eNotes - Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Happy Valentines Day!
In this issue of eNotes, I've got a lot of news for you. It has been 3 weeks since I've touched base, but I've been very busy finishing a project that I will tell you about in a minute. This issue of eNotes contains:
1)A love song to brighten your day
2) A piano for sale (not from me)
3) A very cool website you should check out!
4) A tip for using the blues scale to spruce up your melodies
5) Upcoming classes that still have a couple of openings
6) Announcement about the new program The Piano Express

1)The love song I've chosen that you might want to try singing and playing for your sweetheart is "Every Day" by Buddy Holly. It's not a hard song to play, by the way. Just 6 chords. I tried notating them here but it's not formatting correctly.
Every Day by Buddy Holly
2) I have received word of a piano for sale - a Hamilton console (upright) in good condition. The owner is asking $2,000 but is probably negotiable on that because she is moving soon. Contact Martha at hauptman@bu.edu for more information.

3) I have known about this website for some time and have been meaning to pass this along to you. It's really neat. You can listen to any type of chord or scale that you want to. Played slowly and notes separately. Check it out. The website is www.Looknohands.com

4) Use the blues scale to embellish your melodies. The blues scale is 1 b3 4 b5 5 b7 8. In the key of C, the notes would be C-Eb-F-Gb-G-Bb-C. The blues notes in particular are the Eb, Gb and Bb. This menas that if you are playing a melody in the key of C and you have an E natural, G natural or B natural, you can try "bending" those notes to their flat note counterpart to add some bluesy flavor. Sometimes it sounds great and other times not appropriate at all. Use your ear to decide. For more information about playing the blues, click on this link
Playing the Blues

5) I've got a couple of upcoming classes you might be interested in. They are all 3-hour workshops and vary in price. I have included the links for specific dates, addresses, times and cost.

Shower Singing in Public Explore the fundamentals of singing in a fun, interactive environment. Every student receives a 42-page book and CD. The Boston Center for Adult Education

Instant Piano for Hopelessly Busy People - This is beginner class where students learn how to play popular music through chords and embellishments. See above link for the Boston Center for Adult Education. Every student receives book and CD for home study.

Playing with Style - A follow-up class to the Instant Piano class. Students learn rhythmic and harmonic patterns to play different genres of music. Includes book and 2 CD's. Daytime class Martin Snow Pianos

Piano for Singers - Do you yearn to accompany yourself singing your favorite songs? It's easier than you think! Learn lots of accompaniment techniques for breaking up chords. No melody required. This class is being held Thursday, March 6, at 6:30 PM at my house. $75 includes book and 2 CD's. Call 781-238-4454 to register. 3 openings left.

5) I've been working day and night on my new project called "The Piano Express". It is a comprehensive book and CD for learning how to play popular music with minimal note-reading (just the right hand). The book is at the graphic designer's no and I will be going into the recording studio very soon to complete the audio portion. It should be available this May and it will be the new class text for all "Instant Piano" classes.

That's it for now. Be well and enjoy your Valentines Day. I'll be in touch in a few weeks. Any questions or suggestions about topics you'd like me to cover, don't hesitate to contact me.