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Hi. I'm a 73 year old man who's played guitar and banjo for more than 60 and 55 years respectively. I recently bought a Yamaha P-125 digital piano and have watched literally hundreds of KZfaq videos on how to learn to play the piano. I just wanted to say that I find your way of teaching things about the piano to be something I can understand, and enjoy very much so I'm sticking with you. Thank you for making it easy for an old fella to learn the piano. You're an awesome teacher.

"Your ears are awesome, they don't wanna hear something that's not good." You are awesome

“When it stops sounding good (change the chord)” - What a super simple way to think of it. You are a gifted teacher!

"It works, it's dark, and it's a choice."

Your lessons are so practical and straight forward. Please don't stop making these!

I really wish people weren't so terrified of "music theory". Theory is just a shortcut...it's knowing what's likely to work, when and why. Don't be afraid of theory, people.

Just found you on KZfaq as I’m trying to learn how to play melodies on the piano using chords rather than sheet music. I’m a school teacher for over 35 years and I’m also a Master Teaching, meaning I teach new teachers how to teach! After watching your videos, there’s only one word to describe your teaching methodology and delivery…..SUPERB! You are truly gifted in teaching others how to play the piano. You communicate clearly and are able to break down a complex concept into small digestible bites. I am so thankful for your teaching and commitment to help others become better players. I’ve subscribed and hopefully become more proficient at playing melodies by ear. Many hugs to you! 👍💕

If the teaching had been like this when I tried to play piano, it would have been awesome and I would not have stopped! I am definitely starting to play my piano again - thank you soooo much! 💛

This was excellent, thank you. This kind of instruction really is fantastic for beginners; it's so hard to find good material on KZfaq that actually explains these things in a practical way, instead of just saying "do what I do, and try to follow along". Cheers.

Excellent for this beginner!!!! Thank you! Thank you for not speaking too fast and for not moving too fast! You are calm and FUN and smart! I'm almost 63 and just not starting to learn piano. My husband is so happy because he wants me to accompany him & his guitar in worship songs.

"What happens if we play an am, it's dark and it works, it's a choice" - Instantly got my vote, so many people would have instantly shunned the idea but they get it ^^

Hi. Good presentation . I am self taught on the keyboard and piano since 1985. I don't have a clue about reading a music sheet since I play by ear. I started with right hand melodies , Single finger , holding chords with my right hand and then matched the three fingered chord with my left hand and as I went along , I learnt new tricks like striking a fourth key with either left or right hand that makes it sound great . You also become 70 to 80 % ambidextrous eventually if you weren't already 100 % before you started to play . People who are born ambidextrous are talented and lucky. I also play the Indian harmonium where you can hold just the right hand chord , three or four finger with the melody. This instrument is available for left hand players also . You have to pump the bellow for air to the reeds with one hand and press the keys with the other much similar to an accordian. I also play the harmonica and a bit of the two piece tabla , Indian drums which is very difficult to learn. My advice to learners is that , buy a professional keyboard arranger and or workstation, if you can afford it in 76 or 61 key. Yamaha , Korg , Roland have some great keyboards available that have around average of 300 voices , including many versions of piano example grand piano , electric piano , honky Tonky , cp stage and many more and modern technology has made them sound original. You also have styles from all around the world and depending on the keyboard , you can download midi , wav and mp3 styles via usb or sd card. Very versatile when it comes to keyboards , most importantly you eventually learn ' one man band ' on a keyboard . Play and sing with styles, selecting different instruments which have buttons to preset. It's almost the same as changing chords on a piano but not exactly , slight difference in timing . Three fingered chords or single finger on the left of the keyboard changes the bass , rhythm and other accompanied instruments while you play your melody on the right , changing instruments for interludes example , whilst you are singing , select strings or soft piano and play an interlude on brass , guitar or saxophone . You have break , fill-ins and 2 to 4 variations of the same beat or style example , hit your fill-in button when you come back to chorus. Keyboards also feature transpose functions example , where you can play a 'C' chord on the 'G' keys either higher or lower octave , +12 to -12 settings , scale change settings and fine tuning button or dial to accommodate your voice. You can overlay or use strings while playing conventional piano , set to dual voice. I've mastered one man band . I have a Yamaha dgx 230, 76 keys and a Roland e09 in. You guys out there , don't be afraid of learning any instrument . It's not complicated if you attempt to play the instrument that you are passionate about. Look after and take good care of your instrument and respect it. Your talent will manifest itself. It's better to try hard and not fail , rather than to fail to try hard. Also keep calm when you practice. Sorry for a long story but I couldn't resist sharing what I've learnt.

