FINALLY! a producer actually saying to learn basic theory I swear people are so scared of music theory that they actively hinder their own progress Basic music theory is genuinely so easy and its very rewarding once you can use it on your own songs
@@PanasheNdanga-Jerera its cause you're thinking of it as a rulebook instead of as a tool Music theory allows you to: - communicate with other musicians effectively - removes all the guessing work cause you know what something sounds like before you even listen to it - analyse any music you could ever listen to - be more creative when composing your music Its such an obvious advantage that you're basically shooting yourself at the foot by not knowing even a bit of it
@@camus.mp3 With this video, you're single-handedly (on the back of giants, of course) creating an army of freshly motivated creators who will thrive from your shared insights. I've also joined the ranks of your One Person army. 😂 Thank you!
My approach has been a lot of this for 4 ish years now. I worked my way back to learning a ton of old jazz, soul, Neo soul and funk songs. You literally just steal interesting chord voicings and progressions from there and remix the ideas. Most of those songs are not hard that hard to figure out if you can hear 5-1 and 2-5-1 movements. The voicings require more patient listening but it’s very rewarding.
I freaking love music theory. Played very basic piano for about 20 years of my life. It was ok; I could play both hands and had worked out some good songs. Problem was that I had no idea what I was doing. I had a good ear, could sing great but had never applied myself. In June 2021 my Dad asked me to record an intro for his UA-cam channel. I realised that I was nowhere near competent enough to do so, and so I put it off. In September of that year, my Dad travelled to the USA on business and while he was there, caught Covid and died at the relatively young age of 66. This wrecked me and I committed myself to fast tracking my way into becoming a competent musician and so I decided to learn jazz piano. Jazz because it encompasses nearly all of Western music theory and Piano because it is much easier to visualise the theory on the keyboard than it is on any other instrument. Now at the beginning of August 2024, I have achieved so much freedom in my playing that I literally feel as if I can play anything that I put my mind towards playing. My music theory is *solid* and I often have deep conversations with other highly qualified musicians simply because I decided to learn Jazz. 100% agree with you! Jazz theory is the way to go! PS I don’t like the Jazz sound in general, but love its principles...
1) I like pretty much all music but I especially love jazz. 2) It is NOT difficult at all - never was, never will be. 3) Always, always, always use your ears. Everything else follows. 4) I'm glad you make it clear that effort, SOME work is involved - but 'work' is not 'work' if you like doing it.
This explains a lot. I was in band in high school, and I was a trombone player. I was a part of jazz whenever it was in season and ever since I loved it. I started learning piano, and I still can't do what many other people can. Although, I wanted to create a jazzy sound. I accidentally taught myself how to write music on the spot and always wanted to make music. I didn't understand how, but I took music theory a year later and now I understand. A few years later, I'm a year into making music, and I'm not gonna say I'm successful, but I can definitely say I'm very proud of the things I've made. I can say with certainty that if I never learned jazz or music theory, I would be half of the composer I am today
dawg the fact that this shit has 30 views and you have 2.7k subs, is crazy. your content is insanely high quality and inspirational, your music slaps and you seem like such a chill dude. genuinely wish you the best.
As someone who is classically trained in flute but has next to no piano experience and is looking to learn it for music production, this makes so much more sense than what I've been trying which was basically just grinding to the point of tedium
I started as a sample based producer. I wanted to learn piano and started learning piano at age 26. I took the jazz route and made a profession out of gigging, mostly playing neo-soul, gospel, and jazz while also producing a good amount for some rappers and my own enjoyment. I'm actually a full time piano teacher now. I teach mostly classical because that's what most kids/parents want to learn, but I teach chord/scale theory and include much of the jazz methodology. It definitely has an approach that is better for encouraging the musician to write their own music because improvisation is part of the actual "curriculum." I think you did a great job of including the basics and covering what should be done to start on the path. Well done. There is an incorrect perception, though, that improvisation was absent from "classical" music. Before I started learning classical music over the last two years I also thought that was the case. Chopin essentially never played his pieces note by note and actually didn't like transcribing note by note because he would play them differently each time. Bach was also a known improviser. When you learn the details of series counterpoint and apply than to a jazz harmony perspective, you start to get why Hank Jones, Oscar Peterson, or Bill Evans wrote/improvised/comped the way they did. Brad Mehldau is another jazz pianist that stands out as a great counterpoint improviser. I've gained a LOT from learning both styles, but had I not learned the jazz mindset, I don't think I'd be applying what I've learned in classical music in improvisation. I don't really use the harmonic language of classical, but have learned arrangement of parts and orchestration from it. I am in a long term project of putting together a piano lesson curriculum specifically geared towards producers 🤞🏼 This is exactly why! Anyway, this is a big topic I enjoy and I enjoyed the video, sorry for the essay. Thanks!
As a producer I have 10 years of piano lessons and experience playing in jazz ensembles so I have no idea why I watched the whole thing. But I have to give mad props for the educational quality of your video because you've said exactly the things I would tell people but in the most effective way possible. Incredible job fam, keep it up!!
This video basically just summed up my entire experience learning the piano. I had no idea that jazz methodology was what intervened in the process of learning composition, but it makes sense and it really motivates me to keep pushing in that direction. I'm super grateful to see something like this be made both for myself and for other people in the future. Massive props dude, dream on 🙏
As someone who kind of took this path and sifted through countless youtube channels... Open Studio is unbelievably good if you're looking for that next step in jazz piano. Adam Maness is the best teacher I've come across at making more advanced concepts actually not intimidating and doable for self-taught peasants like me lol.
