FROM:

frustrated, clumsy, stop-start plonking away at the piano, with massive gaps in chord knowledge, lost when looking at a song chart, and no idea how to accompany singing to make a song sound musical and compelling.

TO:

confidently singing and playing through pop-style songs - your own or covers - in a musical and convincing way.

SO YOU CAN:

✔️ showcase your singing, make videos, home demo recordings and social content without needing to hire musicians,

✔️ use piano for teaching and accompanying other singers.

✔️ add chords to your own song top line melodies.

✔️ accompany yourself or other singers in a variety of pop styles and tempos in a personalised and musical way

✔️ confidently ask for opportunities to perform solo piano-vocal live at concerts, gigs, shows, piano lounge nights and other paid and artistic events.

Inside Pop Styles Shortcut

🎹 How to sit at the piano to enhance your vocal technique and amplify your vocal style.

🎹 How to find good keys to sing in and know how to change keys to bring out the best in the singer.

🎹 How to play all major and minor triads in any key - so you can effortlessly play through pop chord charts.

🎹 How to play pop ballad playing patterns - so you musically embellish, shape the delivery and support your song story.

🎹 How to play mid-tempo pop styles - so you musically interpret standard chord charts and personalise the song (for you or another singer)

🎹 How to play up-tempo pop styles - so you can drive energy and bring variety to your repertoire and writing

🎹 How to create off-the-cuff intros, endings and instrumental sections - so you can make musical live performances and recordings.

🎹 How to craft a showpiece solo pop piano-vocal arrangement - so you can stand out

🎹 Why you should think about energy and range.

🎹 How to use chord inversions and added notes.

🎹 How to use classical piano technique to bring a professional edge and polish to your playing - even if just starting out, and even if no intention of playing classical music.

🎹 How and why you should use the pedal instinctively

🎹 How to get the best out of each piano or keyboard - no matter how old, clunky, demanding or how many buttons it has!

Perfect for:

✔️ Singer-songwriters wanting to put chords to their songs.

✔️ Singers wanting to teach, coach or lead choirs and groups

✔️ Singers needing to record home demos

✔️ Singers wanting to film solo piano lounge versions of their pop songs to attract a bigger audience or audience from another demographic.

✔️ Singers wanting to develop a side income of solo piano-vocal event pop gigs.

✔️ Classical Singers more familiar with reading music who are lost when faced with chords!

Not for:

🆇 Beginner singers just starting out with music.

🆇 Singers wanting to play in groove styles: jazz, gospel, Latin, RnB, swing etc.

🆇 Singers who can already play through a pop song lead sheet in any key with musicality and interest. You may want to explore the idea of Swing School instead.

How it works:

🎹 5-step online course - taken to fit your schedule

🎹 121 online coaching and feedback.

🎹 121 online or Whapsapp video feedback as preferred.

🎹 Results based rather than time based

Course Content

#1: Piano Foundations

🗣️ 1 x Online 121 Discovery & Planning Session as needed (around 60 mins - sometimes longer, very occasionally shorter )

🎥 Follow up videos as needed

📋 Song Suggestion Lists, checklists, handouts.

All major and minor triads. Sitting at the piano for singing. Piano posture for singing and playing. Magnetic hands piano technique. Pedal. Passing the thumb. Negotiating all keys. Concert pianist technique. Chord inversions. Moving fluidly from chord to chord. Pedalling.

#2: Pop Ballads

🗣️ Online 121 Sessions or Whapsapp video exchange as preferred.

📋 Pop Ballad Song Suggestion Playlist, checklists, handouts.

Pop ballad playing patterns. Slash chords. The diminished chords. Add 2 and Sus chords. Use of range. Mic technique. Intros & endings. Interpreting chord sheets. Transposing chord charts. Finding best-match keys. supporting the voice. Embellishments v accompanying.

#3: Mid-tempo Pop Songs

🗣️ Online 121 Sessions or Whapsapp video exchange as preferred.

📋 Mid-tempo Song Suggestion Playlist, checklists, handouts.

Mid-tempo pop straight 8 playing patterns. Go-to 7th chord voicings. Energy and dynamics. Working with the different pianos.

#4: Up-tempo Pop Songs

🗣️ Online 121 Sessions or Whapsapp video exchange as preferred.

📋 Mid-tempo Song Suggestion Playlist, checklists, handouts.

Up-tempo pop straight 8 playing patterns. Left Hand Bass Lines. Rubato v. groove. Energy and dynamics. Working with the different keyboards.

#5: Showpiece

🗣️ Online 121 Discussion Session or Whapsapp video exchange as preferred.

🗣️ Online 121 Session or Whapsapp video exchange as preferred.

📋 Showpiece Song Suggestion Playlist, checklists, handouts.

Shaping a song. Dynamics and balance of hands. Matching mood and energy to song story. Creating the hook.

Why this course?

2 excellent reasons!

Being a Singer-pianist is different from ‘learning the piano.

Traditional courses follow a structure and a fixed timeline. We go by results.

.

FAQ

How long does the course take?

• We’re about results: It works around your schedule, any deadlines and how you like to process information. Could be an intense few weeks or spread out over a period of time.

I’m confused about how many lessons I get?

• Again, we’re about results. Having a flexible schedule allows to stay longer at a section you need more help with, and allows those who want to learn swiftly get through the program as efficently as allowed.

Can I have the 121 sessions in London?

• Theoretically, yes! But studio hire and travel command a higher fee. Discussion sessions can be held in Central with excellent coffee. ☕️

Your aesthetic

Your aesthetic is what’s important here. There will come a point where you are happy with what you have made. It’s my job to push you a little further, but essentially it’s your choice where you take it. What I ‘like’ may be helpful to know, but ultimately irrelevant.

Refunds

None! Not because we’re money-grabbing swindlers - the 121 aspect makes it impractical. So make sure it’s what you want.

What others are saying:

"I can already feel the difference when I'm playing for my students - I'm not looking at my hands as much, and I can concentrate more on their singing"

"ahh - it all makes sense why it didn't really work before..."

"oh wow - I think I can actually do this! I managed to show the drummer what I wanted by showing him on the piano … it made a really big difference … before I would have tried to tell him. My confidence is renewed - thank you so much!"

"The handouts are great - they are guiding me through, I don't have to look at my notes, and there's a couple of tips included I didn't write down"

'Loving the checklist!"

"oooo that sounds so good - lI sound like a proper player"