We had a blast on Monday at our first Piano Social! We got together to learn a simple song and to chat afterwards. Students suggested some songs, and we picked one almost immediately. The challenge was to break the structured learning of our lessons and to do something on the fly! We learned a song with no sheet music using only three chords: C, F, and G. This seemed useful since these chord patterns form the harmony for both classical and popular genres. We picked Sweet Caroline and started learning the chords – two players per piano!
Learning the Chord Patterns
It was interesting to get the chord patterns in place, moving quickly from C major to F major – staying there for a while before moving to G major, then repeating the pattern. Once we all had the chords together we moved on to learning the melody. I demonstrated the melody before working with each student individually. It was very special to watch students help one another figure it out – a great example of learning from others.
"Several students mentioned they'd never played without sheet music before, and the room was filled with laughter as we worked through the chord changes together."
Bringing Melody and Harmony Together
Once we had the melody, one piano (two players) played the melody and another piano played the chords. It was great to see students sparking off each other in creative ways, listening and adapting as they played. I spoke briefly about the significance of balance between the melody and accompaniment, i.e. the melody should be very projected and the accompaniment should be much softer. This was a very special moment since everyone started listening from the perspective of an audience member, adjusting the balance and working together effectively.
The Magic of Ensemble Playing
Playing in a group – an "ensemble" – is a skill that involves refined musical ability as well as working with others. Several students mentioned they'd never played without sheet music before, and the room was filled with laughter as we worked through the chord changes together. We're looking forward our kids' piano social in a few months!
Listen to Our Performance
We finished with a little recording that captures how much we accomplished together in just one session. Listen to our Sweet Caroline performance below:
Our first Piano Social performance of Sweet Caroline using just three chords!
Join Our Next Piano Social
Interested in joining our Piano Social community? Our next gathering will focus on learning popular songs using simple chord progressions. Perfect for students who want to experience the joy of playing music together in a relaxed, supportive environment.
Next Piano Social: Kids Piano Social coming in a few months!
Contact us to learn more about joining our Piano Social community and our regular piano lessons in North Phoenix.
