Last week I was teaching a lesson to an adult student in Australia. She and I have been friends for ages, and we were laughing about an instagram video that Charlene Kaye recorded about the chords that Taylor Swift uses in her music. (you can search for it on instagram, totally worth it!)
My big push these days is pulse- keeping a steady beat. A steady beat is non-negotiable when learning to play musically. It's also really hard. Think about what you need to do when you are counting out loud. The act of speaking numbers in time while playing, tapping, listening, and perhaps playing with others adds layers of complexity for a brain that's already being used at full capacity. No wonder why many teachers don't teach it.
These videos and the accompanying worksheets can help you develop a strong internal sense of pulse. And, you get to play musical sounding chord progressions that you are guaranteed to see when you are playing other pieces.
If you are just getting started, focus on the first 3 lines. The key finder card is in final edit stages and will be available in the second half of May 2024. Once you are comfortable in playing the chords in the key of C, try them in other keys. My students are trying a different one each day.
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