Compose at the Keyboard with the Pyramids Variations

Name: Compose at the Keyboard with the Pyramids Variations
Rating: 4.5 (34 reviews)

Learn an easy, flexible hand position to play chords from chord symbols and learn the basics of improvising music.

Created byMister Musicarta

Last updated 9/2016

English

What you'll learn

Play an impressive modern classical ('New Age') piano solo based on a simple hand-position, without reading music or having played the piano before.
'Compose at the keyboard' - Just sit down and play the piano from having seen how music can be built up from simple elements.
Get a practical demonstration of creative music theory basics - what makes music work, and how to put it together yourself.

Course content

3 sections • 23 lectures • 52m total length

Composing at the Keyboard: Introduction and Welcome2:27
Introduction to composing at the keyboard with the Musicarta Pyramids Variations.
Pyramids in the Basic Music-making Position12:00
With a simple hand position anybody can copy, you can be playing a chord sequence in your very first lesson.
Pyramids with Left-hand-over Patterns8:25
In this lesson, you straight away start to explore how the Basic Music-making Position helps you make variations on your Pyramids chord sequence.
Pyramids - Adding the Melody1:35
It's great playing chords, but a piece of music needs a tune as well. Fortunately, the Pyramids melody grows straight out of the chords you already know.
Pyramids - A Four-chord Version1:51
Pyramids goes large! What you can do with two chords, you can double to four, making a grand-sounding bottom-to-top keyboard chord study. Add the melody on top for a very impressive Lesson Four performance.
Pyramids - Developing the Melody1:16
Chord tones are usually the first choice for a melody, and in-between notes are often used to join them up.
Pyramids - The 32-bar AABA Form1:51
Lesson Six adds new music to create a piece which has the indispensable popular song 32-bar 'AABA' structure.
Pyramids - The Four-chord B Section0:58
The new 'B section' music now has to be expanded to four-chord dimensions.
Pyramids - The Concert Performance2:58
You've done it! You have now learned all the building blocks of your stunning Concert Performance. All's that left to do now is assemble and practice.

Pyramids: Alternative Concert Performances4:33
Jump right in with an extended medley-style Concert Performance which gives you more performance minutes for all your hard work - at no extra cost!
Pyramids: Developing the Bass Line1:06
Developing the bass line is a fine opportunity to think about melody and improve your playing-by-ear and improvising/composing skills.
Pyramids using Mixed Inversions0:39
If we raise the top note of an A minor root position triad one step, we get a first inversion chord of the next chord in the Pyramids chord sequence – F major.
A simple trick which opens the door on a host of new sounds.
Pyramids: Descending Variations1:14
What goes up can come down! Playing your mixed-inversions variation top-to-bottom adds a new twist and offers the chance to experiment with melodic movement again.
Pyramids in Four-four Time1:14
Six-eight isn't a very 'rock music' rhythm, but four-four time definitely is. Here's a module that will convince you that what you're learning really is applicable to all styles of music!
Pyramids and the Circle of Fifths1:13
The circle of fifths is the most powerful chord sequence in Western music. You cannot study popular music harmony for long without learning about it. Fortunately, the Pyramids Variations easily adapts to demonstrate this harmony mother-lode.
Pyramids using Suspensions1:16
Suspensions - temporarily raising a chord tone one step - are a great way to get more out of chords. Another simple trick you can apply across the board!
Pyramids: Further Variations1:31
This is a catch-up module giving you the opportunity to showcase the variation-composing techniques you've learned so far.
Pyramids: Broken Chord Variations1:28
Broken chords are virtually 'music to go', and a staple of the popular keyboard style. Practicing broken chords is never wasted, and the Pyramids Variations chord sequence is a great starting point.
Pyramids: Homage to Pink Floyd1:28
This solo started life as Broken Chord Variations 3. An ideal vehicle for getting carried away by the music.
Pyramids, Left-hand-over Style1:37
The Musicarta ‘left-hand-over style’ – bringing the left hand over to play chord tones in the treble – is a good way to fill out your sound, as well as being fun to play and looking good.
Pyramids: Alberti Bass1:34
The 'Alberti bass' is a simple broken-chord accompaniment from the Classical era - and a great stand-by for 'messing round with chords'.
The Pyramids Variations: Postscript0:03
A few words about going on from here.

Requirements

No previous experience needed! You do NOT need to read music to make stellar progress using this course!
No advanced computer skills necessary. The optional MidiPiano virtual keyboard (Windows OS) is basic computer technology.

Description

The Pyramids Variations (Learn to Improvise on a Chord Sequence) is about being able to "just sit down and play" the piano - like a guitarist can just pick up the guitar and strum a few chords. (In fact, "strumming the piano" wouldn't be a bad course subtitle!)

The first part of the course coaches you to an impressive 'Concert Performance' piano solo based on a simple hand position. The second half goes on to show how you can become a creative 'composer at the keyboard' by varying and recombining the musical building blocks you've mastered.

Lessons consist of videos with related web pages hosting audio and video example performances and pdf lesson notes.

The Pyramids Variations course consists of 20-plus practical lessons – probably two whole semester's-worth of creative course curriculum.

You do NOT need to be able to read music to benefit from this course! - but all the written music is there for good readers. And there's extensive 'try before you buy' web content to help you decide if the Pyramids Variations is for you.

Who this course is for:

Any pianist of any age and stage who feels he/she could be more creative at the keyboard than hitherto.
Any lapsed pianist wanting to take up piano again on their own terms.

Compose at the Keyboard with the Pyramids Variations

What you'll learn

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Course content

Part One of the Pyramids Variations is the step-by-step build-up to the Concert9 lectures • 33min

The Pyramids Variations, Part Two: Practice Aids1 lecture • 1min

The Pyramids Variations, Part Three: The Variations13 lectures • 19min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: