Get Piano Lesson 9: Busy Hands with Separate Notes

[sexy4durant]

where r u positioned on the keyboard in this exercise.

[getpianolessons]

@sexy4durant - both hands are positioned around middle C.

[chandan4688]

Thank you for uploading such a great and important lesson.

[guapinho93]

I love you and your videos, all i need to say =)

[mickaelle]

to all the haters move on to other tutorials if you can't have the decency to appreciate the hard work that's being put in these free videos.

[mickaelle]

thank you so much for your lessons. your videos are captivating and i learn more in 2 days, than i did in weeks spending my bucks to learn the piano. now i have an idea of how to practice regularly and reach the level i want to reach... do you also play the guitar, if yes could you please also give lessons on it as well ?

[getpianolessons]

Thanks..... I try* Well I do play a little guitar... but I'm still learning as well.

Shall I let you know when my piano dvd is ready?

(in about a couple of weeks)

[bakerdarren0702]

@getpianolessons i would like to know this! tell me about this dvd :)!

[pilgrim069]

after watching and then practicing, i found it helped by writing the numbers 1-5 on my fingers on both hands. Maybe when it sinks in after more practice i will wash the ink off! Many thanks, superb tutorials.

[getpianolessons]

hmmmm...... that's actually a great idea* I never thought of that before.

Whatever works!

[pilgrim069]

czifra, calm down and be grateful, or move along.

[laycron]

hey there. i really think you should teach the letters system and how to sight-read using the music sheet.

coz' you really teach well. unlike other tutorials i've seen so far, you teach direct to the point.

others post tutorials that spend more than 20 mins but the teaching(hands-on) part is only a few seconds (doesn't even exceed a minute).

maybe you can also teach us how to do a technique on how to piano roll (chromatic scale style but hitting the keys from a chord)

thanks though

[getpianolessons]

Thanks for the advice....... eventually I'll teach the theory part.... but that's not my priority right now.

[cziffra1980]

Why concentrate so heavily on finger numbers? It's far more direct to learn the notes. Unless you're never planning on using more than 5 different notes per hand, a purely finger-number based system becomes worthless in no time at all anyway. I really struggle to see the point in learning such a confusing and limited system (which will soon have to be abandoned entirely), when the system of notation that you actually need to know is not complex.

[getpianolessons]

Your words... "the system of notation that you actually need to know is not complex"

*Explain that to the thousands of ex-piano students who found music notation VERY complex.

By the way... many of those ex-piano students are now *MY* students. So not everybody is in agreement with you.

[cziffra1980]

And what will they do when they want to play something a little more difficult than three blind mice? Follow a system of numbers? Or learn how music is actually notated?

Those who found musical notation complex simply werent taught very well. Ignoring the basics of how to read music really isn't going to open any doors to anyone. Sooner or later they're either going to have to learn again from scratch, or stop progressing.

[getpianolessons]

WOW....... I have to be honest with you.... as a piano player ... I'm surprised you ignore the fact that some of the greatest piano players (technically gifted piano players) never learned how to read sheet music.

Are you not aware of that? (Of course I'm speaking of within the blues and jazz genre - as I see you're mainly into classical music).

Do you think Ray Charles learned how to read sheet music?

[cziffra1980]

Do you think that Ray Charles would have been a less musician had he learned how to read?

Do you think that he would have got very far, if it weren't for the fact that he was gifted with extremely good hearing?

There's a lot of inverted snobbery about reading music. If someone has the talent to play well without it that's great. However, those who learn the most do so by a combination of hearing an reading. Give up on either for no good reason and you're just closing doors to yourself.

[cziffra1980]

The ironic thing is that people seem to think that reading music is the hard thing and playing by ear should be easier. In actual fact, those who don't hear well can still progress like nobody's business when they learn the simple basics of notation.

Learn to read and you can learn from any piece ever written down. Learn to play by ear alone and you're limited to what your ears are capable of perceiving.

For those who aren't born geniuses, learning to read is the surest means of progress.

[getpianolessons]

Simply stated.... my YouTube channel shows people how to play piano without the theory (and that's why people like this channel) .

And If you're wondering what comes next after "Marry had a Lil Lamb" ..... ;-) ... *that's where things get very creative*

So if you truly believe that one must "stop progressing" by learning piano this way ..... then no, you can't imagine what's coming next.

Just wait till my DVD comes out... (you'll see)* :0)

[cziffra1980]

Well, I appreciate your good intentions, but I'd ask you to consider seriously- if someone can tell the difference between what a C looks like and what a D looks like- WHY can they not figure out the simple fact that that these notes ascend by letter? It's a HUGE insult to the intelligence and it's setting up a brick wall for them to hit.

This is the type of thing that makes notation SEEM difficult- when a player has learned in a way that simply didn't provide the most basic of knowledge.

[getpianolessons]

I kind of think you're missing the entire point of what I do.......... this channel is not designed to get people playing like Franz Liszt.... not even close.

There is no intention by myself to bash the study of music theory.... after all that's how I learned.

[getpianolessons]

*However my intention is to reach out to those people who did try to learn piano by conventional means and had maybe a "less than pleasurable experience" (as I did) and offer a much simpler way to get some knowledge of how to play some tunes on the piano.

[getpianolessons]

So if people want to learn the conventional way.... I encourage them to seek out individuals like yourself.

