Links update: 03/05/2017
A Classical Method of Instruction: Are you one of the twenty million Americans who took piano lessons in their youth but never became proficient? Dan and I are, and a seemingly common denominator amongst us quitters is that piano teachers within the last 100 years have relied too much on rigid teaching methods that result in months or even years of drudgery before a child is adept at making music.
More Musical, Less Mechanical Playing
In this video course, Mark Almond dispenses with this modern view of learning music. Instead, he takes the learner back to the classical method of instruction, the way the composers and pianists of the past learned, teaching piano with chords and harmony. His goal is to produce more musical, less mechanical playing. Thanks to the clarity of his instruction, your children will quickly learn how to form any major or minor chord and apply the simple rules of harmony even before they can read music. Understanding harmony is the key to understanding pleasant music.
Accepted by Professional Musicians and Piano Teachers
Lest you fear that this is some oddball approach to teaching piano, know that this method has been accepted by professional musicians, piano teachers, college professors, schools, and libraries. Before the course is complete, your children will learn all the standard chord symbols and traditional sight-reading, but in a more natural way, reducing difficulty and confusion.
Each Child can Progress at His Own Pace
Mark starts with two three-note chords. He demonstrates, via an overhead camera aimed at the keys of a grand piano or electronic keyboard, how to experiment with the tones of the chords. Immediately, even your most reluctant learner is making satisfying sounds on the piano. Chord progressions are based on logical, easy-to-learn connections without mind-numbing hours spent trying to decipher sheet music. Subsequent lessons build on this skill while also covering such essential concepts as musical notation, timing, and expressive playing. And because this is a DVD, each child can progress at his own pace. Four and a half hours of professional, straightforward instruction will give your children a clear understanding of the fundamental ideas of music theory. After completing the course, viewers will be able to improvise a little and play some by ear.
This program is designed for beginning to intermediate students of all ages, but children younger than twelve may need adult assistance. All students do need to be completely familiarized with the names of the keys on the piano.
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