Piano Techniques for Modern Music (Coursera)

At the end of this course, you will have all of the tools necessary to build a dependable piano technique for performing contemporary music. You will be able to identify common chord progressions used in contemporary music and learn how to play both as a soloist and as an ensemble member. Finally, you will be able to improvise over common chord progressions in various contemporary music settings.

What You Will Learn

- Develop proper technique to play the piano

- Maintain healthy playing habits

- Apply proper piano technique while playing modern/contemporary music

Syllabus

WEEK 1

Welcome to Piano Techniques for Modern Music

Welcome to Piano Techniques for Modern Music! Before you begin, we will cover all the details about the course and what you'll need to know to get the most out of your experience.

WEEK 2

Lesson 1: Fundamentals of Posture and Hand Position

In this first lesson, we will begin with the fundamentals of healthy piano playing, starting with proper posture and breathing, finger placement and hand position, before moving on to the C major scale and popular cadences. We will begin to build a healthy practice routine and have some fun with improvisation.

WEEK 3

Lesson 2: Finger and Arm Technique

In lesson 2, we will start to add greater finger independence to our practice and learn to shift our hands across the keyboard in order to play a wider range of notes with minimal tension in our hands and arms. We will also look at expanding our dynamic range on the piano and applying these techniques to several contemporary music examples.

WEEK 4

Lesson 3: Wrist Technique and Chord Tones

In lesson 3, we will begin to advance our harmonic techniques by expanding our chord knowledge and increasing our playing speed. We will also identify proper wrist technique to minimize tension while playing. We will continue to play through popular tunes and focus on building hand independence.

WEEK 5

Lesson 4: Pedal Technique

In lesson 4, we will combine all of the hand techniques we have been developing with pedaling. This will require coordinating our hands and feet. We will practice these techniques using classical music and contemporary tunes. We will also identify what pedaling techniques are common in contemporary music and how to develop virtuosity on the piano. We'll finish by discussing how to organize practice time to learn difficult pieces and why using a practice journal and recording practice session can lead to bigger improvements at a faster rate.