7 Steps to Eyes-Closed Piano Mastery | An Ultimate Guide!

Greetings. This is long. I don't expect you to watch it all so please enjoy at least the intro, the final words and a section or two of your interest. Below, I provide links to more specific videos on the topics discussed (I'll update some of them soon). This video encourages you to do everything eyes closed as much as possible but in a logical order of mastery. There are many steps before jumping into repertoire so make sure you've achieved a good level in these things before getting disappointed and frustrated with repertoire you could easily otherwise play if you'd mastered what I present here.
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Related videos:
Finger independence: • The Story of My Techni... - so many examples in this!
Precision: • Some Black Note-Only E... - black notes focus
Major scale mastery playlist: • Absolute Major Scale M...
Chord playlist: studio.kzbin.infoP...
Hand independence: • A Few Suggestions for ...
Sense of rhythm: • How to Feel & Master T...
Song acquisition mastery: • Handling a Jazz Lead S... - All The Things You Are Example / More examples: • Handling Jazz Lead She...
My (free) Video Management Website: www.dan-the-composer.com
Personalised Water Pianism Syllabus: piano-jazz.blogspot.com/2022/...
Online Shop for eBooks and Podcast Collection: danthecomposer.gumroad.com/
7 Important Playlists: piano-jazz.blogspot.com/2020/...
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Timestamps:
00:00 - Look at the list
03:10 - Finger independence
08:24 - Double finger pattern
09:56 - Poking
11:51 - Chromatic pattern
12:31 - Interval precision
17:30 - Major scale mastery stuff
20:37 - Chord freedom (piano challenge)
25:46 - Inversions don't exist
27:26 - Hand independence
31:16 - One hand only performance
32:17 - LH does RH, RH does LH
33:27 - Connect passages
34:49 - Metronomic precision
36:05 - Sense of rhythm
38:35 - Ragtime straight/swing example
40:38 - Repertoire acquisition
41:30 - Song example
46:40 - Final words of encouragement
Playlist for Beginners: • Best Beginner Videos |...
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danthecomposer's Piano Challenge: • danthecomposer's Piano...
Get Real About Your Skills - The Checklist: • How Good Are You... Re...
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My Compositions: / danthecomposer
Likes, comments and subscriptions always welcome!

[@saiswayamshree]

thanks from the bottom of my heart ❤️💯👍🙏

[@mymydelilah]

Playing piano is the best antidepressant medicine...🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀

[@amitev]

I can't agree more

[@sawomirgugaa6282]

Great material, thank you! 🙏

[@cody31]

Your teaching is awesome. I love every second of it. Thank you very much for everything what you do. Please never stop doing your wonderful lessons. You inspire me to go forward step by step. All the best from Germany.

[@danthecomposer]

Thank you very much, that's very kind of you. Your comment certainly gives me a boost! If you have any requests, let me know! Best, Dan

[@hoodpianogirl]

Love your videos!

[@derrickdubeau]

I watched the whole thing. Now time to implement! Thanks Dan.

[@danthecomposer]

Wow, congrats! Thank you very much. Happy implementing... and do share your results in a week or two!

[@SMTX2023]

What a remarkable video lesson, thanks Dan for spending time and efforts to record this lesson. I think I may be able to do the “7” steps at moderate speed with my eyes opened. With my eyes-closed I am pretty sure that I cannot do any of the sevens at any speed, and with minimum required precision. Well, I have works cut out for me. Much appreciated, Dan. 👍👍

[@danthecomposer]

Thank you for the request, Andrew. It really made me think how to dissect the answer and the only thing I could come up with was to put it in a longer video (which is currently performing very well, for once!) Perhaps spend 80% of your next months with a blindfold at the piano? You'll be surprised how quickly your fingers and mind start working together, as well as how much stronger your internal piano visualisation gets! Happy blind practising and thanks again! Best, Dan

[@mouse5318]

Great vids

[@danthecomposer]

Please help me to help you by making the most of the following links which will give you access to much more recent content, as well as some options to support my channel: Video Management Website: www.dan-the-composer.com Blog: piano-jazz.blogspot.com/ All Videos: kzbin.infovideos All Playlists: kzbin.infoplaylists eBooks and Podcast Collection: danthecomposer.gumroad.com/ Water Pianism Syllabus: piano-jazz.blogspot.com/2022/04/water-pianism-syllabus.html Patreon: www.patreon.com/danthecomposer Don't forget the Bell icon when you Subscribe to be notified of all new uploads!

[@leecornwall8381]

Never knew liebestraum is the same as a jazz chord progression!

[@danthecomposer]

He was way ahead of his time!

