So I immediately bought some of his records and started playing along with them, running my hands up and down the keyboard as I heard him get higher and lower, pretending that I was the one making those incredible sounds. I did that by the hour -- not only at home, but also in the practice rooms in the music building at Placer High.

                         One day as I was doing this, Scott happened to walk by

                         the practice room I was in and noticed what I was doing.

                         "What in the world do you think you're doing, Shinn?

                          That sounds terrible!"

     He was right, of course. It did sound terrible, but that wasn't the point. The point was -- I was gradually learning which chords Garner was using, and how he was breaking them up and moving so deftly between them.

     Now fast forward another 2 years. We are in our first year of college at Sierra Junior College, and I am playing in the college dance combo. Scott sees me playing and comes over to the bandstand and stares at my hands for a long time. Finally he shrugs and says "I can't believe it. I actually used to be better than you, Shinn. Now all I can do is play what's in front of me, and you can improvise all over the place."

     I tell you this story not to brag, but to demonstrate that it is possible to learn to improvise -- even by yourself, with no one to help you but a chord chart and some recordings.

     But YOU don't have to learn by yourself. You can take advantage of all that I have learned about  improvising over the past umpteen years since that happened. Instead of sweating by yourself, trying to figure out "how they do that", you can stand on my shoulders and learn piano improvisation correctly right from the start.

     Here's how the program works:

     I'm going to take you on a 7-month journey into piano improvisation. Each month for seven solid months you and I will work through a new book along with a wonderful audio CD on which I play and explain and demonstrate everything in the book, so you can hear how it sounds as well as see what it looks like! If you know my teaching style at all, you'll know that I chat with you as though you were along side me on the piano bench (probably a hang-over from teaching privately one-on-one for many years). You'll receive the entire course all at once, but you and I will take it gradually, month by month -- so please don't skip ahead!

     This is a course for people who don't know how to improvise -- not for pros who already do. It takes you by the hand, step by step, and shows you how to actually start making up your own melodies and arrangements.

Piano Improvising -- The Exciting

7-Month Home Study Course!

      The 1st month we will lay the foundation for improvisation, including the 12-bar blues. You'll improvise right along with me as we go through the blues sequence many, many times, until you get the "feel" of it. You will work out of a 28 page book that goes hand-in-hand with my wonderful audio CD so you will HEAR every note, every chord, every progression at the same time you SEE them in the book. That makes learning fast and secure.

      The 2nd month we will learn how to create a "motif" -- also known as a theme, for our improvisations, then develop that motif. We will also cover "razzles" on various beats of the measure. (This will also help your rhythm -- an added bonus!) And of course I will be playing and explaining each razzle as we go along, so you really can't miss, since you're seeing it with your eyes while you're hearing me play it with your ears!

      During the 3rd month we will learn how to play popular ballads, using an arpeggio pattern in our left hand. Of course, I'll play every single example shown in the book, so you can hear exactly how it should sound. You'll play a half-dozen beautiful ballads, and learn to improvise on each one.

     The 4th month we will learn chord substitutions, how to apply triplets to improvisation, how to use inversions -- all the stuff that makes for exciting, lush arrangements! The use of good chord substitutions makes your playing not only professional, but individual as well. You put your own "signature" on each song.

     The 5th month we will work with 7th chord improvising and various accent patterns. (And don't forget -- you get a new book to work out of EACH month, including this month!). 7th chords are so important in all kinds of music, because they are "pregnant" -- they want to "deliver" you to the next chord. You'll not only master them, but you'll also improvise on them!

     During the 6th month we will drill on the arpeggiated bass using 6th chords, the altered 9th chord, and what to do when 3 or more chords are in the same measure. When you create a "flowing river of sound" with your left hand arpeggio, your playing sounds full and lush and exciting.

     The 7th month we will learn and work through the blues scale (which notes to flat to create a "bluesy" sound) and mixed up motifs, and we'll put it all together so you can see how everything relates. You'll learn the importance of the flat 5th, the flat 3rd, and the flat 7th, and how they work together to create that "jazzy" sound!

By the time the course is over, you will have a complete set of 8 instructional CD's plus all the books for each month's lesson plus the Bonus DVD, all in a big, beautiful 3-ring binder!

     So there you have it.

     Seven months from now YOU WILL be improvising -- and understanding what you're doing! You'll be making up your own melodies (made out of 2 or more motifs you learned back in month #2). You'll be playing exciting chord progressions based on the blues scale (which you learned in month #7). You'll be creating moods. Playing the blues. Playing ballads. And many other improvisational styles.

     And remember -- once you learn the principles of improvisation, you can improvise in any kind of music -- gospel, praise, pop, rock, C&W, R&B -- any style!

    Sign up now, and get started on your seven month journey to improvising!

Cordially,

Duane

P.S. I know the tuition for this course is embarrassingly low for a course of this magnitude. The same material at a conservatory or university (IF you could find such a course) would cost many times this amount -- (if you have attended college recently, you know about this!) But this is first-class material using seven excellent books and audio CD's that illustrate and demonstrate each improvisation technique. So even though it's extremely low-cost, it is the highest quality course you could possibly take!

P.S. again: The course is so clear and easy to understand that you really don't need me to hold your hand as you go through it. But it will be like me sitting on the piano bench with you, guiding you step-by-step.

You get SEVEN exciting piano improvisation books & audio CD lessons which we'll take up month by month!

Copyright Shinn Trading Inc. 1995 - 2008