Fast Piano Lessons Blog

46 Comments so far

1. Dan the Music Master on February 26th, 2009

   I’m glad to see semitones (half steps) explained thoroughly. Constructing chords and understanding transposition are quite dependent on this type of rudimentary knowledge.

2. Your Help Needed! CHORDS 101 Feedback!!! | Fast Piano Lessons Blog on March 1st, 2009

   [...] Beginning Piano Day One - Learning Half Steps and Whole Steps - Chords 101 Course - DAY 1 [...]

3. Pedro on March 6th, 2009

   Hi, Chris. I’d like to learn about the weird chords, in your performance. Thanks for this space, where I’m learning a lot of exercices. I’m the colombian boy

4. liz on March 6th, 2009

   great explaination and easy to follow I liked the quize at the end I am just a beginner and I dont understand why I have to know the whole and half step rule. can you explain this please.

   Hey Liz,
   Go to day two,
   learning half steps and whole steps helps you build chords.

   There are 24 major and minor chords…
   (Take the 2 major and minor shapes and multiply it by the 12 keys)
   Now you COULD memorize the way each chord looks: white, black, white… black, black, black.. etc.
   But this is not a good use of your time or memory!

   This is where half steps and whole steps come in.
   There is one pattern of half and whole steps for all major chords and one for all minor chords.

   So to memorize all your major and minor triads, you just need to remember this:
   Major = 4+3; Minor = 3+4

   Thats going to be a lot easier for you than memorizing each of the 24 shapes…
   Go on to Day 2 for more details and
   GOOD LUCK!!!
   Chris Marx

5. Carlos on May 20th, 2009

   Hi Chris,

   Thank you so much for the site. The materials are very very good. Great effort, care and quality on them. Amazing job.

   Thanks a lot Carlos!
   I’m working on adding some more this week.
   My goal is to give piano players a good foundation for what will help them be able to create their own music and read from fake books or lyric sheets off the internet.
   Keep practicing!
   -Chris Marx

6. Mackenzie on July 23rd, 2009

   hi this site has helped me understand chords better! thank you chris! also i was wondering if you would be kind enough to post videos of you teaching songs on keyboard, like different song that we would like to learn because you break things down and teach it simply. thank you again!

7. Chris Marx on July 29th, 2009

   Hi Mackenzie!

   Glad to help with learning chords!

   I try to switch up the videos between songs and theory lessons.

   The next video I post will probably be a song, its impossible for me to meet everyones requests though.

   I’ll keep working on it!

   Thanks,
   Chris Marx

    

8. Rosie Young on October 5th, 2009

   Hi Christ

   I just start back trying to play the piano about 3 month I took lesson some time ago but i was not good at it. So I stop am trying to play for my church choir. Am having a problem hearing the notes; when am playing a song i can’t find the next chord or note to the song. What sould I do. Plese help!

   I spend hour, and hour on the web trying to play along with keyboard player
   when i try by myself i can’t remember the notes.

   Thank you for share the whole and half step with me now it is clear to me how to form the cords. If I can only memorize them when I play them.

   Please, Please, Please help.

9. Candice on October 31st, 2009

   Hi Chris!

   Very good lesson:) I understood everything when I watched the video.

   Candice

10. Bud Brown on November 18th, 2009

    Thanks. You’re a great teacher! I’m really looking forward to the other lessons.

11. Chris Marx on November 22nd, 2009

    Thanks Bud!
    Great picture by the way.

    I have a lot more lessons planned for 2010!

12. karly on December 19th, 2009

    So that’s what a b flat is lol ..

    now all of my dreams will come true
    haha just kidding,
    thanks, very useful although i don’t get some parts of it,
    well that’s because they’re in english, i mean; i do understand it and i can speak it too
    the thing is that i don’t even know anything about music in my own language, so the help that i could get from here would it be great, because i still haven’t found sites in spanish

    thanks again Chris!

13. Глеб on December 24th, 2009

    Привет Крис..!! Всё просто великолепно :)) Очень наглядно и понятно.. Правда не все слова, а в общем легко разобраться.. Побольше бы таких уроков…

    Спасибо Огромное!!! :))

14. Nathan on February 6th, 2010

    Hey Chris!
    i wanted to let you know that it was your ray charles lesson on everyday i have the blues that made me start getting into the piano again, i am a guitarist at heart and soul, but ray just makes me wanna hit a few keys from time to time haha. But i was wondering, if you could do a lesson on either his version of driftin blues by charles brown, or charles browns original version. Ive picked up alot by ear, but turn arounds have never been my pal, hopefully you can help!

    Thanks alot man
    and keep up the great work

15. Jobe Thorn on April 7th, 2010

    Okey! 1st lesson learned. And off we go
    Hope to learn to play the piano before I die. It’s one of the things on my to do list…

16. linda on April 18th, 2010

    Explained the half and whole steps very well. Thank you

17. Brie'Ana on April 22nd, 2010

    Chris!
    Great Job man. I have been trying to teach myself piano for awhile, picked it up in the summer, learned a bit on my own but never picked up up until now again. I never knew anything abut half steps, this was a great video. And i am from Seattle also, great city, born and raised. Keep up the good work. Maybe ill see ya around!

