TRACKS

 

When you envision taking piano lessons, what do you see? Many of us see the end product. We see ourselves playing a solo in front of thousands of people or playing keys in a popular band. We see ourselves playing in a studio or at a restaurant’s dinner hour.

While many of us shoot for similar goals, the road each of us takes to get there is a bit different. With this in mind, I have created different pathways from which my students can choose as they move toward their goals. 

I call these pathways “tracks”. Take a look and see what they are all about.

Chords Track
                                       

Prerequisite: Piano 1-2
45 or 60-minute Lesson Required

 

 

 

The Chords Track focuses on teaching you to play pop, rock, and jazz tunes, and the chords and chord progressions associated with each style. You will learn to read chord symbols, chord charts, lead sheets, and slash charts.

 

Chord technique, such as right and lefthand rhythmic patterns, incorporating the melody, utilizing chord inversions, chord abbreviations, chord coloring, and learning to play accompaniment are also taught.

 

Students who take the Chords Track will learn how to transpose songs using the Nashville Numbering System (NNS).

Songwriting Track
                                    

Prerequisite: Piano 1-2 and Chords 1-2
45 or 60-minute Lesson Required

In the Songwriting Track, you will learn many of the essential ingredients of a great song including song structure, using technology to capture and harness ideas, the fundamentals of lyric writing, writing great melodies, instrumentation, and how to write for specific instruments, modulation, and countermelodies.

 

Songwriting is close to my heart as I have been writing music since I was a kid. This past summer I recorded an original solo piano album Perfect Peace called I have also written more than 100 worship songs.

 

In this track, I share with you everything you need to know about songwriting based on my personal journey with writing and the songs of some of the greatest songwriters in history.    

Music Theory Track
                                    

Prerequisite: Piano 1-4
45 or 60-minute Lesson Required

Just as a spoken language has rules that govern it, so does the language of music. This language helps us understand how music works, and it gives us the terminology to communicate with other musicians.

 

Show me a musician that knows music theory, and I will show you someone who can quickly make sense of the music they read and hear. The Music Theory Track goes beyond the typical music theory that a person gets when learning to play the piano.

 

In this track, you will learn about the make-up of chords and their functions, ear training exercises, modal scales and harmony, the hierarchy of 3rds and 7ths, and dominant function.

 

It’s everything you would ever need to know about how music works.

Piano Track
                          

No Prerequisites Required
Any lesson package works

All of my students automatically begin with the Piano Track. This track includes learning to read notes, scales, arpeggios, as well as the classical piano literature by some of the greatest composers like Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach.


Once you complete the prerequisite modules in this track, you will then be given the option to add one of the other 3 tracks to your lessons.

Track Modules

Piano

Music Theory

Songwriting

Chords

Piano 1

Introduction to Playing

Black Keys

White Keys

Clefs and Staffs

Intervals, Slurs, and Ties

G Position

Crescendo and Diminuendo

Music Theory 1

Prerequisite: Piano 1-4
45 or 60-minute Lesson Required

1st & 2nd Inversions of Triads

Inversions of V7 Chords

Figured Bass

Major Chord Progressions

Minor Scales, Minor Triads

Augmented and Diminished Triads

Primary Triads in Minor Keys

Songwriting 1

Prerequisites: Piano 1-2, Chords 1-2
45 or 60-minute Lesson Required 

The Power of Song

Inspiration and Craft

Starting Points

Using technology to harness and manage ideas

Conventional Song Structures

Unconventional Song Structures

Chords 1

Prerequisite: Piano 1-2
45 or 60-minute Lesson Required

Major & Minor Chords (C, G, F)

Chord Inversions (C, G, F)

Simple Chord Progressions

Simple Chord Rhythms

Piano 2

Incomplete measures

Tempo markings

Eighth notes and rests

Using the damper pedal

Half steps and whole steps

Major scale through the concept of tetrachords

Music Theory 2

Minor Chord Progressions

Modes

Harmonizing a Melody in Major and Minor Keys

Broken Chords and Arpeggiated Accompaniments

Passing and Neighbor Tones

Melody, Harmony, Rhythm, Texture Form

Songwriting 2

The Fundamentals of Lyric Writing

Rhyme and Meter

Writing a great hook (lyrical and musical)

