326: How to Play and Teach Lead Sheets with Confidence

326: How to Play and Teach Lead Sheets with Confidence

Get ready to dive into the exciting world of chords, creativity, and lead sheets as we share with you a replay of a dynamic live webinar that I ran with the incredible Forrest Kinney back in 2018. Discover the significance of lead sheet playing and how to teach it to your students with practical tips, empowering them to play by ear and even master entire pieces of music. Whether you aspire to help your students become well-rounded musicians and develop a lifelong passion for music, this episode is not to be missed.

  • Learn about the meaning and the functionality of lead sheets.
  • Forrest’s effective method of teaching chords quickly using visual and kinesthetic cues (and a black sheep).
  • Chord styling and left-hand ideas that can be applied a variety of genres.
  • Learn how to create rich-sounding accompaniments using the B.A.P. method.
  • A simple technique to add 7ths to any chord in one step.
  • Practical and easy-to-understand jazz voicings that you can incorporate into your teaching.
  • How to make your playing go “B.A.M.” and learn how to apply this concept to benefit your students.

Links Mentioned

Today’s Guest

326: How to Play and Teach Lead Sheets with Confidence

Forrest Kinney was an educator who taught music for over four decades. He was a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM) as recognized by the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA). His goal in life was to help others become creative, whole musicians capable of enjoying the Four Arts of Music: improvising, arranging, composing, and interpreting. Forrest lived amongst mossy trees in the mountains east of Seattle, generally preferring what he called “a 19th-century lifestyle.” He was immensely grateful to be able to make his living by creating music and books, and by sharing his belief that creativity is a key to happiness.

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