I was 14, drumming in a dilapidated German disco on a church mission trip. My fellow musicians, twice my age, effortlessly wove blue scales and riffs into our songs. It was musical wizardry.
That night changed everything for me. I’d been trapped, playing only the chords on the page. Now I knew there was more.
Years of slow progress followed. I’d sit at the piano, searching for those elusive sounds, and every so often I’d find a chord or two I could throw in.
Elevate Your Sound & Confidence with Root Position Chords
Ever wish your piano playing could sound richer and more dynamic without extra effort? This week’s video is all about making that happen with root position power chords. I’ll guide you through a simple adjustment that can transform your sound, especially in fast songs. It’s a quick and easy way to add depth and versatility to your playing.
Check out the video here to see how root position power chords can elevate your music, and give it a try in your next practice session!
As always, if you have any questions or thoughts, just hit reply—I’m here to help and would love to hear from you.
Dan
Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help you:
1. Interested in FREE piano lessons or know someone who would be? Signup here to get started! Additionally, I’ll share weekly actionable advice to enhance your music skills + elevate your musical journey! 🙌
2. Work with me 1:1 to build out your personalized plan for achieving your musical goals!
Effortless Techniques to Add Depth to Your Playing
Imagine sitting down at your piano, hands ready, and without even moving your hand much, you’re suddenly producing rich, powerful sounds that make you feel like a pro.
In today’s video, I’ll show you three simple yet effective techniques to accomplish this:
1. Start with a power chord based on 2nd Inversion: This gives your chord a strong foundation.
2. Outline the Chord Using the power chord as Your Base: Build around it to add depth.
3. Play Multiple Notes with Your Thumb: A slight adjustment can create fascinating voicings.
Watch the video to see these techniques in action, and start adding these power chords to your playing today!
And hey, if you’ve got any questions or just want to chat about what you’ve learned, hit reply—I’d love to hear from you.
Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help you:
1. Interested in FREE piano lessons or know someone who would be? Signup here to get started! Additionally, I’ll share weekly actionable advice to enhance your music skills + elevate your musical journey! 🙌
2. Work with me 1:1 to build out your personalized plan for achieving your musical goals!
Last week, I mentioned I’d be sharing how to play powerchords, so here it is! I put together a quick video to show you how powerchords work, and in this example, you’ll see how they can be played over any bass note in the key of A.
Check out THIS VIDEO and start adding these powerful chords to your playing TODAY!
If you have any questions or just want to chat about what you’ve learned, hit reply—I’d love to hear from you!
Dan
Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help you:
1. Interested in FREE piano lessons or know someone who would be? Signup here to get started!Additionally, I’ll share weekly actionable advice to enhance your music skills + elevate your musical journey! 🙌
2. Work with me 1:1 to build out your personalized plan for achieving your musical goals!
Unlock the secret to boosting your speed and confidence on the piano with this simple yet powerful technique
In this post, I’m going to show you how to easily play fast piano songs with one simple tweak to your playing.
Playing fast songs is a skill that will immediately open up your song options while also boosting the energy in any room you’re playing. Imagine the confident feeling of playing upbeat songs while having total control, plus adding new rhythms to your playing.
Unfortunately, many musicians struggle with fast songs due to never taking the time to work out one of the many creative options available to them.
You’re working too hard to play fast songs
When you play a fast song you might find yourself tensing up or not having a plan for how to perform the song. Meanwhile, your brain & hands are doing their best to keep up with the chords coming at them.
Instead of just trying to gut it out and play faster or barely getting by and feeling less confident in your playing, let’s try a new technique that can open up numerous options for you, such as:
fun & interesting rhythms
new chord voicings
fuller sounds + space for others to play
increased strength
time to think ahead in every song
Step 1: Learn power chords
Power chords are game-changers and the beginning of improving how you play fast songs.
You might be asking – what is a power chord? For this, we’re going to borrow from our guitar friends as this chord type is one they’re very accustomed to playing (and why should they have all the secret musical knowledge?).