Lyrics for the Verse, Chorus

Marrying the Music and Lyrics

Old Ideas in New Packages

Chords 2

Major and Minor Chords (D, A, E)

Chord Inversions (D, A, E)

Dominant 7 Chords

Minor 7 Chords

Piano 3

Dotted half notes

Dotted quarter notes

Intervals of 6ths, 7ths and octave

Crossing 2 over 1

Scale work

Triads

Primary Chords

Blocked and broken chords

Music Theory 3

Swing Feel & Eighth Notes

Swing Groove

Syncopy, Beebop Style

Lick, Line and Melodic Soloing

Ear training 1-5

Songwriting 3

How to Write a Leadsheet, Chord Chart, Slash Chart

How to Pick the Right Key, Tempo

Instrumentation: Guitars, Keys, Bass, Guitars, Drums, Strings, Brass

How to Write for Vocals

Chords 3

Major and Minor Chords (Eb, Ab, B)

Introduction to the Nashville Numbering System (NNS)

Augmented

Diminished/Diminished 7

Piano 4

Overlapping pedal

3/8 and 6/8 time

Primary triads: major & minor

Passing 1 under 2 & 3

Major scales in contrary motion

Chromatic scale

Minor scale

Music Theory 4

Major Triad, Scale, Consonance

Major Seventh chords

Chord Changes

Tonic Function, Scalar Melody

Dissonant 4th and Resolution

Ear Training 6-9

Songwriting 4

Melodic Function and Development

Voice Leading

Passing Chords

Counter Melodies

Modulation: Common Tone, 3rd Relationship, II – V – I

Chords 4

More about the NNS

Transposition

Secondary Dominant

Half-Diminished

Piano 5

Tarantellas

Eighth note triplets

Arpeggiated chords

1st & 2nd inversion triads in all keys

Major scales in parallel motion

Two-part writing

Music Theory 5

Subdominant Major Seventh Chords

Voice Leading Tonic & Subdominant

Modes, Lydian Scale

Hierarchy of 3rds & 7ths

Ear Training 10-13

Major 9th Chords

Major 6/9

Major Pentatonic Scale

Grace Notes, Scoops & Turns

Ear Training 14-17

Songwriting 5

The Basics of Music Writing Software

MIDI

Recording Your Songs

Copyrighting Your Songs

Getting Your Songs Online

Marketing Your Songs

Chords 5

2, 4, 6 Chords

9, 11, 13 Chords

b9, #9, +11 Chords

Minor/Major 7 Chords

Piano 6

7th chords & inversions

E harmonic minor scale in contrary motion

Primary chords in E minor

Sixteenth notes

Dotted eighth notes

Primary chords in B-flat Major and G Minor

Repeated-note warm-ups

Harmonic minor scales in parallel motion

Music Theory 6

Dominant 7 & 9 Chords

Dominant Function

Resolution of V7 Chords, Tendency Tones & Tritones

Common Tones and Voice Leading

Mixolydian, Bebop Dominiant Scale

Ear Training 18-22

Piano 7

Long appoggiatura

Short appoggiatura

Trill and mordent

Arpeggios: A, B & C minor

Minuets

Sonatinas

Preludes

Arias

Music Theory 7

Bluesy Dominant Chords

Blue Notes

Blue Notes

12 Bar Blues Progression

Ear Training 23-25

Piano 8

Diminished triads

Augmented triads

Diminished 7th chord

32nd notes

Dotted 16th notes

Classical Piano

Music Theory

Piano 1

Introduction to Playing

Black Keys

White Keys

Clefs and Staffs

Intervals, Slurs, and Ties

G Position

Crescendo and Diminuendo

Piano 2

Incomplete measures

Tempo markings

Eighth notes and rests

Using the damper pedal

Half steps and whole steps

Major scale through the concept of tetrachords

Piano 3

Dotted half notes

Dotted quarter notes

