Which of these techniques do you think you need to work on more? 0:00 Intro 00:32 Technique 5 02:27 Technique 4 03:23 Technique 3 04:28 Technique 2 07:42 Technique 1

For me knowing chords by heart was a breakthrough moment. Suddenly everything started to make sense. Arpeggios based on chords became easy, reading sheet music became much easier (instead of deciphering each note you just see the chord there), and most of all, improvisation became much more fun. That was the reason I started my own channel to help people who had the same problems at the beginning. Fell free to check it out :)

Your calm gentle way of giving us your best advice is much appreciated.

65 year old in the middle of my first week with a piano. I laughed at my musical inability, but now I am excited at this new language. After watching your video yesterday and practicing a basic exercise that I started Sunday, I started to see the keyboard as notes for the first time.

I can't help but hear The Office's opening theme in the chords you played haha

Jazer,... You are a super teacher. Somehow, I seem to get the concepts into my head easier with you as a teacher. I'm still just a beginner though. You seem to be able to get the point across without excessive yapping, therefore keeping someone with a limited attention span like me focused. Thank You

Concerning fingering, i would say take fingering seriously as in, always use the same one once you have decided on it. Most of the time i tell my students to ignore the fingerings written by the editors as they are mostly either unpianistic or simply not suited to their hand. Get used to scale and chord fingerings and try to apply them in your pieces as comfortable as possible. Always consider where you came from and where you are going next.

Started learning yesterday and I know it isn’t a big deal to others. But as someone who didn’t know a thing about music sheets, I finally can read C D E and sometimes F! E and F confuses me though. I just get happy when I can read it right lol

Your chord progression was reminiscent of the opening theme music of "The Office"! (the American version). Thank you Jazer for your suggestions. I jumped into the deep end when I began playing and I still sometimes amaze myself when I'm thinking of what I was doing back then, however there is no substitute and nothing to fall back on if one does not have a strong core which can be obtained solely by practicing the fundamentals until they have become second nature and have gelled in one's muscle memory. So I'm starting over and my goal is to do it properly from the beginning, even if it means playing the baby stuff, with my focus set on correct fingering and executing flawless scales. Thank you for your guidance and sound advice! No pun intended there! lol 🙂

My old age and my novice getting hard to see what the fingers or the keys you playing. Love to see starting very slowly or add anything to help seeing what the keys you playing.

I've watched this video at least twice before and came away focused on the one thing that was causing me the most problems. But they were all causing me problems. I've focused on all of them with changing degrees of emphasis as I got better. But now that I am focusing more on repertory and studying composers, it has come down to fingering. I've been sight reading sheet music as a pastime for weeks now and I have found that to be the most helpful at this point. I don't fight the recommended fingering on the sheet music even though it is tempting sometimes. After watching your video on connecting points yesterday, I thought through my fingering again as I practiced each piece and discovered the wisdom of the recommended fingering in a few of my problem areas. So I learned to pivot my hand to make it work. I actually enjoy sitting with the sheet music and thinking through the fingering before I start. Even for pieces I have no hope of playing anytime soon. Getting the lay of the land ahead. After what is now almost 4 months of playing, things are beginning to gel. I am wearing out my Hanon and Albert's in my warm ups and quick 5-minute sessions throughout the day. I am feeling more and more comfortable with the keyboard. My fingers are beginning to think for themselves which helps me from having to look down at my fingers as often when I stumble and lose my place returning to the sheet music. I am slowly becoming more efficient with practicing and seem to have settled into a "comfortable" routine. Reviewing these videos has helped greatly. Thank you for that.

LOVE THIS MAN. So excellent and engaging a teacher.

YOU ARE A FANTASTIC TEACHER !!!!

Thank you Jazer for really simplifying the pedal timing. It's something I have been really working on a lot more since watching your earlier video on this topic. I usually incorporate at least a half hour a day of improv with scales in chord progressions in various keys which is really making a huge difference in learning overall.. thanks for your awesome videos.

