'Easy Keyboard' Tutorials now live on youtube...

[Malcos]

Let me know what you think guys....

HD option should become available in a few days. Hopefully the first of many.

[The Biznut]

I'll subscribe and check em out over the weekend.

[Zephyr]

Hrmm, looks pretty good for people who want to get started quickly. Interesting choice in starting with A minor instead of C, most people get sick of everything sounding happy all the time though I suppose.

Well done, good for beginners.

It still makes me cringe a little inside to see index middle and ring fingers used for triads...

[SnappleMan]

Hrmm, looks pretty good for people who want to get started quickly. Interesting choice in starting with A minor instead of C, most people get sick of everything sounding happy all the time though I suppose.

Well done, good for beginners.

It still makes me cringe a little inside to see index middle and ring fingers used for triads...

That's why he specified it as a KEYBOARDING tutorial and not piano. Keyboard playing really has no rules, that's why anyone can do it. Good tutorial too, easy to follow and informative. You should think about incorporating a little theory later on so you can eventually come back and explain things in the early videos in more detail.

[Malcos]

I'm self taught so my fingering will always seem dodgy to those who were clasically trained. As SnappleMan said, that's why I called it keyboard tutorials instead.

I think that the A minor scale sounds a little more engaging, and too many people start with C major triad which sounds way too happy and row row row your boat type of thing. I see A minor as the 'drop D of keyboard'.

What kind of theory do you guys think I should put in? I've tried to minimalise the amount of theory for the first couple vids, only talking about things like octaves, names of keys - really essential stuff.

I'm trying to get people to start playing asap, that's my ultimate aim with these videos. There is so much theory out there on the net, I want to do something different.

[Zephyr]

Ya I think this is great for just a quick an easy way to get people interested, they can learn more technical stuff later, but if you don't interest them they'll just drop it. That's why I like your choice of A minor instead, equally as simple, yet sounds more interesting.

Keep the theory limited to "whatever comes up" I think, you might mention things in passing, but I wouldn't worry to much about it.

[SnappleMan]

Teach the pentatonic scale and be done with it, it's all anyone uses anyway

[Zephyr]

AND TO DO CHINESE, HIT THE BLACK NOTES A BUNCH. done.

[Gario]

Theory to incorporate in these videos... I would suggest the numbers for your fingers (thumb is 1, index is 2, etc.). That way, you'll have a language to use in your videos if you ever want to talk about scales, chords, etc.. That probably won't be until later, but I'd suspect you'll talk about scales eventually, right? You probably don't follow fingering charts religiously, since you're self taught, but sometimes it helps the audience organize what they're doing, so making one up won't hurt them too much.

Not that fingerings are critical, but it might help organize your thoughts, if you ever needed to. I suggest you also introduce the audience to rhythm, soon (soon as in within the next two or three lectures), since the piano (*ahem* the keyboard ) is the instrument that most heavily relies on it (next to percussion, of course). It seems intuitive, but many people mess up on little melodies and themes like you presented in your video because they don't know how to line up their left and right hand. One-e-and-a-two-e-and-a... yeah, let's see some rhythm!

Alright, that's my suggestion for theory... I hope it's minimal. I like the choice in using the key of 'A' rather than 'C' - it makes things more interesting. Here's to a successful second video in this series .

[Malcos]

Thanks guys - the second video was already done in conjunction with the first, and it ends with me promising a tutorial with all black keys next, which covers the pentatonic scale and chinese sounding thing - I'll put those in explicitly actually!

Yes Gario, I completely forgot rhythm as an actual concept in itself, I will do some videos on that specifically.

I've got a lot to work on there, that's about 8 videos already:

1. Intro to keys + white keys

2. White keys advanced

3. Intro to black keys

4. Black keys advanced

5. Rhythm

6. 'The magic chord'

7. Rhythm advanced

8. Jam session

[Arcana]

It would be great if you covered chord progressions.

[Kanthos]

6. 'The magic chord'

Just curious; what are you calling the 'magic chord'?

[Cartwright]

Thanks for the interesting tutorial Malcos, I look forward to more! I learnt what a octave is and where the bass usually starts, which is great for me as a beginner using FL Studio.

[Malcos]

Just curious; what are you calling the 'magic chord'?

Oh yeah lol I just made that up so it sounds exciting.

If you play the chord made up of:

A in the left hand then G,B,C,E in the right hand.

If you move that same chord pattern around the A minor scale (all white keys) you can come up with some interesting chord progressions, and it sounds quite rich - easy for beginner/intermediate players to mess around with.

[Gario]

Originally posted by Malcos

Oh yeah lol I just made that up so it sounds exciting.

If you play the chord made up of:

A in the left hand then G,B,C,E in the right hand.

If you move that same chord pattern around the A minor scale (all white keys) you can come up with some interesting chord progressions, and it sounds quite rich - easy for beginner/intermediate players to mess around with.

Mmm... sounds like a discussion of pedal tones, to me. Actually, that should definitely be another lecture, if you want to introduce interesting sounds to the audience

[Kanthos]

Mmm... sounds like a discussion of pedal tones, to me. Actually, that should definitely be another lecture, if you want to introduce interesting sounds to the audience

Sounds more like an Am9 chord in an inversion so that the 9th isn't on top, though you'd need to know the context to be sure. Either way, cool chord; I use it or variations on it in a lot of the pop/rock stuff I play at church.

Malcos, seems like a cool project. If you want any feedback on it, I'd be happy to watch and comment.

[Gario]

Sounds more like an Am9 chord in an inversion so that the 9th isn't on top, though you'd need to know the context to be sure. Either way, cool chord; I use it or variations on it in a lot of the pop/rock stuff I play at church.

Malcos, seems like a cool project. If you want any feedback on it, I'd be happy to watch and comment.

Am9 Inversion = CM7 with a pedal A, pending on context. Since the A is in the left hand I'm assuming he would have either left it as a static note while moving the right hand or he moved into it by step...

Yeah, I'm always weirded out whenever someone says '9th chord in some inversion', since that actually doesn't make much sense, theoretically. I've always been more kin to calling chords 'cluster(fuck) chords' when they don't line up with traditional chords, anyhow, so I guess we can call them whatever .

I like 'Magic Chord' better than any of our names, anyway, so it's all a moot point.

[Malcos]

Well the magic chord thing works both ways, could stay with the A note in the left hand or move it around with the chord. I'll put both examples in. I agree it all depends on context.

I'm always happy for any feedback it will help me to improve the next videos I record. Thanks guys. 2nd video is up now btw.

[CC Ricers]

Those videos actually make me want to get a keyboard again. I haven't owned a proper keyboard in almost 10 years (well, if I don't count the short time I had the Micron).

I'd want to work on my playing skills again since I was formally trained when I was 9-ish but since high school didn't really get into playing it much. It would be a big benefit for developing ideas with producing/remixing.

[BlackPanther]

Actually I decided to bump this as I want to make more use of my axiom keyboard and I remembered that this video was posted a while back. I only see two videos though I hope you plan to keep this series goin like you had intended =).

[Malcos]

Yes, I should be recording some more next week. My friend Raz is the one with the camera and the video editing skills, and we both have different schedules so it can be difficult sometimes.

[Malcos]

Couple of new vids up. All I have to do now is put in the rhythm/jam sessions and that's it. Are there any other videos you think I should put up?

[mickomoo]

That was really good, informative and engaging. I do think that a little bit more theory should be introduced, but the amount that's in there for now is good.

[BlackPanther]

I like the new ones, and I agree with mickomoo; some more theory would be sweet. Maybe some general keyboard techniques when playing with two hands.