COURSE QUESTIONS / QUERIES / COMMENTS!

npark1025

Thank you for the advice! I will take this approach as I continue on with the course. Much appreciated!

MikeClarke

Hi Ruth,
Just checking in with my progress as a new starter.
Completed the 'Prepare To Play' and just completed the 'Super Basics' course/module.
Really enjoyed it, like your teaching approach, fun and with the technical info in nice progressive steps.
Even though i knew some of the theory, i approached it with a 'Beginners Mindset' and enjoyed it, and learnt.
Did it daily along with exercises, already the fingers are getting the motor skills playing the thumb/finger tuck song and i'm feeling positive about the journey ahead.

Just checking with you, I'm going to start the 'Playing By Ear' course/module.

All the best, Mike

RuthPower

MikeClarke Mike this is awesome progress! Well done! And so pleased you are already reaping the rewards of your hard work and feeling good about the journey - keep going with that momentum! Thank you for letting me know about the broken link, will get that fixed! 😄

MikeClarke

PS. At the end of the 'Super Basics' lesson, clicking on the link to the info on Playing By Ear didn't work (error message). Might be something you want to check if it does that for others.

RuthPower

MikeClarke Here is the link to the 'Songs by Ear' course for members Mike. Enjoy! https://school.pianopicnic.com/courses/enrolled/162195

MikeClarke

Hi everyone, just a share, for no reason other than, it's Saturday morning, i've got a nice coffee, and i've just finished the Super Basics course and feeling glad i've joined Piano Picnic and looking forward to the next course 'Play by Ear' and the continuing journey. I'm a complete newbie to Piano/Keyboard, always been a 3-chord guitar strummer so to speak. Never thought i would be able to play piano (our daugher did and we love that she did), but i thought it would be too hard. However, recently retired, have the time, so thought if not now, when?

The way Ruth has put together her lessons just resonates with me, i've only done the Super Basics course, and I know i'm going to keep going and be enjoying playing the piano/keyboard for many years.

PS. if you haven't watched Ruth playing the Kat Bush song on the 'Play By Ear' promo link, check it out, amazing! and the other band members and that awesome studio (I know they are pro musicians, but the studio looked awesome to me). Also the 'Bloopers' reel link, so funny, and just a reminder of how much effort goes into producing the lesson segments.

So!, there we are. I don't know how many other students/members (what do we call ourselves? Picnic'ers maybe🙂) out there feel the same as myself, but as a Newbie member, I'm feeling pretty lucky i came across Ruth's teaching program.

I'm going to be checking out the start of 'Play by Ear' course today, hope everyone enjoys their weekend,

All the best, Mike 😄

RuthPower

MikeClarke haha Mike you are so awesome! Thanks for sharing with us - I do love the Saturday morning, coffee in hand - feeling good about where you're at & going with the piano! There'll be a day soon when you and your daughter can be swapping tips, maybe play a duet? 🤩
The Kate Bush song is one of my favourite covers ('Running up that Hill' - which fun fact: the acronym spells RUTH!). That studio was our rehearsal space in Shoreditch, London. Barely enough room to fit a drumkit and 3 musicians, but it was a fun space - with a rooftop to hang out in our breaks!
Ha the bloopers! Yes, Super Basics was the first course I filmed for Piano Picnic and it was definitely an intense (but fun) week of filming that and also 'Songs by Ear' - good times! I don't film so much content back to back these days so don't find myself getting the hysterics from exhaustion quite so bad! 😁
Just to make sure that you start with the proper pre-filmed course here: https://school.pianopicnic.com/courses/enrolled/162195
The 'Play By Ear Live Archive' version is a live-filmed workshop version, that is still a really great program to go through but best after the Songs by Ear actual course.
ENJOY! And have a super wonderful week!

RuthPower

Here's the video for anyone who hasn't seen it! My old band's cover of 'Running Up That Hill' by Kate Bush: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Irn30DPcyNI

noellah-jeannica

Hi @RuthPower. Just gonna be catching up with missed coaching sessions this week. Is there a way for me to download the handout for “Flowing Technique” as a PDF? For some reason I couldn’t do that in “The Creative Pianist” course itself. Thanks!

RuthPower

noellah-jeannica Hi Noella - welcome back! Great point - I've just gone in and enabled the download. Should be good to go now. Enjoy!

noellah-jeannica

RuthPower Got it! Thanks.