Great advice Jacer!!! THANK YOU SOOOOOÒO MUCH!!!!!

We demand a full version of The Office theme now. You've teased us too many times.

Excellent tips. Been self learning for more than 10 months thru youtube, and seem to be hitting a wall right now. I'm sure this video would help a lot in smoothing things out, thanks Jazer!

a very useful video. Wow.i literally got my dubts cleared. Thankssss🎉🎉🎉

You’re right, fingering is tough for a new pianist. I learn most stuff by ear and struggle to figure out the most efficient fingering to use when going up or down the keyboard. There’s always more than one way, but you could be doing it in a way that creates bad habits. Oh, love the octave exercise! That helps the hands get used to the keyboard. Sometimes just not looking at your hands and trusting them to “feel” where the notes are is helpful in developing comfort on the piano. Awesome tips Jazer! 👌🏼👍🏼

Thanks Jazer. You’re clearly a fine pianist. I’ve found these tutorials really useful with some sound advice. Appreciate your engaging and enthusiastic approach.

You're great you helped out so much! Thanks!😄

Thank you so much for your videos! You have a way of breaking down lessons into bite size pieces, which makes even the most difficult concepts easy to digest. The biggest feast you can find still goes down one bite at a time, so even the smallest bites will eventually leave you full and satisfied. I think it's brilliant. Thanks to your videos, I'm finally unlocking my full musical potential and tackling things like this lesson that I had put off for years. Thank you very much! I'm Subscribed

Thanks so much for the great advices. They are exactly what I have been looking for!

Playing Bohemian Rhapsody was my gate into octaves. It's really cool.

You are super great teacher, Jazer! I only found your channel today, I’ve never been to a music school, just play by ear, but your channel has changed my life! Now I am just really into it! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and skills!

Yeah!!!!! This video helped me a lot on my pieces and my scales sound more even toned Thank you Jazer 👍👍👍

Bro, I learn more from you in less time than my piano teacher. Thanks a ton!

Great advice. I’m going to start using the pedal. I’ve never used it before. Thank you from Melbourne Australia

Love from France 😂💙

Thanks for these tips, I struggle with octaves because I only have small hands. At a push I can reach 9 notes just about, 10 is a definite no chance. Not too bad with chords, I have come back to the piano after playing organ/arranger keyboards so I love chords, although most of the time I played them with the left hand. I have had to teach myself to read the bas clef, getting better now, thanks again.

This is very true, I hope I told this to my younger self. For me, the scales, arpeggio and the broken chords needs to be trained for the rest of your life to be fluid as possible (I mean mastering all major, minor, etc).

I am learning piano techniques from you thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise. I am studying Liturgy and Church Music now in Silliman University at age 58, the oldest student.

All of them. I have only been playing for less than 3 weeks. But your videos are extremely helpful. I find focusing on chords, all 12 of them, is very beneficial. Your tips have helped me a lot. You are my go-to youtube piano teacher.

Love your videos always !

Thank you for having these tutorials, stopped playing at level 6 and now I am relearning everything

Thanks jazzer ! Playing each scale for 3 octaves is challenging for me especially getting the fingering for both hands to coordinate.

Thank you for your videos. Your tips are helping me with getting back up to speed after a long break and are really useful in my attempt to teach my kid about keyboards playing. If I may, another useful way to practice chords (Technique 2 section) would be to play a different inversion of the chord with each hand.

That chord progression immediately made me think of The Office. Iconic chord prog!!

Hey, thank you so much for your tips! For me Octaves are causing the most problems because my hands are really small so I can't do them without it being painful. Do you have any tips for small hands? I came back to the piano after not playing for more than a decade and was struggling a lot with octaves back then as well. Also totally agree with you about scales and chords! My teacher put a lot of emphasis on that when I learned piano as a kid so I have a really strong theoretical basis to this day, and it makes reading the music sheet a lot easier now that I am not used to doing this.

From experience fingering is absolutely #1. For the same reasons you give. Study any great pianist video and his fingering is highly efficient and without unnecessary movement.

This is really helpful! I am a beginner and I wasn't understanding what to learn as an beginner. But after some research and this video (mostly this video) i now know what things to work on... Thankyou!🙏🙏

I was trying most of what you've mentioned, except the pedal stuff and the octave practices. Our keyboard doesn't have pedals it in so I can't really get the same effect as your demo. I too believe in getting the fingering correct because it helps transitions smoother and efficient. Thank you so much 😊

Oh they are all are challenge for me. Pedal is my nemesis right now. Fingerings probably the least because I reclaimed right from the start that I need to be consistent and I have always make sure to pay attention to it. And by always I mean since I stayed learning 3 months ago. And I also want to say that your demonstration of using the pedal just made this so much more clear and I just applied it to a song I have been learning all day and it finally makes sense now. Thank you

Chords are the hardest for me, but everything in your video x will be helpful to practice. You are a terrific teacher! Thanks so much!

You're the best man!

Thank you Jazer for your suggestions 😊👍🏻🎹🎼

I like the way you presented the chords. I know all the chords/keys but I haven't been practicing them the way you showed. But I will! Thanks!

Hi Jazer, I always have problems with " FINGERING ". Just as you started in this efficiency is everything !!!

Hi Jazer, thank you for the video. Really, really like the how you explain everything so clearly. Could you please make a video on how to apply pressure to produce better tones, and how to play with dynamic, please? Thank you so much in advance.

I see know that as a child/young teen, I compartmentalized the different aspects of piano lessons. Sight reading/techniques/theory/learning pieces were to me all things I had to learn but didn't really see/understand/appreciate that they are all parts of the whole with a common goal. It's changing the way I practice now. I've gone back to my grade 3 and 4 RCM books and am now up to an hour and a half each day. Have to add more technique to the mix.

This was so helpful thanks a lot.

Thank you for this Video! I begin playing Piano since the day I came across your beautiful Tutorial Clips

Love you lessons. Thank you

Thank you so much. All your videos improved me a lot to play piano.

My man playing the office lol

תודה!!! הרבה פעמים הכתוביות מסתירות את הנגינה שלך ואז לא ברור לי מה אתה עושה 🤔... בכל אופן, אתה מורה מעולה!! לומדת ממך המון!! אשמח להדרכה איך אפשר לפתוח יותר אקורדים🙏🏿

I love your videos and they are helping a lot. Cheers from Brazil!

Again, excellent advice Jazer especially wrt fingering. I totally get it. Playing trombone, I’m always looking for the most efficient / alternate positioning for optimum efficiency. When you achieve it, it helps technique and automatically increases speed with clarity of playing. I’m nowhere near that level with piano but I totally understand that if I pay attention to fingering efficiency now it will pay dividends later…..Cheers again

CHORDS .. most problematic; brand new at it after decades of sheet music playing; but what I've learned so far has opened up my world! Thanks for this list!

Hi Jazer-these tutorials are brilliant! I've been doing piano via Pianote and Melodics for quite some time now. Pianote is really great (they have a fabulous teacher), but I've mainly been doing Melodics this past year while I've not been well. I've got nearly 200 straight days of practice in Melodics going, and I've made lots of progress, but-hmmm. I keep feeling like I'm not doing things correctly. This video of yours (I've been watching quite a few) with the fingering advice is a clincher. Right now in Melodics I'm working on learning my first big two-handed lesson piece. It's been unbelievably hard for me. The advice given for fingering has been no help, so my right hand fingering for the piece is hopeless. :/ I'm telling you this because watching a lot of your videos is making me think I'm going about this whole project (learning piano) the wrong way. Hmmm. So I've been saving up a lot of your beginner videos to start putting together a new routine. Your work has really helped me see things. I very much appreciate it! ❤️🦑

Thanks again for the useful video. Now I understand why my pedaling always sounds awful. I am making exactly the same mistake as you mentioned in the video about changing pedal at the same time as the tone/measure changes. Also, fingering is super important. I am too casual on this. Thanks. You are super helpful, Jazer.

