Tutorial: Learn Your First Song on the Piano
Favorite Song 101
Learn piano fundamentals and your favorite song in 6 weeks or less.
Imagine playing your favorite song
on the piano both hands together…
Then taking those skills to learn new songs…
That’s what you’ll learn in Favorite Song 101
It's painful learning pointless music
Imagine going into your first piano lesson. You’re excited. Finally you’re going to see what it feels like to make music.
You sit at the piano. You’re teacher smiles and mutters something about “Middle C.” And then… by the end of the lesson you’ve learned “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
And your heart sinks. I guess your dream to play “real” music on the piano is just gonna have to wait a month – or maybe a year(s)…
I can relate to the pain. For the first seven years I hated to practice piano. It was so bad that my parents even asked me if I wanted to quit in 7th grade.
The bottom line is that beginner pianists get stuck playing boring music.
And as a result so many students give up!
Does this sound familiar?
Many beginner pianists want to play modern songs that they are familiar with already… But run into one of these barriers.
Playing two hands is too hard – better to play one. Without good instruction it is soo hard to play both hands at the same time. Aaand, you’re back to plunking out Mary Had a Little Lamb with your right hand.
My teacher wants me to be a prodigy – 30min/day learning scales should do it, right? Often the student wants to learn piano to enjoy the ride. But if the teacher wants to mould you into the next mozart you’ll be playing scales until you fall asleep at the keys.
Youtube is telling me to learn 100 different things! As you binge-watch one youtube video after another you end up more confused than when you started.
I “don’t have enough time” to learn. You’re told you have to learn scales, the staff, note durations, chords, the circle of fifths, etc… woah, that’s going to take way too long!
Demoralized the student can either quit, or slog along barely making progress (like I did for 7 years!)
A better way?
There has to be a better way, right? Introducing Favorite Song 101, where beginner pianists learn to play a favorite song on the piano in 6 weeks or less. Because you should be able to…
- Learn your favorite music – so that you have a goal that actually means something to you.
- And do it in a matter of weeks, not years – which allows you to dodge the frustration and boredom of slow progress.
- All while learning piano fundamentals – So you can transfer your skills to learning other music.
What if you could be jammin’ on the piano in a matter of weeks - not years?
Meaningful goal = happy Student
So why teach students their favorite song? I’ve found that learning a favorite song is powerfully motivating and meaningful to students:
That you worked individually with us to help us create our own song as the culminating event of the course (with the freedom to put our own touches to it) was such a gift to us!
Heidi W.
I was shocked at the level that I could play my final project. The final project put everything that I had learned into one chosen piece. It all came together for me, chords, melody, tempo, and playing form... The course really has made an impact on my musical ability.
Todd W.
The secret to learning piano quickly
It can, but here’s the fast way to learn music…
Music has two elements. Melody which is the main part, and harmony which is supporting part usually written as chords.
Work on these two elements with razor sharp focus. Then you’ll be able to pick up your favorite tunes in a matter of weeks.
For example the melody is on the treble clef below and the chords are above the staff.
This is known as a “lead sheet” and it is popular among jazz musicians. By learning lead sheets students learn all the basics:
- Playing chords
- Reading notes on the treble clef
- Playing with good rhythm
Why lead sheets are better than sheet music...
Here are two examples of “Ode To Joy” by Beethoven. The lead sheet is so much simpler to read than the sheet music. Which would you prefer to learn as a beginner?
Sheet Music (Ode to Joy)
Lead Sheet (Ode to Joy)
Good System = Good Results
When you follow a tested system, the results follow. Here’s what helped my past students succeed.
HW
6 weekly HW assignments. This will break up the task into actionable steps.
A Favorite Song
Receive an arrangement of a favorite song that matches your ability. It’s no fun learning music that’s too challenging or too boring!
Daily Practice Plan
A daily practice plan to keep you on track.
Throughout the six week course you'll learn...
- Learn the treble clef in several days using the “landmark system.”
- Quickly create the building blocks of music - chords - by learning them as shapes and formulas.
- Play stead rhythms with something I call the "two measure scrub."
- Stop robotic playing by beautifully arranging your chords.
- And so much more!
Favorite Song 101
Learn your favorite song on the piano in six weeks or less.
- 28 video lessons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Value $197)
- 6 weeks of daily practice plans. . . (Value $97)
- Arrangement of a favorite song. . . (Value $97)
- Email support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Value $47)
- 6 weekly HW assignments . . . . . . . (Value $47)
A course like this could go for $400+.