A power chord typically consists of just two notes: the root note and the fifth note of the key in which you’re playing. You can also add an octave of the root note to this chord, making it three total notes being played.
Ex: If you have a s song in the key of C, your main power chord will be C – G – C. Try playing this in your right hand. If that’s too big of a stretch for your hand, simplify by playing C – G, as this will also work.
Step 2: Why use power chords?
The structure of a power chord makes it sound strong and full. It’s technically a very simple chord and one which doesn’t include the third note. So, its beauty is that it can be used as a major OR minor chord.
But why is this so important? It can immediately reduce your hand movement, which not only conserves your energy but also increases your precision and speed. This gives you the opportunity to add in different rhythms and to play the piano percussively.
It also allows you to take up less “sonic space” in a song because your chords are more open, leaving room for the rest of the band to play without muddying up the sound.
Step 3: Begin using power chords
You’ve already seen one example of a power chord (C – G – C). Now pull up a fast song that you’d like to play. Find the key of your song, identify the 1 chord of that key, convert it into a power chord.
So, if your fast song is in the key of A, your 1 chord would be an A. Normally you’d play the 1 chord of A as A – C# – E, but you want to convert it to a power chord. Remember a power chord is the 1st note, the fifth note, and the octave above the 1st note. So, in the key of A this would give you a power chord of A – E – A.
It sounds almost too simple to be useful or even good, but try playing through your song using that chord. Can you hear the strength of it? Even better, try playing through your entire fast song by holding that power chord in your right hand and only moving your left hand/bass note for the chord changes.
The song might not sound exactly correct, but give it a try. This will stretch your ear & creative muscles, prepare you for how we’ll expand this idea next week, plus you might be surprised to hear it works better than you imagined.
Next week, I’ll provide you with a few short video examples of how to turn the power chord into one of your new favorite go-tos during uptempo songs. Play around with it this week, and I can’t wait to show you some more tips & tricks to keep growing your skills!
Dan
Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help you:
1. Interested in FREE piano lessons or know someone who would be? Signup here to get started! Additionally, I’ll share weekly actionable advice to enhance your music skills + elevate your musical journey! 🙌
2. Work with me 1:1 to build out your personalized plan for achieving your musical goals!
I didn’t want to hold anything back about the potential of the Setlist System. You see, once I implemented this planning into services and live shows, the bands I’ve played in started getting invited back for numerous gigs & services. In fact, there’s a large Christmas show my friends and I have been playing for the past ten years thanks to this system. Creating setlists might seem like a boring topic, but it’s a powerful and under-valued tool for performing musicians. Don’t overlook its importance!
While there are solid tools like Planning Center Online and the Onsong App for compiling setlists and displaying song charts, there aren’t many tools for building setlists crafted around moments. That’s why, over the past few months, I’ve been training an AI bot to do just that.
Here’s my step-by-step guide to getting started with Live Show Bot (AI):
Step 1: Remember, Live Show Bot is simply a tool.
Compile ideas or tweak anything you don’t like.
Step 2: Ask it to ‘explain how you work’.
It will provide you with the features it currently contains.
Step 3: Have fun testing & playing with it!
Ex: Give it a theme, moments you’d like to build, keys of songs you want to sing in, or a phrase or Bible verse that the service is about.
Step 4: Be detailed & specific.
It’s a work in progress, so the more clarity you provide, the better its suggestions will be.
Step 5: Send me your feedback.
Hit reply on this email. I’d love to hear how it worked for you or if you have suggestions!
Try it & have fun uncovering some forgotten songs & soon-to-be-discovered moments!
Dan
Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help you:
1. Interested in FREE piano lessons? Signup here to get started! Additionally, I’ll share weekly actionable advice to enhance your music skills + elevate your musical journey! 🙌
2. Work with me 1:1 to build out your personalized plan for achieving your musical goals!
I wanna start closing out our setlist building series and moving on to some other musical ideas/tips soon, so let’s call this our last official week as we begin putting all the concepts together.
I wonder if you’ve already been trying this Setlist System out or only reading through these newsletters and unsure of what to do first?