Intervals of 6ths, 7ths and octave

Crossing 2 over 1

Scale work

Triads

Primary Chords

Blocked and broken chords

Piano 4

Overlapping pedal

3/8 and 6/8 time

Primary triads: major & minor

Passing 1 under 2 & 3

Major scales in contrary motion

Chromatic scale

Minor scale

Piano 5

Tarantellas

Eighth note triplets

Arpeggiated chords

1st & 2nd inversion triads in all keys

Major scales in parallel motion

Two-part writing

Piano 6

7th chords & inversions

E harmonic minor scale in contrary motion

Primary chords in E minor

Sixteenth notes

Dotted eighth notes

Primary chords in B-flat Major and G Minor

Repeated-note warm-ups

Harmonic minor scales in parallel motion

Piano 7

Long appoggiatura

Short appoggiatura

Trill and mordent

Arpeggios: A, B & C minor

Minuets

Sonatinas

Preludes

Arias

Piano 8

Diminished triads

Augmented triads

Diminished 7th chord

32nd notes

Dotted 16th notes

Music Theory 1

Prerequisite: Piano 1-4

1st & 2nd Inversions of Triads

Inversions of V7 Chords

Figured Bass

Major Chord Progressions

Minor Scales, Minor Triads

Augmented and Diminished Triads

Primary Triads in Minor Keys

Music Theory 2

Minor Chord Progressions

Modes

Harmonizing a Melody in Major and Minor Keys

Broken Chords and Arpeggiated Accompaniments

Passing and Neighbor Tones

Melody, Harmony, Rhythm, Texture Form

Music Theory 3

Swing Feel & Eighth Notes

Swing Groove

Syncopy, Beebop Style

Lick, Line and Melodic Soloing

Ear training 1-5

Music Theory 4

Major Triad, Scale, Consonance

Major Seventh chords

Chord Changes

Tonic Function, Scalar Melody

Dissonant 4th and Resolution

Ear Training 6-9

Music Theory 5

Subdominant Major Seventh Chords

Voice Leading Tonic & Subdominant

Modes, Lydian Scale

Hierarchy of 3rds & 7ths

Ear Training 10-13

Major 9th Chords

Major 6/9

Major Pentatonic Scale

Grace Notes, Scoops & Turns

Ear Training 14-17

Music Theory 6

Dominant 7 & 9 Chords

Dominant Function

Resolution of V7 Chords, Tendency Tones & Tritones

Common Tones and Voice Leading

Mixolydian, Bebop Dominiant Scale

Ear Training 18-22

Music Theory 7

Bluesy Dominant Chords

Blue Notes

Blue Notes

12 Bar Blues Progression

Ear Training 23-25

Songwriting

Chords

Songwriting 1

Prerequisites: Piano 1-2, Chords 1-2 

The Power of Song

Inspiration and Craft

Starting Points

Using technology to harness and manage ideas

Conventional Song Structures

Unconventional Song Structures

Songwriting 2

The Fundamentals of Lyric Writing

Rhyme and Meter

Writing a great hook (lyrical and musical)

Songwriting 3

The Fundamentals of Lyric Writing

Rhyme and Meter

Writing a great hook (lyrical and musical)

Songwriting 4

Instrumentation

Writing for Guitars

Writing for Keys

Writing for Vocals

Songwriting 5

Arranging

Counter Melodies

Key Changes: traditional, 3rd relationship, common tone, diminished

Chords 1

Prerequisite: Piano 1-2

Major & Minor Chords (C, G, F)

Chord Inversions (C, G, F)

Simple Chord Progressions

Simple Chord Rhythms

Chords 2

Major and Minor Chords (D, A, E)

Chord Inversions (D, A, E)

Dominant 7 Chords

Minor 7 Chords

Chords 3

Major and Minor Chords (Eb, Ab, B)

Introduction to the Nashville Numbering System (NNS)

