This is guide for students of PianoJam making the temporary switch to online piano lessons. I am missing you all and look forward to the day when I can jam with you in person again. Say hello to your families and give your canines and felines a tickle for me ;)
Here's what parents and friends are saying about our student's awesome tracks.
QUOTABLES
"What an awesome arrangement!
Sounds like David is very talented." -
Andrea
"Wow this is brilliant. Very talented little lady!" - Susann
"Wow Loopy that's AMAZING. Love it xx" - Jackie
Our students are having a blast laying down some cool tracks in Garageband using its more advanced features.
Here are a few 'hacks' we discovered along the way!
Quizlet is a free online tool for learning just about anything.
Start by creating your own flash cards or choose from over 40 million sets created by Quizlet's other users. Next, track your progress with 6 powerful learning and game modes, and compete with others to beat the high score. Modes include test, speller, and scatter. We particulary like the new gravity mode that turns you into an asteroid blasting machine!
Joytunes is changing the way the piano is learnt and taught with their award winning app PianoMaestro.
We're convinced that it's the best thing going in the App store for anyone seeking to learn how to read music in a fun and engaging way.
GarageBand is an inexpensive yet powerful app that allows anyone to jump right in and create their own songs in a matter of minutes. In our introductory lesson to GarageBand students learn the fundamentals of song creation using GB's built-in loops as a starting point.
Check out Taylor's awesome version of Riptide (originally performed by Australian singer/songwriter Vance Joy). As a bonus, download our free rhythmic pattern worksheet!
I created these fun key labels to help younger kids become familar with the layout of the piano keyboard. They are brightly coloured to assist with learning and creativity.
Ok, there's already plenty of information on the web about the important stuff your new keyboard should have so I'm not going to re-invent the wheel here. Suffice to say, my list of 'must haves' are:
1. Velocity (touch) sensitivity for dynamic playing.
2. Full sized keys
3. A minimum of 61 keys (5 octave span)
If you're not sure of what any of this means go googling!
What I want to cover today is the stuff behind the keyboard that doesn't often get talked about. Yep, those funny little round jacks on the keyboard's rear panel. What you'll find (or don't find) here is a good indicator of whether you're buying a toy or something that will keep you in the game for a good while. So let's get started!
Ok this one's a little tongue-in-cheek but the truth is there are almost an endless number of chart-toppers that use the same 4 simple chords for their hook, and they are played in the same order. Don't believe me? Check out this great vid by Aussie comedic band Axis of Awesome. Enjoy!