Having some history of classical training as a kid, but playing with various instruments and production this is my whole argument about this division between classical and jass/modern learning approach it seemed for me no one is talking about. Thanks for bringing this up now I have clear guide for myself and can recommend this vid to anyone when this subject comes up :D
As someone who has done collegiate music theory, this is something I absolutely agree with and encourage. You're not sitting there reading books and writing out the chords structures and changes. You're engaging your body and senses to feel, expect and be surprised at chord changes and interpreting them in real time. This technique is something a lot of musicians try to encourage but fail at in the academic world, but all it boils down to is that you're combining theory and aural skills to train your ears and hands to feel the sound. You don't need to dive deeper into theory unless you want to but having the practiced listening skill and applicable piano (or instrument if your choice) skill under your fingers will take you so much further musically and intellectually for your instrument. Plus, jazz chords are just way more expressive and more fun to learn. Your music will be so much more vibrant and rich with them.
I found your channel through your 30 days, 30 songs challenge and loved it! Then i saw a comment under L. Dre's last video where you wrote about this video and i was already waiting for the video to come out. This is just what i (and probably many other producers) needed, thank you! Keep doing music, your stuff sounds amazing!! ❤🙏
You're exactly right about transcription. The other very amazing thing about the Nashville Number System is the ease of transposition. I teach my students using this methodology and it keeps them in lessons longer. It amazes parents that their kids can pick up songs they've never heard so quickly by ear. They say it's like magic 😆. Very insightful video, great job!
I agree - studying jazz has a huge amount to offer, even if you are not a ‘jazz buff’. I find the richness of the harmony endlessly interesting, and also the incredible variety of rhythm inspiring.
This was literally God-sent! I am a singer and I am learning to play the piano and guitar because I would like to also produce my own music. I have just been struggling to figure out chords to add to my music that make it sound really cool and stuff, so this breakdown really gives me more direction. I thought learning sheet music was the best option ( its still super helpful with reading notes and learning more music theory) but I needed this more to progress the way I would like to, so thank you soooooo very much!!!!
Can't thank you enough. Just started on my journey of music making only because I like the idea of music making. I always improvise on the melodies and make tunes in my head so I thought I should learn and do the real stuff. But I am beginner to everything from DAWs, piano, music theory same everything. All of this is overwhelming and I couldn't figure out where to start and where to invest my time. Thank you for showing me the path. ❤❤
Dude, I agree 100%. When you tell people you're a producer or musician, they expect you to be able to play popular songs on the piano or perform classical pieces perfectly, but it's a totally different thing. Creating something from scratch and bringing it to an industry-standard level requires a whole other set of skills and effort. That jazz technique is definitely clever, and I’ll make sure to give it a try
The funny thing is that I actually looked at jazz piano along my on-and-off piano learning journey, because I loved how jazz musicians are able to so effortlessly improvise stuff on top of anything, and I admired the musicians who are able to listen to a song once and freestyle something very similar. And somewhere along the way... I kinda forgot about the whole thing and never looked deeper into the field any deeper for years. So I think this is a sign that I need to stuff my head back into jazz music and learn things, so thanks for the video!
❤ I learned piano as a beginner and trying to focus on music production. I had some similar thoughts as I learn but not in a structured way but now I’m convinced it’s the best progression plan for me! I think I’m the niche you’ve helped a lot! Thank you!
Thank you. I’m 52 and been doing that for years, not days. I hope I can focus on the better things from now on. I love your authenticity. You are on the right track, your music sounds great!
Great video! Seeing L Dre's video inspired me as well but this one really helped me understand why the traditional piano lesson approach didn't stick lol. I'm using this as my start to really learn piano to produce my music better! Thank you!
Thank you. As a former active duty infantryman and SAW gunner this makes sense. I was shooting in the general sector of where we’re taking contact but I wasn’t shooting at the right bearings. As a result the enemy wasn’t being effectively surprised. Jazz music, the fundamentals needing to be learned, necessary techniques to master, where to find the info needed and an approx timeframe you can see it done. You just in essence gave what the Marine Corps calls an ADDRAC (Attention, Direction, Description, Range, Assignment, and Control) I knew I was missing a piece of the puzzle and I believe you just helped me find it. So again, thank you. I owe you a case of beer for that .
This is it. I got to this exact conclusion a few weeks ago as i was tired of sight reading sheet papers because i thought that was the only way for people to learn. I realized how much better, natural and pleasing a melody with harmony sounds playing it rather than placing note by note in a daw's piano roll
Great said, man! I also figured that I don’t want to be a great player, but I want to be a producer. I can find someone else who can play great songs I want to create ;) These are truly 2 different skills to practice 👍
This is exactly what I've been now. Stuck in the loop not able to improvise since I don't play piano, now learning piano dedicatedly and not producing anymore. You just expressed what was in my mind for so long. Earned a sub ❤
Respect the confidence, but there's something special about the years of dedication and mastery that a grandmaster pianist brings to music. Production skills are crucial, no doubt, but they complement the deep musical understanding that comes from mastering an instrument. Both skills are valuable, but let’s not downplay the artistry that comes from true mastery. Imagine what could happen if both worlds collaborated-could be something amazing
I can't do sight-reading at all, and I have no experience with music prior to highschool aside from singing at home. Yet I feel like everything that I've learned about basic music theory and analyzing/transposing popular songs has completely changed my viewpoint, which is why I think your video sums it up very well. You don't need to be crazy fast at hitting notes or sight-reading, all it takes is the right approach, to KNOW what you're trying to do. Then it becomes natural.
