I hemmed and hawwed a long time before investing in this and I could have saved myself quite a bit of headache had I just purchased it when I first saw it several years ago.

Back then I then thought this course was too good to be true. I didn’t care about the free software it came with because I like to learn by reading. I just wanted to know more about chords, especially gospel chords and how to form gospel sounding progressions such as those I heard in my youth.

I even invested in the video Gospel Keys 101 course. A beginning video on how to play piano by ear. Before finally giving in but I should’ve gone with my first instinct. While Gospel Keys 101 is a wonderful resource for beginners it is just that, for beginners. I had been playing piano for 10 years. I had taken private lessons, lessons at school and several self-taught myself with many resources at my disposal. But it’s okay I’m holding on to my copy because I also teach beginning piano and I think it has some excellent advice and tips for those wanting to play piano by ear and just starting out. Things like figuring out how to work out the melody and harmonize on it. How to form basic chords and more.

Anyway so I got my Secrets to Playing Piano by Ear! and I highly reccommend it. I think it offers more than just learning how to play piano by ear. What I’ve gotten from it is how chord progressions work together and how you can get different sounds from using different bass keys. Such as Contemporary, Southern Gospel, Black Gospel.

It’s packed with music chord theory but in a way that you understand or “get it”. I feel adults like to know the “why’ of things. Such as how chords are related to each other not just play thesthese keys and you have a minor chord.

This book is packed with information. If you’re new to playing the piano there’s a quick primer on sight reading then you go right into

• Major Scales and Chords
• Their intervals and progressions
• Minor Scales and chords
• Their intervals and progressions
• Diminshed chords
• Seventh chords
• Extended chords
• There’s a whole bunch of chord progressions stuff going on while you’re learning althese different chords
• You’ll get the basics on harmon and improvising

There is a more to the book because of course it’s 300 pages and you get a CD with software on it. The most helpful is the interactive one with quizzes Piano Player Plus but there is a sound library too and bonus chapters on playing by ear.

If you already play the piano,but know nothing about chording and improvising then this is for you.

So if you’re interested get a copy today

p.s.- there are several resources put out by Hear and Play and more to come I understand.