Free Piano Lessons-Demos of the Intermediate Piano Lesson
 

 LESSON 41 INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Chords: More on naming the chords.  It is so important that you can think of chords in numbers.  As you learn this method you will start automatically thinking of chords in numbers.  It just takes practice writing and reading music with this system.
You are being prepared for the Advanced lessons, in writing and arranging in full chords, adding extension tones and playing jazz.
When I play with professional musicians they can think very fast and the only way this can be done is thinking in numbers. Take the time to write out the chord tones on page 42.  Here is blank music paper for you to write on.  
 2. Chord Compositions: "Angel Blues".  This song is written on C scale, but as you see, the B is always B Flat.  This song is actually written on a minor scale, D minor, I did not want to confuse you at this time, as we will study the minor scales in the next few lessons.  Also, notice that this song was written on 2 chords.  See, writing music can be simple.  Your arrangement contains the song played through once, then the chorus is played through 2 more times with a blues improv. using a blues scale and motivic development.  This will be touched on in this course, but will be addressed in full in the advanced lessons.  Watch your fingering, especially the octaves on the black keys, L.H. Remember they should be played with the 1-4 fingers.  When playing the blues licks on page 50 and 51 you will have to cross your hand over the thumb.  This will keep the hand in the correct position.  If you pick up the hand and move without
crossing over the thumb, your playing will sound broken and out of beat.

3.  Scales:  This week we are finishing out major scales with D flat scale.  The last few pages show how the scales fit together.  Each scale has 2  tetra chords, the first is the whole step, whole step, half step,  the 2nd  tetra chord is a whole step, whole step, whole step, half step.  The  pattern in building scales is this:  The 2nd tetra chord of the scale is the  1st tetra chord of the next scale.  Now what this means to you, is that  the scales that neighbor each other have similar chords.  For example, C scale and G scale both have CM7, Em7 and Am7 chords. The 
 CM7 = IM7 on C scale, but is the IVM7 on G scale.  
 Em7 = IIIm7 on C scale, but is the VIm7 on V scale
 Am7 = VIm7 on C scale but is the IIm7 on G scale.
When composer want to change keys in their songs, they use these common chords to move to a new scale.  Also, this is why the 
IIm7, V7, IM7 chords that we are learning are so important.  We will be adding these chords to songs, (advanced lessons) and I am giving you a basic principal of why we can do this.  Again, another reason why it is so important to learn the chords by numbers.