Well, the obvious answer is to start, butstart small for whatever you’re doing OR hope to do! Try building out just one moment for your next service or gig. But, if you’re still not sure of what I’ve been teaching or how this could benefit you, then let me be a quick case study for you because…
I’ve been testing this Setlist Number System for the past year across various venues, audiences, gigs, & services and can honestly tell you that over the 40+ weeks in 2023 where I either played a live show or lead worship at a church, I’ve had 38 setlists out of the ~40 I built which served my audience incredibly well, were authentic, and helped to create beautiful moments wherever I played. If you’re into stats at all, that’s a 95% success rate… and the other 5% were still quite good!
What’s even better than these show-stopping moments & powerful times within services is that they were each built in less than 30-45 mins each time thanks to this system.
Think of it this way: it would be like having to write a weekly 3-page paper for a class and knowing you had a secret outline that would guarantee you a grade of 95% (or higher). And rather than taking hours to write it and pull everything together, it would only take you about 30 minutes by simply plugging in a few elements once you knew which details you wanted to include. Plus, you could use this outline over and over and you’d never be in trouble for plagiarizing!
This is the power of the Setlist System. It guarantees results, allows you to connect and serve your audience, and you can do it in less time than ever before.
So, here’s what I’d try if I were starting to build moments into my setlist for the first time:
Step #1: Identify what the service/show is about
Look for a theme/thread – This is a guaranteed, easy jump start for you. It’s an instant way to identify moment(s) to build into your set.
No theme? No worries! Think about what moments might work and build these out with confidence.
💡 Some moments for you to consider:
Introduction Moment
Great Song Moment
Call to Action/Testimony Moment
and the list goes on and on….
Step #2: Understand who your audience is
Know your audience? What moments + songs will best serve them?
Don’t know your audience? Ask your pastor, host, concert promotor, or venue for details. Consider calling, emailing, or visiting the venue where you’ll be playing.
💡 Idea for you – Prep your audience by sending them audio or video of a chorus you want them to learn. They’ll be ready and feel connected to whatever moment you build around this!
Step #3: Be Brave!
Practice – Set aside time to practice the moment(s). Go after it and help walk your band through your hopes & expectations. It’s a mindset shift from simply playing a setlist.
Review – Take notes on what worked & what didn’t. I guarantee that if you do this with confidence, a lot more will succeed than fail. But, make sure to set aside 5-10 minutes afterwards to review so you can keep growing & improving!
💡 Trust the process – Change can be difficult and the impulse will be to question yourself & what you’ve created. Be brave and embrace these moments!
That’s it! 🙌
Focus on these 3 steps as you build out your setlist of moments and I guarantee you’ll save yourself hundreds of hours with this system!
Thank you for being a part of this series. I’m excited to see how you apply these principles and create powerful, meaningful moments in your services and shows.
Stay tuned for more musical ideas and tips in the upcoming newsletters, and keep creating!
Dan
Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help you:
1. Interested in FREE piano lessons or know someone who would? Signup here to get started! Additionally, I’ll share weekly actionable advice to enhance your music skills + elevate your musical journey! 🙌
2. Work with me 1:1 to build out a personalized plan for achieving your musical goals!
When you regularly create setlists, coming up with new ways to put songs together can be difficult and time consuming. And, not knowing where to put songs (or which moments to create) can be equally frustrating. So today I want to teach you the most important rule within the Setlist System we’ve been learning.
Knowing this will unlock creativity within your setlists and give you the freedom to consistently build powerful moments for those in your congregations & concerts.
Unfortunately, most setlist creators don’t have any guidance when it comes to creating these.
Setlists don’t pull themselves together. They happen through intentional & thoughtful planning.
So now, let me introducing you to the #1 rule of this entire system (plus two more bonus rules) to help you grow in your planning:
#1 – The moment ALWAYS wins out over the number
If you remember back to the second ‘TMM #002 – What’s Your Number‘, your goal was to start adding numbers (or ratings) to songs based on their energy levels.
