Hot Piano & Keyboard How-Tos
How To: Master the vocabulary and terminology of music theory
Knowing music theory never hurt anyone—not Bach, not Chopin, not Schoenberg. Even if you fancy yourself a musical iconoclast, the better you know the rules of music, the better equipped you'll be to break them down the line. In this free video music theory lesson, you'll learn how to use and understand the most frequently used terms and phrases in music theory. For more information, including a very thorough overview, watch this helpful musician's guide.
How To: Transpose a song from one major key to another
Knowing music theory never hurt anyone—not Bach, not Chopin, not Schoenberg. Even if you fancy yourself a musical iconoclast, the better you know the rules of music, the better equipped you'll be to break them down the line. In this free video music theory lesson, you'll learn how to do simple major-to-major transposition. For more information, including a very thorough overview, watch this helpful musician's guide.
How To: Write a simple tonal melody with music theory
Knowing music theory never hurt anyone—not Bach, not Chopin, not Schoenberg. Even if you fancy yourself a musical iconoclast, the better you know the rules of music, the better equipped you'll be to break them down the line. In this free video music theory lesson, you'll learn how to generate a simple melody line using music theory. For more information, including a very thorough overview, watch this helpful musician's guide.
How To: Build major and minor triads with music theory
Knowing music theory never hurt anyone—not Bach, not Chopin, not Schoenberg. Even if you fancy yourself a musical iconoclast, the better you know the rules of music, the better equipped you'll be to break them down the line. In this free video music theory lesson, you'll learn how to generate major and minor triad chords. For more information, including a very thorough overview, watch this helpful musician's guide.
How To: Figure out the key signature of a piece of music
Knowing music theory never hurt anyone—not Bach, not Chopin, not Schoenberg. Even if you fancy yourself a musical iconoclast, the better you know the rules of music, the better equipped you'll be to break them down the line. In this free video music theory lesson, you'll learn how to determine the root or "home" key of a song. For more information, including a very thorough overview, watch this helpful musician's guide.
How To: Generate and use the circle of fifths in music theory
Knowing music theory never hurt anyone—not Bach, not Chopin, not Schoenberg. Even if you fancy yourself a musical iconoclast, the better you know the rules of music, the better equipped you'll be to break them down the line. In this free video music theory lesson, you'll learn how to use and understand the circle of fifths, the cornerstone of tonal music. For more information, including a very thorough overview, watch this helpful musician's guide.
How To: Read dotted notes and triplets in music theory
Knowing music theory never hurt anyone—not Bach, not Chopin, not Schoenberg. Even if you fancy yourself a musical iconoclast, the better you know the rules of music, the better equipped you'll be to break them down the line. In this free video music theory lesson, you'll learn how to read and use dotted notes and triplets on a musical score. For more information, including a very thorough overview of the process, watch this helpful musician's guide.
How To: Play Amy Winehouse's "Love Is a Losing Game" on piano
Learn how to play "Love Is a Losing Game" by Amy Winehouse with this free video piano lesson. This video guide presents a complete, step-by-step breakdown of the song and its chords. For more information, and to get started playing this popular Amy Winehouse song on your own piano, watch this tutorial.
How To: Play "Once Upon a Dream" from Sleeping Beauty on piano
Learn how to play "Once Upon a Dream" from Walt Disney's Snow White wwith this free video piano lesson. This video guide presents a complete, step-by-step breakdown of the song and its chords. For more information, and to get started playing this popular Disney tune on your own piano (which is itself an adaptation of a famous Tchaikovsky number), watch this tutorial.
How To: Read sheet music while playing the piano
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to read sheet music for playing the piano. The notes of the sheet music are divided into 2 pitches: the treble clef and bass clef. The notes of the treble clef are on the lines. The treble clef notes from ascending order are: E, G, B, D and F, which can be remembered in the acronym "Every good boy does fine". In a beginner's piano book, it will show the note and the corresponding piano key. This video will benefit those viewers who are beginning or pl...
How To: Play Waving Flag (the World Cup theme song) on piano
In this tutorial, learn how to play the official theme song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup - "Waving Flag". This clip will show you all of the notes you need to play this tune on your piano. So, no matter where you are from play the song loud and clear and maybe your team will hear you all the way down in South Africa.
How To: Play the "Star Wars" theme song on the piano
Want to know how to play the Star Wars theme on your piano or keyboard? Learn how with this free video piano lesson. While this tutorial is best suited for intermediate players, Jedi pianists of all skill levels can play along given a little sticktoitiveness. For more information, and to get started playing this classic John Williams theme on your own keyboard instrument, watch this how-to!
