Any worthwhile online keyboard lessons for pop/rock?

[RABid]

I found a good source of online drum lessons, mikeslessons.com and also enjoyed a couple bass sites. Does anyone have a site to recommend for keyboards? I had years of lessons on classical and even some theory. I never had any pop/rock keyboard lessons or playing by ear. It is late in life but never too late to learn new methods.

 

Any suggestions?

[Rod S]

Mark Harrison has recently made some videos. From what I saw some time ago the videos were still pretty basic and covers the beginning of his training books. He does have some freebies on youtube, but basic as well.

 

Apparently he does do private lessons.

https://www.harrisonmusic.com/store/c27/Lessons_with_Mark_Harrison.html

 

Jordan Rudess has an 'online conservatory', but I have no personal experience with the material. I have an old video (in DVD) from him which I though was pretty good, though.

https://www.jroc.us/

 

 

 

[synthizen2]

There is a keyboard lesson for nearly ANY song in the world you want to learn to play, on youtube.

 

Sure, there are many videos of "general rock keyboard lessons", but it's the lessons on specific songs that attracts me (such a great resource)!

 

I needed to learn the intro to "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" and a very friendly 15-year-old on youtube taught me the overhand/underhand technique that Tony Banks used to do it. Pretty neat!

[Sven Golly]

There is a keyboard lesson for nearly ANY song in the world you want to learn to play incorrectly, on youtube.

 

Fixed.

[Threadslayer]

There is a keyboard lesson for nearly ANY song in the world you want to learn to play incorrectly, on youtube.

 

Fixed.

You can't assume that any one source - including sheet music btw - is gospel, but for a cheap and dirty, get you in the ballpark quick tool, video beats the hell out of wearing out the grooves on an LP IMO.

[MathOfInsects]

+1 on ballpark. Overeager YouTubers are often flat wrong, but even the ways they are wrong sometimes help you figure out whats right.

[timwat]

Overeager YouTubers are often flat wrong, but even the ways they are wrong sometimes help you figure out whats right.

 

A lot like dating models.

[synthizen2]

There is a keyboard lesson for nearly ANY song in the world you want to learn to play incorrectly everything and anything (right or wrong) on youtube.

 

Fixed.

 

Double Fixed.

 

With the idea in mind... "be selective".

[Threadslayer]

Overeager YouTubers are often flat wrong, but even the ways they are wrong sometimes help you figure out whats right.

 

A lot like dating models.

If that's wrong, I don't want to be right.

[CowboyNQ]

You can't assume that any one source - including sheet music btw - is gospel, but for a cheap and dirty, get you in the ballpark quick tool, video beats the hell out of wearing out the grooves on an LP IMO.

So true. I think many of us here are old enough to remember what it was like working out keys lines for playing covers pre-internet, or pre-digital recording media for that matter.

 

I remember as a teenager learning the piano part in "Khe Sanh" by pressing stop, rewind, play, stop, rewind, play on a cassette, then physically writing the notation on a chart, then slowly learning the tune off the notation, not being a fast reader. Took me days. Yuck!

 

To answer OP's question - I was taught classical piano formally and then taught myself "rock" by listening, absorbing, trial and error, playing in bands. These days if I were to embark upon the same journey I'd do it the same way, with the helpful addition of easy availability of the original recordings, sheet music, custom backing tracks and YouTube.

[bennyray]

Overeager YouTubers are often flat wrong, but even the ways they are wrong sometimes help you figure out whats right.

 

A lot like dating models.

 

Post of the day!

 

 

[stillearning]

You can't assume that any one source - including sheet music btw - is gospel, but for a cheap and dirty, get you in the ballpark quick tool, video beats the hell out of wearing out the grooves on an LP IMO.

As a teenager back in the early 70s, I learned several Genesis songs in my parents living room, with the console stereo on one side of the room, the piano on the other. I had to listen to a measure or two, lift the needle up, run to the piano, play a few notes, run back to the stereo, try clumsily to find that measure again, run back to the piano... lather rinse, repeat. The two songs I remember getting an aerobic to most was the intro to Watchers and the organ solo in Suppers Ready. Phew... iPads are a Godsend!

[Strays Dave]

Someone said you can learn to play a tune "incorrectly" from YouTube videos. If a YT instructional (rock) video has something wrong, you should be able to hear it when comparing it to the original version. At the heart of the process, you should be developing your "ears" - your aural perception.

