Instant Pro Piano
I just finished reading David Seagal's product. What a great job! There are 30 lessons included and each and every one taught me something useful. One really nice feature about how David put this set of lessons together is that there are multiple paths through the material. The author realizes that readers may have different goals in terms of the level of piano expertise they are trying to achieve. The material is arranged so that if a student is not particularly interested in some of the more technical aspects of music, those sections can be skipped.
It's important to realize the author's goal with this product - and that is for the student to have FUN learning to play! Wow! Learning any instrument should be fun. I like that approach. Another very encouraging statement that you'll read early on is that yes, it does take some work and effort to learn to play the piano! I get a little tired of web sites that make ridiculous claims like...."learn to play the piano in 24 hours!". What drivel! Of course it takes time and effort and commitment..and the author (a professional musician) knows that and works hard throughout the course to encourage you and keep our motivation level high.
The primary way he does that is by getting you to play the songs you want to play right from the start. As David says, the classical method of piano training would not have you playing from sheet music for quite a while after you start lessons. The goal of this product is to give you enough technical knowledge and facility very quickly so you can play songs that you'll actually enjoy!
The primary approach taken in this product is teaching you how to "improvise". The way he suggests you get started is to go out and get the sheet music to some of your favorite songs, start working on them and use the questions that come up as motivation to look through the lesson materials to find the answers. By the way, you can even learn to play the songs you love without buying the sheet music. David can show you how.
As the author says, the course has three main goals: to inspire and motivate you, to teach you the methods that professional musicians use every day, and to provide you with a roadmap to continue your training, if you so choose.
As I mentioned above, there are 30 lessons in the package - a lot of material! I'll tell you what's in some of to wet your appetite!
Lesson 4 - Sheet Music
What a great section. This lesson actually made me understand the problems with sheet music - which I vaguely realized but had ever really clearly understood. I personally have studied mostly in the classical mode - first on the electric organ, them on the piano, and have never really mastered the art of playing popular music - "like a pro". This course is going to take me a long way toward that goal. By the way, if you don't know what a lead sheet is and what it's used for, you will after reading this lesson.
Lesson 6 - Playing Chords
Lesson 6 really describes the approach taken in this product: it is learning chords before you spend a lot of time on other aspects of your piano education. Chords, as David says, are the basis of all improvisational playing, and learning the basic chords first will give you a much more satisfying early experience on the piano. As you progress, more emphasis will be placed on melody lines, but starting with chords lets you play songs you love, gives a much richer experience than playing note for note from sheet music, and is a lot more fun! There is a chord handbook included with the course that diagrams more than 300 chords for you.
Lesson 7 - Introduction to the Keyboard
Lesson 7 has a ton of useful information about proper hand and finger position, posture at the keyboard, tricks to get your fingers loose and relaxed before playing and a whole bunch more. Read it!
Lesson 9 - Hand Dexterity
Lesson 9 covers developing dexterity at the keyboard. More information about the importance of finger positioning and proper fingering for chords is presented. There are a few very useful exercises presented to emphasize the points made about proper fingering.
Lesson 10 - The Art of Practicing
I think this section is worth the cost of the course all by itself. Very few programs I've seen really point out how to practice. A lot of music students do it wrong. Playing is different from practicing.
I can't go through all 30 lessons, so I'll give you some of the important topics that are covered in the rest of the course:
A full lesson is devoted to each of these topics, and there is more. You want to look at this product! Just click here. The lessons are well-organized, well-written, and you will, if you follow the plan, learn an enormous amount about playing the piano, and have a path to continue on to whatever level you choose to achieve.
There are a number of different purchase options available at David's site. He also offers 100 piano chord diagrams for free, along with an ebook (free), free bi-weekly newsletter, and 6 months of free email support with any purchase. There are two videos, each of which is 2 hours long, each for only $9.95. Sounds to me like you should go take a look. Click here. Having six months of free email support is like having a free piano tutor for six months! That's a pretty amazing offer.
Despite what you may have heard, there is no single book, video, or course that will meet all of your learning needs while studying the piano. But if you want a comprehensive course that gives you the next best thing to private lessons with a pro, and you want to start playing, not practicing, and you want to have a shot at playing like a professional, then this is the course for you!
The author of the course, David Seagal, is a freelance pianist/teacher in the New York area, with a very impressive musical resume (read about him at the site - here).