But that's not what I do here.... and I don't think its an insult to anyone's intelligence to offer an alternative.*

[cziffra1980]

The problem is that your alternative is limited in scope. It seems simple only because it does not accurately reflect how music works. ANYONE who knows the alphabet from A-G can learn something so basic. Do you think that many of those who play by ear don't know what musical lettering is. Put it to one side and you guarantee that either you stop making progress or you have to go back and start the REAL system of musical lettering. Changing that is a LOT harder than learning it in from day one.

[getpianolessons]

Like I said... if you can do better... you're free to teach your own course on your channel*

But I think its funny how you speak of limitations when actually you're quite close-minded in your belief on how to school a beginner on piano.

At the end of the day..... when a beginner who *only* wanted to play something cool on the piano can sit down and play *3* great songs.... that student won't care if they can read sheet music or not (they're just glad to make music). *That's what's on my DVD*

[cziffra1980]

Do you think Ray Charles was an average musical mind? That's why he got by without reading?

I'm not closed-minded about anything other than the idea that teaching an alternative to musical lettering that is no easier (and which necessitates going back to relearn, should anyone want to make genuine progress) is pure lunacy.

I'll ask again, do you think Ray Charles thought of hand positions, or do you think he was intelligent enough to follow the alphabet from A-G?

[getpianolessons]

You completely missed my point about Ray Charles. I wasn't commenting on the genius level he became.... I was referring to how he started out on piano.

Anyone can become more educated on the technical part of music as they feel the need to learn more theory. But as I already stated - that's not what I do here.

[getpianolessons]

Ray Charles is one of the *most famous* examples of a great pianist who BEGAN without music theory. I have known plenty of "play by ear pianists" who are obviously not famous, but have written many great songs nonetheless.

Heck... my lil cousin wrote a nice tune (for a 9 year old) inspired by music he hears in his video games and even he has trouble naming all the notes on a piano keyboard.

*(That should be proof enough that you CAN learn to play piano songs without notes or letters)*

[cziffra1980]

Who said that Ray Charles never knew what the letters are? Do you know that for a fact?

If he was among the very few who learn by ear without knowing what middle C means that shows he was born with TALENT. Most people aren't born with talent. However, if they learn the basics, that need not hold them back.

[getpianolessons]

I don't know who said he didn't know what the letters are....

I sure didn't say that*

[cziffra1980]

So what is your point then? If Ray Charles worked with musical lettering, who are you to replace such a simple system with one that isn't easier and does not have any benefits that you have been able to list?

[getpianolessons]

That's your opinion*

But I have 1000s of subscribes who aren't as furious about this as you are.

Thanks for the discussion!

[cziffra1980]

It's not that you don't use any notation that I'm questioning. It's the fact you ignore the fundamental of musical lettering for no obvious reason. Most two year olds know the alphabet up to G. Omitting something so simple is actually going to hold people back, once they outgrow your method.

If you serious about wanting to help people then by all means keep it simple, but please consider teaching them something that will stimulate learning- not something that will ulimately hinder it.

[getpianolessons]

Simply put... music notation and music lettering are tools for learning how to read sheet music. And because I do not teach music notation that is the reason (obvious or not) why I do not include music lettering.

Understand.... I am not angry with music lettering. It's just not necessary for what I do here*.

[getpianolessons]

You're assuming there's a dead end coming up... but you can't see what's coming up just around corner.... (of course I haven't revealed it yet) .... but that's for me to know and the rest of the world to find out.

But frankly I'm happy to have nay-sayers like yourself. Because you'll be so shocked when I actually teach people how to create their own songs (not classical music) without letters or notes. :)

[cziffra1980]

So what happens when people want to use sharps and flats. You start yet another number system?

You have not answered my question. WHY do you not use the letters? They are not difficult to understand. WHY have you replaced them?

I'm sure your method allows people to write tunes. So does the simple letter method that already exists. And it doesn't lead to a dead end if people want to reach an advanced level, without necessarily having been born with the genius of Ray Charles.

[getpianolessons]

You're funny *..... a new number system for sharps & flats???  :D

Nope... don't think so!

(you'll just have to wait and see)

By the way... I don't owe you an explanation. And contrary to your unchallenged opinion ... you don't need to be a "genius" in order to learn basic piano without notes, letters or any formal training...

SO THERE ! ! !

[wayneredhart]

Interesting to see that you're a fan of censorship, by the way.

I wonder are you more interested in teaching people something that will be of benefit to them or in selling DVDs?

You don't seem very confident that method stands up in the face of criticism...

[getpianolessons]

I'm not a fan of harassment or impolite-ness...that's why some of your more "colorful" comments have been deleted (in both screen names*).

I actually enjoy criticism and I welcome different view points ..... but I see you've got other *creepy* motives in mind (especially since you're a disguise artist)

I suggest you find a new goal in life besides lurking around YouTube seeing who you can pick fights with.

Grow up!

[enochrull]

great!!!!!!!!!!

[KruLookkaew]

Thx so much.

[BizzMarki]

this lesson seemed easier than 7 and 8

[getpianolessons]

That's becoz you're not seeing the entire lesson. Wait until you see the complete lesson 9 on my DVD.... you'll see it gets trickier than this...

[GolfWMe]

whats with grandma

[getpianolessons]

i think she's in a state of shock........ nice lady..... but very quiet*

[Baldwinkus]

I can't get this video to play :(

[getpianolessons]

YuTube has a problem playing it.... click on the" watch in high quality " selection .... or just go to my website

[racerxred]

Been looking forward to the newest video in this great series!

[jaglebagle74]

thx alot brendon ur helping me so much !