Akil plays famous south seas tune "Marianne"

Nikil plays "Edelweiss" from "Sound of Music" on SamAsh sound-stage

Isant plays "Beautiful Brown Eyes" on piano-keyboard on Sam Ash stage

Alan plays an "Aire" from Hayden's Surprise Symphony

Anna, Dorothy's student, performs Ode to Joy in a Classical-Rock style.

Rick's "Take Five"

Rick's "Let It Be"

Paul seems to be watching me do his tune underneath his own video-- as if he's MY piano/music teacher. I think he's saying "pretty good... ".

Rick & Dorothy at Golden Buddha

Dorothy's Disco version of RondoAllaTurka by Mozart

Rick does Bob Seger's Old Time Rock and Roll

Piano students Alan and Isant George play Sam Ash stage on piano nite.

Dorothy's samba medley on piano nite at Sam Ash.

Rick does "I can see clearly now" on piano then on automatic band keyboard.

Here's the original song by Johnny Nash, put to complimentary video pictures.


Now, I'll do a piano-only version (with vocal) including an instrumental only verse-- followed by a Reggae automatic orchestra chorded with my left on on the Yamaha E433 keyboard. I transposed down a full 5 halftones from D to A. I like to use the full piano with the right hand but I could have just as well used the keyboard for the solo and right hand chords. The piano's keys are weighted so it gives a better feel and more control. And there's wider range of course too. The keyboard, on the other hand has more voices to choose from. Either way-- I'll often switch to one method or the other. I always start with piano only however-- since that's the most common instrument åround. I don't have the lyrics memorized-- but intend to do more memory work soon-- both on chords and lyrics. That'll be a rough row to hoe. I might check out i-pad-type computers for carrying my music but that's down the road. So-- here's a 6 minute session of I can see clearly now.


Here  are the chords and lyrics found freely on the net using search terms 'i can see clearly now' + chords... Play either video above once more and sing along. Print these lyrics and chords out and try it yourself. Sometimes a lesson involves simply forcing yourself to try something or finding the motivation to try it for fun. It's kind of like karoeke except that you're the player of the instrument as well as the singer.

I Can See Clearly Now chords
Johnny Nash

D

D         G               D
I can see clearly now the rain is gone
D         G             A
I can see all obstacles in my way
D            G                D
Gone all the dark clouds that had me blind

                C                G                          D
It's gonna be a bright, (bright) bright, (bright) sun shiny day
                C                G                          D
It's gonna be a bright, (bright) bright, (bright) sun shiny day
[ Tab from: http://www.guitaretab.com/j/johnny-nash/272803.html ]
D             G               D
I think I can make it now the pain is gone,
D          G                 A
All of the bad feelings have disappeared.
D           G                   D
Here is the rainbow I have been praying for.

                C                G                          D
It's gonna be a bright, (bright) bright, (bright) sun shiny day

F                                    C
Look all around, there's nothing but blue skies
F                                        A       C#m  G  C#m  G  C  Bm  A
Look straight ahead, there's nothing but blue skiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiies .

D         G               D
I can see clearly now the rain is gone
D         G             A
I can see all obstacles in my way
D            G                D
Gone all the dark clouds that had me blind

                C                G                          D
It's gonna be a bright, (bright) bright, (bright) sun shiny day  3x

Rick's cover for Chris deBurgh's Lady in Red

Some people have said I look a bit like Chris DeBurgh.  I think Chris should have transposed down a bit in this 2008 version of his song.

Listening Assignment - Rimsky-Korsakov-- The Young Princes and Princess

Let's consider reverse-engineering this piece-- by listening and then looking at the sheet music and installing roman number chords-- then translate it to synthesizer. Who's with me? Email me rick_potvin@yahoo.com. I'll come up with something over the next week. That's what it means to be a student of music-- who happens to use the powerful piano as a means to the musical end but which piano is now enhanceable infinitely with electronically accurate digital sounds of traditional instruments and instruments that have never been heard in this universe yet. This piece is worthy of "re-voicing", the original admittedly nicely done of course.


Here's my short version played from a music book-- using the Yamaha E433 keyboard and one of the synth "pad" sounds. It's tricky to get the fingering precisely correct so you'll see me concentrating. If you miss the correct finger, you end up in trouble on a subsequent note. I put the chords in to make it easier to "wing it" and improvise if I need to. Also, it becomes much easier to memorize and improvise on once the chords are known. Maybe I'll try that over coming days. Here it is "straight" for now.


And here's the score.

90 min Oscar Peterson Listening Assignment.

You don't have to take piano lessons to HAVE a lesson in piano playing. What I mean by that is that to listen is to learn. Today, I thought it would be fitting to listen to the famous AfricanCanadian piano player, Oscar Peterson on this holiday-in-America, MartinLutherKing-AfricanAmerican-Day. Peterson had a great piano style worth noting-- whether you intend to play piano or not, his playing is a lesson in how piano should be played.  To listen to to be a student. You can't avoid it. He chose great tunes to interpret piano-wise too.