How To: Play "Airplanes" by B.O.B. on the piano
Want to know how to play B.O.B.'s "Airplanes" on your piano or keyboard? Learn how with this free video piano lesson. While this tutorial is best suited for intermediate players, pianists of all skill levels can play along given a little sticktoitiveness. For more information, and to get started playing this "Airplanes" on your own keyboard instrument, watch this how-to!
How To: Play Owl City's hit "Fireflies" on the piano
Owl City (AKA Adam Young) hit it big with his hit "Fireflies" last year after a long musical journey including several not so popular albums. And it's no wonder that "Fireflies" has taken off - it's dreamlike harmonics and grooving rhythm makes it catchy and easy to jive to.
How To: Play "Speechless" by Lady Gaga on the piano
Lady Gaga is one of the most secretive women in show business, hiding behind her stage performer mask and outrageous costumes so often that we can hardly believe there's a real person underneath all that fluff.
How To: Play Lady Gaga's controversial "Telephone" on piano
Whether you love her or hate her or just don't understand her, Lady Gaga is a phenomenal performance artist who accomplished exactly what she wanted with her music video for "Telephone": shock and offer the grotesque.
How To: Play "Airplanes" by B.O.B. on the piano
Alt chanteuse Hayley Williams and rapper B.O.B seem like an unlikely duo who play at opposite ends of the genre spectrum, but when they came together for B.O.B.'s bittersweet "Airplanes," the result was a dulcet melody.
How To: Play Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" on piano
Lady Gaga's landmark "Bad Romance" video not only ushered in a new era of avant-garde video making and performance art thereafter copied by Rihanna and Christina Aguilera, but also spawned a whole pack of makeup, hair, nail, and dance tutorials.
How To: Play "Hey, Soul Sister" on the piano for beginners
The alt rock band Train has been around forever - lead singer Patrick Monahan is 41 - and has had exquisitely popular hits like "Drops of Jupiter" and "Meet Virginia," but it wasn't until "Hey, Soul Sister" that they gained international recognition, even from the younger Justin Bieber-loving crowd.
How To: Play "Perfect Day" by Lou Reed on the piano
Want to know how to play Lou Reed's "Perfect Day" on your piano or keyboard? Learn how with this free video piano lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords. While this tutorial is best suited for intermediate players, pianists of all skill levels can play along given a little time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing this Lou Reed classic on your own keyboard instrument, watch this how-to!
How To: Play "5 Steps" by Dru Hill on piano
Want to know how to perform Dru Hill's "5 Hill" on your piano or keyboard? Learn how with this free video piano lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords. While this tutorial is best suited for intermediate players, pianists of all skill levels can play along given a little time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing "Love You for Life" on your own keyboard instrument, watch this how-to!
How To: Play "Lately" à la Jodeci on piano
Want to know how to perform Jodeci's cover of Stevie Wonder's "Lately" on your piano or keyboard? Learn how with this free video piano lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords. While this tutorial is best suited for intermediate players, pianists of all skill levels can play along given a little time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing "Lately" on your own keyboard instrument, watch this how-to!
How To: Play "Can't Let You Go" by Fabolous on piano
Interested in performing Fabolous's "Can't Let You Go" on your piano or keyboard? Learn how with this free video piano lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords. While this tutorial is best suited for intermediate players, pianists of all skill levels can play along given a little time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing "Can't Let You Go" on your own keyboard instrument, watch this how-to!
How To: Play "Beautiful" by Eminem on piano
Want to know how to perform Eminem's "Beautiful" on your piano or keyboard? Learn how with this free video piano lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords. While this tutorial is best suited for intermediate players, pianists of all skill levels can play along given a little time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing "Beautiful" on your own keyboard instrument, watch this how-to!
How To: Play "Cleaning Out My Closet" by Eminem on piano
Want to know how to perform Eminem's "Cleaning Out My Closet" on your piano or keyboard? Learn how with this free video piano lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords. While this tutorial is best suited for intermediate players, pianists of all skill levels can play along given a little time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing "Cleaning Out My Closet" on your own keyboard instrument, watch this how-to!
How To: Play "Freakin' You" by Jodeci on piano
Want to know how to perform Jodeci's "Freakin' You" on the piano or keyboard? Learn how with this free video piano lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords. While this tutorial is best suited for intermediate players, pianists of all skill levels can play along given a little time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing "Freakin' You" on your own keyboard instrument, watch this how-to!
