Trills

Learn how to improvise on piano with just two notes and two chords: D minor and A7, with the pillar notes D and A, from your first whole note to enclosures, trills and triplets. Beginner to intermediate, with Jason Zac. Pick two chords, D minor and A7, and keep them pumping in the left hand. Then take just two notes, D and A, and let them be the pillars your melody always comes back to. That is the whole idea: land on a pillar, and everything you play around it sounds like it belongs. We build it one level at a time. Level 0 is the pillar notes in whole notes, half notes and off the beat. Then one note below (the leading tone), one down and one up, trills (including a more Indian trill), repeated cells and swing triplets, runs that connect the two pillars, and finally enclosures. Near the end there is a taste of a blues minor colour over the same two chords, and a way to practise it so you can compose your own little pieces. Play along with the chapters below, pause the video, and try each level before moving on. The same plan works in any minor key once you move the two pillars. 🏫 Courses, Workshops or Private lessons ➡️ https://forms.gle/fsbhFKSgJbZ5xZEr8 ============================= 📹 Our Video Courses (Everything for Life Bundle) ➡️ https://learn-music.nathanielschool.com/ 🎹 Piano Courses & Private Lessons ➡️ https://piano.nathanielschool.com ============================= ▶️ Related Lessons 🎹 Simple but Effective Piano Improvisation Using Chord Tones as Pillars ➡️ https://youtu.be/xEqm46HKrBw 🎼 Compose & Improvise Better Melodies Using Scale & Chord Tones (Piano) ➡️ https://youtu.be/h2K0ZqkZViw 🎵 5 Things You Didn't Know About the Harmonic Minor Scale (Piano Theory) ➡️ https://youtu.be/i7dU99lBWAk ============================= 🎓 Learn Music with Nathaniel School of Music & Jason Zac ➡️ https://nathanielschool.com 📚 All our YouTube lessons (1000+) by skill level, topic & genre ➡️ https://free-music-lessons.nathanielschool.com ============================= 00:00 - The two-chord performance 01:06 - The left hand: D minor and A7 03:09 - Level 0: the pillar notes D and A 05:03 - Level 1: one below 07:14 - Level 2: one down, one up 08:09 - Level 3: trills 09:31 - Level 4: repeat it, then triplets 10:28 - Level 5: connect the pillars 12:30 - Level 6: enclosures 13:14 - More notes, and a blues minor colour 14:52 - Putting it all together 16:20 - How to practise this ============================= 💰 Donate on PayPal ➡️ https://geni.us/DonatePayPal 📸 Instagram ➡️ https://instagram.com/jasonzac 📞 Call +91 98454 65411 · 💬 WhatsApp chat +91 77604 56847 📧 Customised & Private Lessons ➡️ music@nathanielschool.com 🎧 Listen to Jason Zac Music ➡️ https://riffs.jasonzacmusic.com/ #PianoLessons #PianoTutorial #MusicTheory #PianoImprovisation

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How to end a song on piano: the long cadence is a five-chord ending — G, D/F♯, E7, A7sus4 and D — played under one held D, six beats round. Use it as the last bar of almost any song in D, and see three cadences hiding in it: plagal, perfect and secondary dominant. 🔓 Want to play this in every key, at your own speed? You start by hearing it, then build it. The right hand plays B, A, G♯, G, F♯ — that is 6, 5, ♯4, 4, 3 in D major — and the left hand follows underneath in thirds. Then the D on top comes in as eighth notes, and the chords appear by themselves: G, D over F♯, E7, A7sus4, back home to D. Then the theory. G is the subdominant, D/F♯ is an inverted tonic, E7 is a secondary dominant (a dominant chord from outside the key that resolves to its fifth) and A7sus4 pulls magnetically home. You hear plagal (IV–I), perfect or authentic (V–I) and the secondary dominant in one cycle, and why the held D is a different note in every chord: the 5th, the root, the ♭7, the sus4, the root again. You also sing the top line and the bass, which turns it into an ear-training exercise as well. Then the fun: anticipation, swing, bass movement, a trill, the left hand keeping the pulse, a blues-scale lick to fill the bar (with no pedal), the same exercise in D♭ major, and a small Bohemian Rhapsody twist with G♯°7 and Em7. 🏫 Courses, Workshops or Private lessons ➡️ https://forms.gle/fsbhFKSgJbZ5xZEr8 📹 Everything for Life Bundle ➡️ https://learn-music.nathanielschool.com/ 🎹 Piano Courses ➡️ https://piano.nathanielschool.com ▶ Related lessons • The Plagal Cadence on Piano: The 'Amen' Move That Adds Instant Emotion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioscYupDYko • Beyond V–I: 8 Piano Cadences That Change How Music Ends: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9Zdkdxd_HY • How to Use Secondary Dominant Chords to Write Colorful Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do-FwFW2Eag • Slash Chords on Piano: Turn Plain Triads Into Moving Progressions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjkwbSe5Xuc • Blues Scale Piano Workout: Major & Minor Blues Scales: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p46g4HXjtj0 • Free practice apps: https://apps.nathanielschool.com 🎓 https://nathanielschool.com 📚 All 1000+ lessons ➡️ https://learning-portal.nathanielschool.com ⏱ CHAPTERS 00:00 - The Long Cadence — play it first 00:27 - Welcome — what’s in this lesson 01:54 - An ending for any song 02:21 - Three cadences in one cycle 02:45 - One note that never moves: D 03:18 - Right hand: B A G♯ G F♯ 03:47 - Left hand: thirds underneath 04:44 - Ear training: sing the top and the bass 05:55 - Add the D on top — eighth notes in 6 06:55 - The D in the left hand too 07:16 - Name the chords: G · D/F♯ · E7 · A7sus4 · D 07:58 - What each chord does 09:18 - Tension and resolution 09:30 - The D plays a different role in every chord 09:58 - Basic rhythm done — now have fun 10:13 - Don’t play the D too loudly 10:52 - Bass movement and swing 11:17 - Anticipation: 1 e & a 11:53 - Left hand keeps the pulse 12:58 - Add a trill 14:15 - Bass walk: F♯ G G♯ A in thirds 15:26 - Sixteenth-note feel 15:54 - The D on top — thicken it up 16:27 - More options: the ♭7, plain diatonic 17:13 - Left hand follows like a hawk 17:54 - Your spice — or the old faithful 18:07 - All 12 keys — try D♭ major 19:21 - Fill the bar: D major blues licks 21:19 - No pedal on the licks 21:42 - The Bohemian Rhapsody twist 22:21 - Practice app · subscribe · see you next time 💛 PayPal: https://geni.us/DonatePayPal 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonzac 💬 WhatsApp: +91 77604 56847 📧 music@nathanielschool.com #PianoLessons #PianoTutorial #MusicTheory #PianoCadence

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Learn how to embellish a melody on piano using fillers, ornaments, chord layers, octave stacks and passing textures. We'll also explore rhythmic techniques that follow the groove of the song, ways to fill gaps in the melody, and how to handle fast note repetitions with control. To demonstrate, we use the popular collab "Sapphire" by Ed Sheeran and Arijit Singh and apply over 10 core techniques that you can use in any pop ballad or expressive piano arrangement. By the end of the lesson, you'll be able to perform Sapphire with all its nuances and create your own expressive arrangement. 🏫 Courses, Workshops or Private lessons ➡️ https://forms.gle/fsbhFKSgJbZ5xZEr8 00:00 - Performance 01:28 - Introduction 05:08 - Sapphire - Ed Sheeran 05:21 - Verse 1 - Melodic Ornaments 06:36 - Verse 1 - Add Octaves to it 09:26 - Let’s Understand Grace Notes 10:32 - How to use the sustained pedal 11:24 - The Gospel Flick 11:55 - Add Grace Notes combined with Flicks 13:12 - Verse 2 - Melodic Ornaments 14:26 - Lets do some Stacking of notes 16:32 - Combining the Ornaments Together 17:47 - How to Flutter the Chord 19:00 - Putting it Together 19:27 - Rhythmic Techniques 20:55 - Add Stack Spread Thirds 21:41 - Groovy Verse 3 24:21 - Add Pentatonic Bass Fills 24:57 - Slowly but Surely! 25:45 - Follow the Groove of the Song 27:53 - Recap & Conclusion ============================= 📹 Our Video Courses (Everything for Life Bundle) ➡️ https://learn-music.nathanielschool.com/ 🎹 Piano Courses & Private Lessons ➡️ https://piano.nathanielschool.com ============================= ▶️ Related Lessons & Playlists 🎵 Music Theory lessons ➡️ https://geni.us/PianoTheory 🎹 All our lessons on Chord Inversions (Playlist) ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrNNL05e9FT9ygtrGwGFmfyvMyGWH52EC 👂 Ear Training lessons ➡️ https://geni.us/EarTraining ============================= 🎓 Learn Music with Nathaniel School of Music & Jason Zac ➡️ https://nathanielschool.com 📚 All our YouTube lessons (1000+) by skill level, topic & genre ➡️ https://learning-portal.nathanielschool.com ============================= 💰 Donate on PayPal ➡️ https://geni.us/DonatePayPal 📸 Instagram ➡️ https://instagram.com/jasonzac 📞 Call +91 98454 65411 · 💬 WhatsApp chat +91 77604 56847 📧 Customised & Private Classes ➡️ music@nathanielschool.com 🎧 Listen to Jason Zac Music ➡️ https://riffs.jasonzacmusic.com/ #PianoOrnaments #EdSheeranSapphire #PianoTutorial

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5 essential piano techniques I use for riffs, fills & chord embellishments 🎹 🎼 Join our piano course & improve fast - https://forms.gle/fsbhFKSgJbZ5xZEr8 Discover 5 of my favourite piano techniques I’ve used with artists over the years to add flair and groove to any performance. Perfect for filling spaces, adding expression, and making your playing stand out. We’ll cover: * Sliding into chord tones for expressive attack * Thumb-driven rhythmic comping patterns * Chromatic passing notes for smooth transitions * Gospel-style inner thirds for rich voicings * Indian trills & grace notes for Eastern flavour Includes practical tips, fingering advice & real-world applications. ============================= 📹 Our Video Courses (Everything for Life Bundle) - https://www.nathanielschool.com/members-videos 🏡 Visit our Channel for more Tutorials & Performances - https://geni.us/NathanielYouTube ============================= ▶️ Related Videos & Playlists 📎 Chord Inversions + Secondary Dominants - https://youtu.be/LhUeSdVFFfw 🤟 10 Piano Hacks - https://youtu.be/os3bjyDBCRw 🎹 Piano Techniques I Use Most - https://youtu.be/4NuBOJ2Umgg 🔑 Gospel-Blues Piano Exercise - https://youtu.be/_AEsJTJrxxc 🎹 Pasoori Piano Tutorial - https://youtu.be/ewj0TMDWVeY 🎧 Allegro Fudge - Colors Fly - https://youtu.be/l8j-p9Jq_EI?si=BoIsLZ2X7kLF5e_p 5️⃣ The Floating Fifth Chord - https://youtu.be/bmrApCiDeJ4 ============================= 🎓 Learn Music With Nathaniel School of Music & Jason Zac: https://www.nathanielschool.com/ 📚 All our YouTube lessons (1000+) categorised by skill level, topic & genre all in one place: https://www.nathanielschool.com/free-tutorials ⏳ 00:00 - Intro & USPs 01:27 - 1. Sliding into chord tones 01:42 - Sliding into the Third 02:36 - The Double Slide 03:04 - Sliding wrt Minor Chords 04:21 - The “Flick” Technique 04:34 - Something Bluesy 05:16 - Two-thumb rhythmic technique 07:12 - Thinking of the Groove 07:36 - 3. Chromatic passing notes 09:27 - Reaching back home with Dominant to Tonic 09:55 - Gospel-inspired inner thirds 13:22 - Indian trills & grace notes 14:33 - Grace Notes 16:48 - Ring Finger Playing 17:12 - Final tips & practice ideas 💰 Donate on PayPal: https://geni.us/DonatePayPal 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/jasonzac 📞 Call +91 98454 65411 · 💬 WhatsApp chat +91 77604 56847 📧 Customised & Private Classes: music@nathanielschool.com 🎧 Listen to Jason Zac Music: https://geni.us/AbsenceYouTube #PianoFills #PianoEmbellishments #GraceNotes

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In this detailed Piano tutorial, you will learn the iconic George Martin “Harpsichord” solo from the Beatles classic, “In My Life”. The solo is inspired by Bach's Counterpoint Piano movements and is a great way to strengthen your left hand bass movement, improve hand independence, and have lots more skills on the Piano. For the rest of the song along with Vocal accompaniment, you can watch this lesson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2htLkZMCP_4 We've done other Beatles Piano lessons. You can find them compiled here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrNNL05e9FT-wlddHmp6vNLCv-3dc1PYc 🎓 Learn Music With Nathaniel School of Music & Jason Zac: 📇 Courses, Workshops, Videos, or Private lessons: https://forms.gle/fsbhFKSgJbZ5xZEr8 🎼 Register for our virtual workshops & lessons: https://geni.us/UpcomingClasses 📹 Our Video Courses (Lifetime Bundle): https://www.nathanielschool.com/members-videos 🎶 Learn all about our flagship course, "Music Method": https://www.nathanielschool.com/musicmethod 📚 All our YouTube lessons (1000+) categorised by skill level, topic & genre all in one place: https://www.nathanielschool.com/freelessons 🕰️ 00:00 Solo Performance 00:23 Introduction 03:02 A Major Scale Review 03:28 Chord Progression and Melody Overview 05:12 Piano Solo - Right-Hand Melody 10:46 Piano Solo - Right-Hand Melody with Trills 13:44 Piano Solo - Left-Hand Bass Line 21:36 Piano Solo - Whole Performance Review 23:48 Conclusion 📧 Customized & Private Classes: music@nathanielschool.com 📞 +919845465411 (Mobile & WhatsApp) 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/jasonzac 🎧 Listen to Jason Zac Music: https://geni.us/AbsenceYouTubeJZB 💰Donate on PayPal: https://geni.us/DonatePayPal #InMyLife #TheBeatles #PianoSolo

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