30 min. short story-- Alfred Hitchcock- The LandLady

Funeral March of a Marionette, theme song on piano

My Little Bimbo Down on Bamboo Isle might be basis for Gilligan's Island Theme

Rick's version of - Hit the Road Jack - by Ray Charles

I really like the "complex simplicity" of this tune. It uses i - bVII  - bVI - V over and over.


Here's a version I worked out on the Yamaha E433 keyboard with Detroit Pop rhythm, hammond organ sound, piano and alto sax. I don't really like they lyrics other than for the chorus so just did a type of shout-house version.

Dorothy Motto plays showtunes Everythings Coming Up Roses and Fiddler on the Roofdler

See Dorothy and Rick play live-- and if YOU play piano-- you can participate-- every Thursday evening from 7 to 9 at Sam Ash in Glendale on Cactus and 43rd Ave. on the NW corner beside the fitness club. Bring friends and family-- and tape your session-- no charge -- professional level soundstage with fun lighting.

Does Rick Potvin resemble Richard Clayderman?

Now here's me -- doing a version of Clayderman's tune on Sam Ash's soundstage.


Does Rick Potvin look like Richard Clayderman? Email me with a yes or no at rick_potvin@yahoo.com. 

Rick rehearses PianoMan at SamAsh soundstage.

Here's the original by Billy Joel for reference. If you don't have ad-skipping software, you'll get a few seconds of an annoying intrusive ad-- just hit SKIP..


...and here's my latest cover.

Open mic night at Sam Ash worked out.

We're working with Sam Ash on developing a piano night but they currently have an open mic night that we can also play as piano players. We chose to use only the Yamaha E433 portable keyboard on this particular night since it was easier to move on and off stage, given all the other performers were guitar players. Dorothy played several numbers in a Rock-Classical style and I did a standard, Satin Doll and a 70's pop tune, Brown Eyed Girl, popular on the duelling piano scene. The lighting and mixing was handled by a Sam Ash employee who was able to squeeze us into the last 10 minutes of the evening. [rick potvin][dorothy motto]

1 hour Yale music lecture on chords.

Online education is still in its early stages but one thing that is being done, successfully, is simply the transfer of lectures to youtube and other video hosts-- although youtube still holds more sway than most (for good reason-- they're doing things right). Here's a one hour lecture on roman numbers applied to chords.. something I discovered a weakness in someone I met the other night at a Sam Ash workshop. This presentation is a bit dry but I think it's good for you-- stop the video at points where you need to take a break.

Keyboard drumming lesson

This is a short 2 min lesson on keyboard drumming which was the new topic for everyone at all skill levels this past weekend. There are unlimited possibilities with keyboard drumkits found in Youtube under 'keyboard drumming'. Elementary drumming can be used as a fun and interesting teaching tool for beginners learning to keep time when playing piano.


Discussion:
KEYBOARD PERCUSSION

Sam Ash Piano/Keyboard Night gets started.

The stage at Sam Ash was under further construction on the first Piano/Keyboard night so we used the sales floor and arranged chairs quickly there for about a dozen participants. Dorothy kicked it off with some standards beginning with Fly me to the Moon.  You'll see the stage in the background. Alissa played some new age material and Hunter did a gospel tune. I ended with Linus and Lucy-- and PianoMan to which we had a singalong, not caught on tape however because the batteries gave out. Here's a 12 min. summary.


More clips from our first piano night-- just getting started- at Sam Ash...Piano night

Andy Pobjoy does Sunny Side of the Street.

I like it when the old old, really old standards-- are "revived" with a new updated lounge sound. Here's Andy Pobjoy who plays cruise ships-- which I've been looking at lately-- Carnival in particular-- playing Sunny Side with his quartet. What I like about Anyd Pobjoy is the sense of humor he brings to the piano. It's slightly irreverent but respectful of the original at the same time. Leave it to the Aussie's. You can't find an act like this in Phoenix where I am. Piano players here use backtrax and you can't tell, anymore, if the piano is being backtracked as well with the "piano player" merely doing a kareoke act. Anyway, there's more Andy on the Youtube options after this one finishes. I recommend you listen to several of his songs-- as today's "etc" part of this piano lesson.
 

More...  Andy Pobjoy

528 Hz meditation

More... 432

Cruise ship piano by Andy Pobjoy of Australia

I still can't grasp-- or comprehend--- the amount of cruise ship activity out there on the seas. Further, it seems all the piano activity is happening on cruise ships-- and NONE on land. Why? How did this happen? When? I don't understand how cruise ships can be getting bigger when the world economy is in trouble. I don't get where people on cruise ships-- get the disretionary income to go on these cruises... nor why they'd want to lock themselves onto an ocean liner for a so-called vacation-- nor why they would want to go to a piano bar while on a cruise ship in an ocean. None of it makes sense to me. It's bizarre. But here it is.


