Would you like to join...?
Making YouTube videos is tolerable but interacting with interested viewers is much more stimulating. I've always wished I could hold a real piano camp here in Budapest but that's obviously an expensive undertaking and everyone would need to be available at the same time. Further, it couldn't be done very frequently.
These days, however, we have other online options.
After discussions with a friend, I came to acknowledge that hosting online group sessions would perhaps be of interest to at least a few of you - so I started working out the details of how it might work. If you're still curious by the end of this article, my email to sign up will be there!
Initially, I was curious about using Zoom but this is 15$/month to be able to have more than 40-minute sessions. I obviously wouldn't mind this expense but Skype (new window) can hold up to 100 participants and there is no time limit (well, 24 hours apparently so we should be safe). It's also free and I think more people have a Skype than Zoom account, so I'll start with that and see how it goes. I also wouldn't need any of the fancy features that Zoom offers.
I will place the camera in the same position as in all my videos; over my left shoulder (I'm not a face revealer; you need my voice and my hands only!) and I will be able to see the phone screen of the video call participants (feel free to also hide your face) and of course communicate using the mic and loud-speaker. Naturally your microphone would be muted while you're practising/I'm talking and you will enable it to speak whenever you wish.
The group would have (the same) 10 participants for the duration. Nobody would be forced to play but questions or demonstrations of exercises is encouraged just so I know where you're at. Either way, you'll either be watching me, trying stuff on your own (mic off) or listening to others who wish to try out things for us and share their progress. Plus you'll have a week to do your homework (detailed below) each time so you won't be that bad anyway!
The course would be over 4 Sundays and last 2 hours each for a total of 8 hours. Due to most viewers being in America, I must host it at Central European (evening) Time and it seems 10am West Coast Time (1pm East Coast Time) is best... For me and anybody in Europe, this is currently 8-10pm. Anybody from the Far East...? I hope you're a morning person! 😬
Regular piano lessons are often no less than 50$/hour so to make myself accessible to as many people as possible, I would ask this but for 2 hours, multiplied by 4 sessions, so only 200$US for 8 hours with me. This includes of course free email communications for assistance between sessions.
The course is intended for any level but since the majority are beginners or intermediates, it would be wise to group similar levels together. If required, I will host another course on another day for the same price but it would be a little more advanced... but lets start with the basics which 90+% of people need and see how it goes.
Here is the structure:
First Sunday: You will once and for all master all 12 major scales. We will discuss each one and learn to visualise them on our internal piano. Since major scales are to be used and abused, I will share some technical exercises for finger independence and precision. A metronome can be of use to see how quickly you can do the exercises (finding your natural limit) and to monitor your speed increases over time (very satisfying!)
Homework: You will be expected to know absolutely all 7 notes of each major scale by the following Sunday. I will have given you everything you need to achieve this and I hope the added pressure helps. You will also be very comfortable with the note values of each note, in each key and be able to switch between keys pretty comfortably and quickly. For example, if I say F, you will tell me either a few keys that F appears in, and/or the note value of F in all the keys! (2nd of Eb, 3rd of Db, 4th of C, 5th of Bb, 6th of Ab, 7th of Gb), and/or all the notes of F major but starting from any note but F itself (e.g from the 3rd: A, Bb, C, D, E, F, G, A). You will also have acquired a little more precision and finger independence thanks to the technical exercises.
Second Sunday: We will acquire a lot of chords and you will understand how they are easy to find in any key based on their own unique template. I will prove how inversions aren't things you need to memorise but things you can find almost instantly thanks to major scale mastery and chord template root-position knowledge. I will provide some ways to play chords with both hands, as well as giving you some technical exercises. Internal piano stuff will also be discussed (as always!)
Homework: You will be expected to know at least 4 chord types from M7, 7, m7, 6, m6, whole/half-diminished, augmented, sus4...) in at least their common keys (which I will provide you... so bring something to make notes!) You will also be able to execute at speed at least one of the exercises provided for at least one or two of the chord types through all the keys.
Third Sunday: Thanks to the previous fortnight's incredible process and knowledge acquisitions, it will be time to look at the diatonic chords and their use in common and spontaneous chord progressions of at least 3 chords in length. Chord progressions are the backbone to playing repertoire, improvising and composing. They are the most common reason people cannot play fluently; not for a lack of technique necessarily but because they don't know what chord comes next! I will fix this once and for all using your internal piano/internal lead-sheet and you will never have this issue again.
Homework: You will be expected to know the diatonic chord types and be able to play them in at least a few common keys (C, F, G, Eb). You will also be able to play the 251 progression (and maybe the 6251 if you could handle it), and perhaps the 145 blues structure (if it's discussed/agreed upon). You will also be able to play any chord progression I come up with in whatever key I tell you to play it in (which will be super easy because your major scale mastery and chord types will be so ingrained by now!)
Fourth Sunday: We will look at jazz repertoire. I will provide a few common jazz song chord progressions but we can choose as a group which other pieces to look at. If there's no agreement, we can look at songs quickly that anybody requests (since it's just a numerical analysis, not an entire deep-dive) or stick with the ones I recommend. You will apply the knowledge acquired to any song you wish to learn anyway so it's not about the piece of music, it's the skill of memorising a chord progression and finding how the melody fits over the major scale/key of the piece itself.
Homework: Since I won't be able to verify your progress after the fourth lesson, I will simply hope that you learn the songs you want to learn and apply everything you have learnt in mind and at the piano for the rest of your destinationless piano journey.
I am of course available for personal sessions for 50US$/hour if required - these can be one-off or paid as 4 in advance and we do the sessions when you're ready for each one, not necessarily on a strict schedule. They last an hour but I'm not super strict about the time, within reason.
I hope that this course comes across as exciting and motivating for you and that you will consider such an investment into your piano life. The teachings and knowledge and skills will stay with you forever, no matter which path you take in music.
I need to wait for my new phone first (by the first week of March I'll have it) and I'd like to only begin once I have ten people signed up and paid so I can see how it works when full and perhaps refine it for future months' sessions. Maybe the group size can be 15 or maybe it should be 5. Maybe I'll need to do it twice a week (two different groups due to high numbers or different levels).
So, if you're still interested, simply email: danthecomposer@gmail.com with your interest and a little about yourself. In response, I will provide the PayPal account for the 200$US (do not send money to danthecomposer@gmail.com) and answer any questions you may have. I suppose there is no minimum requirement but knowing what a piano is, the names of the keys and having your own instrument, as well as a microphone and Skype account (free) would be extremely useful.
Please note that I am waiting for 10 participants and nothing will begin until the at least the first week of March anyway so you have no rush in your decision! I will probably do this every month anyway, for as long as demand requires.
Thank you kindly for your time and support and perhaps speak to you soon!
Best,
Dan
