Keyboard & Piano Course

A musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the interval of an octave. Depressing a key on the keyboard causes the instrument to produce sounds, either by mechanically striking a string or tine (piano, electric piano, clavichord); plucking a string (harpsichord); causing air to flow through a pipe (organ); or strike a bell (carillon). On electric and electronic keyboards, depressing a key connects a circuit (Hammond organ, digital piano,synthesizer). Since the most commonly encountered keyboard instrument is the piano, the keyboard layout is often referred to as the "piano keyboard."

Master the basics of Keyboard technique and chord voicing and gain an understanding of more advanced concepts including blues progressions and playing three part chords in this 12-week course. Through exercises that explore the interpretation of lead sheets and chord symbols, the dolce music institute Keyboard Method will help you to improve your performance, harmonic vocabulary, and composition/arranging skills. By the end of the course you will be able to improvise over a lead sheet while comping chords with their appropriate voicing.

By the end of this course, you will:

• Understand how to read treble clef, bass clef and play simple melodies on the grand staff

• Understand accidentals and play the black keys on the keyboard

• Increase your ability to read and play different notes simultaneously

• Understand and play melodies with major and minor triads in right hand

• Understand voice leading triads

• Understand a lead sheet and play chords and bass with left hand

• Add three-part chords to your playing

• Understand altered 9ths, 13ths and Blues progressions

Electric KeyBoard Content

Lesson 1: Treble Clef

• Treble clef notes related to keyboard

• Right hand keyboard fingering numbers

• Moving 5-note one hand position to various locations within treble clef

• Playing a simple treble clef notated melody with right hand

Lesson 2: Bass Clef

Bass clef notes related to keyboard

• Left hand keyboard fingering numbers

• Moving 5-note one hand position to various locations within bass clef

• Playing a simple bass clef melody with the left hand

Lesson 3: Grand Staff

• Grand staff notes related to keyboard

• Moving both hands to various 5-note positions on the grand staff

• Playing simple one line melodies with both hands in octaves

• Playing simple one line melodies switching hands and clefs

Lesson 4: The Black Keys/Accidentals

• The black keys of the keyboard - their significance and location

• Moving hand positions around which include accidentals creating major/minor tonalities

• Playing simple one line melodies in octaves which include accidentals

• Playing simple one line melodies switching clefs which include accidentals

Lesson 5: Independence between Hands

• Studies to Increase the Ability to Read and Play Different Notes Simultaneously

• Rhythmic Independence Studies

• Playing Two Notes Simultaneously in One or Both Hands

Lesson 6: Major and Minor Triads

• Major and Minor Triads in Root Position

• Inversions of Major and Minor Triads

• Melodies with Major and Minor Triads in the Right Hand

Lesson 7: Voice Leading Triads

• Diatonic Triads

• Voice-Leading the I IV V Progression

• The I VI II V I Diatonic Progression

• Voice Leading the I VI II V I Progression

Lesson 8: Left-Hand Chord Playing

• Voice Leading Left-Hand Chords

• The Lead Sheet

• The Left Hand as Both Chords and Bass

Lesson 9: IIm7 V7 Imaj7 Left-Hand Shells

• The IIm7 V7 Imaj7 Progression

• Left-Hand Shells

• Using Left-Hand Shells to Support Right Hand Activity

Lesson 10: Using the 3rd and 7th of the IIm7, V7, Imaj7

• Finding and Voice Leading the 3rd and 7th

• Using the 3rd and 7th in the Right Hand with Left- Hand Bass

• Using the 3rd and 7th to Support Melody

Lesson 11: Three-Part Chords

• Adding the 9th and 13th to the Dominant 7th

• Adding sus 4 to the Dominant 7th

• Comping Patterns Using Three-Part Chords

• Using Three-Part Chords in the Left Hand to Support Melody

Lesson 12: Altered 9ths, 13ths, and Blues Progressions

• The Altered 9th

• The Altered 13th

• The Extended IIm7, V7, Imaj7 Progression

• The Extended Dominant Progression

• The Blues Progression

Dolce Music Institute

Dolce Music Institute is a premier western music school in Hyderabad, India. Founded by a skilled musician Alexander in 1999,it caters over 400 students every year and is regarded as one of the best music institutes in Hyderabad with a highly experienced and qualified faculty.The emphasis is not just on individual performance but also on ensemble playing, aural development and musical appreciation. Courses for Western classical instrumental training, Piano, Keyboard, Acoustic/Electric Guitar, Bass Guitar, Violin, Music Theory, Songwriting and specialized courses like Flamenco,Jazz and Blues Guitar outlines are catered. Classes are generally held on a one to one basis. The students can also give Certification exams for Classical music from The Trinity college of London, The London college of Music and The Associate Board of Royal School of Music.

As each day dawns, new challenges await. In this changing scenario, it is quite imperative for us to train our youth to stand aloft in this age of cut-throat competition. Within a short period,the institute has been successful in spreading its wings. This would not have been possible without the incredible support of students, staff members & other generous members of the society. Apart from the regular classes, several workshops by visiting artists and other musicians are also regularly conducted which provide musical interaction for the students. Periodic pupil’s concerts and other events help to develop the performance skills of the students.

The school has put a special focus on its website by providing many add on services through it. Students and other visitors can now interact with each other and share information on the website. People can request for chords or tabs of particular songs which are posted in due time. Students and visitors can also sell and buy music instruments (brand new and second hand) on the website. The website also gives latest happening events in and around Hyderabad. Also the school regularly posts new informational articles on music (general and technical) to help young musicians. The website also helps the budding musicians by providing them a platform to promote their music by uploading songs on the website.

Our Mission

• To provide a platform for musically inclined people to get formal but personalized training in western music.

• To constantly innovate in our methods of teaching.

• To become the one stop solution for any service related to music in the country.

• To nurture talents, give them professional skills and develop their creative potential for successful careers in music.

• To promote values and well being through music.