If you have always dreamed of playing the piano or keyboard but did not know where to start, this is the course for you. This course will take you through the fundamental skills necessary to build your playing capability quickly and healthily. In addition to the fundamentals, you will learn from exercises and examples from popular music so that you can start playing in multiple styles. You will start by focusing on posture, breathing, movement, and sound production that will help you strengthen your finger independence and control over dynamics, phrasing, articulation, tempo, and pulse.
Piano Techniques for Modern Music
Instructor: Zahili Gonzalez Zamora
Sponsored by Louisiana Workforce Commission
11,841 already enrolled
(20 reviews)
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What you'll learn
Develop proper technique to play the piano
Maintain healthy playing habits
Apply proper piano technique while playing modern/contemporary music
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There are 5 modules in this course
Welcome to Piano Techniques for Modern Music! Before you begin, we will cover all the details about the course and what you'll need to know to get the most out of your experience.
What's included
1 video4 readings1 assignment
In this first lesson, we will begin with the fundamentals of healthy piano playing, starting with proper posture and breathing, finger placement and hand position, before moving on to the C major scale and popular cadences. We will begin to build a healthy practice routine and have some fun with improvisation.
What's included
6 videos2 readings2 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt
In lesson 2, we will start to add greater finger independence to our practice and learn to shift our hands across the keyboard in order to play a wider range of notes with minimal tension in our hands and arms. We will also look at expanding our dynamic range on the piano and applying these techniques to several contemporary music examples.
What's included
6 videos2 readings2 assignments1 peer review
In lesson 3, we will begin to advance our harmonic techniques by expanding our chord knowledge and increasing our playing speed. We will also identify proper wrist technique to minimize tension while playing. We will continue to play through popular tunes and focus on building hand independence.
What's included
6 videos1 reading2 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt
In lesson 4, we will combine all of the hand techniques we have been developing with pedaling. This will require coordinating our hands and feet. We will practice these techniques using classical music and contemporary tunes. We will also identify what pedaling techniques are common in contemporary music and how to develop virtuosity on the piano. We'll finish by discussing how to organize practice time to learn difficult pieces and why using a practice journal and recording practice session can lead to bigger improvements at a faster rate.
What's included
7 videos4 readings2 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt
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Reviewed on Jul 7, 2023
Great course I'm only done with week one and I have already learned so much.
Reviewed on Jun 30, 2024
Thank you so much to teach on this course. I have learnt a lot. Thanks again.
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