And I’ll probably bump the price up to $97 soon…
Today’s price: $47
Because it bothers me that so many beginners want to play meaningful music. Yet they’re stuck playing boring music. I want to change that!
Created by a frustrated beginner turned music lover.
Hello, Julian Harnish here. I’ve played piano for 20 years and received a piano performance degree in college. I’ve written scripts for PBS – Sound Field, a YouTube based music channel. And I’ve started a piano blog where I get thousands of visitors a month.
But I used to hate practicing piano. As I said earlier, my parents even asked me if I wanted to quit. Then my teacher slid some music that I actually enjoyed in front of me. I started practicing – a lot, and made some massive improvements.
That got me thinking… Why don’t we start teaching students the piano with the music they already love? What’s the point in playing music if they don’t even enjoy it?
Now through Favorite Song 101 I have been able to teach my students to learn their favorite tunes on the piano.
But, I wanted to make Favorite Song 101 extra special…
What makes Favorite Song 101 unique?
Hand-crafted arrangement. No other course that I know of, actually handcrafts an arrangement for students. It’s important to me that each student gets the personalization they need.
Students play both melody and harmony…
Many other courses focus just on learning chords, without adding in a melody line.
If you only learn chords, its hard to tell one song from another.
If you only learn melody, it sounds incomplete.
In Favorite Song 101 is the full package – you’ll put them both together!
Inside The Course
Program Steps
- Week 1: Play just chords of familiar tunes. Work on hand independence.
- Week 2: Crash course in reading the melody line on the staff.
- Week 3: Play melody and chords together.
- Week 4: Work on arrangement patterns that brings the music to life.
- Week 5: Receive an arrangement of your favorite song (created by instructor).
- Week 6: Submit recording of your favorite song.
I’m interested… Could I test drive it first?
Good point! I wouldn’t want to buy a piano until I played it a bit – actually better to play it a lot first…
So that’s why I offer my students a 30-day money-back guarantee from date of purchase. You can try the course, and if it’s not your cup of tea, that’s fine – I’m happy to refund. That said, I am excited by all that you will learn if you take the plunge and make it to the finish line :).
Watch the student journey
Testimonials
"The course was not super time-consuming, but enough guidance that I learned a TON. And, it's mostly done at your own pace. I was able to pick up a handful of tunes with just 20 minutes of practice a few times a week."
Jake K.
It was impossible NOT to achieve music mastery over each small step we were instructed to explore. Whether it was about making the music or even how to go about a practice schedule on HOW to make music.
Heidi W.
Favorite Song 101
Learn your favorite song on the piano in six weeks or less.
- 28 video lessons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Value $197)
- 6 weeks of daily practice plans. . . (Value $97)
- Arrangement of a favorite song. . . (Value $97)
- Email support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Value $47)
- 6 weekly HW assignments . . . . . . . (Value $47)
A course like this could go for $400+.
And I’ll probably bump the price up to $97 soon…
Today’s price: starts at $47
Curious? Here's what you may be wondering...
What if I don’t like the course?
I’m sorry to hear that! That said, I have a full refund policy within 30 days of purchasing the course so you can get started learning the piano risk free.
What if I don’t have much music experience?
If you’re a beginner with none to several years experience then this course is for you! If you can already play chords and/or read sheet music, then the course may be too basic.
What if I don’t have enough time to learn piano?
I designed this course to fit into people’s already busy schedules. I did my best to cut out all the fluff leaving only the skills you need to learn your favorite song. There are daily practice plans that should take about 15-30 minutes to complete over 6 weeks.
Think about it this way. Could you stop watching one episode on Netflix each night for the next month and a half? If so, then you can learn your favorite song on the piano!
Am I too old/too young for Favorite Song 101?
The course is for anyone 11+. Some of my best students were at retirement age.
Can I learn any song?
Through a 3rd party I have instant access to legally arrange over 2 million songs. Students send me a list of 3 of their favorite songs. If I can’t secure the rights, we’ll continue to coordinate until we can!
What equipment do I need?
The only equipment you need are:
- a tablet or computer
- a keyboard or acoustic piano
Ideally the keyboard is weighted, has 50 or more keys, and comes with a damper pedal.
Is this course too hard?
Learning any instrument comes with challenges. In Favorite Song 101 I will teach you to play chords and melody at the same time. This is no simple task. Yet if you are consistent, and follow a detailed plan, I’m sure you’ll see massive progress like my other students.