 

Also, I would think that blues and gospel YT piano instructional videos would be useful since rock drew from these styles heavily. And back to that pesky issue of your "ears" , I'd resist the temptation to try to have each and every note spoon fed to you. Figuring out how a song works will sharpen your musical mind.

 

And just an FYI, I recently subscribed to Open Studio. It focuses on jazz piano.

For jazz: Peter Martin's Open Studio

https://www.openstudionetwork.com/

[rickzjamm]

Yup, us older dogs would drop the needle (stylus for you youngsters) on the record and... listen.

A slow process but you'd really learn songs, voicing, rhythm & good ear training. Still my approach to this day.

[aellison62]

 

So true. I think many of us here are old enough to remember what it was like working out keys lines for playing covers pre-internet, or pre-digital recording media for that matter.

 

I remember as a teenager learning the piano part in "Khe Sanh" by pressing stop, rewind, play, stop, rewind, play on a cassette, then physically writing the notation on a chart, then slowly learning the tune off the notation, not being a fast reader. Took me days. Yuck!

 

+1 for me it was learning Perpetual Change from Yessongs on a home organ when I was 15. Not sure why I picked that particular track from Yessongs?..!

 

We also did not have the amazing slowdowner type apps that are available today for learning very quick parts.

[Threadslayer]

Yup, us older dogs would drop the needle (stylus for you youngsters) on the record and... listen.

And don't forget the part about the recording being a half step - or more - or less - off from whatever beater piano you were trying to learn on. Ahh... memories.

[Dugg64]

Mark Harrison has recently made some videos. From what I saw some time ago the videos were still pretty basic and covers the beginning of his training books. He does have some freebies on youtube, but basic as well.

 

Apparently he does do private lessons.

https://www.harrisonmusic.com/store/c27/Lessons_with_Mark_Harrison.html

 

 

 

Mark Harrison is an amazing teacher!

 

I've been studying online with him, off and on, for nearly ten years. His wealth and depth of knowledge and ability to break down contemporary keyboard styles is remarkable. Plus, Mark is one of the most patient and personable people I know.

 

Mark has written several books for Hal Leonard on contemporary keyboard styles (https://www.halleonard.com/search/search.action?_c&menuid=1024&seriesfeature=HLKSS&subsiteid=64) and is the author of The Pop Piano Book (https://www.amazon.com/Pop-Piano-Book-Mark-Harrison/dp/0793598788/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1542905477&sr=8-1&keywords=Pop+Piano+Book). Mark taught for several years at the Grove School of Music.

 

Mark is more than capable of meeting the needs of beginning players to those of more advanced levels.

 

Without hesitation, I would suggest contacting Mark to determine if lessons with him would work for you. I know I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to study with him.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

[MathOfInsects]

Yup, us older dogs would drop the needle (stylus for you youngsters) on the record and... listen.

And don't forget the part about the recording being a half step - or more - or less - off from whatever beater piano you were trying to learn on. Ahh... memories.

 

The days of, "I hope I got that. I guess I'll find out at practice or at the gig."

 

Although as the keyboard player it was more often us trying to gently suggest to the guitar player or bass player that they might have heard that wrong.

 

I guess not that much has changed after all, come to think of it.

[Moonglow]

And don't forget the part about the recording being a half step - or more - or less - off from whatever beater piano you were trying to learn on. Ahh... memories.

Ha! I had our piano tuner tune the piano slightly flat or sharp (I forget which) because the 8-track player, which sat on top of the piano, was consistently flat/sharp when I learned tunes. True story.

[MathOfInsects]

And don't forget the part about the recording being a half step - or more - or less - off from whatever beater piano you were trying to learn on. Ahh... memories.

Ha! I had our piano tuner tune the piano slightly flat or sharp (I forget which) because the 8-track player, which sat on top of the piano, was consistently flat/sharp when I learned tunes. True story.

 

If the tuner could only have found a way to get other instruments and songs to bleed through in reverse when you played, the adaptation would have been complete.

[MathOfInsects]

Did anyone mention the Greg Spero lessons? I think they're pretty good for intermediate players, and can be applied to most playing situations (even though they focus on jazz). I like this one on "goal notes" as a soloing anchor: