Learn Hao To Play the Piano in 10 Minutes | Jeff Hao | TEDxYouth@HKIS

At age of 40, Jeff, the oil company executive, tried to learn to play a small song on the Casio keyboard that he bought for his children. He quickly went on to play many original works of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Elton John, Billy Joe, John Lennon, and Jay Chou … all because he built a notation system that anyone can read immediately. The patented Hao Staff (named after him and referenced against the traditional Grand Staff music notation) is now already used by thousands of people.
At age of 40, Jeff, the oil company executive, tried to learn to play a small song on the Casio keyboard that he bought for his children. He quickly went on to play many original works of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Elton John, Billy Joe, John Lennon, and Jay Chou … all because he built a notation system that anyone can read immediately. The patented Hao Staff (named after him and referenced against the traditional Grand Staff music notation) is now already used by thousands of people. That number is expected to grow into tens of millions in the near future, and hopefully, will teach people around the world how to play the piano in a matter of minutes.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

[@ren2453]

As someone who studies classical music in college, I initially came to this video with rage, however to me this method is wonderful as it brings the joy of playing music to a wider audience, which is something that the classical world needs more than ever. As he states, the method isn't for those seriously committed but for those who simply want to enjoy it easily. Great method!

[@goodvibes7614]

Hi I am self learning the piano. What grade should one be at after a year? Note I am not focusing on classic music but I do admire the level of skill. Please give me a practice routine to learn the piano faster especially with learning the language. Are you playing any other instruments?

[@pedrocastro7398]

I don't know how it's possible to have so much pessimist, angry and rude comments about this. This is a story of a person trying to help another people, for me that it's an awesome thing to do. Like he told numerous times, this is for people that do not know to play piano and do not want to learn how to read piano. It's just for fun. Stop talking about the long-term problems, this is a short-term solution.

[@fishermanextrordinaire]

It says its a solution? How? I fail to come away with anything to add to what I started in the area of tips techniques to play piano a statement that is in the title..

[@fingerhorn4]

But his method IS a way to read piano music, except that it is not as good as what is available already. And ALL methods of learning to play piano ARE fun. There are no short term solutions.

[@hughreid1059]

Go here for a better long term solution.

[@kevinbeltran8118]

Pedro Castro it’s an infomercial

[@sonbirdmusicspace]

Yes!

[@sheilaashway3804]

Mr. Hao, I welcome you. This is a fantastic way to learn what you want on the piano, instead of long boring sessions. I am so sorry that most of the world is so negative to change or so quick to criticize before they learn. I believe that there should be choices for everyone and not everyone has to like it, but some will, like me. I thank you and will keep learning. You are a genius.

[@reason43poole37]

With respect, 10 minutes is a more than a little misleading, I started to play piano 3 years ago and dexterity is the issue. This should be titled an easy way to read music.

[@thewordofgog]

Yes agreed. I started teaching myself with the aid of online tutorials about 2 years ago. (I'm 62 btw) and for me the learning of a system or notation isn't the problem. It's hand independence and muscle memory and that can only be learned by practice I'm afraid

[@icitlalistardust9060]

Agreed, but obviously this guy ambition is not to play Beethoven !

[@sirrolycovers1446]

i dont say im gonna embrace this invention.. but this is beautiful... one thing we need to learn is music from a different perspective is still music... as long as it touches people and changes lives.. for music teachers let us not limit our students with what Europe has given the world for centuries.. after all art is a just a form of expression and like language it constantly evolves...

[@hangugeohaksaeng]

So awesome! Thanks for making this! It's a cross between Grand Staff and MIDI Piano Roll! Being an electronic music maker, with 10+ years of experiance writing on the MIDI roll, I'm happy to be able to put that to good use to aid my dream of playing the piano!

[@normapadro9704]

What I did 2 years ago when I couldn't find out any answers to my questions was as follow. I didn't know anything about music theory at all so I decided to learn how to produce music. I didn't have any musical background at all either. One day I just decided to listen for different rhythms and learned how to play synthesizers. Little by little I learned how to put rhythms together to make my own songs. I learned how to mix them and arrange sounds. I learned how to make my own sounds. I just picked up very quickly what ever it took to make a song. I am self taught in playing most instruments now. It only took curiosity of wanting to learn more about all types of music.

[@metasoft0221]

Thank you Hao. I like the idea of simplification a complex notation to make it easier to understand the music.

[@t33d33]

I'm a beginner myself, while my keybord is being shipped to me I started to learn notes witgh some random apps, and I must say in few short sessions I was able to learn all treble staff notes including ledger line notes and I know how to play them-> where corresponding keys on piano are. The rest is just practicing, muscle memory, there is no shortcut, don't be fooled. I find this Hao notation very confusing and I'm sure it work only fore some simple pieces. My advice, take your time don't rush it and don't expect too much of yourself at start

[@Levi89723]

What were the apps?

[@6pigger]

It really depends on what you want.Traditionally what people with no music background would do is search a youtube video online on how to play some song on the piano. They'll pause the video, mimic the player's fingers and trace their actions on the piano. This is no different. It just offers you a sheet version that you can more closely follow. Youre not gonna be a concert pianist from this or any youtube video you watch on how to play "x song" on a piano. I think for traditionalist piano players out there shouldnt look at this haostaff as a gimmick or a cheap method that undermines your craft. He clearly states that it doesn't. If anything you should look at this as something that will entice and entertain people's interest in the piano even more and introduce a larger audience into the world of music. If someone that has never touched the piano suddenly plays a couple songs on the Haostaff and realize its something they really enjoy, they'll start getting teachers and learning the grand staff. I think this type of participation is better than no participation at all, because of how daunting the grandstaff is to a complete newbie who just wanted to play city of stars on the piano because it sounded good.

[@RJMx-zz8nq]

Here here well said

[@chigozieobialor1245]

The very fact that it got a patent speaks for itself.

[@whetulloyd6660]

I agree with you

[@diamondngocplayer1740]

Ernie Hao I knew looking and copying won’t teach you how to really play the piano so I thought myself how to read piano sheet 😏

[@andreamarr7213]

All purists defend their field with great tenacity. Legal, scientific, archaeological etc. There is a reason for this and we can all guess as to why that might be. Maybe the same reason my mother would not teach me her kitchen secrets. But, the truth is, these types of "helpers" will bring a greater interest to the field. This will benefit the traditionalists by boosting membership. Those without a deep interest will fall off. But ask any traditional piano teacher about how many of their students refuse to take the lessons once their parents begin to lose control. I know, I had two kids in piano and spent thousands on lessons, only to see them quit as it turned into a battle of wills.

[@johndubchak]

Congratulations, Mr. Hao. This is a great insight you have made and will help many people.

[@e_bw5901]

how to learn the piano in 1 step learn it

[@andrasfogarasi5014]

*slow clap intensifies*

[@QuasarRedshift]

Do you have the sheet music for this? - lol

[@RoadToFuture007]

anonymous how to play the piano in 1 step: play it!

[@Aletta-ThisMoment]

Yes, sit down in front of your piano/keyboard, with a Hao Staff in front of you and you WILL learn it in one step - I have done that and I am still doing it.....whatch my videos, I have learnt all 4 pieces from Hao Staff without the frustration of looking at little lines that all look the same and trying to remember....FACE...ALL COWS EAT GRASS...EVERY GOOD BOY DESERVES FUDGE.. GREAT BIG DOG ....whatever.... you don't need any of that, all you need is to LOOK AND PLACE YOUR FINGER ON THE NOTE YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU ON THE HAO STAFF. IT IS SO EASY!

[@beinanye]

KZbin 0.25 speed!

[@BrittKatSlat]

OH MY GOSH. I am just in tears. Thankyou Mr. Hao!!! I plan on purchasing these books to help me play.

[@trapar1374]

Great video, I've been thinking about getting a yamaha synthesizer for quite a while. You sold me. I love piano music and now I'm going to give it a try.

[@merrissalisabeth]

seems more complicated than the original staff. I'm a music major and I didn't learn to read music until high school. but now that I read music I can play any instrument (I play piano, violin, guitar, dulcimer, and ukulele and percussion). very rewarding to be able to read any music that is put in front of you! imagine doing insane Bach, Chopin, Bartok, and Beethoven analysis. (yay three years of music theory)

[@BlessYourHeart254]

I took lessons for two years as a child but had to discontinue due to finances. Decades later, I’m learning chords like guitar players and not always just reading music, though I do read it when I need to see a particular passage. Thank you sir!

[@mianaomipost9885]

So glad I read the comments and saved 9 minutes of my life!

[@g.anthonis49]

I for one love it. Now my greatest regret is that just recently I signed up for a classical online piano course. Over the past few months I practiced touch typing and though not good by any measure I'm making great strides. Like touch typing I would love to be able to play either the piano or guitar. This is so easy to read that I as a 56 year old with no music experience could play the first few bars of Beethoven's "Für Elise". Ok the 10 minutes may be a stretch but definitely much easier and faster than the other way. Thank you Mr Hao for a great system.

[@honestinsky]

Thank you for this excellent video, much appreciated. Have a nice and peaceful day : )

[@DyzioTheDreamer]

I have been teaching myself how to sightread for some 20 months now and think that the reading/decyphering part is relatively easy. What I am continually grappling with is finding the corresponding keys on the piano (without looking at my hands). Particularly when more notes are played simultaneously, I just can't remember which finger plays which note (important when just one or two notes change while others remain the same). In short, the notation itself is not an issue, proprioception is :-)

[@callahancovington4278]

that amazing feeling of making music from your very own hands

[@danutnistorserban3001]

...Este o notatie de-a-dreptul, FENOMENALA.., - este un produs al unei minti iesite complectamente din comunul ..omenesc..!! Autorul, creatorul, acestui mod de a nota muzica, este cu siguranta un om absolut deosebit, cu o minte de geniu, pur si simplu..!! Desi eu nu stiu prea bine engleza, am reusit sa inteleg imediat (..chiar si unul, ca mine, la 80 de ani !!) si acest lucru spune odata in plus cat de mare si geniala este aceasta noua metoda de a transpune note muzicale pe hartie, la dispozitia unui profan 100%, precum sunt eu (si poate, atatia altii, in lumea asta mare..!!)..!! ...BRAVO, OMULE !! ...ESTI, ABSOLUT, GENIAL !! Cu stima si respect, pentru ca , TU, meriti sa traiesti cel putin 150 de ani !! Dan Nistor, Timisoara, ROMANIA.-

[@cherwynambuter7873]

This system of musical notation is suited only for the most rudimentary music. A piano concerto or any other work requiring most of the 88 keys of the piano in order to be played would be overly laborious to try to read on the Hao staff. It's far simpler to learn to read the 10 lines of the piano staff and then all the keys may represented with 8va signs up or down. I do salute you that you want to help everyone in the world learn to play the piano! A truly laudable goal! However, playing the piano with use of the Hao staff will carry the pianist only so far; once the music becomes complex enough, the pianist will need to begin again at square one and learn a new system of notation: the traditional one, which has been hugely effective for hundreds of years, now. Everyone can learn to read a grand staff! All it takes is steady and diligent attentiveness to the work required, and you can be reading intermediate-level music (at or beyond "Imagine") within a couple of years. Also not mentioned in this talk is the necessity of learning proper playing technique in order to protect from "musicians' injuries" such as tendonities, and to create a round, warm tone. The Hao staff is designed to help people learn to play the piano all by themselves without any outside help. However, this completely ignores the necessity of having a treasure chest of technical equipment and practice techniques in order to become a really good pianist! This proposition is somewhat akin to a TED talk on, "How to teach yourself to play golf in 10 minutes" or "How to teach yourself to swim in 10 minutes." Yes, you can learn the movements in some kind of rudimentary level, but to excel and become a capable, fine player, you need a good teacher. "Imagine" is pretty repetitive and barely involves any technical challenges at all. It's a popular, well-beloved song. A great choice for this TED talk, because it gives everyone in the audience the "warm fuzzies" of hearing a song they love being played well by someone who taught it to himself. Could someone play the famous Chopin Nocturne in Eb, a Bach Prelude and Fugue, or even a Billy Joel waltz found in his collection entitled, "Fantasies and Delusions" by teaching themselves? You need instruction in technique for these! Still, a great goal, and I would LOVE to see everyone in the world playing piano! This sounds like bliss and is a fantastic dream towards which to work!

[@TigerChao]

You don't need to salute this guy. It's commercial. I feel shameful for TeDx.

[@Schodboyblves]

so it's like guitar tabs for piano

[@freedommendoza40]

Yea exactly

[@mohammedboulassel3625]

we call it "Piano Roll"

[@EwanMarshall]

Indeed, it is the way we have used for reproducing piano music automatically for over a century now, originally with punch cards, more recently in MIDI files loaded into digital audio workstations.

[@joeds3775]

This is easier to grasp as theres no ledger lines... or remembering where the clefs start n finnish. Better for the beginner who then can easily transition to the more commonly used system. Brilliant.

[@bmmusic]

congratulations Hao..this system is very good and will help millions of people around the world..thank you..

[@yadoux]

Great you have invented the piano roll ! Steinberg , Avid and all the others thank you very much :)

[@TheDanielKobale]

The Hao Staff method of learning piano is such a great idea and successful!

[@hectorlecast0r]

Well tried, Hao

[@mathieumeneray2990]

Eventhough I don't play the piano (I play the guitar), I think this is way better for beginners and people who just want to play for fun

[@theharry801]

just curious, what type of guitar?? Spanish, Classical, pop etc. Just curious!!

[@mathieumeneray2990]

Folk guitar

[@theharry801]

oh ok. thanks. I play Spanish and classical

[@mathieumeneray2990]

I may buy myself an electric guitar too

[@theharry801]

Mathieu Meneray cool

[@davidharford3873]

Learn 好 to play 鋼琴. But yeah, if you are serious learn the proper grand staff. If you are not serious you can get Synthesia. Also, if you were going to re-invent it you should make it horizontal!

[@punstress]

Just a guess because I never heard of this system before watching this, but I imagine that going vertically is easier to scroll for people used to a computer.

[@this.is.lapc506]

By making it vertical it may cause dizziness. Have you tried playing Stepmania for 2 hours continously?

[@algallego]

Vertical would not play out as well. Music occurs at various rates on a forward progressive timeline, left to right. Many people are accustomed to reading timed events in this fashion, just as we see things progress from a film score, particularly editing software. It progresses in a direction of positive integers along the X-axis because time lapses forward, not in a negative direction, nor along the y axis. The use of the Y axis in music is usually reserved to be an indicator of pitch (high or low). For many, it makes more visual sense this way: notes played in time in a forward progression horizontally, while pitch is indicated vertically.

[@unbreakablealex2732]

Andrés Peña Castillo did you try playing taiko no tatsujin? It goes horizontally and still makes you dizzy after pausing. But it’s actually not making you dizzy, it’s just an optical effect.

[@martinbrookesmusic]

I have really mixed feelings about this. First off, it sounds like an infomercial, which isn't really in the spirit of TED talks. And secondly, it won't produce piano players, let alone pianists, since there's the whole topic of finger strength and dexterity which most certainly can't be learned "in a matter of minutes". Having said that, it seems like a fun way of introducing someone who may never have thought of touching a piano, especially adults, who have less time available, to the idea of piano playing. I started when I was around 4 years old, and it wasn't 'fun' at all. My piano teacher used to whack my knuckles with a ruler if I made a mistake. I have a vivid memory of tears streaming down my face trying to play a C Major scale. Thankfully I persevered, with my mothers encouragement, and finally became self-motivated in my teens. I've now been playing piano for over 50 years and I'm STILL discovering new things technically and harmonically, and I have to say it's not only fun but an absolute joy to be able to express myself through the piano. I encourage anyone who wants to learn piano to just go for it and have fun. If the Hao method works for you, great. It'll put your toe in the water so to speak. And if it makes you want to take it a step further, find yourself a good teacher and enjoy the journey :-)

[@itsallanexperiment9391]

Interesting teaching technique. Adults do this because they can overpower children. If sh knew that wack to the knuckles would be followed by a swift right to her gut, she would've learned to be more inventive.

[@benjwgarner]

No one knows how to make children hate the piano and hate playing music quite like the majority of music instructors out there.

[@bassdewd]

TEDx talks tend to be of lower quality than TED talks, which is why you see infomercials sometimes. Sadly.

[@martinneal5240]

Happy grand staff

[@EnderElohim]

heehhehe yeah i was dissapointed too. i'm learning piano for 5 months now and even my daily practice time is usually 2-3 hours and when i see this 10 minute learning i wonder what he gonna talks about XD And i'm still making tons of mistakes.

