 Lesson #1 of 25 Expanding your awareness of chord construction and its place within the realm of your creativity... Thank you for joining me for this first lesson on ProProach. For starters, I would like to take a moment here to share a fact with you. The majority of people who have taken themselves this far have acted on their usual habit of "grabbing the free one" and have no plan to go any further with some program that is available via the Internet that they never heard of before. In fact, the majority of individuals who find themselves to be right where you are right now, reading this page, will not take advantage of the remaining 24 lessons of this program. Why? Although the reason may vary in certain situations, there is one significant that prevails for most, and that reason is this: The average person who browses the Web for something that can help them with playing piano chords or piano chord voicings is looking for a collection of piano chord structures in the form of a book, video, etc... he or she is looking for a tool that will put enough information within grasp that will suddenly "turn the light bulb on" for getting some really nice sounds out of that piano or keyboard... and that person wants it now. There is an abundance of such tools available out there and this is not one of them. You can buy all the piano chord books you want but the results you're looking for won't likely be realized just by doing that... Here's why: The reason is likely to be overlooked by most who are reading this. If you aspire to learn how to play some of those great sounds of the pros, the "magic" of it all does not lie exist in the chord voicings sounds that you here those pros playing time and time again. If you are like most in this sense, without thinking about it - or even acknowledging it - what you want is to be able to do what those pros do when they do it. If you've ever watched more than one magician perform the same trick, no doubt you've been able to appreciate more how one does it than the other. It's all in the presentation. The same is true for piano chord voicings. You could have a chart of a hundred jazz piano chord voicings in front of you, but what does that show you? What's more is that the pros you're hearing have likely deviated from what you're seeing in that chart. In addition, they know how to use what they're using in a most tasteful fashion... they know how to use what they know in a way that counts... yes, they know how to apply their knowledge in the context of the songs they play. So, basically, this leaves a couple of issues up in the air: 1) How does a pro piano stylist think when it comes to coming up with certin piano chord voicing sounds (they are not a slave to chord charts, in case you believe that's true)? 2) How does a pro piano stylist think when it comes to using what he or she knows in the context of real music? Getting you to understand the answers to both of the questions via the use of explanations, graphics, and video demonstrations is a primary purpose for this program's existence. Sure, you'll learn how to play some great sounding chord sounds... but you'll also develop the "pro" mind set that feels free of the need for conforming to such charts (in case this is an eye-opener for you, this is one of the things that separates the men from the boys when it comes to truly coming across with confidence on those keys). What you will learn as you expose yourself to the lessons in this program is what many have already deemed as priceless knowledge that you'll take with you regardless of what books and videos you'll take advantage of in the future. Ever see a pro pianist whip out an amazing chord sound or two as you asked in bewilderment, "How did you do that?" Then that person shows you how to play the chord sound... you do it... but questions remain... you see, what you really wanted to know was the answer to this question, which is likely the one you might have asked in the first place: "What kind of thinking led to your coming up with what you just played?" That's where ProProach comes in. It is not my intent for this program to "stand above the crowd" when it comes to the collection of voicings you can have access to... what makes this program unique is that it sets you up to adopt a similar mind set as that pianist who previously left you astonished after you heard that certain chord he played on that bridge of "Misty," for example... In short, if you want to sound like a pro, what you really want is to know how to think like a pro. That's what ProProach is about. It is my hope that you'll join the many individuals who learned this for themselves... what's interesting is that many learned everything I've mentioned above as true for themselves at a deeper level after they exposed themselves to the lessons in this popular program more than once. I don't think it will take you more than a few weeks to recognize the fact that you've got something different here. So, if you're part of the smaller group of individuals who place less value on the "quick fix" way of thinking and more on the "nuts and bolts" of how things