From there you’re able to plan moments for your services & shows by assigning the appropriately numbered song to match the moment you’d like to have. That could be something like a ‘Great Song’ moment, or a ‘Testimony’ moment, for example.
But we never discussed what happens when you’re in the middle of a show or a service and you fall into a moment you hadn’t planned for.
#2 – Keep the moment
First, don’t run away from the moment. This is something many miss and they’ll sprint straight back to their setlist because there’s comfort in the plan. But don’t be that person, that band, that worship team…
Instead, stay in the moment and ride it out, explore it, and even enjoy the moment you’ve found! Some of the best times & memories in life are the unplanned ones. It’s the events, the hangouts, or sites you didn’t realize were along your path as you were traveling towards your destination.
So keep the moment, because it always wins out over the number!
#3 – Revisit the moment
After your service or show, don’t forget to go back and analyze what happened in that unplanned moment. Did it work? Great! Did it flop? Also great! Because either way you learned. Or at least you can learn when you revisit the moment.
So how does this help to ‘unlock your creativity’ or allow you to ‘consistently build powerful moments’ time and time again?
Let me explain it through an example:
When you take make the effort to revisit the moments you’ve discovered, it’s similar to finding a new, never-before-visited stop along your road trip.
Let’s say you’ve spent time planning a wonderful Summer family trip to a lake house vacation spot. Before your road trip, you would probably plan out a few stops, but those would mostly be to refuel, pick up some food, and use the restroom. But what if you accidentally discovered a destination along your route that served the best apple pie and homemade vanilla bean ice cream you’d ever had?
Imagine enjoying these desserts in the cool shade of a hot day, while listening to the breeze rustling through the leaves of the large oak overlooking you and the cute country food truck that advertised Ms. Grant’s ‘Famous Pie Stand’ with accompanying picnic tables set up for their Summer residence. You’d probably think back fondly throughout the year of the taste, the smells, the smiles, laughs, and conversations that you shared together around the table and you’d look forward to it again. I’d also bet that you’d figure out a way to get back there each time you were able.
Setlists and moments are quite similar to this example. Yes, you should still plan your moments. This is one way you can care for your audience & congregation – through thoughtful planning. But if you happen upon a wondrous apple pie stand moment, don’t just go cruising on by. Stop, check things out, enjoy a new moment and embrace the journey, not just the comfort of the destination.
Next week we’ll start wrapping up this series and putting it all together for you, plus I have a fun bonus for those who are a little extra adventurous!
That’s all for today. See you again next week! 👋
Dan
Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help you:
1. Interested in FREE piano lessons or know someone who would be? Signup here to get started! Additionally, I’ll share weekly actionable advice to enhance your music skills + elevate your musical journey! 🙌
2. Work with me 1:1 to build out your personalized plan for achieving your musical goals!
2 weeks ago I probably surprised many of you when I reached out to let you know about the new community I’ve started, called the Keys Collective. It’s designed to help keyboard players grow their skills. We’ve had a great first 2 weeks and we’re just getting started. Also, it’s not too late to join us if you want to begin learning to play the piano, or brush up on your skills.
During that quick launch, I also promised to continue writing this newsletter. I thought we should start by finishing up our last series where we were learning how to build powerfully dynamic setlists!
So we’re kicking it back off by doing a little rewind & recap before we continue rolling on with this series. You don’t want to miss this because it’s super foundational, yet so few musicians and bands take the time to learn this because they don’t realize the impact. When you do this well, it can help you gain confidence as you take the stage knowing you’ve put time into this intentionally thoughtful setlist.
In the first newsletter, TMM #001: An Introduction-you were challenged to spend 5-10 minutes playing your instrument (voice, piano, guitar, etc.) and if you haven’t done that yet, it’s not too late. Start this week! Nothing massive, just 5 minutes for yourself to sit down and play. It’s Summer, I bet you can find a few minutes at the end of your day to unwind and sing or play.