So helpful and interesting! As someone who dances, I see this exact experience in the dance world. People who only take choreography classes tend to only know how to mimic other peoples' movement, while people who take freestyle classes develop more foundations to create and develop their own movement in the art form. I felt stuck for quite a bit because of this! Can't wait to come back to this video when I try music again :)
It’s the little things that spark a great chord progression for me. Been in a rut the last few months and just watching you improvising, I realized I got too focused on creating something because I had and urge to create when I forgot how I made those great progressions… creating nothing. Just playing random chords in a scale that I’m looking for is the secret sauce for me. Thanks. 🙏🏾
Literally just started learning how to play the piano for the purposes of producing my own music (backing tracks for my videos) so this video is eerily amazing timing, excited to watch the full vid :)
Ya bro I don’t really give a shit to comment but that tutorial you used made me light tf up. I know chords and what not but the drills and different pillars lit off a spark and i literally play better after like a day. Really needed that
This is an awesome reminder of how I grew up learning ʻukulele and every other instrument. I don’t know why I would think I needed a different approach. And music is my autistic special interest! 🤷♂️ thanks for the reminder and the tips. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my chest.
As a producer/engineer, for years I tried to learn the piano unsuccessfully as I didn't really connect with sight reading. It didn't make any sense at all. However I did realize that my music became a lot better once I was able to play through improvisation on my AKAI Fire. I now know why. Thank you so much!
Listen to this video 3 times if you get stuck. Don't worry if you don't get all of it first time through. Just let it play and you get what you get. Next time through you're not the same person because you know a little more so you get a little more, same with the third time. It's just great info! I know more than this dude but he's great at explaining what he knows and we agree on the basic facts so ...
transcription and improv really helps you develop your musical ear more as well, and the satisfaction that comes out of being resourceful with the basics even if ur no instrumental whiz really motivates you from time to time to just keep on practicing. love this vid a lot too thank u camus!!
Nice video man, this is more or less what happened to me. I studied piano when i was a teenager a lot o classical but no theory, so now that i want to make music in logic, i realized i know how to read but not how to make. a week ago i started the Jazz Piano for Beginners that, btw, shows in your search. It has been changing a lot the way i see music. Keep it up!
Dude you have no idea how much I needed this video. I've had a keyboard sitting in my room collecting dust since 2022! I've been making beats with wack chords for far too long. I will study this vid and try my best to learn. Thanks man!
Im so glad i started to learn music theory from the beginning as well instead of just "producing". You have a good approach i can definitely agree on your statements 🤜🏽🤛🏽
I understand and can agree, however, for me, there are 3 type of piano player, 1. The people like Bob who plays piano perfectly,. 2. The people like you said you are, cannot play like Bob, but can compose song, 3. Person who can play piano like Bob (or even better maybe) and ALSO good in composing song (perhaps even better than you/many other composer).
Excellent advice buddy, I’m at that point whereby I’ve been in traditional lessons for two years and still can’t play a song, I know my scales, keys, a wide range of chords but feel totally lost. I’m going to take your advice instead of wrestling with despair!
Your channel is such a gem man what the hell 😭 so relatable because I'm a producer who's been learning classical piano for a year so I mainly come up with stuff with midi and sometimes on the piano but that's definitely a skill you have to develop on your own as a producer
@@jellyj8194 tbh at first I wasn't that consistent at first, it was more like short bursts of motivation which lasted 2-3 weeks then left then hopped again on practice, at starting I learnt the major scale formula (WWHWWWH) Then I shifted to practicing scale it took me around 2 weeks to get comfortable with that. and yeah canon exercise also helped me get comfortable on keys. start with C maj scale then switch to all scales do major scales and you will find that you don't have to do minor scales because every major scale has a relative minor. for example C major scale is Also A minor scale. then after that it was all self taught stuff playing with both hands took me most practice and i am still not fluent in playing with both hands but I find my way around. then it comes to making melodies which is not learned in my opinion, Just stay in a scale and let your creative mind take over. make a chord progression and you can use Google for that too because there are only a number of chords present in a scale. so focus on learning progressions such as (I-IV-V) then start playing with notes in that scale and you'll soon make lots of Melodies.
Thank you for making these videos as they've helped a beginner like me. I'm not in a place where I can get classically trained and didn't have the resources needed to find a direction in piano learning so this has made such a massive impact to me. I'm almost moved to tears. thank you for being a beaming light in an aspirational beginner's journey. thank you so much ❤
this is exactly what I’ve been looking for, I’m learning guitar atm and this is exactly what I want to do but all the content and lessons I find on UA-cam are oriented to help you play the songs you like, not really for producing
It's easy to play a few notes on a piano, it's something to know how to improvise, having a nice touch and feel. It can be very easy to very hard, there isn't a good real middle ground.
Dude I literally never commented on a yt video before but it felt like this video was for me. I’m exactly at where you are right now. Bout to check this jazz vibes. Appreciate it g🫶🏻
Real talk... I vibe on being able to learn efficiently and effectively, keeping the goal the focus which is to produce music and improvise. Right now im learning the piano and getting comfortable before i move onto the next steps but its good to know how i can progress in a few weeks/ months. Going to save this. It will probably save me months of learning. You got yourself a subscriber. Good luck further
thanks! i was trying to learn piano for a couple of months now and all i can do is play other people's stuff, which is useful too, but i think your advice will lead to better results
Thanks! I wanted to learn a bit keyboard to be able to write own music just to have a creative hobby, wasn't aware it's already producing but yeah was about to get lost on this path of learning playing the piano, then realised it's more learning keyboard stuff I need. Found out about chords, chord progression... Jazz wasn't on my list but maybe I should look it up. Will have to check out some links. This video might save me a lot of time I don't have as an older beginner. But I will invest some time in piano technic and sheet reading as you can get easier into it how melodies works as if only done by ear for me. Looks like everyone will have to find their own way and prioritise what to learn and what to skip.