How To: Play "Love You for Life" by Jodeci on piano
Want to know how to perform Jodeci's "Love You for Life" on your piano or keyboard? Learn how with this free video piano lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords. While this tutorial is best suited for intermediate players, pianists of all skill levels can play along given a little time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing "Love You for Life" on your own keyboard instrument, watch this how-to!
How To: Play "Forever My Lady" by Jodeci on piano
Want to know how to perform Jodeci's "Forever My Lady" on your piano or keyboard? Learn how with this free video piano lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords. While this tutorial is best suited for intermediate players, pianists of all skill levels can play along given a little time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing "Forever My Lady" on your own keyboard instrument, watch this how-to!
How To: Play "Crack the Shutters" by Snow Patrol on the piano
Want to know how to perform Snow Patrol's "Crack the Shutters" on your piano or keyboard? Learn how with this free video piano lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords. While this tutorial is best suited for intermediate players, pianists of all skill levels can play along given a little time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing "Crack the Shutters" on your own keyboard instrument, watch this how-to!
How To: Read piano notes on a bass clef
Reading piano notes can be an important step toward understanding and playing the beautiful instrument. There are many different symbols and marks that make up certain pieces of music. So knowing how to read it is a big help, especially if you're learning to play it for the first time. So in this tutorial, you'll find out how to read piano notes on a bass clef. Good luck and enjoy!
How To: Play "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin on piano
Want to know how to perform Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" on the piano? Learn how with this free video piano lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the popular ragtime song and its chords. While this tutorial is best suited for intermediate players, pianists of all skill levels can play along given a little time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing "The Entertainer" on your own keyboard instrument, watch this how-to!
How To: Play Sir Elton John's "Your Song" on piano
Want to know how to perform Elton John's "Your Song" on the piano? Learn how with this free video piano lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords. While this tutorial is best suited for intermediate players, pianists of all skill levels can play along given a little time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing "Your Song" on your own keyboard instrument, watch this how-to!
How To: Read and write out sheet music
When playing a musical instrument, one of the most important aspect about it, is being able to read sheet music. It's used to record and guide someone when they play a particular song. In some music, it's required to be memorized, but when playing classical music with other performers, it's required to know how to read it. In this three part tutorial, you'll find out how to read and write out sheet music easily. Enjoy!
How To: Play "If You're Out There" by John Legend on piano
Want to know how to perform John Legend's "If You're Out There" on the piano? Learn how with this free video piano lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords. While this tutorial is best suited for intermediate players, pianists of all skill levels can play along given a little time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing "If You're Out There" on your own keyboard instrument, watch this how-to!
How To: Play Caesars' "Jerk It Out" on the piano
Want to know how to perform Caesars' "Jerk It Out" on the piano? Work it out with this free video piano lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords. While this tutorial is best suited for intermediate players, pianists of all skill levels can play along given a little time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing "Jerk It Out" on your own keyboard instrument, watch this how-to!
How To: Play "Better Off Alone" by Alice Deejay on the piano
Want to know how to perform Alice Deejay's "Better Off Alone" on the piano? Learn how with this free video piano lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords. While this tutorial is best suited for intermediate players, pianists of all skill levels can play along given a little time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing "Better Off Alone" on your own keyboard instrument, watch this how-to!
How To: Play "100 Years" by Five For Fighting on the piano
Want to know how to perform Five for Fighting's "100 Years" on the piano? Learn how with this free video piano lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords. While this tutorial is best suited for intermediate players, pianists of all skill levels can play along given a little time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing "100 Years" on your own keyboard instrument, watch this how-to!
How To: Play "Kids" by MGMT on the piano
Want to know how to perform MGMT's "Kids" on the piano? Learn how with this free video piano lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords. While this tutorial is best suited for intermediate players, pianists of all skill levels can play along given a little time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing "Kids" on your own keyboard instrument, watch this how-to!
How To: Play "Supermassive Black Hole" by Muse on the piano
Want to know how to perform Muse's "Supermassive Black Hole" on the piano? Learn how with this free video piano lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords. While this tutorial is best suited for intermediate players, pianists of all skill levels can play along given a little time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing "Supermassive Black Hole" on your own keyboard instrument, watch this how-to!
How To: Play "This Is It" by Michael Jackson on piano
Want to know how to perform Michael Jackson's "This Is It" on the piano? Learn how with this free video piano lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords. While this tutorial is best suited for intermediate players, pianists of all skill levels can play along given a little sticktoitiveness. For more information, and to get started playing this song on your own keyboard instrument, watch this how-to!