5 Simple Steps to Learn Any Song

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This "Magic 5 Step Formula" is literally the entire foundation of my method of playing....I still use it on all the songs you see me perform here on KZbin, and it's been the bedrock of my career as a musician.
Everything in the "Piano Man Approach" course is designed to serve this formula that you can use literally on any song. Check it out, and check out my free "Piano Man Approach" webinar to learn more at: www.LearningMusicIsFun.com

[@gourmet53]

I've always been amazed over the years how much you just put out there to help people learn and improve. It's a wonderful thing you do for people. I hope people are beating the doors down to invest in your teaching program, helping to support you You deserve it.

[@BillSantiagoChannel]

Steve! Thanks for all you do! Happy 2022!!!!!

[@anthonydear4708]

You articulate music in such an easy to understand and approachable way. Thanks

[@remuspierre7573]

I have a awesome voice Steve You play piano and sing at the same time great job

[@pianoman19541]

Awesome.... no nonsense.... directly in my face lesson. Your beautiful truthfulness has sparked my enthusiasm and confidence to go exploring. . . . . .maybe I just needed to hear it so clearly. Thank you.

[@marymunro339]

Thanks, Steve. You have just made my day. Have a great one yourself !

[@nickalfano809]

Great stuff as always, Steve!

[@niallmccartney8641]

Thank you Steve this was so very helpful

[@fodsaks]

There is some great wisdom in this. Thanks, Steve.

[@PianoManSteve]

Awesome! So glad to hear it! :-)

[@fodsaks]

@@PianoManSteve I have only ever been able to play by ear and I first learned listening to Scott Joplin rags. As a result, everything I play, even rock and pop has a ragtime stride left hand... But it works for me. :D

[@ronnyd011]

Thanks, Steve. I do enjoy your videos!

[@brylpups]

Love this! Thank you!

[@mightyoak11111]

Thank you Steve for all your video posts and for this class.

[@PianoManSteve]

You're welcome! Thanks for tuning in and taking the time to comment! :-)

[@remuspierre7573]

Awesome advice

[@mmaaiissee1]

Steve is a very nice teacher, I have bought his lesson and still digesting。 Plenty to learn。

[@samanthaweaver4989]

I can’t believe I didn’t “meet” you before now!! You are encapsulating everything I have struggled with and all my deep insecurities for not being able to read music as well as my body and ear vibe the music: I’m sure with your approach I’ll get to another level. I am so happy I found you… I’m definitely investing in your very common sense and FUN approach !!!

[@PianoManSteve]

Awesome, thanks! I’m excited to have you! 😎🎹🎶🎤👍

[@acoustic61]

Great tips! I'm in my late 50's, trying to learn piano. I gave up trying to read music after a couple weeks. I was mostly doing exercises, scales and chord progressions in every key, 2-3 hours a day. After more than two years, I was burned out and ready to quit. Then I went back to it slowly, playing chord progressions while improvising. I'm starting to figure out songs that I know. Much more enjoyment. Though practicing scales and chords did help to play more fluidly.

[@chachaman4980]

Definitely worth knowing this method first and before going too deep into the woods with music reading and music theory!

[@sarahpengilley5394]

This advice is gold! Thanks for posting this steve

[@PianoManSteve]

Thanks Sarah! So glad you found it valuable! :-)

[@scottmcphee7714]

Thanks for your Vids Steve...always the student!

[@joejohnsonentertainer4991]

Your a great teacher fair doos...

[@VincentDeBellis224]

As always, Love your vids, Steve. I owe my musical career to your tutorials and inspirational words of wisdom. Hope life is great for ya bud :) -Vinny

[@PianoManSteve]

Thanks Vinny! Keep up the great work buddy! :-)

[@remuspierre7573]

Good Advice

[@joell-j5170]

This is perfect. This is exactly what I needed. I’ve been “playing” piano for 3-4 years now, but, and I’ve always admitted this to everyone, I can’t actually “play” piano. I can just play songs that I know how to play. I’ve found myself learning to improv a very little bit, but it’s not really “improv” it’s just me playing different learned licks from a song at different parts. It’s less improv it’s more just me re-arranging a song if that makes sense. I love this tutorial, and I’m definitely going to heed this advice, especially the part about learning the rhythm patterns, I already recognized some songs immediately that use one of the 4 your taught. Just from my ear alone, Piano Man 100% uses what you call the “waltz” rhythm pattern right? Anyway, thanks Steve, this video is perfect for me.

[@folk_sound]

Spot on. My sister went to a good music school for 13 years all togehter-learning classical piano. She eventually quit because she got sick of it. I on the other hand started fiddling around her piano. I found some tutorials for songs that I enjoyed as well as added some stuff of my own as I figured out how chord progressios work. I can now play 75% of the songs I hear just from listening and quickly running throught them a couple of times on the piano, while my sister cannot play anything if it isn't written down (and even then it mustn't be too difficult). The majority of music schools are doing it wrong...