I was composing in MuseScore for about a year and a half. The Discord server hated basically everything I made. Then I got a semi-decent digital piano and started fooling around on it across the key of C. I never really got into playing songs with both hands, but I can improvise now and I started hearing harmony in a way I never did before. I'm still not at a pro level, but I can hear a massive improvement in the quality of my compositions... (when combined with what some call the beat-engine-noise theory of percussion, which I describe more like "pulse-engine-flavor.")
I would love that I had watched this video when I started, I already know this, but I learn this after years.. People that didn't know this please catch the tips!
i do not quite see why jazz needs to be at the center of attention, but i agree, that jazz has juicy chords that translate well into electronic music. i am self taught playing guitar and piano, doing this for over 25 years now. i was learning song after song and got quite good at both instruments, but i could not improvise or come up with stuff thats more complex that just a short lick. i also know quite a bit of theory, which was only mildly useful to me. then, i started to force myself to figure out songs just by ear, which was painfully slow and difficult at first, but i got better at it quite fast. i can now somewhat accurately determine a chord change or an interval by ear and reproduce it on an instrument. due to the theory i already knew, i was now able to connect haptic feeling of the instrument, the sound it makes and a name to describe it. i should have concentrated on this long ago, as it gave me finally what i was looking for from my musical efforts.
Maybe one of the most underated perfect videos that resumes what u really need as an improviser , arranger , literally any type of musician , thesis literally all the knowledge i got after several years in one video , im subscribing . Cant wait to see u improve more buddy 😊❤️
Thank you so much. I really needed this video. For quite a few months, I’ve been focusing on jazz piano with basically the same mindset you described. May I ask you a few questions? Did you learn all the scales in major and minor, along with all the related triads? Isn`t that basically the hardest part? Not mentioning all the scales? I thought I can avoid learning all of them somehow 😅Also, my biggest challenge is inversions. My brain takes a decade to process them. When playing an inversion of a chord, do you think about the pattern on the piano, basically how its visually laid out, or are you more aware of the notes contained in the chord and just find them on the keyboard in a different order? I would have the same question with scale. Is it the visual pattern on the piano you are learning or did you learn what keys are contained in each scale?
This video came at the perfect time. I've been making my own music for roughly two and a half years now and in December I bought a piano so I could improve the creative process. However, it just ended up collecting dust until literally this month. I was unsure of where to even start since all of the info is overwhelming but that's when I came across this video. Thank you for this I'm sure you've helped tons of people like me already.
Started an email newsletter-type-thing: subscribepage.io/LfYCYV (sub if you like the vibes)
What keyboard do you use or recommend
Seems like jazz is always the answer
Jazz it up bro
Always playing funk on drum but, always copying jazz drummers.
Yes
yessir
Jazz is the problem and the solution
FINALLY! a producer actually saying to learn basic theory
I swear people are so scared of music theory that they actively hinder their own progress
Basic music theory is genuinely so easy and its very rewarding once you can use it on your own songs
Agreeed
Not knowing theory doesn’t hinder your progress
@@PanasheNdanga-Jerera its cause you're thinking of it as a rulebook instead of as a tool
Music theory allows you to:
- communicate with other musicians effectively
- removes all the guessing work cause you know what something sounds like before you even listen to it
- analyse any music you could ever listen to
- be more creative when composing your music
Its such an obvious advantage that you're basically shooting yourself at the foot by not knowing even a bit of it
@@PanasheNdanga-Jerera wrong
Look, I like music theory, and it has been forever hindering my brain :(
I'm that one person. You reached me. Thank you 🙏
Same !
I, too, am that one person. Massive props 🙏
how the fuck are there this many one persons
@@camus.mp3 With this video, you're single-handedly (on the back of giants, of course) creating an army of freshly motivated creators who will thrive from your shared insights. I've also joined the ranks of your One Person army. 😂 Thank you!
I’m Spartacus
This is word for word what Ive been doing for the past year. And I tell you, he is 100% correct
how the f was this hidden from me for so long
My approach has been a lot of this for 4 ish years now. I worked my way back to learning a ton of old jazz, soul, Neo soul and funk songs. You literally just steal interesting chord voicings and progressions from there and remix the ideas. Most of those songs are not hard that hard to figure out if you can hear 5-1 and 2-5-1 movements. The voicings require more patient listening but it’s very rewarding.
fucking oath stealing cool sections of old progressions like that is the best way to be instantly inspired I swear
I freaking love music theory. Played very basic piano for about 20 years of my life. It was ok; I could play both hands and had worked out some good songs. Problem was that I had no idea what I was doing. I had a good ear, could sing great but had never applied myself. In June 2021 my Dad asked me to record an intro for his UA-cam channel. I realised that I was nowhere near competent enough to do so, and so I put it off. In September of that year, my Dad travelled to the USA on business and while he was there, caught Covid and died at the relatively young age of 66. This wrecked me and I committed myself to fast tracking my way into becoming a competent musician and so I decided to learn jazz piano. Jazz because it encompasses nearly all of Western music theory and Piano because it is much easier to visualise the theory on the keyboard than it is on any other instrument. Now at the beginning of August 2024, I have achieved so much freedom in my playing that I literally feel as if I can play anything that I put my mind towards playing. My music theory is *solid* and I often have deep conversations with other highly qualified musicians simply because I decided to learn Jazz. 100% agree with you! Jazz theory is the way to go!
PS I don’t like the Jazz sound in general, but love its principles...
Wow what a story, grateful you found jazz
1) I like pretty much all music but I especially love jazz.
2) It is NOT difficult at all - never was, never will be.
3) Always, always, always use your ears. Everything else follows.
4) I'm glad you make it clear that effort, SOME work is involved - but 'work' is not 'work' if you like doing it.
this is facts mate
This explains a lot. I was in band in high school, and I was a trombone player. I was a part of jazz whenever it was in season and ever since I loved it. I started learning piano, and I still can't do what many other people can. Although, I wanted to create a jazzy sound. I accidentally taught myself how to write music on the spot and always wanted to make music. I didn't understand how, but I took music theory a year later and now I understand. A few years later, I'm a year into making music, and I'm not gonna say I'm successful, but I can definitely say I'm very proud of the things I've made. I can say with certainty that if I never learned jazz or music theory, I would be half of the composer I am today
If you're proud of your stuff I'd call that successful - that's so sick to see the theory and practice synergy for you too
dawg the fact that this shit has 30 views and you have 2.7k subs, is crazy. your content is insanely high quality and inspirational, your music slaps and you seem like such a chill dude. genuinely wish you the best.
7.2k now. I guess you can say it is now a certified banger.
13k now…ill go ahead and have a watch 🤷🏽♂️
55k now…
ahh fuck sake dude thank you
Now 76k haha
mannn this was insanely helpful in regaining hope from so many nights of frustration in music production. appreciate the guidance and insight brother
As someone who is classically trained in flute but has next to no piano experience and is looking to learn it for music production, this makes so much more sense than what I've been trying which was basically just grinding to the point of tedium
Finally. Someone shows what to do in action rather than talk about it. gosh its like math all over again. Very frustrating. Thank you for this.
you changed my life bro. I’ve been stuck for months trying to make my own music. You are awesome.
fucking YES
damn I'm so grateful for that - I WAS THERE FOREVER
I started as a sample based producer. I wanted to learn piano and started learning piano at age 26. I took the jazz route and made a profession out of gigging, mostly playing neo-soul, gospel, and jazz while also producing a good amount for some rappers and my own enjoyment. I'm actually a full time piano teacher now. I teach mostly classical because that's what most kids/parents want to learn, but I teach chord/scale theory and include much of the jazz methodology. It definitely has an approach that is better for encouraging the musician to write their own music because improvisation is part of the actual "curriculum."
I think you did a great job of including the basics and covering what should be done to start on the path. Well done.
There is an incorrect perception, though, that improvisation was absent from "classical" music. Before I started learning classical music over the last two years I also thought that was the case. Chopin essentially never played his pieces note by note and actually didn't like transcribing note by note because he would
play them differently each time. Bach was also a known improviser. When you learn the details of series counterpoint and apply than to a jazz harmony perspective, you start to get why Hank Jones, Oscar Peterson, or Bill Evans wrote/improvised/comped the way they did. Brad Mehldau is another jazz pianist that stands out as a great counterpoint improviser.
I've gained a LOT from learning both styles, but had I not learned the jazz mindset, I don't think I'd be applying what I've learned in classical music in improvisation. I don't really use the harmonic language of classical, but have learned arrangement of parts and orchestration from it.
I am in a long term project of putting together a piano lesson curriculum specifically geared towards producers 🤞🏼 This is exactly why! Anyway, this is a big topic I enjoy and I enjoyed the video, sorry for the essay. Thanks!
As a producer I have 10 years of piano lessons and experience playing in jazz ensembles so I have no idea why I watched the whole thing. But I have to give mad props for the educational quality of your video because you've said exactly the things I would tell people but in the most effective way possible. Incredible job fam, keep it up!!
Thank you!
I've been playing piano with lessons for almost six years now. All of this piano what you do iv'e never heard of. I NEED this skill. Epic
this is the kind of tutorial I have been searching for about 2 years now. glad I finally have a clear guide line of what I wanna do thanks a lot
This video basically just summed up my entire experience learning the piano. I had no idea that jazz methodology was what intervened in the process of learning composition, but it makes sense and it really motivates me to keep pushing in that direction.
I'm super grateful to see something like this be made both for myself and for other people in the future. Massive props dude, dream on 🙏
legend thank you so much and super glad it helped :)) There are lots of old ideas like this that we're just sleeping on
As someone who kind of took this path and sifted through countless youtube channels... Open Studio is unbelievably good if you're looking for that next step in jazz piano. Adam Maness is the best teacher I've come across at making more advanced concepts actually not intimidating and doable for self-taught peasants like me lol.
YEAH ok I'll pay more attention there - I think my dexterity is lagging a bit for that channel though
Having some history of classical training as a kid, but playing with various instruments and production this is my whole argument about this division between classical and jass/modern learning approach it seemed for me no one is talking about. Thanks for bringing this up now I have clear guide for myself and can recommend this vid to anyone when this subject comes up :D
As someone who has done collegiate music theory, this is something I absolutely agree with and encourage. You're not sitting there reading books and writing out the chords structures and changes. You're engaging your body and senses to feel, expect and be surprised at chord changes and interpreting them in real time. This technique is something a lot of musicians try to encourage but fail at in the academic world, but all it boils down to is that you're combining theory and aural skills to train your ears and hands to feel the sound. You don't need to dive deeper into theory unless you want to but having the practiced listening skill and applicable piano (or instrument if your choice) skill under your fingers will take you so much further musically and intellectually for your instrument.
Plus, jazz chords are just way more expressive and more fun to learn. Your music will be so much more vibrant and rich with them.
I found your channel through your 30 days, 30 songs challenge and loved it! Then i saw a comment under L. Dre's last video where you wrote about this video and i was already waiting for the video to come out. This is just what i (and probably many other producers) needed, thank you! Keep doing music, your stuff sounds amazing!! ❤🙏
ahhh thank you so much, thanks for being here for the journey - also can we get l dre to see this please lol
You're exactly right about transcription. The other very amazing thing about the Nashville Number System is the ease of transposition. I teach my students using this methodology and it keeps them in lessons longer. It amazes parents that their kids can pick up songs they've never heard so quickly by ear. They say it's like magic 😆. Very insightful video, great job!
holy shit i didnt even realise that was a name for it - really grateful to have a teacher validate this lol
I agree - studying jazz has a huge amount to offer, even if you are not a ‘jazz buff’. I find the richness of the harmony endlessly interesting, and also the incredible variety of rhythm inspiring.
It's actually a bottomless rabbit hole of inspiration
This was literally God-sent! I am a singer and I am learning to play the piano and guitar because I would like to also produce my own music. I have just been struggling to figure out chords to add to my music that make it sound really cool and stuff, so this breakdown really gives me more direction. I thought learning sheet music was the best option ( its still super helpful with reading notes and learning more music theory) but I needed this more to progress the way I would like to, so thank you soooooo very much!!!!
Holy fuck my prayers have been answered
brilliant vid. New to composing my own sounds and I really needed to hear this. Went through that EXACT same loop of starting then giving up
Can't thank you enough. Just started on my journey of music making only because I like the idea of music making. I always improvise on the melodies and make tunes in my head so I thought I should learn and do the real stuff. But I am beginner to everything from DAWs, piano, music theory same everything. All of this is overwhelming and I couldn't figure out where to start and where to invest my time. Thank you for showing me the path. ❤❤
Dude, I agree 100%. When you tell people you're a producer or musician, they expect you to be able to play popular songs on the piano or perform classical pieces perfectly, but it's a totally different thing. Creating something from scratch and bringing it to an industry-standard level requires a whole other set of skills and effort.
That jazz technique is definitely clever, and I’ll make sure to give it a try
The funny thing is that I actually looked at jazz piano along my on-and-off piano learning journey, because I loved how jazz musicians are able to so effortlessly improvise stuff on top of anything, and I admired the musicians who are able to listen to a song once and freestyle something very similar. And somewhere along the way... I kinda forgot about the whole thing and never looked deeper into the field any deeper for years. So I think this is a sign that I need to stuff my head back into jazz music and learn things, so thanks for the video!
❤ I learned piano as a beginner and trying to focus on music production. I had some similar thoughts as I learn but not in a structured way but now I’m convinced it’s the best progression plan for me! I think I’m the niche you’ve helped a lot! Thank you!
Thank you. I’m 52 and been doing that for years, not days. I hope I can focus on the better things from now on. I love your authenticity. You are on the right track, your music sounds great!
Respect the dedication over so many years, thanks mate :)
Great video! Seeing L Dre's video inspired me as well but this one really helped me understand why the traditional piano lesson approach didn't stick lol. I'm using this as my start to really learn piano to produce my music better! Thank you!
Thank you. As a former active duty infantryman and SAW gunner this makes sense. I was shooting in the general sector of where we’re taking contact but I wasn’t shooting at the right bearings. As a result the enemy wasn’t being effectively surprised. Jazz music, the fundamentals needing to be learned, necessary techniques to master, where to find the info needed and an approx timeframe you can see it done. You just in essence gave what the Marine Corps calls an ADDRAC (Attention, Direction, Description, Range, Assignment, and Control) I knew I was missing a piece of the puzzle and I believe you just helped me find it. So again, thank you. I owe you a case of beer for that .
This is it. I got to this exact conclusion a few weeks ago as i was tired of sight reading sheet papers because i thought that was the only way for people to learn. I realized how much better, natural and pleasing a melody with harmony sounds playing it rather than placing note by note in a daw's piano roll
Yeahh something about the velocities and timings just feel way better and it's so much easier to make new melodies once you're playing them
Great said, man! I also figured that I don’t want to be a great player, but I want to be a producer. I can find someone else who can play great songs I want to create ;) These are truly 2 different skills to practice 👍
This video got me back into making music. Thank you so much.
This is exactly what I've been now. Stuck in the loop not able to improvise since I don't play piano, now learning piano dedicatedly and not producing anymore. You just expressed what was in my mind for so long. Earned a sub ❤
Respect the confidence, but there's something special about the years of dedication and mastery that a grandmaster pianist brings to music. Production skills are crucial, no doubt, but they complement the deep musical understanding that comes from mastering an instrument. Both skills are valuable, but let’s not downplay the artistry that comes from true mastery. Imagine what could happen if both worlds collaborated-could be something amazing
I can't do sight-reading at all, and I have no experience with music prior to highschool aside from singing at home. Yet I feel like everything that I've learned about basic music theory and analyzing/transposing popular songs has completely changed my viewpoint, which is why I think your video sums it up very well.
You don't need to be crazy fast at hitting notes or sight-reading, all it takes is the right approach, to KNOW what you're trying to do. Then it becomes natural.
So helpful and interesting! As someone who dances, I see this exact experience in the dance world. People who only take choreography classes tend to only know how to mimic other peoples' movement, while people who take freestyle classes develop more foundations to create and develop their own movement in the art form. I felt stuck for quite a bit because of this!
Can't wait to come back to this video when I try music again :)
This was insanely helpful, all yt turorials should be like this one. Thanks for sharing information
It’s the little things that spark a great chord progression for me. Been in a rut the last few months and just watching you improvising, I realized I got too focused on creating something because I had and urge to create when I forgot how I made those great progressions… creating nothing. Just playing random chords in a scale that I’m looking for is the secret sauce for me. Thanks. 🙏🏾
let's go bro just let that creativity be freeeee
This video is gold. It's deceptively deep and thoughtful. You nailed jazz learning casually
Literally just started learning how to play the piano for the purposes of producing my own music (backing tracks for my videos) so this video is eerily amazing timing, excited to watch the full vid :)
love the vibe of your channel that's so chill
Ya bro I don’t really give a shit to comment but that tutorial you used made me light tf up. I know chords and what not but the drills and different pillars lit off a spark and i literally play better after like a day. Really needed that
Such a fantastic insight my friend ! Really needed this clarity...Thank you :)
This is an awesome reminder of how I grew up learning ʻukulele and every other instrument. I don’t know why I would think I needed a different approach. And music is my autistic special interest! 🤷♂️ thanks for the reminder and the tips. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my chest.
As a producer/engineer, for years I tried to learn the piano unsuccessfully as I didn't really connect with sight reading. It didn't make any sense at all. However I did realize that my music became a lot better once I was able to play through improvisation on my AKAI Fire. I now know why. Thank you so much!
so sick that you just stumbled into it thats a W
this is probably the best video for any producer beginner or advanced
the BEST video surely not hahaha thank you
Today was the day I decided I’d learn to play keyboard to help with writing and producing, and YT served this right up. Great video, thank you ☺️
Listen to this video 3 times if you get stuck. Don't worry if you don't get all of it first time through. Just let it play and you get what you get. Next time through you're not the same person because you know a little more so you get a little more, same with the third time. It's just great info! I know more than this dude but he's great at explaining what he knows and we agree on the basic facts so ...
transcription and improv really helps you develop your musical ear more as well, and the satisfaction that comes out of being resourceful with the basics even if ur no instrumental whiz really motivates you from time to time to just keep on practicing.
love this vid a lot too thank u camus!!
Nice video man, this is more or less what happened to me. I studied piano when i was a teenager a lot o classical but no theory, so now that i want to make music in logic, i realized i know how to read but not how to make. a week ago i started the Jazz Piano for Beginners that, btw, shows in your search. It has been changing a lot the way i see music. Keep it up!
Dude you have no idea how much I needed this video. I've had a keyboard sitting in my room collecting dust since 2022! I've been making beats with wack chords for far too long. I will study this vid and try my best to learn. Thanks man!
ahhhh you really are the exact person I was trying to reach (hopefully u can delete captain chords too)
You've changed my life. I can not believe this❤ thank you
by far the best DIY video about learning piano that I've come across
thank you
Im so glad i started to learn music theory from the beginning as well instead of just "producing".
You have a good approach i can definitely agree on your statements 🤜🏽🤛🏽
Please never delete this video !
I have been searching for an explanation like this for a long time. Thank you for making it
I'm that person. Thank you. Love and respect ✨👍🏻
Good video. This is very useful for people that want to play keys, but don’t want to learn through traditional methods.
This is the video that so many people need to watch!
I understand and can agree, however, for me, there are 3 type of piano player, 1. The people like Bob who plays piano perfectly,. 2. The people like you said you are, cannot play like Bob, but can compose song, 3. Person who can play piano like Bob (or even better maybe) and ALSO good in composing song (perhaps even better than you/many other composer).
Excellent advice buddy, I’m at that point whereby I’ve been in traditional lessons for two years and still can’t play a song, I know my scales, keys, a wide range of chords but feel totally lost. I’m going to take your advice instead of wrestling with despair!
go straight for the songs you love - it might make you love the instrument
Bro the background track is sick and went great with the whole video. Nice work.
Your channel is such a gem man what the hell 😭 so relatable because I'm a producer who's been learning classical piano for a year so I mainly come up with stuff with midi and sometimes on the piano but that's definitely a skill you have to develop on your own as a producer
Also it's cool that you think jazz is the solution to our problems because I've actually thought of doing jazz piano too
YEAH it really is such a specific skill isn't it - and thank you :)
This is EXACTLY how I taught myself piano and it has helped me the most to create my own music.
How long did you say it took you to get comfortable?
@@jellyj8194 tbh at first I wasn't that consistent at first, it was more like short bursts of motivation which lasted 2-3 weeks then left then hopped again on practice,
at starting I learnt the major scale formula (WWHWWWH)
Then I shifted to practicing scale it took me around 2 weeks to get comfortable with that.
and yeah canon exercise also helped me get comfortable on keys.
start with C maj scale then switch to all scales do major scales and you will find that you don't have to do minor scales because every major scale has a relative minor. for example C major scale is Also A minor scale.
then after that it was all self taught stuff
playing with both hands took me most practice and i am still not fluent in playing with both hands but I find my way around.
then it comes to making melodies which is not learned in my opinion, Just stay in a scale and let your creative mind take over.
make a chord progression and you can use Google for that too because there are only a number of chords present in a scale.
so focus on learning progressions such as (I-IV-V)
then start playing with notes in that scale and you'll soon make lots of Melodies.
That reminds me of a famous quote from the bee movie
“ya like jazz?”
the restraint that was required to not add this clip
Woooow ! I fear less the piano now. I will learn it because of this video. Thank u mate ❤
Thank you for making these videos as they've helped a beginner like me. I'm not in a place where I can get classically trained and didn't have the resources needed to find a direction in piano learning so this has made such a massive impact to me. I'm almost moved to tears. thank you for being a beaming light in an aspirational beginner's journey. thank you so much ❤
ahhh mate so grateful I could do that - there's so much amazing info out there but piecing it together is the hard part
this is exactly what I’ve been looking for, I’m learning guitar atm and this is exactly what I want to do but all the content and lessons I find on UA-cam are oriented to help you play the songs you like, not really for producing
LITERALLY SAME im in the same boat with guitar - think I'm gonna just do this with that too
I have no classical piano training, but learning a bit of theory has unlocked a lot for me. This video is spot on! Thank you, thank you!
so grateful for that mate!
