the piano, you can do.

Remember I talked about Whole Steps and Half Steps?

Well, if you look at the „C‟ major scale you can see that the pattern is as such:

After the starting „C‟, the next note is „D‟. The distance between these notes is a

Whole Step (because you skip over C# and go to D). Lets call a Whole Step „W‟

and a Half Step „H‟. The pattern of the C Major scale is W, W, H, W, W, W, H.

Pretty easy to remember if you see the pattern: two whole steps and then a half



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step followed by three whole steps and a half step. This holds true EVERY

MAJOR SCALE!!! Whoa. That makes it A LOT EASIER.

Let‟s test this out…The next Major Scale, the „D Major Scale‟ would be

D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D.

This obeys the rule! After the first note „D‟ it follows the pattern:

W, W, H, W, W, W, H.

D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D

1st W, W, H, W, W, W, H.

The first note can not be a whole step or a half step because you need to be

referring to the distance between TWO notes to have a whole step or a half step.

Check out the video to see how the „C Major Scale‟ looks and sounds!

This scale is so important because EVERY song that is in a „Major‟ key will be

made up of ONLY THE NOTES OF THE MAJOR SCALE. So, if the song is in

„C Major‟ such as THOUSANDS of songs are… the song would consist of

ONLY THE NOTES OF THE C MAJOR SCALE!

Example:

The song „Mary Had a Little Lamb‟ is in the key of „C Major‟. This means that

every note in this song will be a note in the „C Major Scale‟.



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Here are the notes for „Mary Had a Little Lamb.‟

3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 3, 5, 5

E, D, C, D, E, E, E, D, D, D, E, G, G

3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 3, 2, 1

E, D, C, D, E, E, E, D, D, E, D, C.

The numbers are the fingers you should use. The letters are the notes on the

piano. The numbers are right above the corresponding letter.

Piano Fingering

Piano fingering is as important as footwork in a dance routine! Using the right

finger on the right note enables you to play smoothly and evenly. If your

fingering is wrong, you will either run out of fingers in a tune, or it will just feel

awkward. Here are some tips on piano fingering.

The finger numbers are identical in each hand. The thumb is 1, the index finger is

2, the middle finger is 3, your "ring" finger is 4 your pinky finger is 5.

Try out this simple 5 finger exercise on the piano.

In the right hand place your 5 fingers on any adjacent white keys and play this

pattern -

1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1. This starts and ends with the thumb. The sound will rise then



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fall.

Now place your left on 5 adjacent keys and play this pattern -

5 4 3 2 1 2 3 4 5. This starts and ends with your pinky finger. The sound will

again rise and fall.

Fingering is written above or below a specific note in piano sheet music. The

fingering is written in for the first note in both your left hand and right hand

notes. When you see the fingering attached to a particular note make sure that

you use that finger. It sounds obvious, but it is a common problem that people

have when they are learning to play the piano - they ignore the finger numbers!

Our wonderful opposable thumbs enable us to move around the piano smoothly.

The thumb is used as a pivot and a lever to move the hand up and down the keys.

Find C (the white key to the left of any 2 black keys) and place your right hand

thumb on it.

Try out this exercise using the notes - C D C B C D C B C. You are only allowed

to use 2 fingers!

Play C D C B C D C B C using the fingering 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1. You pivot your

index finger (finger 2) over and back, over and back.



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How Do I Play the Black Keys

Playing the piano is a combination of finger dexterity, co-ordination and timing.

Good fingering is a vital part of playing smoothly.

The fingers are number from 1 to 5. The thumb is 1 and the little finger is 5. You

play the black keys with fingers 2, 3, 4 and 5. The job of the thumb is to act as a

pivot. Your thumb rests gently on the white keys, allowing your arm to feel

balanced and light as you play.

When you place your hands onto the piano, first make sure they are relaxed. Your

thumb should be at least 1cm from the edge of the piano.

Finger Exercise 1 - Play C with your right hand thumb. Place finger 2 on C# (C

sharp). C# is the black key immediately to the right of C. Rock gently between C

and C#, backwards and forwards.

Exercise 2 - Now take your 2nd finger and move it to the side, to play D. Try not

to move your hand backwards. Play the notes C and D using fingers 1 and 2.

Exercise 3 - Putting these 2 exercises together - play C with 1 (your thumb), play

C# with finger 2, C with 1, then D with 2, over and over again:

C C# C D C C# C D (using fingers 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2)

Remember to take your 2nd finger across and back, across and back. Keep your

arm steady. Feel the flow of using your hands freely with minimum movement. It

should feel smooth and fluid.



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The secret of playing the piano is to place fingers 2 3 and 4 just beyond the

"boundary line" where the black keys start. You will then have easy access to

play any key - black or white.

Do I Need to Buy a Metronome When

I Am Learning the Piano?

When you are learning the piano, the essentials that you need to buy are - a

decent instrument to play; a seat that is the right height for you and a direct light

to avoid eye strain. A metronome is not essential when you starting, but it will

come in very useful when you have been learning for 6 to 12 months. If you want

to get one straight away - you can practice playing along with it.

A metronome is a device that ticks at a regular pulse. They are either mechanical

(they need winding up) or electronic (they run from a battery). The regular pulse

is measured in beats per minute, or BPM. The second hand on a clock ticks at 60

beats per minute. All the BPM speeds are directly related to this.

80 BPM is a very slow pace that is used for relaxing music. 120-140 BPM is the

speed for dance music.

To practice along with a regular beat, set the level at a comfortable speed

(approximately 90 BPM) and allow it to tick for at least 4 beats. Listen to the beat

and when you are ready to start playing - count yourself in. If the music has 4

beats in a bar, count yourself in "1 2 3 4."

The beat is the backbone of music. Without a steady beat, music would just



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become "a load of notes". Practice playing a simple exercise along with the

ticking beat, just to get used to it. When you feel confident, use the ticking beat to

play along with a piece that you know.

Ways to Play More Accurately

When you are learning the piano it can be very frustrating when you keep making

mistakes. They can spoil your otherwise lovely playing. Here are 6 great ways to

play more accurately.

#1 - Practice S..L..O..W..L..Y! This is the number 1 cause of all mistakes -

playing the piano too fast when you are learning a new piece. The problem is,

your brain is "hearing" the tune already complete. Slow the speed down by up to

50%. This will give you extra thinking time.

#2 - Relax! If your muscles are tight this will cause hesitations in your playing.

Allow your arms to hang loosely by your side for a moment. When they feel

relaxed, place them gently onto the keys.

#3 - Look ahead! When you are reading music it is very important to look ahead

so that you can see what is coming next.

#4 - Do not start until you are ready! This sounds very obvious but many pianists

do this. Look at your first bar of music and get your fingers ready. Scan through

the piece to look for similar shapes and patterns before you begin.

#5 - Try not to look at the piano too much! The temptation to look at your fingers

can feel overwhelming. Think of this ratio - look at the piano sheet music 90% of

the time; look at the piano 10% of the time.



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#6 - Read the top and bottom staffs equally! When you read text, your eyes are

conditioned to travel from left to right and ignore the text below. Train your eyes

to look down at the left hand part. Most mistakes occur in the left hand because

the notes are often guessed!

How Often Should I Practice Piano?

When you start to play the piano you are embarking on a hobby for life. It is

stimulating, at times frustrating, but the ultimate rewards of mastering this

beautiful instrument are huge. But - it involves practice. Here are 7 great tips on

how often to practice and how to get the most out of these sessions.

#1 - Try to play every day. Even if it is only for 2 minutes, the more you play the

better you will get.

#2 - Aim to play for 10 - 15 minutes a day. That works out at over 1 hour per

week. You will really start to hear your progress.

#3 - If you are not in the mood, do something else! Wail until you feel inspired

and enthusiastic. That way you will always build up a positive association with

practising.

#4 - Set yourself a specific goal. Aim to master the rhythm first. Tap or clap

through the rhythm before adding in the notes. Look for the highest note and the

lowest note in the piece.

#5 - Practice slowly. Your brain is trying to co-ordinate reading music symbols

and sending the message to 10 individual fingers. If you play slowly, the music



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will flow much better.

#6 - Before you start, doodle on the keys. Make up a simple finger exercise and

just allow your fingers to flow. Relax and unwind as you doodle.

#7 - At the end of every week, if you have the facilities, record yourself playing.

Use a mobile phone to record your playing, or buy a dictaphone. Listen back to

your playing objectively. Praise yourself for how well you are doing. Be proud of

every step you take.

Closing Words

I want to add that you should not only have long-term goals, but short term ones

as well. Each time you sit down to practice piano, have a mini-goal that you wish

to accomplish for the day. If there is anything I've learned in life from successful

people, it's that having goals both big and small will always make a difference in

everything that you are doing (and piano is no different).



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