[@HiddevanderMaas]

Can you imagine what a book of etudes would look like? It would be a twelve story boulding with this notation. The grand staff is the same thing but simplified.

[@alexandery8508]

how can the grand staff be the simplified?

[@ashcolours]

What's etudes? Forgive me for asking

[@lorenzourbini9527]

@@alexandery8508 the idea Is the same, but instead of one line each key you have to consider both lines and spaces. Five lines of a pentagram contain four spaces. It means at least nine keys.

[@lorenzourbini9527]

@@ashcolours etudes are studies, very difficult Pieces that improve technical abilities. Listen to some Chopin etudes, they are awesome. Ocean, Winter Wind, aeolian harp are my favourites. Enjoy!

[@ashcolours]

@@lorenzourbini9527 thanks for your recommendation. I'll definitely try it

[@TheRadicalCentrist.1776]

OMG, guys, this was tried centuries ago. Granted, for simple pieces for fun, perhaps this works. But it hits a wall fast. After your first year, you'll see the value of the standard notation. You hit the "wall of notes" problem after a certain point.

[@AcessDBpro]

I don't understand all the complaints that this is an "infomercial" as if it were something to be disdained. I learned more from this video about music than I have in most other videos that aren't related to a product. It is obvious that Jeff is very passionate about this subject and his desire for other people to accomplish musical feats they otherwise could not achieve. C'mon, Man!

[@lune-3214]

Precisely. Too many people are getting musicality confused with technicality. Technicality merely a branch of musicality. Sure, mechanics of the musical staff is good to know, of course the Circle of Fifths is fine to remember, but not necessary to create worthwhile music. This is precisely what The Beatles excelled in. Many of their songs aren't demanding, yet appeal all the same. To everyone in the comments section complaining about learning basic music theory, they've completely missed the point. Some people just want to play songs *ON* the piano, not necessarily the piano itself.

[@evhwolfgang2003]

I understand the people saying you should just learn grand staff, but shit man, I just want to learn to play a few songs and have fun. I think some other adults who didn't learn to read music as a child might feel the same way.

[@geeurgay]

I learned to read music when I was 21, what is with this notion that it's hard to learn how to read it?

[@xqin74]

Agree. You can play by ear without reading music.

[@EnderElohim]

yeah but if you use your ear while learning it kind of bad habit because that prevent you to improve your sight reading :D i know that because i find out i have good ear. i even practice with a silent piano to prevent myself hear it so i can keep trap notes with my eyes

[@jeme231]

In fact it is quite easy. As you can see in this particular video, the grand staff is somewhat compressed compared to this "invention", but carries the same information. Take easy steps, start with some simple music and you will learn it in no time. Note - difficult pieces will be difficult no mater how they are written on paper...

[@Aletta-ThisMoment]

Get the Hao Staff....you do not have to learn any notes, because you SEE the notes on which you have to place your fingers, WHAT COULD BE EASIER? and NO, I don't get any kickback from this, I am just frustrated at how judgmental people are when they do not even take the time to investigate before they blast their opinions on here.

[@andrewmelanson]

This man is a genius. People dont like change unfortunately. I still think this is an amazing idea

[@SagangaKapaya]

Powerful insight there.

[@Ultimatewarrior78]

10 minutes of informercial and I still can't play the piano.

[@TheDanielKobale]

Chubby Chaser It’s not a literal 10 minutes and then you can play piano! The talk is 10 minutes long showing how easy it is to learn piano! LOL

[@rogersyversen3633]

its supposed to say learn how to learn how to play the piano

[@Th3os7]

Lol at this comment. 10 minutes and I can't play the piano waaah.. Life isn't about 10 minutes. You don't learn how to walk in ten minutes. You don't learn how to bike in ten minutes. You learn from good teachers. You excel by practicing over and over again.

[@mikemadden2729]

I saw God on 4 hits of acid in 10 seconds. I learned to drive on acid in 10 minutes.

[@Aletta-ThisMoment]

It is silly to mock the video because of the title.... tell me, are you actually chubby and chasing something??? can you see how silly it is to focus on the title and then mock that? why don't you actually try the Hao Staff - I did, and I could read the correct notes IMMEDIATELY, let alone in 10 munites....

[@howtoplaythepianoeasymelod2001]

I think learning how to play the piano makes your life happier , beautiful video!!!!

[@rcfanatic101]

I thought this was going to be something that I've never seen before, but it's basically a piano roll. I guess he was right about playing like a computer.

[@bregtolla]

i like the fact that you helped yourself in such a creative manner to learn the piano, compliments !!! Big up for you to have gone through so much trouble to ' translate' so much music into your piano-language, i'm sure people have benefitted from it. But it is not new, in 1931 " Klavarskribo" was invented (by a man called Cornelis Pot in the Netherlands), it is a vertical version of your 'piano-language'. Check it out Jeff, it' is even easier to learn from than yours because of it's visual understanding. It helped me a lot (back in the days).

[@calebm3728]

this is awesome! I hate sheet music this is just like the way fl studio is set up, this guy makes a lot of sense

[@luiscarlossierpin6205]

Parabéns pela história em ajudar outras pessoas.

[@markkroif4552]

That was your informative article, here are a few more tips on how to play the piano… Try practicing about 1 hour each day, or even 1/2 an hour if you have a busy schedule. Do extra practice whenever you have more time. For example, on weekends you can do more than 1 hour, like two or three, or even more. This is very helpful because it pulls you out of the routine of piano playing, and lets you practice more and perfect the pieces you play. Listen to the song or piano piece you are playing. For example, if you are taking piano lessons and are about to play a new piece, you can try searching on the internet for videos or songs and hear how it sounds. This can be very helpful because it teaches you how a song is played and lets you recognize the 'emotion,' the piece is giving off. Try not to look at the dynamics in a piece, as rules you cannot break. For example, if the piece starts with an 'mp' (mezzo-piano) it only means 'moderately soft' these dynamics don't have specific volume levels. If you are practicing, you don't need to play accordingly and then have a difficulty hearing yourself, you should only play as it tells you when you are actually trying to play it properly. Pay close attention to your mistakes. Don't look at them as a burden, but instead as a pat on the back informing you what to avoid next time. (I learned about these and more on Denelle Piano Lesson website )

[@TranceCore3]

this dude put a patent on the damn piano roll? that's been around for AGES.

[@ejreagan]

He wasn't the only one and he made that clear. Did you see the list of previous patent applicant's?

[@Feffooo]

Me: * Activate subtitle * 0:08 Sub: Intro accompaniment of THE BEATLES "Imagine" Also me: * Loudly have a stroke *

[@remuspierre]

Excellent performance

[@sixpackmusthave8532]

Thank you! Now I know hao to play the piano

[@GarryBurgess]

I found that learning the Grand Staff was time consuming, tedious, and with lots of pain and agony. The only way that I ended up learning was to keep reminding myself that it had very little to do with music, and much more to do with tradition, and the fact that most piano teachers don't know any other way. Even my instructor told me that the goal was to get the music off the paper into your brain as soon as possible, because reading music when you're actually playing it always results in a choppier piece than a piece learned from memory. The traditional music does have the advantage of a much larger support around the world at this point. The big big drawback is that most people tho attempt to learn piano quit and not because they don't like music, or the piano, but because they are having a lot of trouble learning how to read music.

[@hansmuller1846]

But that is the only way possible! Of course you can play by chords and improvise, that is another thing. But reading music is just time consuming and you sometimes fail, also during the piece. But there is no alternative. The problem is, that there are so many possibilities, how music can be played (which key of the many, which rhythm, when is it played, which volume, ....), that you need to have a rather complex system to actually be able to display any piece of music you want. And Hao-Staff is no exception. I am used to the Grand Staff, so that's not much of an issue for me, but the Hao staff will be even more difficult to read, as soon as you play something a little more complex. And since it uses so much space (approximately 2-3 times compared to the Grand Staff), you will need to turn the pages every few seconds. And that is definitely worse.

[@chacononline]

Hans Müller I agree, regular sheet music seems like a better option

[@sighthoundman]

+ Hans Müller Absolutely. In the 1950s the Nashville Number System was developed as a way to write down chords for musicians who couldn't read music (in combination with a lead sheet, so I guess they were supposed to be able to read one note at a time?). Over time it has gotten to be every bit as complex as the traditional music notation system (surprise, surprise: classically trained musicians aren't the only virtuosos performing today) and probably takes longer to learn (there aren't classes). Or maybe not, because you only try to learn when you're getting paid, which tends to make learning faster.

[@konteee]

if u play by tablature or hao staff, you wont understand modulation. for example, on the hao-staff, you dont have the benefit of 1 note having 2 differnet names. for example, Asharp and Bflat.

[@squodge]

I taught myself to read music from a book when I was 13. I was just curious, picked up my sister's music theory book, and learned it in a day. If an average kid like me (30 years ago now) could learn to read music in a day, coming from a non-musical family (my sister was the first to take up music), then clearly it's the learner at fault, not the system. No one forced me or asked me to learn it. I just decided to do it for fun. A few years later, when I turned 18, I took up the piano. My piano teacher was surprised that I could read music despite having no need for doing so. Like I said, if an average person like me can do it, anyone can. I was never an A student... more a B- or C student. It's just hard work and dedication. Going back to Hao Staff... I don't see the point in reinventing the wheel when the existing wheel works perfectly fine. If a 13-year old kid can learn standard notation from a 1980s music theory book, then anyone can. Those who can't, it's because they've already convinced themselves it's too hard - so psychologically they've set themselves up for failure. Learning to read music is actually a hundred times easier than learning to read and write a language. Languages have dozens of letters or abjads. Chinese has thousands of unique characters, yet over a billion people can read and write it fluently. So don't tell me it's impossible to learn standard music notation (which took me a day to learn when I was a kid). There was a time when more than half the world couldn't read or write - a lot of people said it was "too hard to learn". Yet nowadays most people are at least semi-literate. And learning to read and write your own language is seriously far harder than learning to read music. Language has complex grammar and syntax - music notation is always linear, so syntax isn't an issue.

[@ktrifon]

This notation system is much the same as in every sequencer program (like cubase) when you open a midi note window. It is useful and I remember it since 1992. I remember it even in DOS sequencer programs. The only difference is that the notes in sequencers are elongated according to their duration, and this is so useful. So where is his novelty? I think that, simply, at the company he works, they know about patents. Similarly, why don't you go and patent a shoelace or a die? Secondly, this video is more like an advertisement. I don't find it so "worth spreading". Sorry for being bad but that's my opinion, although the first part is not only an opinion. It's a fact.

[@oysteinsoreide4323]

Yes. It is for making money.

[@TheDanielKobale]

ktrifon yes it’s like this in pro tools and logic too. So how he got this patent approved is anyone’s guess!

[@abrahamrivas6142]

Well, this system adds some reading facilities (picked from the notation staff) to a Midi sheet (which isn't really intended to be read): repetition and articulation signs, the fact that a whole note does not need to be represented by a sign sixteen times larger than a sixteenth note... I Think that here lies the idea. And even if I think that these signs won't make much sense to untrained people (who'll raise the most part of the house by intuition), it makes easier to start practicing... only keyboard instruments, ups!

[@Bro1774]

Also fl studio

[@allanjeong]

I like the general is idea of applying a WYSIWYG interface to sheet music so that the music maps onto the piano keyboard. However, the Hao Staff needs to be rotated 90 degrees clockwise so that the staff lines are parallel with the notes on the piano keyboard to make it 100% WYSIWYG. Would have to adapt to reading the music from top-down measure by measure, kind of similar to reading notes in the videos with the falling tiles.

[@fierymongoose9945]

This is like a guy talking about how he invented a rotary phone and it's so much better than touch tone, not even realizing that cell phones exist.

[@effyleven]

This doesn't seem to be any different to Klavarskribo, as invented by the Dutchman Cornelias Pot and in regular use in the Netherlands since 1931. Klavarskribo is a bit cleverer, I think. The stave runs vertically, and the note stems point left or right to tell you which hand to play with. There is a description in Wikipedia, with links to the organisations that exist to keep it Klavarskribo in use and up to date, with a wide range of music regularly published. *I don't know how this guy got himself a patent, since there is so little new in his method.*

[@BartB1986]

Exactly, this is not new. I live in the Netherlands and Klavarskribo was pretty common knowledge back in the days (maybe not in china). Especially if you want to play organ (which was the most popular instrument played in the Netherlands between 1950 until 1970 due the invention of electronic organs!). Also when everything became digital, DAW used visualise MIDI track in a quick overview. I bet DJ Tiesto already used it before he could even patent it.

[@daviddempsey8721]

I'm glad someone else wondered why you'd go to the bother of trying to make a more user friendly interface, but still have it running orthogonal to the keyboard. I note there's an iPhone app which has dots running down the screen toward you that you have to touch to play notes in sequence.

[@LloydsofRochester]

Regarding what Wikipedia has to say about the Klavar entry: "This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed." Please, will someone who knows about Klavar fix that?

[@socratekst1035]

Interesting this guy took Klavarskribo indeed, probably saw it somewhere and thought i can ímagine the people'that it is mine.

[@hans_____]

Thanks, I'm suddenly a master pianist.

[@DeanLawrence_ftw]

literally reinventing the piano roll found in every computer music sequencer for decades.

[@gurlgenius11]

Learn "hao" ? OMG. HAO, you're a genius!

[@Dolmio24]

I'm 26 and I started learning how to play Piano just over a month ago, a month ago I couldn't read sheet music and a month later I learned how to play Bach Prelude in C Major just by reading the sheet music. It took me a long time ( About 2 weeks learning a few measures a day ) because the method book I am using is currently keeping me in a C position so I was slowly figuring out what keys I want to be on using my current knowledge of the grand staff. God I hope I don't curse myself when I say this, I am only just over a month into my piano journey and hopefully I will continue for many years and I can only imagine reading sheet music becoming more and more easier as I expose myself to it more and challenge myself with more elaborate pieces. I'm not trying to shoot this guy down but literally the grand staff makes perfect sense in relation to the piano. I don't think I'm talented and I don't particularly believe in talent with the exception of a few cases, I just started learning one note at a time.

[@SteveHazel]

not sure why you needed to invent it when it was one of the first notation systems used by PCs back in the 80s and by player pianos back in the 20s or earlier. It's used in every midi sequencer on the market. Piano players can't stand it because it lacks a lot of things standard notation has and piano players require. (dynamics, fingering, chord symbols, accents, 8va, 8vb, all the textual notes). I'm surprised you were able to patent a system that exists...

[@SteveHazel]

Oh ok. So you're just printing standard notation on a weird staff. Your website shows very few examples. Show me Claire De Lune and I'll decide if it's worthwhile. Does not yet meed Hazel Office approval as people still need to learn the entire rhythm format of standard notation which can be pretty brutal.

[@SteveHazel]

ok, that's what i thought. So that's one bar. How many pages for the whole song? :) Nobody "just knows" the rhythms in Clair de Lune. They are intricate and unusual. And very often just butchered. Rhythm is the most important aspect of music.

[@SteveHazel]

Well, ok. I'm an unprofessional piano player. Been playing for a while. I've put Clair on my plate to learn and spent many months on it, but can't quiiiite get it fluent and up to speed. I'll get it some day, though. I'm a computer programmer first and piano player second. I don't like standard notation at all. Due to being a computer programmer I like to see things codified in the best possible way. My attempt is over on pianocheetah.com but not too many other people get into it. Which is cool by me, it's primarily for me. So home player, not a teacher at all. Had a teacher for a while but not currently although I'm TRYing to find a decent one that I can learn from as well as my (well she was my third teacher). I think rhythm definitely comes from the notation first. Otherwise it's just a pale imitation of what could be. Anyways, I'm trying to cram everything good about standard notation into piano roll notation. And I like my progress so far. Including showing durations on a beat grid. And constant recording so if you get a good take, it's right there so save. And having the score go by at MY tempo. Anyways, that's Steve in a nutshell for ya. I think your notation is generally ok for beginners. But don't think it goes far enough away from standard notation as standard notation's rhythm notation is, well, in my opinion, umm, terrible. Good luck in your project.

[@zack_120]

Stephen Hazel ,>> Great effort, waiting for your products! Whichever is better, yours or Hao's, innovation is good. In theory, the traditional music staff notation system could be modified for simlicityband easiness to read and play given today's powerful technology and the fact that it has been hundreds of years without major updates. Congrats your idea and hope for its fruitarian!

[@fernando5208]

I am also surprised he was able to patent such a common sense notation that has been around for decades.

[@craighoyer6543]

The late Seattle jazz bassist/architect Chuck Metcalf invented a graphic chord notation system. Instead of writing A min (maj 13), for example, he wrote an A----. Attached to the long dash were three line segments that extended up, representing the 3rd, 5th, and 7th of the chord, and three line segments that extended down representing the 9th, 11th, and 13th. If the chord tone is altered from the major (Ionian) Chuck put a curl at the end of the the vertical line segment either to the left for flatted chord tones or to the right for sharpened chord tones. So, for A min (maj 13), the third is lowered so the line segment rises from the left side above the dash and curls to the left; the fifth is natural so the center line segment on the long dash is vertical; the seventh is natural so the top right side line segment is also vertical. The 9th degree is natural so its line segment descends straight down from the left side of the long dash, the 11th is natural so it descends from the center of the long dash, and the 13th is natural, so the line segment extends straight down from the right side of the long dash. Chuck used this system on a jazz piece that had lots of diatonic extensions, suspensions and substitutions where standard chord notation was not quite as clear.

[@Calligraphy-dilipaweeratunga13]

Wow ,he is the one who invented that staff. I did find it easier to play scores on the piano because I understood what was the fundamental idea.

[@fpham8004]

As someone who started playing piano as an adult and tried many methods and visual representation I must say that this really falls into re-inventing the wheel category. At the end I found out that all the alternative methods are just waste of time that could be spent learning the darn staff notation in first place. There are also hundreds of books in the fake book category that have just a solo line plus chords - ideal for an adult beginner, really easy to learn read one liner staff and memorize few chords.

[@buuzzsawtouchedme194]

+Farty Pants, yeah but just remember that Hao's way is designed to get you going, the idea is when you are ready you can move onto real musical notation. Also there are is a lot missing from his music, such as the correct tempo etc, so the only way his music works is by hearing the music first (knowing the song by memory) then following his Hao's music notation. I'm not sure how far into learning the Piano you are, but saying "I found out that all the alternative methods are just waste of time" is completely dumb. Also, slightly off topic now, but I myself am living proof that anyone (if they really want to) can learn Piano, I have failed to learn every instrument (don't get me started on string instruments) and I kind of got into Piano as a last resort as I really wanted to prove to myself that I can learn to play an instrument. My Boss told me that she was a Pianist, and that she said I should give it a go since I love typing, I promised myself I would learn at least 1 thing per day on Piano, I promised myself not to get frustrated and give up, not even failing to read music over and over again put me off, I just went through book after book, tutorial vid after tutorial vid where I picked up bits and pieces on how to play, and 5 years later I type this as a grade 6 Piano player. P.S. So trust me, If I can learn to read music, then anybody can.

[@kevincozens6837]

The sheet music that shows the solo line and chords are called lead sheets. Using lead sheets is a system that Scott Houston (aka. "The Piano Guy") uses in his system of learning to play piano in 3 steps.

[@pinkfloyddwc]

Interesting idea, although maybe a week of dedicated study is enough to get used to finding the notes from the grand staff. Plus seeing a line through the note is a great tool for quickly identifying what's going on...

[@escobarlopez14]

Yes because Bethoven, Lud wig Mozart, chopin, and all these music masters dedicated only 10 min of their lifes to their masterpieces still covered to this day.....

[@perseohernandez755]

I come from sheet music reading, and at first sight it seems to me a little difficult to follow, but I´m not a young boy anymore, and I think it has to do with people´s first piano steps to learn this beautifull instrument.

[@Asalakademiadana]

i hope i will play piano after ten minutes but i didnt

[@lancebaker1374]

Listen again. He said TEN YEARS!!!!

[@windbreaker57]

I heard, "ten fingers".

[@thewordofgog]

Yes but unfortunately in the video title it says 10 mins

[@03toyotacorolla]

i had everything set-up and i feel like a jackass now. also mad at myself for even thinking i could really learn how to play beethoven in ten minutes.

[@musicbox5108]

Yes you can. I can teach you 8 keys to make a small little song in less than 10 mins actually. But the title actually should be changed, because most people think they will "master" the piano in 10 mins, but what he mean is you will learn much much faster, because you don't have to learn how to read music.

[@sandrok.distilo9988]

it's something like guitar's tabs.. clever ;)

[@johnperez822]

I’ve played piano for 12 years and learned to read the grand staff in elementary. This is a nice way for people who aren’t as serious but I still think the grand staff is optimal

[@ohiorizzler1434]

A good idea to introduce people to sheet music, but it is really necessary to switch to standard staves later on. The information density is not that high for this system, but is very practical. Jeff Hao had created an incredible concept, but there might be some issues in the study of music to address. The only such issue I think of is that technique and note-playing complexity will be put out of parallel.

[@joelin3049]

Is it just me or else, I find this so called 'Hao Staff' as complicated as if not more than the traditional one!

[@MrGuitarguitarguitar]

Go watch Adam Neelys "Why You Shouldn't Use Tab"

[@izzyh.3581]

Music is music. Let people who want to play however they want to. It's not a disaster, it's not harming anybody and everyone who hears it will be pleased.

[@Infinity-ns2yl]

It's an amazing story, too. I am moved at the end.

[@mattjordan6419]

Genius

[@morbid1.]

Many musicians forget that most people don't want to be professionals, just like you play basketball with friends and have fun you don't aspire to be next Jordan or any NBA star, just want to play for fun and this looks like method to play piano for fun, self improvement, passion for music or hobby. Everywhere you find elitist who think there is only one true way to do something is right - just ignore them :D

[@squodge]

I'm not sure your analogy works. If I want to play basketball for fun, I still need to learn basic techniques in order to play... even for fun.

[@PianoMixes]

Epic!

