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Summary: Learn some great tips on how to read a tune in a different key and play a piano song in the key of B major with expert instruction from a professional jazz composer in this free video clip on music theory and piano techniques.
Views: 359 | Tags: chords, theory, piano, keys, scale, notes, major, minor, melodies, musical instruments
About the Expert
Ryan Larson Ryan Larson is a young jazz composer whose teaching technique focuses on the basics of music theory in all twelve keys. When applying his twelve-key technique... read more
RYAN LARSON: So, now we have our first passage down and we have it down on the piano. So, what we can do is change the pattern and play the exact same pattern in a different key, so if you'll look at the keyboard, I'll play you C major. Here's my C major scale, C to C. C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. So, I can play the same pattern if I number it 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. I got 1, 5, 6, 5, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 3, 4, 3, 3, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 4, 3, 5, 3, 5, 7, 2, 5, 1. So, it's just that easy. I just took that same pattern and I could play it anywhere. E-flat, 1, 5, 6, 5, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 3, 4, 3, 3, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2. So, you hear that sounds very similar if not exactly similar but I just moved it to a different key. So, we're taking the same pattern and we're just shifting it around. There are 12 keys, 12 scales to learn, and once you have these 12 scale patterns down, you'll be able to do any tune just like that. Again, it's just taking this pattern and getting it out of your fingers.