Great explanations!!

Excellent video ! Thank you!

Excellent tips! Thanks.

Beautiful session. Thank you 🙂

Wonderful tips Jazer

Thank you so much!

Dang these are great exercises! Thank you!

Excellent advice, as usual.

I love that you wear Ugg boots while you play 😄

Jazer , you are awesome! I find memorizing scales and chords in different keys very challenging. But with more practice I suppose i'll get there some day. What are your tips for this? Thanks for everything, you teach well and play awesome! Were you like 3 years old when you started playing???

I have a small hand and I’m just trying to play octaves cleanly without hitting the next key. There is very little discussion on KZfaq that helps playing with small hands.

Great job!

Thank you for your efforts…i am flowing you from Egypt your english easy and clear i can understand you without struggling…really I appreciate your help thanks 🙏

Very helpful tips, Thank you!

YESSSSS FINALLY IM FIFTH FINALLY ONE OF THE FIRST TO COMMENT ON ONE OF MY FAVOURITE PIANO KZfaqRS

Thank you very much. Good advise

Thank you Jazer

On octaves: I have smallish hands, but I can use my third finger for black octaves too. Alternating sometimes can give the fourth and fifth fingers a rest, not sure if it helps the music particularly though (I got the idea from professional fingering in an actual piece of Chopin). This did however pay dividends when the fourth finger on my right hand got stressed a bit. It got more rest! :))

I love your videos I’d like a lesson on adding notes to a simple piece. On one you were playing a Disney piece and adding a base! Show us how to know which chords to use. Thank you!

I use 4th finger for octaves on black when it's next to an octave with 5th finger, like a scale or short leap. But for an occasional octave by itself, I use 5th finger on black octaves.

Thank you so much for this video...🎹 it's so helpful...👍💕

Thank you

None, I do not have a piano, but I enjoy watching your tutorials :D

Thanks Mr.Lee..

Sir, five points are very much important. Thanks for share ... very interesting.

Thanks a lot for this amaz info❤❤

I bought my first digital piano then started learning Croatian Rhapsody right away by the ear. I could play the piece after a couple of months but could never do it fluently. Then after learning some basic music theory and piano skills, I realized my fingering was wrong. Now I have to relearn some part of it. It is frustrating but at least I know I will play the piece in the right way, better and faster.

When it comes to fingering my problem is that the music I want to learn to play normally doesn't come with fingerings recorded (overwhelmingly just video game music). Synthesia does have the option to add fingerings to the notes, as well as showing the music sheet (music sheet only / both / falling notes only) so I'd say it can properly be used as a learning tool, but the problem is when I find sheet music or midi songs to put into Synthesia it normally doesn't have fingerings recorded so I'm left to figure it out for myself. It's probably unlikely but is there a program out there to analyze sheet music and recommend fingerings?

You are awesome jazer....... Ur teachings helped me,

Great video. Thanks

Thanks for this video Sire

Thank you for listing this five items to focus on!! So my follow up is, where would we find good video tutorials or instructions on each of those topics to begin practicing &’learning them?

I love octaves ❤️ because they challenge me to play with less tension.

Wonderful sir

Hi Jazer can you please do a video on how to play the octaves and how to practise them? How we should position our hand and arms? Thank you

I can't avoid thinking about The Office theme when working with those chords! Nice video!!!

You are SO helpful Jason. THANKYOU!

Hi Jazer, thanks for your great content. I have a question on pedaling and octaves: When you play a series of fast chromatic octaves in a song, do you use the pedal?

I generally like playing four-fingered chords so it depends on what key/chord I am in. I just let my hands and fingers fall on whatever feels comfortable if I am learning a song, I revert back to just one key