This video course covers material that can be used by beginners and advanced players.

At checkout, you'll see a button to download the PDF that give you the password to access the course. If you have any trouble, just email me

jered@jeredmckenna.com

and I'll send it right over.

Skip to section 5 for more experienced players.

This purchase will email you a PDF that contains the password for the course on my website.

Here is the outline of the short course:
 
Course: Piano Playing: How to Improvise From Lead Sheets
Introduction
-Thanks!
-Sit at your piano, pause as needed.
-Skip to section D and beyond for more experienced players
-Download the sheet music for “Auld Lang Syne” to follow along.
-Expectations: basic melody note reading, basic chord reading
Simple Melody Reading
-Treble Clef Notation, lead melody reading
-Chords above, what they mean.
-Learn chords as you learn new songs.
Adding the left hand (simple 5th)
-Chords tell us what the left hand should do
-Get comfy with playing 5ths for the song’s chords.
-Remove the 3rd
-Play one chord per measure
-Add another chord for more energy
-And another…
Alternative left hand patterns
-Simple root, 5th, root arpeggio
-Variations of root, 5th, root
-Rag Time boom chuck
-Deep Bass
-Root 5th Root with 2 3 on top
Freeing up the right hand
-Sing to free up the right hand
-Play the root triad position in the RH with a simple left hand.
-Play just the 5th in the right hand with just the bass note in the left.
-Notice we are duplicating what we’ve done with the left hand.
-Notice now, the left hand is simplified: easier to sing this way.
Alternative Right hand patterns
-Chunking the triads
-Good voice leading
-Arpeggiating the basic triad
-Repeating an octave for counter melodies. (play 5th if in doubt.)
-Now, we welcome the ostinato/repeating loop - tonic triad.
-pretty and fast motif (advanced)
-Rolling root 5th root, starting on 5th
-Other demonstrations: find your own!
More ideas to try
-Free playing, musical playing, more ideas.