[@Magic7Dragon]

I think it’s been way too long since you’ve dealt with learning hand independence… it certainly exists, that’s been the biggest mental block for me. My hands are not on auto pilot like yours are… left hand keeps wanting to do what right hand is doing… there has to be something that clicked for you, like an ah ha moment…

[@danthecomposer]

My next video will be a deep-dive into hand independence then because I know it's a big issue for many people. For me, I came to it with the Water Pianist's mindset when I started: I just have ten fingers which happen to be distributed 5 by 5 so I've never thought, as strange as it seems, that "my left hand is doing this" and "my right hand is doing that". Sure, 80%+ of the time, the left hand is 'down there with chord stuff' and the right hand is 'up there doing melody stuff' but that doesn't stray me from "It doesn't matter... I can still switch them at will, blend them anywhere and, as I demonstrated in the video - timestamp available - can even just use one hand to play a whole song with LH and RH parts! This isn't a party-trick or show-off of skill, it's a demonstration, I suppose to prove, that my brain really doesn't care which fingers play what. It's a mentality shift rather than a technical issue, which is a very unheard of way to approach the issue. The trouble with almost all videos on this topic is that they add weight to 'the left hand does this' and 'the right hand does that' so 'learn to bring them together'. This emphasis on dualism simply keeps you in a rut. You need to see the whole piano as 88 keys, in 7 (ish) blocks of 12 same physical notes, the keys not caring which fingers play them or from which hand they belong. You need to unorthodoxically tell yourself: "I do not have a hand independence problem. The problem is that I have convinced myself that the left hand and right hand are separate from one another and thus I create the clash between them in my mind myself". Play around with the ideas I discussed herein, eyes closed (the whole point of the video). This will help to 'close the gap' between the hands. In the meantime, I'll prepare the deep-dive video and find the best exercises I can to help further close the gap. What repertoire are you working on or what would you like to play? Best, Dan

[@Magic7Dragon]

@@danthecomposer I wish my brain can eventually see it the same as you do. I’ve actually been playing 20+ years, but only pretty much everyday the past year… I know my major/minor scales both hands and I’m working on chords throughout the scales now with both hands… I have a few piano videos on my KZbin channel (Greenday, Queen, and Linkin park) and you will obviously see my left hand is doing basic simple arpeggios and octaves… my rut is that I can’t get passed that… to bring this back full circle, a basic boogie woogie left hand pattern, while freestyle or even playing up and down a scale with right hand seems light years away from me, and my brain “can’t figure it out”… I will be more than happy to $upport you and your channel if you can guide me in the right direction… ( I haven’t learned to read 🎶, is that a requirement?)

[@Magic7Dragon]

@@danthecomposer (not sure where my original reply went, but it’s not here anymore) basically told you I am more than happy to support you and your channel if you can guide me in right direction. For example, a very basic boogie woogie bass line with left hand while trying to play right hand riff or scale, is absolutely mind boggling to me and seems light years away for me to learn. I know all major/minor scales both hands and working on chords within the scales now… I can even play both hands at different beat times while playing scales, but that’s the extent of my ability… it’s really tough for me to jump multiple octaves with left hand while playing… I wish I could understand your mentality better, but it’s just not clicking for me right now… also playing a 2-3 octave arpeggio with left hand while playing right hand melody seems simply impossible at the moment… I guess these examples are what I mean by me not “getting” hand/finger independence… here are 2 videos of basically the full extent of my talent… I prioritized learning songs instead of basics until recently… kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGTdamalr62ge80si=23d32G75TU-kgVSm kzbin.info/www/bejne/foDQq4FqnpiGjq8si=DtFbMdDlZq66qvxG

[@danthecomposer]

Greetings. Not sure how I missed the first response but I see this one AND the previous one. Anyway, read them both and watched both videos. Subscribed, too, to follow progress :) First: You're a lot better than you think you are. Your writing made it seem you were like 2/10 but that's at least a solid 4.5... the rhythm and timing is even a 10, as well as fluency... so definitely don't be too hard on yourself. Second: Appreciate your interest in supporting me. I'll do my best with or without your support but I am naturally very appreciative that you even consider it. Third: Glad you've got the major scales down. Do you know them as numbers so you can switch between them instantly? Very important skill (away from the piano). Fourth: Yes, it is always an error to focus only on repertoire first. It can come soon enough but repertoire demands certain basics to be mastered, as you've finally realised after 2 years.. but it's never too late to reset! Fifth: I have a boogie wooie left hand riff video with an emphasis on hand independence so watch this and see how it goes: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmKugJV_hLKcbLM I'm always happy to make a video specific to you, I just like to get the ones I've done already out the way so you can try them out and see how you get on... then the personalised video can be totally specific. Over to you sir!

[@Magic7Dragon]

lol, found my first reply just now

[@Philipnormanbradley19]

Please, please, please reload this video. The timing is out sound to image which is very off-putting to watch. Thank you for your excelent teaching. God bless.

[@danthecomposer]

I honestly spent about 10 minutes lining up the audio with the video. I don't even start the video conversion process until it's perfect. I am CERTAIN that YT ruins my videos when they're uploading because it converts again. I honestly zoom in and line up the audio so it's perfect, by milliseconds... I just can't do anything else if YT is gonna change it. Second: I've noticed that on my mobile when I see my own videos, the audio is about 200ms off... but not on my laptop... so I wonder if you can try a different device? The reason for this difference is absolutely incomprehensible to me. I use all the recommended settings for recording and converting so I really don't know why it's off (but do try a different device). It annoys me more than you can imagine. I hope the video is still not SO bad that you can't watch it at all.. but again, try a different device because this works for me. I'll keep researching ways to avoid this but I haven't found anything new yet... Thanks for trying. Best, Dan

[@derrickdubeau]

Hey Dan, its working perfectly for me over in Canada​@@danthecomposer

[@danthecomposer]

Great to know! I think it's a device issue for the commenter..