Authors: Norman Monath, David Hal
ISBN-13: 9780671530679, ISBN-10: 0671530674
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
Date Published: June 2004
Edition: (Non-applicable)
Norman Monath has taught piano and has professionally for more than 25 years. He has written numerous songs, some in collaboration with Hal David and Cahn. During his tenure as music editor at Simon and Schuster, he edited the songbooks of Gershwin, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Burt Bacharach/Hal David, Cole Porter and many others.
"Anyone who can dial a telephone can learn to play popular piano quickly and easily."
So says Norman Monath, author of How to Play Popular Piano in 10 Easy Lessons. His no-frills, no-drills method will have you playing simple tunes within 30 minutes even if you don't know one note from another.
The secret? Learning the basic chords and how to adapt them. With lots of clearly illustrated chord examples, keyboard diagrams and practice pieces ranging from "Silent Night" to "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," Monath teaches you:
* the basic structure of music
* how to alter the basic chords for creative accompaniment
* how to read tunes from sheet music
* how to improvise
* how to play by ear
* how to create your own playing style whether you lean toward pop, blues, jazz or rock
For everyone from rank beginner to experienced virtuoso, this step-by-step, uncomplicated guidebook makes learning to play popular piano the easy and enjoyable experience it should be.
Foreword | 11 | |
Author's Preface | 15 | |
Introduction: The Principle Behind This Method | 17 | |
Lesson 1 | The Piano Keyboard | 23 |
Lesson 2 | Playing Melodies | 31 |
Lesson 3 | First Chords and Songs | 37 |
Lesson 4 | Reading Black Keys From Music | 49 |
Lesson 5 | The Scales and Chords We Build On | 55 |
Lesson 6 | The Meaning of Tonality | 67 |
Lesson 7 | Altering Major Triads | 71 |
Lesson 8 | Four-Note Chords | 81 |
Lesson 9 | Jazz Piano Styles | 105 |
Lesson 10 | Playing by Ear and Improvising | 123 |
Appendix | ||
Checklist of Chord Symbols | 131 | |
Music Notation | 135 |