[@jelowo9877]

This doesn't looks simpler to me... it may just be because I've always used sheet music but it looks annoying to read because of how spread out it is.

[@mateuszkubala1800]

Jeannie Zhao Exactly, it's too spread out.

[@xqin74]

This Hao notation is wasting papers.

[@kickyerass]

NO!! This is simpler... for SIMPLER minds. Those who do not possess the ability to utilize reason. People who failed coloring in elementary school. The same people who ate way too much white paste in the first grade. And lead paint at home off the windowsills.

[@vaskylark]

Thank you for this. This is the ONLY Ted talk i found remotely helpful and more than interesting. Bunch of whiners and complainers in comments below which is sad. Not sure why they call it infomercial since every single Ted talk I've seen is one big pat self on the back for being so awesome and inventive, this one is a breath of fresh air compared to the rest.

[@fuseteam]

Hmm I wonder what the 'hao staff' does with higher/lower octaves If that is handled, a lot of music could be turned into animations which could lower the entry barrier to piano

[@CedricMialaret]

A perfect illustration of why the patent system is completely broken

[@TheLolman44]

Congratulations you invented the piano roll

[@remuspierre]

Good advice

[@moisesromo]

Click bait alert! Took me 11 minutes!

[@simba9857]

Omg, he made a piano roll in excel

[@user-lp2mq8dz5w]

There is no shortcut to learn piano but PRACTICE!

[@Subjohny]

I can't read any notes and start learn piano around 35. I was able to learn Chopin C-Sharp minor using Synthesia! I recommend everyone! All it takes is to keep practicing 1 hour a day which is difficult sometimes! Too many distraction on your way! So I put notes on a walls in my house - "play 1 hour a day!" and it helps a lot!

[@clanculariusmortem5687]

Loved the imagine parody at the beginning

[@nichttuntun3364]

If you really want to learn an instrument to express yourself through it ... you will be realizing doing so on a certain level it will take you years (being diligent you can achieve a good foundation to build on in the first year of practice). To become quite good in groove/ swing, emotional playing, improvisation and such you will have to work very hard for years. No matter what anyone tries to sell you. I encourage you to spent those years..it is a fantastic thing to do, something like learning and practicing ZEN/ meditation. It´s a way. If you just want to sound stiff or like a machine (even some highly celebrated praised asian concert pianists sound like machines), and having absolutely no idea what you are actually doing on the piano keyboard and why and what you can do to play things which are on your mind freely and evolve from that state ... yes you can do it the way this advertising video suggests. No one ever who is compassionated with music will be impressed by such results. Not at all. But if you belong to category 1 don´t even think about option 2 because as I said to really become a good musician it takes years practicing with the instrument, learning musical theory and playing together with other people. I encourage you to invest in these years, it is so rewarding. And every other spent 10 minutes in your progress are nothing but a waste of time and money.

[@aidaflores613]

Good idea!

[@calebjoseph3508]

As much a classical purists hate this idea, I think it is a good one. If people who were really interested in playing music that uses the entire piano, they can learn how to use the common staff. But for those who want to have fun or learn pop songs or whatever that only uses 20 or so different notes, this works perfectly fine

[@XMan-iv7ir]

one has to get pain in order to see the beauty of playing piano.

[@lancebaker1374]

"...went on to play many original works of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin" Are there any un-original works by these composers???

[@alexismandelias]

Sure this helps. For the beginners. Playing advanced pieces, whose notes are in the span of many octaves, like fur Elise and moonlight sonata, especially 3rd movement, requires the ability to read a lot of information as easily and as fast as possible. The notation you show in the video has so much hight, that it can be hard to read all the notes at a glance. Moreover, this sheet has no space for articulations and ornaments. I'd like to hear your thoughts

[@AmbiCahira]

I think people get offended by new ways because it feels like the old treasured way will disappear. Two methods can coexist and we are all different people that learns different ways and this could definitely help my brain understand it better, so why refuse something that works for some people? Why rob people of the opportunity?

[@likeluptid]

What if you present the Hoa Staff to an orchestra? Hoa is thinking only of the piano, but the Grand Staff is universal, so that every part of the orchestra are on the same page.

[@yedoadouxparis4214]

Congratulations you've just invented the Piano Roll !

[@leona4701]

Wow I took 8 years of piano lessons and still can't play

[@firepyro66]

this video should be called "hao to waste 10 minutes of your life watching a video"

[@danielbeloglovski2979]

great! And thanks for saving me 10 minutes

[@ART-wz8mp]

No actually it was knowledge!!

[@Jacob1974ra]

ur bad Jaco salv

[@yousnoozeyouloze]

@JBoy Advance What was funny and interesting about this? Nothing at all for anyone serious about learning piano. I checked out his website, where there's a trial pack, and then each song costs $7.50. There's also a link where you can learn hao to to read his transcriptions in 3 minutes. Um, that's why I clicked on this youtube video, but instead got an advertisement.

[@C.D.J.Burton]

I'll save everyone a bit of time here. The easy way to do what he's saying is to download a free demo of Cubase, FL Studio, Logic etc. Then, download a midi (.midi) file of the song you want to play. Open the midi file with the software you chose and then open the "Piano roll" window to view the notation pretty much exactly as his spreadsheet looks. But better. Buy a midi keyboard (cheaper but just a controller, no sounds on it) plug it in via USB and play a whole bunch of different sounds the software e.g. Cubase has to offer.

[@sjohnson9403]

Ca wait to try it! Both my kids have music education. Now my turn! I hooe you have "Havana by Camilla Cabello"! I just want to play the tunes from Ellen or late night show. Thanks for making this video!

[@octubnowuke901]

If you do t eant to go deep into it, i recommend this video sgain and again.