In the next post, TMM #002: What’s your Number? – we talked about how to give the songs in your setlist an energy or moment rating based on a scale from 1-5. We called this The Setlist Number System and honestly, this where things start getting good.
TMM #003: Hello, My Name Is… where I shared one of the best ways to start your next show or service. If you’re someone who spends any amount of time on stage then you’ll want to read through this one. You owe it to your congregation & audience to understand how to serve them well 🙌
TMM #004: the Secret has been in Plain Sight👀 – in this post I built on the foundation of the previous post, and together we explored the secrets to creating memorable moments when pulling your songs together. Doing this in the right way helps evoke powerful memories and emotional connections for those in attendance. I can’t underscore enough how much this skill will open doors for you again & again.
In the next newsletter we’re going to discuss the most important rule within this system. It’s seriously THE. MOST. IMPORTANT rule that you truly CANNOT BREAK!
My challenge for you is to make a list of moments you could begin creating for your upcoming services & shows. I’d love to hear from you, so send me an idea or two that you’re considering and I’ll be happy to provide feedback – seriously! It’s so fun when you take the time to plan these moments out and I’d love to be a resource for you.
One quick thought before I close this out… have you ever had a fun moment in your set? If not, what could you do to create this during your next service or show? Hit reply and tell me what you’d do and I’ll be glad to share too.
Have a wonderful week of creating memories and moments with those around you and thanks for being here – I sincerely appreciate you!
Dan
See you again next week! 👋
Whenever you’re ready, there are 2 ways I can help you:
1.Work with me 1:1 to double your musical skills and achieve your goals!
It’s been a bit since I last reached out, but last week I celebrated my 47th birthday and while I don’t feel that old, it got me thinking…
I spent some time reflecting on various musical moments throughout my life, memories I’ve shared with many of you as we’ve played or rehearsed together, and also dreaming about what I want to accomplish in the coming months and years. In the midst of receiving some great gifts from my family, I was really struck by the feeling of wanting to give back and to share the joy with others that comes from sitting down to play the piano, whether that’s on your own or in a band.
So, last week I started building something for us all that I’m absolutelythrilled to invite you to today. It’s called, the Keys Collective!
Keys Collective is a community for those interested in learning to play piano, or for those who already play, to take the next steps on their musical journey. It’s a place where we’ll connect, learn, and grow together. And, as a special thank you for being a part of my journey and for signing up for my email list all those years ago, I’m offering the first 10 people who join to be ‘Founding Members‘ which will provide free access to every class I offer inside the community.
Here’s what you’ll get as a Founding Member:
Free Membership: The first 10 members receive lifetime free access to all classes, resources, and community events.
Weekly Live Classes: Easy access for me to help you, answer your questions, along with support from those in the community.
Exclusive Content: Be the first to access new tutorials, practice guides, and more.
Community Input: Your feedback will help shape the future of Keys Collective.
We’re kicking off this Wednesday, June 19th, with our first class, ‘Summer Keys’ and I’d love for you to be there! Plus, even if you can’t make it to the live class, we’ll be recording it so that you can watch and learn on your own time and at your own pace. You’ll be able to fast-forward and rewind as needed.
To join us in the Keys Collective and claim your spot as a Founding Member, simply click the link below:
After the first 10 Founding Members spots are claimed, membership will have a monthly fee, so don’t miss this chance.
Tomorrow I’ll be sharing this opportunity out on social media so I expect there will be a few more folks who will join us and I don’t want you to miss this opportunity!
Newsletter Restart
I’m also excited to pick this newsletter back up again and finally complete our series on building set lists (& moments) for services and shows, along with a bunch of other topics that I think you’re going to enjoy.
Many wonderful musical moments & opportunities have happened since the last time I reached out to you so I have even more tips & tricks waiting for you. There’s so much great (free) content coming your way, and I truly can’t wait to share it with you.
Again, thank you for being a part of my journey and hope to see you inside of the community!
Talk Soon,
Dan
P.S. Remember, the first 10 spots are free for life, so act quickly to secure your place in Keys Collective! CLAIMED!