Augmented

Diminished/Diminished 7

Chords 4

More about the NNS

Transposition

Secondary Dominant

Half-Diminished

Chords 5

2, 4, 6 Chords

9, 11, 13 Chords

b9, #9, +11 Chords

Minor/Major 7 Chords

Piano

Piano 1

Introduction to Playing

Black Keys

White Keys

Clefs and Staffs

Intervals, Slurs, and Ties

G Position

Crescendo and Diminuendo

Piano 2

Incomplete measures

Tempo markings

Eighth notes and rests

Using the damper pedal

Half steps and whole steps

Major scale through the concept of tetrachords

Piano 3

Dotted half notes

Dotted quarter notes

Intervals of 6ths, 7ths and octave

Crossing 2 over 1

Scale work

Triads

Primary Chords

Blocked and broken chords

Piano 4

Overlapping pedal

3/8 and 6/8 time

Primary triads: major & minor

Passing 1 under 2 & 3

Major scales in contrary motion

Chromatic scale

Minor scale

Piano 5

Tarantellas

Eighth note triplets

Arpeggiated chords

1st & 2nd inversion triads in all keys

Major scales in parallel motion

Two-part writing

Piano 6

7th chords & inversions

E harmonic minor scale in contrary motion

Primary chords in E minor

Sixteenth notes

Dotted eighth notes

Primary chords in B-flat Major and G Minor

Repeated-note warm-ups

Harmonic minor scales in parallel motion

Piano 7

Long appoggiatura

Short appoggiatura

Trill and mordent

Arpeggios: A, B & C minor

Minuets

Sonatinas

Preludes

Arias

Piano 8

Diminished triads

Augmented triads

Diminished 7th chord

32nd notes

Dotted 16th notes

Music Theory

Music Theory 1

Prerequisite: Piano 1-4

1st & 2nd Inversions of Triads

Inversions of V7 Chords

Figured Bass

Major Chord Progressions

Minor Scales, Minor Triads

Augmented and Diminished Triads

Primary Triads in Minor Keys

Music Theory 2

Minor Chord Progressions

Modes

Harmonizing a Melody in Major and Minor Keys

Broken Chords and Arpeggiated Accompaniments

Passing and Neighbor Tones

Melody, Harmony, Rhythm, Texture Form

Music Theory 3

Swing Feel & Eighth Notes

Swing Groove

Syncopy, Beebop Style

Lick, Line and Melodic Soloing

Ear training 1-5

Music Theory 4

Major Triad, Scale, Consonance

Major Seventh chords

Chord Changes

Tonic Function, Scalar Melody

Dissonant 4th and Resolution

Ear Training 6-9

Music Theory 5

Subdominant Major Seventh Chords

Voice Leading Tonic & Subdominant

Modes, Lydian Scale

Hierarchy of 3rds & 7ths

Ear Training 10-13

Major 9th Chords

Major 6/9

Major Pentatonic Scale

Grace Notes, Scoops & Turns

Ear Training 14-17

Music Theory 6

Dominant 7 & 9 Chords

Dominant Function

Resolution of V7 Chords, Tendency Tones & Tritones

Common Tones and Voice Leading

Mixolydian, Bebop Dominiant Scale

Ear Training 18-22

Music Theory 7

Bluesy Dominant Chords

Blue Notes

Blue Notes

12 Bar Blues Progression

Ear Training 23-25

Chords

Chords 1

Prerequisite: Piano 1-2

Major & Minor Chords (C, G, F)

Chord Inversions (C, G, F)

Simple Chord Progressions

Simple Chord Rhythms

Chords 2

Major and Minor Chords (D, A, E)

Chord Inversions (D, A, E)

Dominant 7 Chords

Minor 7 Chords

Chords 3

Major and Minor Chords (Eb, Ab, B)

Introduction to the Nashville Numbering System (NNS)

Augmented

Diminished/Diminished 7

Chords 4

More about the NNS

Transposition

Secondary Dominant

Half-Diminished

Chords 5

2, 4, 6 Chords

9, 11, 13 Chords

b9, #9, +11 Chords

Minor/Major 7 Chords

Songwriting

Songwriting 1

Prerequisites: Piano 1-2, Chords 1-2 

The Power of Song

Inspiration and Craft

Starting Points

Using technology to harness and manage ideas

Conventional Song Structures

Unconventional Song Structures

Songwriting 2

The Fundamentals of Lyric Writing

Rhyme and Meter

Writing a great hook (lyrical and musical)

Songwriting 3

The Fundamentals of Lyric Writing

Rhyme and Meter

Writing a great hook (lyrical and musical)

Songwriting 4

Instrumentation

Writing for Guitars

Writing for Keys

Writing for Vocals

Songwriting 5

Arranging

Counter Melodies

Key Changes: traditional, 3rd relationship, common tone, diminished

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“I loved taking piano lessons with Ken! He is familiar with a myriad of styles and equipped me to compose music and learn quickly. He plays the piano with ease and is extremely knowledgeable.”

Stephanie W.

Student

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“Ken is a great instructor. He is incredibly brilliant with music theory and instrumentation, yet is able to keep lessons at a pace that is congruent with any level that you’re at. Highly recommend!”

Andrew L.

Music Team Member