Lesson Run Time: 64 minutes / Release Date: 07/13/2013
This lesson is designed to help students understand how to form and play triads. We will cover the 2 ways to form triads and most importantly discuss how to create and USE inversions. Students will also be given some valuable exercises to increase the speed in which they can move between chords. If you are interested in Rock/Pop piano, this lesson is a must! You need to know the information in this lesson inside and out before moving on to any of our more advanced Rock lessons. This lesson also pairs well with our Rock Basics lesson.
Other Chapters in this Piano Lesson:
Introduction
What Are Chords
Forming Triads by Scale
Forming Triads by Interval
Minor Triads
Chord Progressions
Easier Movement with Inversions
Exercises
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Lesson Run Time: 141 minutes / Release Date: 01/01/2008
Learn chords, comping, basslines and improvisation over the Blues. The DVD is a great place to start if you have about 1-2 years of piano under your belt.
Other Chapters in this Piano Lesson:
12 Bar blues progression
Rhythm
Chord Voicings
Blues Bassline
Bassline Approaches
Comping Chords
Improvising Over The Blues
Creating Licks
Coupling Exercises
Licks HT With Bassline
Creating Your Own Composition
Fills Runs Endings
Putting It All Together
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Lesson Run Time: 54 minutes / Release Date: 09/08/2012
In this lesson we will cover gospel piano basis that we will expand upon and use as a foundation for future lessons. These important ~tricks~ come in handy in many different styles of music. Broken apart like this, these ideas will be easier for you to incorporate into your own arrangements and use them as a springboard for your own music or improvisation.
Other Chapters in this Piano Lesson:
Introduction
Basic I-IV groove and lick
Adding Grace Notes
Passing IV chord
I-IV-V7-vi progression
Diminished passing chords
V7sus slash chord
Diminished Fill
Popular Cadence Pattern
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Lesson Run Time: 108 minutes / Release Date: 04/24/2015
In this Live-to-Library lesson you’ll learn how to create your own gospel/blues progressions while also learning more about dominant motion, alternate bass notes and 2-5-1 progressions. This is a perfect mix of how to apply music theory to create really cool chord progressions.
Other Chapters in this Piano Lesson:
Introduction
The Basic Progression
Dominant Motion
Bass Motion
I to vi Progression
Building the Jazzy 7-3-6 Progression
Tritone Substitution
Bullet points of lesson
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Lesson Run Time: 66 minutes / Release Date: 05/21/2011
In this 2 part lesson we will be working through the groove for Bill Withers Use Me. In part 1 we will cover the different keyboard licks and variations. We will discuss the minor pentatonic and how to create interesting improvisation sequences and also talk about different chord voicings for the organ.
Other Chapters in this Piano Lesson:
Introduction
Keyboard licks part 1
Keyboard licks part 2
Pad voicings pt 1
Pad voicings pt 2
Safe chords
Minor pentatonic
Syncopated licks
Scale sequences pt 1
Scale sequences pt 2
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Lesson Run Time: 58 minutes / Release Date: 08/06/2011
In this week’s Willie Answers, we will be covering fast funk grooves. More importantly, we will discuss how to create a groove between you and one other instrument. Often, we find ourselves in “non-traditional” situations like piano and drums only. In this lesson, I’ll show you how to create a ‘simple’ groove, how to put it together in sections, how to do some groove improvisation and use outside chords to create an interesting sound.
Other Chapters in this Piano Lesson:
Introduction
Two-measure phrase intro pt 1
Two-measure phrase intro pt 2
A section (m3-m4)
A section (m3-m4) pt 2
A section (m5)
B section Funkadiddle
Solo Section Groove
Solo Section Groove pt 2
Turnaround – Ending
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Lesson Run Time: 71 minutes / Release Date: 09/16/2008
Other Chapters in this Piano Lesson:
Scorch Plug In
Introduction
What are Quartals?
Quartals over chords
Quartal accompaniments
Making richer voicings
Going outside pt1
Minor pentatonics
Easy F Blues with quartals
Adv. F Blues with quartals
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Lesson Run Time: 68 minutes / Release Date: 09/29/2012
Starting where Volume 1 left off, in part two we will be covering soloing techniques that you can use over Rhythm Changes. These techniques can be applied to all styles of improvised music, so blues players, church musicians, rock players and jazz players can ALL use these techniques. In addition, I cover some really fun bassline in 10ths techniques along with advanced sounding (but easy) constant structure improvisation concepts.
Other Chapters in this Piano Lesson:
Introduction
Ex. 4 – Approaches pt 1
Ex. 4 – Approaches pt 2
Ex. 5 – Small Moves pt 1
Ex. 5 – Small Moves pt 2
Two-handed chords pt 1
Two-handed chords pt 2
Bassline in 10ths pt 1
Bassline in 10ths pt 2
Arrangement ideas
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Lesson Run Time: 55 minutes / Release Date: 09/15/2012
In this part 1 of 2, we will cover different exercises that you can use to build up your improvisation over rhythm changes. We will also cover left-hand chord structures and how to play at uptempo speeds. Part 2 will cover applications over bass or chordal patterns and how to improvise over these changes in a group or solo piano situation.
Other Chapters in this Piano Lesson:
Introduction
Left-hand chords
Ex1 – Major scale
Ex2 – Whole tone and altered
Using cells
How to play fast
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Lesson Run Time: 190 minutes / Release Date: 01/01/2008
This 2-DVD set will teach you improvisation techniques over Satin Doll and Canon in D. You’ll learn both Jazz and Pop/Rock improvisation styles. You’ll also learn about approaches into chord tones. You should go through DVD100 and the E-LESSONS before starting this DVD.
Other Chapters in this Piano Lesson:
Introduction
Rhythm
Songs we are covering
Style
Chords And Their Inversions
Comping Chords
Improvising Using the RH pt1
Improvising Using the RH pt2
What To Do In The Left Hand?
Left Hand Rhythms
Pseudo Bass Line
Putting Hands Together
Beyond Chord Tones pt1
Beyond Chord Tones pt2
Approaches
Licks With Approaches
Lick Exercises
1-6-2-5 Exercises
Jam With The Band
Play-a-long 1
Play-a-long 2
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Lesson Run Time: 49 minutes / Release Date: 03/30/2013
In this series, I break down how to create a blues song based upon my ABC approach. A stands for accompaniments and style, B is Building a Solo and C is chords and progressions. This part 1 will cover parts A and B.
Other Chapters in this Piano Lesson:
Introduction
Blues Accompaniments pt. 1
Blues Accompaniments pt. 2
Turns and Chromatics pt. 1
Turns and Chromatics pt. 2
Double-stop riffs
What to practice
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Lesson Run Time: 53 minutes / Release Date: 03/13/2015
In part 2 we are going to take the baseline skills we learned in Slow Blues a la Stormy Monday Part 1 and create a full arrangement including a really cool jazzy walkup progression that perks up my ears every time I hear it.
Other Chapters in this Piano Lesson:
Introduction
Blues Chords
Augmented 5 Chord Intro
Measure 7 Hands Together
Walkup
Walkup Arrangement Pt 1
Walkup Arrangement Pt 2
Jazzy Walkup
Blues Lick
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Lesson Run Time: 62 minutes / Release Date: 10/17/2014
In this lesson (part 1 of 2) you’ll learn several different basslines that you can use to play a slow blues. Using Stormy Monday as a starting point, these 8 basslines allow you to create multiple slow blues arrangements.
Other Chapters in this Piano Lesson:
Introduction
Bassline A
Bassline B
Bassline C with practice tips
Bassline D
Bassline E the turnaround
Bassline F ending
Bassline F alterations
Blues chords
Bassline form
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Lesson Run Time: 44 minutes / Release Date: 12/14/2015
Other Chapters in this Piano Lesson:
7 Days of Improvisation – Day 2
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Lesson Run Time: 42 minutes / Release Date: 12/14/2015
Other Chapters in this Piano Lesson:
7 Days of Improvisation – Day 1
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