ost musicians who play popular music can’t read music. They play by ear. If they can do it, so can you. All you need is a little training!
The New School of American Music has published some materials that will quickly teach you how to play the piano like the pros do. Each book listed below includes one or more cassettes so you can hear the musical examples.
Click here to be taken to a secure server where you can order on-line or find out more about these products.
Click on any cover to see a larger picture.
Popular Chord Style Piano
This is the introductory program. It gives you everything you need to know to begin playing any keyboard. You'll learn chords, playing tips, and just enough music theory. Cassette contains recordings of all examples.
How to Play Blues Piano Styles
All about blues, including improvising and a jump start section for beginners. Includes a CD listening guide. If you want to play blues, you need this course.
Continuing Chord Piano
Continues from where Popular Chord Style Piano leaves off. Simple left and right hand variations, and more.
How to Play Piano by Ear
Learn how to pick out simple melodies, then add chords (you have to know your chords first). Learn how to transpose. Learn songs from recordings. Learn the secret terminology that musicians use and much more.
Power Chords
Learn about chord voicings, slash chords, sus, aug, dim, and inversions. Plus an introduction to jazz voicings made famous by Bill Evens. You won't be the same after this one.
Intros and Endings
Learn some of the most cherished intros and endings of all time and learn how to invent your own. Master arpeggios, chord progression intros, chromatic walk downs, and specialized intros and endings for blues and gospel.
Praise!
Simple, basic introduction to chord piano playing. Not only does it teach church/gospel songs and hymns, it also teaches church/gospel playing style. Inculdes an introduction to accompaniment playing, simple transposing, and inversions, none of which are covered in the basic course.
The Season
16 of everybody's favorite Christmas Carols, all in easy-to-play chord format with a brief playing guide before each song. The cassettes show you how to create fresher and more professional sounding arrangements which can be applied to any song.
Piano Tricks and Licks
A potpourri of exercises, chord substitutions, music theory, stylings, and a healthy dose of piano player's "cheap tricks" to sharpen your skills and improve your sound. Six months of piano lessons on one tape.
Blatantly Basic Blues Video
Two camera video of the Blues Piano Style Workshop which covers basics, chords, scales, improvising and the styles of Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, and Ray Charles.