I think I am that 'one person that needed it most'', really good, thank you!
This is the chosen path I have taken. This video is golden. Thank YOU.
lets GOo
It's easy to play a few notes on a piano, it's something to know how to improvise, having a nice touch and feel. It can be very easy to very hard, there isn't a good real middle ground.
thank you I am definitely going to be using this for helping with theory and improv
6:40 Bro. I couldn’t even focus on what you were saying cuz the background music was just too fire 😂🔥
lets GO wanna come with me back to the day I made it
ua-cam.com/video/YK53ZG4qYPs/v-deo.htmlsi=CSOmkdIIpkDElsH2&t=433
Hella underrated channel, fire bro, keep it up❤🔥
Dude I literally never commented on a yt video before but it felt like this video was for me. I’m exactly at where you are right now. Bout to check this jazz vibes. Appreciate it g🫶🏻
15:45 It reached that one person who needed to hear it. Thank you brotha I'm gonna do it! This is truly clutch, tryna get my Mac Miller on!
Mac was one of a kind man - figuring out the good news prog did things to me
This sounds like a very promising approach... Thank you so much for making this video. I'm gonna go try and see if it works😁
Real talk... I vibe on being able to learn efficiently and effectively, keeping the goal the focus which is to produce music and improvise. Right now im learning the piano and getting comfortable before i move onto the next steps but its good to know how i can progress in a few weeks/ months.
Going to save this. It will probably save me months of learning.
You got yourself a subscriber. Good luck further
hopefully it saves you a lot of time :))
thanks!
i was trying to learn piano for a couple of months now and all i can do is play other people's stuff, which is useful too, but i think your advice will lead to better results
Thanks! I wanted to learn a bit keyboard to be able to write own music just to have a creative hobby, wasn't aware it's already producing but yeah was about to get lost on this path of learning playing the piano, then realised it's more learning keyboard stuff I need. Found out about chords, chord progression... Jazz wasn't on my list but maybe I should look it up. Will have to check out some links. This video might save me a lot of time I don't have as an older beginner. But I will invest some time in piano technic and sheet reading as you can get easier into it how melodies works as if only done by ear for me. Looks like everyone will have to find their own way and prioritise what to learn and what to skip.
This is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you so much good sir
This is sooo valuable. Thx for sharing.
I was composing in MuseScore for about a year and a half. The Discord server hated basically everything I made. Then I got a semi-decent digital piano and started fooling around on it across the key of C. I never really got into playing songs with both hands, but I can improvise now and I started hearing harmony in a way I never did before. I'm still not at a pro level, but I can hear a massive improvement in the quality of my compositions... (when combined with what some call the beat-engine-noise theory of percussion, which I describe more like "pulse-engine-flavor.")
Great vid mate. I hope you go even deeper on this
I would love that I had watched this video when I started, I already know this, but I learn this after years..
People that didn't know this please catch the tips!
i do not quite see why jazz needs to be at the center of attention, but i agree, that jazz has juicy chords that translate well into electronic music. i am self taught playing guitar and piano, doing this for over 25 years now. i was learning song after song and got quite good at both instruments, but i could not improvise or come up with stuff thats more complex that just a short lick. i also know quite a bit of theory, which was only mildly useful to me. then, i started to force myself to figure out songs just by ear, which was painfully slow and difficult at first, but i got better at it quite fast. i can now somewhat accurately determine a chord change or an interval by ear and reproduce it on an instrument. due to the theory i already knew, i was now able to connect haptic feeling of the instrument, the sound it makes and a name to describe it. i should have concentrated on this long ago, as it gave me finally what i was looking for from my musical efforts.
Maybe one of the most underated perfect videos that resumes what u really need as an improviser , arranger , literally any type of musician , thesis literally all the knowledge i got after several years in one video , im subscribing .
Cant wait to see u improve more buddy 😊❤️
ahhh too kind stoked to have you
Thank you so much. I really needed this video. For quite a few months, I’ve been focusing on jazz piano with basically the same mindset you described.
May I ask you a few questions? Did you learn all the scales in major and minor, along with all the related triads? Isn`t that basically the hardest part? Not mentioning all the scales? I thought I can avoid learning all of them somehow 😅Also, my biggest challenge is inversions. My brain takes a decade to process them. When playing an inversion of a chord, do you think about the pattern on the piano, basically how its visually laid out, or are you more aware of the notes contained in the chord and just find them on the keyboard in a different order?
I would have the same question with scale. Is it the visual pattern on the piano you are learning or did you learn what keys are contained in each scale?
You exceeded my expectations.. thank you!
we love niche videos!
thank you.
This video came at the perfect time. I've been making my own music for roughly two and a half years now and in December I bought a piano so I could improve the creative process. However, it just ended up collecting dust until literally this month. I was unsure of where to even start since all of the info is overwhelming but that's when I came across this video. Thank you for this I'm sure you've helped tons of people like me already.
fuck sake you're the exact person I was trying to reach, so glad these ideas could help
Seems like this is exactly what I needed to knock me out my beat block for months now🙏🏽🙏🏽
Big data is scary. I been working on exactly same problem recently and I see this. Camus we gonna blow up!
Genuinely life changing video