How To Play Piano by Ear
Learn one of music’s deepest mysteries: how to play songs without relying on music. A very practical presentation of music theory that includes predicting chord progressions, learning from recordings, and transposing-all expressed in everyday language. This is an ideal follow-up to the “Instant Piano” class and is open to anyone who has a basic understanding of chords on any instrument. Expand your musical horizons, and free yourself from sheet-music dependence, and be the life of the party! Prior experience with chords recommended. Fee includes the online book, online follow-up lessons, a recording of the class and an optional monthly question and answer session.
Class is held online using zoom.
Topics include:
- How to find the starting note
- How to determine when chords change
- How to predict the chord progression
- How chords help you find the correct melody
- How the melody helps you find the correct chords
- How to learn songs from recordings
- How to transpose
- The Universal Key Signature
- How to use the Circle of Fifths
- How to recognize the most common chord patterns
Craig Coffman
Craig is an experienced piano and guitar instructor, professional pianist and music director. He has over 30 years experience teaching piano privately. His piano and guitar seminars, offered through Community Colleges and Community Education Programs, have been attended by over 30,000 students throughout Arizona, Minnesota and the United States over the last 27 years. He has a degree in Sociology from Illinois Wesleyan University in Illinois (where he also studied piano) and a Master of Divinity degree from Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon.
