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Piano Music Theory (Back To Basics) by JFilt (Udemy.com)

Piano Lessons For Beginners in 30 Minutes

Created by: JayJay Johnson

Last updated February 2017

Our take

Based on the ratings of 2,096 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in February 2017. No course pays to be reviewed.

This is a free, 30-minute primer from JayJay Johnson, who goes by JFilt and has been making beatmaking tutorials on YouTube since 2010. It runs 12 lectures in three short sections: an intro, intervals and basic scales, then chords and progressions. The pitch is aimed at beginners and at producers who want enough theory to improve their beats. A keyboard is not required, but the course suggests having one nearby to follow along on.

Reviewers like how fast and plain it is. Straight to the point and easy to follow are the recurring phrases, and one says he does not rush the way many piano teachers do. Most of the 2,096 ratings are 4 or 5 stars. The complaints are specific, though. One reviewer found it hard to tell which keys were being pressed on screen and wanted fingering technique. Another wanted practice exercises for memorizing chords, and a 3-star reviewer with no music background said it lacks the bigger picture.

The course was last updated in February 2017, but note names and chords do not age, so that matters little. Think of it as a warm-up, not a method. Thirty minutes will not teach anyone to play, and there are no practice drills to build the habit. As a free option beside longer piano courses, it works as a low-risk first taste, and the instructor points to his full hip hop songs course for what comes next. Try it if you are unsure about piano or theory.

Best forBeatmakers and total beginners who want note names, chords and scales in one quick sitting.
Skip it ifYou want fingering technique, practice drills, or a structured path to actually playing songs.

Pros

  • Short, plain explanations that reviewers call straight to the point with no fluff
  • Covers note names, chords, major and natural minor scales and progressions in 12 lectures
  • Free, with 3 quizzes and lectures short enough to replay as often as needed
  • Theory that helps beatmakers and producers, not only people learning piano

Cons

  • No fingering technique or practice drills for memorizing chords, per reviewers
  • One reviewer found it hard to see which keys were being pressed on screen
  • Last updated in 2017, and too brief to leave a true beginner able to play
I’ve learned so much from this course in 30 minutes. He makes it very easy to understand.
Vell, a student

The beginner label fits, though a 3-star reviewer with no music background found it too thin.

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What you will learn

  • Understand the notes and how to name them along with easy hints to memorizing basic music theory
  • Form major, minor, diminished, and augmented chords in any key
  • Figure out how to play major and natural minor scales in any key
  • Play chord progressions to form a song

Course content

3 sections · 12 lectures · 30 min of video 3 quizzes

  1. 1Let's Get Into It! 1 free preview3 lectures · 1 quiz · 7 min
  2. 2Intervals and Basic Scales4 lectures · 1 quiz · 11 min
  3. 3Chords and Progressions5 lectures · 1 quiz · 12 min

Who it is for

The instructor says it suits

  • This course is for beginner musicians who want to take piano lessons from a charismatic guy.

What you need before you start

  • All you really need is a willingness to learn and have fun while doing it!
  • Also even though it's not required to start this course, some type of keyboard or piano would be nice to follow along with. LOL

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Course Description

This course by JFilt is a free offering to those who have never played the piano before and want to learn.  It's also for those who may know a little bit but forgot everything they ever learned.  It's also for beatmakers who wanna learn some music theory for the purpose of improving their beats and or moving to the next level in music production.  

In this beginner course you will learn from the very start so its okay to know nothing (LOL).  Topics that will be discussed include naming the keys of the piano, forming chords and scales, and even playing a song from a chord progression.  

By the time you get to the end of this course you will have a greater understanding of what it takes to play keys.  After this you can continue on with my full course on How To Play 25 Hip Hop Songs right here on Udemy.  Or for the beatmakers out there you can continue to learn innovative ways on how to make very sick beats on the Verysickbeats YouTube Channel!

Peace & Positive Energy!

JFilt 

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Instructor Details

JayJay Johnson

Wassup everybody!

My name is JayJay Johnson but i'm mainly known in social media as JFilt (Justified From Instilled Life Teachings)

I'm a full-time musician as well as a content creator within the beatmaking community.  I've been making beatmaking tutorials on YouTube since 2010 and have over 90,000 subscribers.   

Teaching innovative ways of making beats, informing, and inspiring is what my main focus is on but honestly before Youtube was even around, I used to give piano lessons.  Im thrilled to use an avenue like Udemy to sort of get back to my roots by providing a way to put out piano lessons among other topics in an online course.  

If you happen to make beats and wanna check me out on my Verysickbeats Youtube channel, feel free!

Peace & Positive Energy,

JFilt

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Reviews

4.7

2,096 ratings on Udemy

Select a bar to show only those reviews.Select the bar again to show every rating.

By Auston Nielsen on 6/17/2020

This man is amazing! His communication is clear and to the point. He doesn't overcomplicate the lesson with intense music theory and makes it easy to take notes and physically do the actions on the keyboard while watching. This quick, 30-minute course unlocked so much for me. Thank you!

By Jace Dominguez on 2/28/2019

Because it was simple and to the point. J-Filt has an easy going spirit about him that makes you feel like you actually get these basics down. There’s no extra fluff at all, he doesn’t waste much of your time with random stories or gigantic words and terms that many times scare folks from trying a second or third time. J-Filt has a gift! And I really fee like I’m going somewhere special after this lesson.

By Tan Meau Huat on 8/17/2018

This course may be better for learners who have some music background. Videos are short and straight to point, but overall it is not effective for learners with no background. It don't give a bigger picture and contents flow to enable the learners appreciate the subject.

By Venkat Narayana Rao Chenna on 8/11/2018

After completion of this course i am feeling confident in practicing with the basics as the Instructor explained the basics more clearly. I don't feel stranger to the Piano anymore. The Instructor explains everything with the practical examples that made me understand the basics. Will be taking more related courses from this Instructor.

By Israel Gonzalez on 6/17/2018

The course was amazing, from basics to intermediate, in some point it gets a little boring in the theory but if u study that part of the course u will understand a lot of the piano world, because the instructor explain it very well

By David on 10/30/2017

This course has been entirely useful to my goal of learning basic music theory. It is practical, easy to understand and fun at the same time. Its creator, JFilt, teaches what the learner needs to know about piano music theory, while facilitating their own creative instincts.

By Color Optimist on 9/20/2017

I found this course enjoyable and informative. I didn't know anything about music theory or how to formally construct sounds together, so for this being a free course, how could you argue? I'd like to make music for video games, and this is helping me understand some key* elements. Lol... Thanks for the content!! :D I should have said string sounds together... Also this is a great reference course to return to any time for refreshing your memory and or improving your music knowledge!

By Mohit Manchanda on 6/4/2017

I am surprised to see in such a short video tutorial I have learnt the fundamentals of playing music. In fact, I can see the use of this material in my guitar practice as well, not just piano, when it comes to building chord structures. Thanks a ton for such a simple and easy to learn tutorial.

By Joann Mary Varghese on 5/2/2017

I always wanted to learn how to play the piano and so I went for classes. But I never seemed to get the hang of it. Chords, scales, etc just went over the top of my head. I signed up for this course hoping that I'd be able to improve my skills. And let me tell you, I just love it. Jay has explained everything in a plain and simple manner. Thank you so much.

By Peter Noya on 3/5/2017

This course is incredible. I quickly and easily learned concepts difficult to understand in traditional courses. The way the teacher explains the intervals (minor 3rd, perfect 4th, tritone and etc.) is very easy and quick to memorize. Thank you so much teacher!

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Overall Score : 94 / 100