The Chord Approach to learning classical music PDF Print E-mail

The chord approach is the standard method of learning jazz and popular music.  And rightly so, because a pianist needs a solid foundation of knowledge in chords and progressions in order to improvise accompaniments or play by ear.

 

In my many years of teaching, I have also found this method to be of great value in learning classical repertoire.  All music is structured around chords, progressions, and modulations. If you take the time to analyze the chordal structure and write down the names of the chords as you go, you will gain valuable understanding of the form and structure of the music and you will find it much easier to learn and memorize it.

 

In any one phrase, instead of having to remember a large number of individual notes, you can reduce it down to just a few chords.  This is an excellent and important way to simplify and streamline the learning process.  And you will start to recognize harmonic patterns, which will also help you to quickly learn other music with similar patterns.
 

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