Wow I love how straightforward your lessons are. It's like anyone without even a musical background can learn from it, but it's not dumbed down at the same time. It's just concise, understandable, and challenging enough to make newbies want to explore a bit more later.

Dude I have been searching for a video like this for the longest time

This was very helpful .... I am an intermediate level adult student but had never had this theory explained to me by my teacher of 4 years when I took in grade school. Now I am taking lessons again and my teacher wants me to improvise!! I actually am playing lots of classical from books which is my comfort zone. I'm trying to learn what he wants me to now and he is challenging me!! This was explained very well!! Thank you!

Thank you for making the clearest instructions for making chords fit a melody. I've learnt more in your 10 minute video than 2 years of piano lessons. Keep doing what you do. Your bright cheery personality make learning a joy.

OMG, this is the best piano lesson video that I have ever seen!! Really love it. it is straight forward and easy to pick up for practice. Plus you have the great energy and passion for this free video. I am willing to pay for it!

I've been playing piano for 8 years now, but have never really delved into chords and harmonization. Your lessons make it so easy to understand and exciting to learn. Thank you so much!

Why didn’t I find this lady a longtime ago? She is so great and makes this whole thing look easy Woaw!! You are sent directly from heaven!

She is super good! What piano teacher! Play with chords made so simple with her. Perfecct for those learning to play a bit. If she makes this simole, imagine following more advanced lessons with her. Great work.

You're literally the best music teacher here in youtube

Chords to Melody is great tip for every composer who always come up with melody first. Thank you. Also useful if you don't have the chords for your melody.

You are one of the best piano teacher . I like your teaching style. God bless you my dear sister and your family

Wow!…This has certainly been a personal “Eureka!” moment, by viewing your “FANTABULISTIC!” instructional video / piano / song demonstration…”DHANYAVAAD!”…Pianote with Lisa!

These are lessons that we can really use even for a casual musician. Thank you!

So simple, yet so perfect. Beautifully taught. You instill confidence, which is so important in listening for chord changes

I am working on the piano, and making little progress. But I am extremely stubborn, and these videos keep me going. Thanks Lisa.

the way you explain things with a sense of subtle excitement/glee makes me really enjoy learning from you

That was fantastic. Could you also make a video about “breaking up chords so it sounds a little more musical?” I don’t understand how that jumped happened. We went from 3 keys per chord to match the melody and that made sense but how did you know how to break it up?

Your lessons are a great help. Just played 'You are my sunshine' with perfect chords for the first time, and it's all down to you. I'll be playing piano in some low dive before you know it ...

Wow. I've never seen a more simple and easy to understand explanation in my life. Thank you so much

I am 68 years old! Retired. Now I have plenty of time to play the piano again after almost 45 years since I left my home and without a piano. I've been trying how to play with chords. When I was little, I could figure out the melody once I hear the music and I like it but never had deep theories nor understood the inherited music books handed down to me by my mom who was our music teacher at home. I can play by ear melodies with the piano as well with the guitar and saxo. .I have composed around 20 songs with my guitar but no idea at all how to write down the chords name nor transcribe ? those chords on the pentagram! You are indeed AWESOME! I thank you for your short clear explanation ! This has opened my dormant brain.

You're a great teacher ..you teach in simple terms.

This is how I used to figure out the chords for my favorite melodies, although I am not a trained pianist. I had a keyboard at home which displays the chord or key we strick. And I learned the names of common notes and chords that way. And I loved to experiment with different chords, especially the minor ones...Unfortunately I had to leave my keyboard behind when I got married and moved to another country. But we might buy a keyboard soon and I can't wait to play it!!!

She makes me so happy and proud of myself the way she talks

Brilliant. It's a brief but perfectly formed and complete lesson. There is no sense of ego getting in the way here, but just a genuine desire to empower those who want to learn. Deceptively simple and straightforward, this is a powerful learning experience - wow, I just learned something so enlightening today, thank you very much, you are a very gifted teacher indeed please keep going!

Yes! The general rule of thumb for finding the basic chords to play with songs is to play the basic chords that carry the melodic notes played on the down beats, Or explained in a different way that is much easier and faster to execute in real-time: Play the melodic note on the next down beat as note 1, 3, or 5 of the basic chord :-)

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE

You are a great teacher. Thank you. You make it so simple while many other teachers make it so unnecessarily complicated.