[@Resiliencebalado]

I can relate!

[@thayoutubebigwig1109]

Big help for me. Steve

[@asphaltservices7112]

very cool ty

[@christopheralu8218]

This video... I am not.kidding when I say I will never sit down at a piano the same way again. Thank you Steve. I am going to follow this advice.

[@babup3674]

Yes, I also am in the right track now,as an adult student ,great.

[@KyleCourounis]

I am 17 and have been playing piano since I was 9, so I am quite an experienced player by now. While this video is only about 2 months old, I've used an incredibly similar strategy for years now. I found your tutorials when I was about 10 or 11 (since I only went to piano lessons for a brief period to get chords explained lol) and am since self-taught. I don't read sheet music (I am very slow at it - if I were to look, I'd still need to think of "Every Good Boy Does Fine" for each individual note lmao). Thus, I am so glad that somebody finally explained this strategy to others with a 20 minute video, in a clear and concise fashion. In my opinion, this really is such an underrated process. I still sometimes take a peek at your tutorials when I'm stuck with certain parts from Billy's songs (especially the Stiletto solo 😂). I've been doing more ear training by myself recently, but like I said it's ironic how this has been my exact process for learning songs. I find the chords, play the basic structure by hearing the chord changes, then make it work solo on a piano, and then ear out some frills and licks (especially for Elton's songs - always looking for new live versions of his songs to mess around with haha), etc. But overall, the most important thing you said, which is something I stress to SO many people: chord sheets are NOT solely for guitarists! While UltimateGuitar is usually terribly inaccurate, I sometimes use it (especially when someone has written the slash chords cause it's usually good hahaha). The only thing that sucks is when there's no good chord sheets online (this the case for many of Billy's very obscure numbers), but I usually figure somethin' out! Anyways, great video and I hope it helps and *encourages* many others to play or revisit piano, since traditional lessons are what alienates so many. Keep up the great work Steve! ;)

[@dansfilms7901]

I love your channel

[@KyleCourounis]

@@dansfilms7901 Thanks man, I appreciate that!

[@waytocool4559]

thank you so much

[@greg.tallent]

Excellent tutorial.. thank you

[@PianoManSteve]

Thanks Greg!

[@robertmoody9343]

Hi Steve, Love your videos, as a great fan of Billy Joel, would love to see a short tutorial of Billy's 'Nocturne' from 1971. It is a beautiful piece of music with a Classical connotation. Your playing is inspirational, as I am 60 years old and am only trying to play keyboard for the past 3 years. Thank you for all your help. Regards Bob Northern Ireland

[@PianoManSteve]

Thanks Bob....I know I'll have to get to that one at some point. Keep up the great work! :-)

[@bigbadbob143]

thanks

[@paulinemartinbarrell3277]

Like your attitude!

[@PianoManSteve]

Thanks Pauline! I appreciate you watching and taking a moment to comment! :-)

[@anthonychampagne6239]

John Goodman on the keys 🎹

[@TheAlaska07]

Thank you, I have a secret dream of being a piano entertainer on a cruise ship someday. Your advice makes it somewhat possible!

[@JamesBond-zd5jx]

Definitely recognize that syncopated pattern.

[@ez865]

Hey here’s a good tip. I find it easier to learn the rhythm by listening to covers of the song because it is mostly just guitar in the covers.

[@mario-mn5tp]

Thanks for your wisdom I only have one question, where are the chors for the left hand? I only gind chors for one hands

[@diegodelavega3382]

The left hand usually plays the main note of the right hand's chord

[@howtodoitdude1662]

Happy birthday Steve!

[@PianoManSteve]

Haha! Thanks! 😎👍

[@CosmicCGA]

Was it actually his birthday? DAG NABBIT! I missed it.

[@jcmurr2669]

re is ONE way to learn a new song. #1 Steve Lungrin.

[@johnrose8806]

I’ll sign up one day mate.

[@PianoManSteve]

You know where to find me when the time is right 😎🎹🎶🎤👍

[@LetsGetItStartedNow]

I like arpeggio rythmn patterns a lot but you didn’t mention it. Does your course cover arpeggios in depth?

[@mgh4654]

How do you learn songs like scenes from an Italian restaurant? Do you just need to have good ears without a tutorial or sheet music? Thanks

[@PianoManSteve]

This is a really great question, and I can't do it justice in a reply to your comment. All the same principles absolutely apply, but different parts of the song have different rhythm patterns, tempos, etc, and there are more signature lines than the average tune. So...sheet music and tutorials are pretty useful just because of the unusual volume of what I would call "precision" signatures that are contained in it. That being said, a good large portion of the song is still, "Find the chords, find the right rhythm pattern, and run with it". So....that tune is a pretty unusual case, but definitely worth pointing out. I think the concept of how this song learning formula applies to more complex tunes is probably worth it's own video, and I'm sure I'll do it in the near future. Thanks for the great question! :-)

[@Surferess]

Number 6 figure out what the patches are, number 7 define instrumentation and octaves, number 8 split the keyboard into sections (strings, brass, percussion and or bass.

[@MissyTCA]

Does anyone list the five steps Steve shows us? ❤❤❤

[@dnguyen787]

To me it is only one step to play any song. Just play A minor pentatonic. If the final note lands on "C", it is a major tone song. And it is a minor tone song, if final note lands on " A." Then play whatever chords according to your high or low voice.

[@Resiliencebalado]

Hi M. Lungrin, It may be a stupid question, but I have been play piano (by ear) from time to time. Still not able to divide my two hands and have them play different rythm. So it's hard for me to play, let's say: Elton John, for example. Is there anyway that I can find technique or something that might help me? Or am I just doomed? Maybe I just can't but I refuse to give up. Thank you you play very great! Keep up

[@PianoManSteve]

Well....I can't tell you one drill that would make every kind of pattern fall into place, but I try to come up with exercises like the one in the video clip below to help foster hand independence and coordination.....check it out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5DWXnShmrqle7M

[@Resiliencebalado]

@@PianoManSteve Thank you! I think I will go baby step with this and probably will subscribe to your site soon! I'm staling in my play and want to go a step higher!

[@maxhess3151]

10:13 - "That's just the simple stuff." Oh, fuck.

[@PianoManSteve]

Hahaha....not sure that was the response I was hoping to evoke ;-)

[@DavetheIV]

Hey Steve, just over a year for you to grow the giant wine glass half full of cash. This to be seen in your most current uploads. Is the glass sold as a self perpetuating money tree??? Give me a supply address if so! If not then here's a Happy 2021 to you along with the hope that the dreadful pandemic virus gets controlled & we can then 'return' to a more normal life! What ever that might be! KEEP POSITIVE & recording.

[@josephkeck4752]

Guess you hate to hear this, Steve... how bout a tutorial on..love lies bleeding. At least 8-10 bars of piano intro, also some alternate hands Rock rhythms, am getting your course, respect & love

[@PianoManSteve]

Haha....no I don't hate hearing that. I'm just trying to make the point to people that song tutorials and sheet music are limiting in that they box you into playing something one way, and don't teach you a system that can be deployed to play other things too. People have it in their heads that I'm playing exact transcriptions of most of these songs, and the truth is, I'm not! I'm using all the stuff I teach in the "Piano Man Approach" and rarely play anything identically twice, but always play it similarly and always capture the essence of what people are expecting to hear....and that free spiritedness is part of why it sounds legit, because that's the energy that people like Elton are using when they play and record these tunes. I won't stop making tutorials, because as I said, I like to give back to the fan community and they are fun for learning those "signature lines" that stick out to us....but learning how to deploy chords, rhythm patterns, and improv techniques effectively will get most players a heck of a lot more mileage than song tutorials ever will....that's all I'm driving at. Hope that makes sense....thanks! :-)

[@josephkeck4752]

@@PianoManSteve thanks for your time, Steve... you're like working with an old friend

[@DKBastiansTwitch]

is it normal finding the pattern hard, doing the rythem thing? :D

[@PianoManSteve]

It can be confusing when you're just trying to make them up with no reference...but that's why I distilled them down to the four essential feels. When you start there, it's much easier to build interesting variations from them. Also, I have hand coordination exercises that make it easy to master the right/left hand independence on the simple versions, which then creates great muscle memory and neural pathways for more complicated permutations later. The biggest problem most people have on piano is that they want to do really complicated stuff right away, and don't realize how quickly they could move to more complex maneuvers if they would just master the simple maneuvers they are based on first....the process really does build on itself surprisingly quickly. Thanks for the question! 👍

[@bluerabbit7245]

I find that part hard as well. Not as easy as it sounds, though practice does help.

[@DKBastiansTwitch]

@@PianoManSteve yes that's also my main problem is independence between left and right. but also rythems ….

[@ronaldquan3607]

Man, KEEP IT SIMPLE !!! 1. Find the Chords. 2. Just select a Style. 3. Hit Start. 4. Play chords with the Left hand. 5a. Sing along like Karaoke. OR 5b. Play the melody with the right hand. THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO IT!

[@honkymonkey9568]

Number 5 is...?

[@blueeyedsoulman]

Doesn't work with "Funeral for a Friend" because......................it's a symphony.