18. franck on April 23rd, 2010

    Thnakls Chris! very clear

19. Denis on May 5th, 2010

    Hi Chris!Amazing lessons, I was just dreaming about playing piano for 2 years, and now when I saw your awesome website, I finally started to learn it!Good to know that there’re such cool people like on the Earth!Many thanks and huge cheers from Russia!

20. Chris Marx on May 5th, 2010

    Thanks Denis! There are many cool people on the planet. I think most of them play music and give off good vibrations…
    Its freezing here in Seattle… hope Russia is a little warmer!

21. yaravi on May 8th, 2010

    hi cris
    I have a question can´t understand your lessons because a dont talk 100% english i´m from mexico and realy like the piano but a can´t understand your lessons realy i need help tnahk for your help.

22. ANKIT VERMA on May 21st, 2010

    HI THANKS TO GIVE THESE LESSONS. I AM STARTED LEARN THESE LESSONS.

23. Heather on May 25th, 2010

    haha that makes sense
    i learnt something new! yeay!

24. Sean on June 21st, 2010

    Hey,

    I think these videos are fantastic, and as a semi-beginner piano player they’re exceptionally helpful.

    Come to New York and teach me to play please!

25. Kayla on August 6th, 2010

    Thank you so much! Your my lifesaver! Keep doing videos because they really truly help people. Keep up the good work and thank you so much!

26. Tina on August 19th, 2010

    Hey Chris,

    These piano lessons are pretty good, no, actually BETTER than the other ways of teaching piano. I am an amateur piano player and I am not so good at playing , but I have seen some of your videos and they are very comprehensible and fast. I would also like to say that I do not take piano lessons, yet these lessons are very useful for learning how to play the piano.

    Thanks A lot Chris and keep posting more videos!

27. ben on September 20th, 2010

    Thank you for teaching us the basics of piano I love your blog!

28. karen on October 8th, 2010

    thanks for sharing your skills and knowledge in piano

29. Steve on October 14th, 2010

    This is a real great free site to learning Piano. Im 43 yrs but still want to learn the Piano becouse the way you explain is the way I learn so thank you very very much. I am a member in fastpianolessons.com but im not receaving the weekly lessons.

    Thanks again
    Steve

30. shajona on October 15th, 2010

    HI Chris,
    Just finished watching your first video and I must say it’s great. For people with no music background, you’ve made music theory so easy to understand. Can’t wait to watch the rest. My dream is to be able to play the keyboard just by improvisation as I can’t read music. Don’t know if I’ll ever be able to see that dream come true but I’m hoping this small step I take in learning from you will help me get there …eventually.

    Do include some practice drills in your video. I’m sure it’ll help us move along faster. Thanks again.

31. Patrick Dinsmore on December 26th, 2010

    I am enjoying your video lessons. They are and clear and concise.

    PS. “Its easier to show examples of certain piano concepts through video. Its also more fun to watch!” “Its” should be “it’s”

32. ATheMes on March 7th, 2011

    Thanks a lot
    Tou are cool

33. ISAAC UDOE on March 7th, 2011

    hi,
    I just wish to commend you for enlightening me on chord steps

34. Sara on March 7th, 2011

    thanks it was so easy to understand

35. Ronald on March 26th, 2011

    NC topic really learned something new for a beginner like me

36. Michael Lomuscio on April 12th, 2011

    Thanks for a great new place for me to learn.. As an (very) adult beginner, your teaching method makes it rather easier for this gray haired guy to understand.

37. bennie on April 22nd, 2011

    i feel like i’m on my way to Carnegie Hall. Just bought my piano christmas 2010, and at age 45 i feel good after your first lesson. Thanks for caring about us beginners !!!!

38. Cheri on July 1st, 2011

    Oh my goodness! I should have never quit piano lessons when I was younger! This could take a while. I am going to try to stick with it though. The problem is that I get home so late and don’t have a lot of time to do this every day. I am afraid this old brain will forget what I’ve learned the time before. I want to play more than anything though so I will keep going
    Thank you for the help!

39. Kevin on July 2nd, 2011

    i really enjoyed my first lesson… it was easier than i thought it was going to be

40. McCoy on July 4th, 2011

    hey chris! your awesome thank you so much for sharing your time and talent!

41. lj on July 8th, 2011

    Hey Chris love the videos i really want to learn something besides the saxophone hahaha

42. Sam Ajayi on July 20th, 2011

    Hey Chris,
    Thanks a lot for this and the other videos, Im finding piano so much easier…God bless =]

43. Andre on July 21st, 2011

    Thanks for the resources - I find it very helpfull!!

44. wangdeng on August 13th, 2011

    i’m a chinese and i’m from mainland china,i really like your lessons,thank you!

45. Yohana on August 31st, 2011

    Am a very beginner, i play mostly from memory read some music but it obviously takes me longer… this is Very clear… I had an idea of this but you broke it down beautifully I am looking forward for the rest of the lessons. Thank you!

46. Noelia on December 13th, 2011

    Hey Chris I’ve played piano for many years but actually I never understood too much about chords when they’re major or minor if you can explain this to me it would be great. Thanks

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