Music
Music Techniques
Keyboard Instrument
Compose at the Keyboard with the Pyramids Variations
4.1 (22 ratings)
Course Ratings are calculated from individual students’ ratings and a variety of other signals, like age of rating and reliability, to ensure that they reflect course quality fairly and accurately.
231 students enrolled

Compose at the Keyboard with the Pyramids Variations

Learn an easy, flexible hand position to play chords from chord symbols and learn the basics of improvising music.
4.1 (22 ratings)
Course Ratings are calculated from individual students’ ratings and a variety of other signals, like age of rating and reliability, to ensure that they reflect course quality fairly and accurately.
231 students enrolled
Created by Mister Musicarta
Last updated 9/2016
English
Preview this course
Compose at the Keyboard with the Pyramids Variations
Price: $24.99
Buy now
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
This course includes
  • 1 hour on-demand video
  • 2 articles
  • 27 downloadable resources
  • Full lifetime access
  • Access on mobile and TV
  • Certificate of Completion
Training 5 or more people?

Get your team access to 4,000+ top Udemy courses anytime, anywhere.

Try Udemy for Business
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.
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.
Course content
Expand all 23 lectures 52:56
+ – Part One of the Pyramids Variations is the step-by-step build-up to the Concert
9 lectures 33:21

Introduction to composing at the keyboard with the Musicarta Pyramids Variations.

Composing at the Keyboard: Introduction and Welcome
Preview 02:27

With a simple hand position anybody can copy, you can be playing a chord sequence in your very first lesson.

Pyramids in the Basic Music-making Position
Preview 12:00

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 with Left-hand-over Patterns
Preview 08:25

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 - Adding the Melody
01:35

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 - A Four-chord Version
01:51

Chord tones are usually the first choice for a melody, and in-between notes are often used to join them up.

Pyramids - Developing the Melody
01:16

Lesson Six adds new music to create a piece which has the indispensable popular song 32-bar 'AABA' structure.

Pyramids - The 32-bar AABA Form
01:51

The new 'B section' music now has to be expanded to four-chord dimensions.

Pyramids - The Four-chord B Section
00:58

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 - The Concert Performance
02:58
+ – The Pyramids Variations, Part Three: The Variations
13 lectures 18:56

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: Alternative Concert Performances
04:33

Developing the bass line is a fine opportunity to think about melody and improve your playing-by-ear and improvising/composing skills.

Pyramids: Developing the Bass Line
01:06

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 using Mixed Inversions
00:39

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: Descending Variations
01:14

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 in Four-four Time
01:14

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 and the Circle of Fifths
01:13

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 using Suspensions
01:16

This is a catch-up module giving you the opportunity to showcase the variation-composing techniques you've learned so far.

Pyramids: Further Variations
01:31

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: Broken Chord Variations
01:28

This solo started life as Broken Chord Variations 3. An ideal vehicle for getting carried away by the music.

Pyramids: Homage to Pink Floyd
01:28

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, Left-hand-over Style
01:37

The 'Alberti bass' is a simple broken-chord accompaniment from the Classical era - and a great stand-by for 'messing round with chords'.

Pyramids: Alberti Bass
01:34

A few words about going on from here.

The Pyramids Variations: Postscript
Preview 00:03