Thank you for this perfect little lesson. I wanted to learn this song as my Father sang this for me when I was a child as He played on his guitar, therefore it stirs up warm family memories!

Incredibly articulate, helpful and likeable... "You make me happy, when skies are grey" :) thank you

Excellent! You made it so easy.Tried that on new song and it worked.Thanks once again.

This is AWESOME!!! Asked my piano teacher YEARS ago on how to know the chords to a song and I just got: "It depends."

I just cant explain how good you are at teaching..

You are so gifted... And you really want us to get it

Best piano teacher on youtube

Gurl, U have no idea how many times and how many folks I asked this question to and no one has been able to give a concrete answer. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m 64, am I too old to learn to play? Keeping hope alive!!!

I don't know music and was looking for a place to clear some questions that I came across when ever I thought about music... I never understood what are these chords for and how they are played. I don't think there could be a much simpler and clear explanation for this topic... Thanks a lot Mam...

Table Of Contents 0:00 Introduction 1:26 Step 1: Figure out the key. 1:53 Tip: Most songs use the same chords in different orders. 2:36 Step 2: Figure out the most common chords in that key: I, IV, V, vi. 3:20 Step 3: Listen to determine when you need to change chords. 8:28 Recap 9:17 Outro Music Demonstration: "You Are My Sunshine".

You're an awesome teacher, thanks for the videos. Greetings from Venezuela!

Little things keep falling into place I'm loving how I'm slowing pulling off a tune, Thankyou, great teacher and fun.

I play piano for years and can play sooooo many songs but just the melody. I've no idea with the chord or what to do with my left hand. Glad to find this video! 😊😊

absolutely love this. great teaching. You set up the problem, go through and them summaries. Very helpful. Thanks so much!

I use the circle of 4ths and 5ths. Key of C: C, F, G, Am, Em, Dm and there you have it.

WOW! That was amazing! Thank you so much! I am 40 years old, when I was a child I loved the piano and my family was able to pay for lessons for me for only a year....but no matter how much I studied I never got it, I could not understand music sheets, chords etc. You just gave me light with this lesson. It is one of my goals to learn how to play the piano (not professionally like you) at least be able to read some simple sheets and enjoy playing something to myself. I actually bought a second-hand electric piano just to try again. Please, keep doing these lessons!!! I wish you could be my teacher!!!

You just improved my knowledge in music today.. thanks and much love from Ghana 🇬🇭 ❤

What an awesome lesson! Great job and you have a lovely singing voice.

The easiest way to spontaneously harmonize any melody with bass or root notes (without having to know what key you are playing the song, or knowing the names of the chords, or what notes go into every chord) is to simply play the root note at 1, 3, or 5 note intervals (plus +1 octave) BELOW the melodic note played on the next main downbeat. To do this... 1. Identify what note in the song melody you're about to play on your right hand on the next downbeat. 2. Play with my left hand pinky the notes at 1, 3, or 5 note intervals below the current melodic note. 3. Hold your left hand in a fixed claw position to root note and the notes at 1,5, 8 and 10 above the root note for form the chords. So while I’m playing any given song melody “by ear” on my right hand, I am harmonizing not by ear but instead “by sight”. When I discovered this simple trick, I was suddenly able to play songs by ear on piano (and play any song in any key) which I was never able to do over my 40+ years playing the piano!

I have been looking for this so hard , Hell nobody puts it this way- so concise and amazing

Good walk-through. Thx! Helps to see the structural motif of the song (Sunshine): focus on the accents: each line opens with a tertiary accent (You), followed by two unaccented notes(are my), then Secondary Accent (Sun-), which springboards to final note of line, which has Primary Accent (-shine). Chord change is on the Secondary Accent (penultimate note of the line). Very simple, consistent formulaic architecture, which makes for easy listening. Great for Kids ... of ALL Ages! Thx!!!

You are a heaven sent teacher in music. Keep it up. Watching from Africa. You are a good teacher.

Super cute and awesome teacher! Thank you, always have some melody in the head, now I can actually play it

Your method is superior for those of us coming from other instruments. Much appreciated!

A drummer here.. playing drums for 7 years and just started keys out of curiosity and sheer love for music... This lesson helped me alot thanks

You have no idea how long I've been looking for a video like this ♡ Thankyou so much! God bless:)

I loved this video! Really clear and helpful, and made me wish I'd had the chance to watch something like this as a teenager. The only thing I was puzzled by was the idea that the starting note helps usually indicates the key. For this particular song, I'm more familiar with the melody starting on the fifth note, not the root note (although I have heard both options). In general, isn't it a safer bet to look at the end note and ignore the starting note, if you're trying to determine the key?