really work, then I invite you to embark on this journey with me. Once you do, things won't be the same for you... The program gets more involved and interesting as you proceed. A test as to whether or not you'll "connect" with what this program will do for you is to determine whether or not you have the desire to take this simple lesson beyond face value and actually use it for a week. Within just a few lessons, we start applying the knowledge in the context of musical excerpts. Right now, this lesson serves as a foundation for the next. Once you receive the next lesson, you'll view the last one from a greater perspective. This is inevitable if you are sincere in your approach to this. As you collect the lessons, you can access them indefinitely. You'll be taking a concept that you learned in one lesson and applying it in another. What's great about this is that you'll be doing it in a way that no one else taking the program is doing! Now, THAT'S really conducive to developing your own style! As you apply yourself more and more, you'll be in touch with what this program really has the potential for doing for you... "Hi Dave, you and I
exchanged thoughts back in 2009, after I had started
your program. I was in the process of re-examining several of your lessons, and I just thought I would say 'hello' and hope you are fine. You know, Dave, I was highly impressed with the enormity of the work you have done with your teaching program, along with the knowledge contained therein, back when I began Proproach.. Now, almost two years later, I am still convinced it's the best there is for players who already have some knowledge of music, and of the keyboard. If I were to underline what is perhaps the most profound thing you are teaching, I would choose the part about going back over the lessons a second and third time. Since music and learning is indeed a process, the material does mean more with successive readings ... along with practice..." - Richard, Little Rock, Arkansas A pro's approach to playing a Major 7th chord... Using Cmaj7 as our example... The basic Cmaj7 chord, in its root position, is played like this: C E G B Here's what it looks like:  Now, this chord certainly sounds fine on its own, and there will be many times where you will choose to play it this way. But a true piano stylist wants options. Nothing can replace having the flexibility to approach playing chords in several ways. So let's consider one example... Here's the ProProach: Cmaj7: * with your left hand (pinkie and thumb), play the C and B (the 1 and 7 of the chord) * with your right hand (thumb and index finger), play the E and G (the 3 and 5 of the chord) * in addition, with your right hand pinkie, add the D above this G (the D is the 9 of the chord) D G Right Hand E _________ = _________ B Left Hand C The resulting chord is: Cmaj9 in open position Here's what it looks like:  Now play the original Cmaj7 in its basic form shown at the top of this page... then play this chord voicing above. Listen, listen, listen to the difference... This is a super cocktail piano voicing, but also can be used in many other situations. It works great if your melody includes that D! Also is great if you are simply playing the Cmaj7 as part of a turnaround or if you are simply improvising with it. Take this ProProach and apply it to any major seventh chord. The formula is: 9 5 Right Hand 3 _________ = __________ 7 Left Hand 1 Consider, for now, transposing this chord voicing to Fmaj9... then go back and forth between the Cmaj9 and Fmaj9. By the way, what you are playing is known as a I - IV chord progression in the key of C Major (Cmaj9 is the I and Fmaj9 is the IV). As you play each one, break the chords up by playing them one note at a time, changing the order in which you play them. Do this with the sustain pedal on your piano depressed as you play each chord - wow, that sounds nice! You could have a lot of fun with just this much as you get more an more creative with it! CLICK HERE FOR A VIDEO DEMONSTRATION Please make the most of this lesson... if it comes rather easy to you, that means it's a great time to transpose it to other keys as you did with the Fmaj9. On the other hand, if it seems a bit challenging, understand that you are exposing yourself to new concepts with this program and there is no rush when it comes to assimilating the material here! Just stay with the lessons and review them... things will "click" for you! In Lesson #2, we're going to take this a step further and apply it to another actual chord progression you can expect to see in music time and time again! In Lesson #3, we will put this chord voicing to use in an actual playing situation, using excerpts from two very popular standard songs! (Click here to get started) I'm excited for you... I have had so much fun putting this all together, and I consider it a pleasure as well as a privilege that you are going to join me for the next 24 weeks! Enjoy every moment at that piano or keyboard of yours... and as you do so, remember... Always... ALWAYS... PLAY WITH PASSION!  Our
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