Tricia

HI RuthPower , the Keys of Songwriting Workbook p20 has a reference for audio examples in the lesson areas such as 'Release' but I only see the videos on each page. Nothing below it. I've gotten up to almost the end of the Harmony section and found it curious that it's been empty below the videos. Am I missing something?

RuthPower

Tricia Hi Tricia thank you for pointing this out - I've now uploaded the missing audio in the lesson area for 'Tension & Release'. Enjoy! Let me know how you get on with the rest of it!

Tricia

RuthPower Thanks, Ruth! It's very comprehensive and concise. I especially appreciate the range of examples throughout to illustrate the concepts and your personal stories. One I related to was something like "don't use fake lyrics" lol So true! I've done that as well. I find using filler syllables (like 'na' or 'da') leaves it more open-ended.

RuthPower

Tricia fantastic! Glad you are loving it! Yes fake lyrics never really work out too well, you always end up trying to convince yourself as well as the listener, easier to write what you know!

Tricia

Hi Ruth and friends, I’m wondering if there’s a coaching, set of exercises/drills or a lesson somewhere in one of the modules about hand independence and also LH patterns/ accompaniment? Said differently, how would you develop past playing block chords or octaves?

I’ve just gotten to the end of Step 4 in Lovin Leadsheets and in Hands Together mode, I seem to only be able to work it out together if the LH is only playing on the 1. Is it because I’m still reading the chords from the lead sheet? Even in free play, I can only get some kind of flow when LH is just on the 1. Sharing what that sounds like below. Is that because finding where to place fingers for the chords isn’t yet automated for me?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BA9seqT1T7Uh1Lwc2URnlaUwd2CsIf1h/view?usp=drivesdk

alexx88

Tricia Ruth would be best to give you specifics as to "why" & good examples of where to look. You've got a few things you seem to want to work on. LH patterns, rhythm, improv, hand independence & technique.

All of this will come in time as you play. Try not to think about it so much. When you get stuck in your head creativity suffers & you get all hung up. Been down that road many times! I'm a frequent flier!

Here's a few things to check out. Don't overwhelm yourself with all the info! Try a few things to get comfortable with, & expand.

There are so many things you can try for LH patterns. 1-5-1, Fifths (1-5), alberti bass, rocking the 1 w/3 & 5. off the top of my head I'd check out more in Lovin Leadsheets, Riffing Pro, Arranging for Solo Piano, In the Vault: Chords & Comping, Improvising In Any Key, Techniques & Drills, Tricky Fingers, Rhythm Station, Flowing Piano, The Club Mix, although that comes out in pieces. Good Luck & Have Fun!

MikeClarke

Tricia

Hi Tricia, I haven't any advice, sorry.
Alexx would be the person I would be going to if I needed help, so it's great she has given you some tips.
The only thing I can think of, is when I've wondered about something, I've typed some key words into the 'Search Forum' box and have been surprised with the wealth of info in here. Might be worth giving it a go if you haven't already, there might be something Ruth has posted before. All the best, Mike

RuthPower

Tricia Hi Tricia, thank you for sharing where you are up to - I love your 10 minute challenge results! That is a really cool example of free playing! So @alexx88 really hit the button with her comment - don't put too much pressure on yourself right now to do a lot of different patterns - the next step of getting toward doing more with your chording hand is to be comfortable playing on each beat - so right now you're playing on beat 1 - the next step is to play on each beat of the bar along with the melody.
From there, you might play on some off-beats instead of on-beats.
Or, stay on the beat but play each note of the chord separately.
There's endless patterns you can get into - but most of the battle is about being able to play one rhythm with your left and another with your right. As Alexx said, Riffing Pro will take you on that journey, but I would not go onto that until you've finished Lovin' Leadsheets.
So your plan - is to keep going with Lovin' Leadsheets, don't expect too much of yourself right away - keep playing on the beat and think about simple ways to separate the notes of the chord, or play on different beats of the bar.
There are more hints to do with this in the coaching 'Chords & Comping' in The Vault.
You are doing brilliantly!!!
P.S great tip from @MikeClarke to use the search function, that's a good one!

Tricia

alexx88 and @RuthPower thanks for the road map! I find it super helpful to have an idea of what's ahead and which lessons would be directly connected. I guess I'm chomping at the bit a little... Lovin' Leadsheets Step 5 has gotten into LH rhythm some more too 😄

Related to this, would you say it's important to always practice with a metronome? Or at which points is it good to practice with a metronome and when is it ok to just try to feel the groove of it?

MikeClarke Thanks for the Search Forum tip! For some reason, I've never used that box before.

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