Excellent teaching of chords to the melody Thank you madam

I took piano and organ classes as a young kid. I never learned how to use chords. I was very smart and memorized up to 100 chords after a music teacher told me to play you must learn chords. Not knowing how to use them, made me feel as I was not born to play the piano. You and "you are my sunshine" explained what for so many years teachers couldn't explain. Honestly, they wasted my time. I have a piano in my house, is never played...now I have hope of playing before I die from old age... please teach the young kids, it will make future musicians... Great Job

Think you are absolutely brilliant - lovely way of teaching with a great personality

This is exactly what I needed. Thank you.

Your lesson is easy to follow with the highlighted keys and your explanation. You are a very good teacher, keep on teaching. Thanks for the lesson.

You are really great at explaing things in a simple way.. thank you so much. 👍😄 Been looking for someone like you who can teach it easily.. Greetings from the Philippines 😄

Very nicely taught one of the most crucial lessons in piano. Thank you 🙏

Excellent tutorial, many thanks! By the way, very nice lighting of the video, not to mention the smile and the cool shirt :)

This is MINDBLOWINGLY good!!! I could only play the melody to happy bday, and my mom loved it, but I’m going to learn it with the chords and play it for her again. Thank you so much for this invaluable information.

Teacher like you can make a difficult task easy.. this video helped me to figure out songs and their chords.. thanks Lisa

5:56 when people ask me why I always listen to sad music...

This is literally exactly what I've been looking for. I studied north Indian classical music on an harmonium, which is very similar to a piano and so I've chosen to move over to piano, but now I have fluent dexterity with my right hand and not my left, any suggestions?

Thank u! All these years spent thinking I couldn't grasp it!... Excellent teacher 🙌

This is fantastic. For an Indian music lover who's born and brought up on a staple diet of melody only, this method of using your ears to find the harmony is so intuitive! Thanks!

Wish I saw your video many months ago. You are a star!

I love the way you teach! I used to play piano when I was younger, and now I will surely keep you as my guide to relearn it all again!! Thank you!

Hi. You demystified what used to look like a top secret knowledge. How it feels so good to know that there are trial and error approaches amongst other things in determining what chords to play. Some folks make it look like it just drops from outer space. Thanks alot.

You are the bestest music teacher I have heard! ❤️ From India

I love you for reall!!!! This was the exact thing i was looking for and just couldn't find it. Thank you so much!!

Thank you so much... it helped me a lot..... ofcourse its a small lesson but very useful lesson......

You are absolutely fantastic! I started life as a melodic sax player but always loved harmonic instruments like guitar and piano! At 50yrs old I am finally embarking on the journey! Piano, for me, is so much more challenging and rewarding than any other instrument with,,, maybe,,, the exception of drums. This channel is a true gem! Keep it up and thanks!

You are my best teacher ever, thanking you so much, you're so wonderful

1:43 "We're in the KFC" okay, got it

It’s so interesting what adding that 7 (e) to that F chord did to the sound and feel of the melody. Normally that does work yet of course it didn’t really here. Simple but interesting to contemplate. But might be fun to use that for a reharm project

This is magic. I am finally beginning to accept learning to play by ear. I have a preference to learning traditional sight music. I must give it a try.

Thank you for that eye opener. I've been playing for years and now learning to play by ear. Keek allowing other people like myself to find a much better way. Again, thank you.

Superb I was searching for this type of tutorial for a long time

Watched many of these kind of videos. They are all talking as if I majored in music. This one is so easy to learn and great quality!

I'm only half way through your video and I just paused it to say WOW! The way you explain everything u teach, is just insanely easy and understanding! And I got to say I'm someone who makes HUGE deals out of everything, specially learning piano! And u made it feel easy, even to me! Just wow! Thank u so much beautiful!

I’m a total noob, thank you, didnt know that is how it works (not saying that’s all there is of course). Just learning by my self through youtube

woahh i just thgt of how to find the chords and its following mee its magical

Brilliant. I’ve been playing guitar for 25 years and now adding piano. So I have a good understanding of music theory. You method makes it very easy for me to transition to playing real music.

I looovveee the way you teach so clearly and with a sweet, fun demeanor. It uncommon to find something like this. THANK YOU!