More...
CRUISE SHIP PIANO - crazy

If you're reading this in your email, click on the title above or the "posted by Rick to PianoLessonsEtc.com" line at the bottom to view the video. 

Sam Ash - Roland keyboard demo...

Piano added to Blues guitar nite at Sam Ash

Dorothy and I went to Sam Ash blues guitar nite-- the first Tuesday nite of every month-- tonight. I didn't take the video camera-- but if I did you'd see something like the following-- with me and Dorothy taking turns on piano of course. We're getting to know the regulars that go the Phoenix jam nights. We've invited our students out to our fave nite-- piano/keyboard/synth nite. We're looking forward, as instructors to not only play but to get our students up there too. It's currently a purely speculative gambit but it looks as though the Sam Ash stores are really open to trying just about anything to help make music happen. Here's a sample of some other store's blues nite-- I'll try to capture scenes from our own store soon and post them here.


The video cam is, to me now-- a musical instrument itself-- because without it I can't post what we did tonite. I started one of our rounds with G-F-C-- which is I-bVII-IV-I... the chord changes for Takin Care of Business. We didn't have mics set up but we were able to riff on it for several minutes. Here's the original-- I'll try to capture our own production next time.


More... --->
Tuesday is blues nite-- (th. is piano nite)

Devo descendent drummer at Sam Ash tonight.

I guess the band DEVO still exists in a descendent form. The DEVO drummer was at Sam Ash tonight and Dorothy and I went to watch along with drummers. Here's the original DEVO band in 1980 using lots of synthesizers.

Pipe Organ is a predecessor to Portable Keyboard

Pipe Organ is a predecessor to Portable Keyboard

We don't often think about the history of musical instruments but it can be useful to do so. The "voices" on your Casio or Yamaha portable keyboard have their origin in the "stops" of pipe organs. Here is an 4 minute lecture I found that I like-- and that you would do well to sit through--  Notice that your 61-key portable music and rhythm keyboard does indeed have several digitally-created organ sounds on it. You actually have history built into your instrument! 

One of the most famous songs ever played on the pipe organ was composed by J.S. Bach called "Tocatta and Fugue in D minor". 

Further notes and discussion

Pipe Organ is a predecessor to Portable Keyboard

If you're reading this in your email, click on the title above or the "posted by Rick to PianoLessonsEtc.com" line at the bottom to view the video. 

East Indian elementary piano instruction

Hello to our East India students. I just found this series of video and will view it in coming days as you can.


Discussion
EAST INDIA piano lessons

Rick does Johnny Horton's North to Alaska.

Given the cold weather in the central area of the continent this week, I thought this old tune by Johnny Horton, "North to Alaska" would fit this bill. The scenes in the following video by MrTibbs6912 work nicely. I first heard this tune on a juke box as a kid back in the 1960s and I was always impressed with the vocal by Horton that drops an octave. All I could remember, of course, was that "north to Alaska" shout. Give a listen...

Here's my attempt. I can barely reach the low. The "north to alaska" is two octaves higher so you need quite a vocal range to do this. I might be able to use this as a shout-out-type sing-along someday. I might try it for Matt who is an Alaskan northern ice-highway trucker I met at Sam Ash last week on piano night (Thursdays). The lyrics are fairly involved-- so I stumble a bit as I read 'em. Still-- it's doable I think-- and a fun "novelty tune" to have in your repertoire. Certainly if you're doing place-name tunes, it's handy-- I thought of it as soon as Matt told me he's from Alaska.

Discussion

NORTH TO ALASKa

Sam Ash Music are installing stages in their stores.

Thursday nite is piano/keyboard night on the new sound stages at all Sam Ash Music stores. The stage at the Phoenix location has been in for only a month. It's phenomenal. Dorothy and me played there last night to a few store patrons and staff but we think it'll build up. I didn't take any video because we were there for the first time and just "checking out" the situation. Next week, I'll videotape a bit if the management allows that.  Here's a Sam Ash stage in Nashville-- our stage in Phoenix looks very similar. From what I've gathered so far-- the Sam Ash approach is far superior to the Guitar Center approach. I've also discovered that Bain Capital loaded GC up with 1.6B in debt-- which a lot of pundits think will sink the company within a few years. I think Sam Ash is well positioned to pick up the guitar sales that Guitar Centre will be responsible for losing-- due to their stupid sell out to Romney's idiotic "vulture" capital firm, Bain, headquarted in the Caribbean. Dorothy and me intend to direct all our students to Sam Ash from now on. They opened in Phoenix in 2005 but have recently decided to upgrade all their stores. These stages are fantastic and the staff is very cooperative. It's quite amazing.


Discussion
SAM ASH