Thanks for answering..

So far i played around, and came to the conclusion that Piano Marvel is the best app.. most versatile... and really tries to tech you playing piano instead of pushing the right note at the right moment..

Also looks like pianote might even be better for improving left hand and hand independency...

Hi Bachus,
you can find a heap of clips from Pianote on utube. Some pretty interesting little snippets and it’s free.

Basically how I found them in the first place, from a utube clip Donny posted..

You don’t have to sign up for the course, a number of the clips are from the course itself.

Will give you a rough idea of whether or not you enjoy their method of teaching.

Btw,I tried the Playground App (the free section, ) not for me. I can read , so teaching me to play a song from sheet music isn’t a great deal of help.

Also briefly checked out Flowkey. It appears to be similar type of thing.

I would have loved something like these apps, years ago , when I was first learning.

At the moment though, I think I’m getting more out of Pianote, and Jazzedge’s No Bull Piano courses, learning the ability to play from a lead sheet, starting with something really basic , with just say root notes for left hand, and building up to chord shells, next level adding additional notes to right hand, etc.
The same techniques can be used with heaps of songs, and that’s the exciting part.

Instead of doggedly learning every single note on a score sheet, once I get used to the chords and the inversions etc I should be able to put the tips and tricks I’ve learnt in one song to use in others of a similar style.

ie basically in the No Bull piano, Willie has a working on a very simple standard, just single note melody, single root note left hand.
Once we’ve got that right, level 2 progresses to left hand chord shells,
Level 3 added right hand notes etc
Level 4 haven’t even checked out yet.

The song is My Romance, but as he said, what he’s teaching could be used with other songs like Autum Leaves, mentioned others too from a similar genre.

Basically something I’ve never explored before, hence I’m really enjoying the challenge.

Most important Ricky is that you feel you are progressing and are having fun at it..



And you are right about their online youtube videos
Seems my piano skills are atleast at intermediate level..
For whats that worth..

This is the book I bought:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Uqrbu-Z4y8

Voicing chords for an arranger keyboard? Voicing chords for piano? They are different.
One is a matter of speed and work-arounds – the other is a matter of spreading the chord over one or two octaves, giving more depth to the sound.

Piano voicing:
C major chord – C E G
C -- is important because it is the root.
E -- is very important because it decides if it is a major or minor chord.
G -- is the least important.

If the melody note is C my left hand plays 1st and 5th C—G. My right hand plays the C and the lower E.
If the melody note is B, left hand plays 1st and 5th –C—G, and my right hand plays B and the lower E. I do not have to repeat the C note.

This as basic as it gets. The problem comes when we want to add (Expand the sound) to 9th, 13th, a minor9th , or a dimished 9th – ect.

The most important notes are the 3rd and the 7th. (not the root) The 3rd decides major or minor, the 7th decides major or dominate. C major 7th is in the C major scale, C dominate 7th (C7th) does not belong to the key of C – it belongs to the key of F.

Color tones – they add color to the original chord. 6th, 9th, 11th 13th. 9th, #9th, sus7th, b5th – ect.

I like following this method because it helps me understand the why’s and how’s, and I can build on what I have learned.
Hope this helps, John C.

I might disagree with you that the perfect 5th is least important, overall the root and the perfect 5th together define the chord... the middle tone is there for the nuance of the sound, ie, major, minor sus2 sus4.. but in this case C and G are allways there..

For example in the bass notes on a piano you either play full octave C’s or C and G..

So i kind of miss the fact that the perfect 5th is least important?

Thats a nice book..
i can see where this is going..

For intermediate piano players playing from lead sheets this is invalluable..


Alfreds adult piano course also teaches you many of these patterns as part of its songs.. it just doesn’t tell you that you can use them with any song you see fit..

The 5th does nothing to define the "color" of the chord. It reinforces the fundamental but does nothing to denote Maj/Min. It provides added power, and strength to a chord, but with no 3rd, you have no key tonality. The Root, 3rd and 7th define the nature of a chord. The added "color" tones (2nds, 4ths, 6ths) provide more detail, and tension. In practice the Root and 5th work together to reinforce the overall tonality that is defined by the 3rd and 7th.

I wouldn't say that it's a case of more, or less important, as much as it is not as necessary in naming or defining a chord. Take organ stops as an example - the first 3 drawbars are 1-5-1, and used together, they sound like a solid tonic.

I agree, but what you call added power, i think the root and perfect 5th together are the base of the chord... where the color tones are the variation, the emotion of a chord.

Interesting reference to the organ drawbars.. its another proof that the root and the perfect 5th go so well together, they kind of amplify eachother..


Which also shows in numbers, C = 256, G= 384 (256 +128) C=512 hz
Which explains why the harmonics enhance eachother..
Where other notes add much more interesting harmonics that color the sound..

The point is that the 5th cannot DEFINE the chord. It does not denote major or minor. Without the 3rd - it will be a very modal, very open sounding chord with no substance, thereby making it a secondary addition after the 3rd... at least in my mind.