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Play and sing
Learn to Play and Sing on Piano
Your hands hold the chords, your voice carries the tune. One person, one piano, a whole song from start to finish. Or play for someone else while they sing.
Every lesson with me covers two songs: one as a piano solo and one as an accompaniment. Playing and singing is half of what you learn, from your very first month.
You choose the songs. Mandopop, English pop, worship or film songs: we use the chords of the song you want to sing, and the patterns from your level of my course make it sound full.
How your hands and voice share the work
- Your left hand plays the bass, from a single root note at the start to rolling patterns later.
- Your right hand plays the chord, with a rhythm that gives the song its feel.
- Your voice carries the melody, so your hands never have to play the tune.
That is why play and sing is often easier to start than a piano solo. You learn a handful of chord shapes and a pattern, and you can accompany a whole song.
What you learn, level by level
Levels 1, 2 and 3 of my curriculum each end with a play-and-sing performance of a whole song.
Your first three play-and-sing patterns
- Root + (1+3+5): the root in your left hand, the chord in your right
- 1–5–8 + (1+3+5): a rising bass under a held chord
- 1–5–8–5–8–5–8–5 + (1+3+5): a rocking bass in steady quavers
- Right-hand chord rhythms, so a held chord starts to sound like music
- Choosing a key, C, G or F, that fits your voice, and finding your first note
A full arrangement while you sing
- Smooth chord changes with inversions
- Slash chords for singable, falling bass lines
- R–(1+3+5), R–5–(3+5+1) and the rolling 1–5–8–10–12–8–10–12 pattern
- An intro, verses, a chorus, a fill and a proper ending
- Songs in 6/8 and in five keys
Colour and drive
- 7th chords as a left-hand root plus a right-hand upper triad
- The 3+3+2 Octave Bass, so the song drives like a band
- 1–5–8–(1+3+5), the passing-note bass and more
- Right-hand pushes and fills into the chorus
- Turnarounds, a ii–V–I and an add9 ending
Playing for a singer
- Moving a song up or down to suit a singer
- Intros that set the mood and tell the singer when to come in
- Counting in a singer and giving them their first note
- The last-chorus key change
- Reading real vocal rhythms, repeats, D.S. and codas on real charts
Accompany yourself
Sing your favourite songs at home, at a gathering or for your family. You learn to pick a key that suits your voice, keep a steady beat under your singing and build a song from a quiet verse to a fuller chorus.
Accompany someone else
Play for a friend, a partner, your kids or a church group. You learn to move a song into a key that suits their voice, play an intro that tells them when to come in, give them their first note, and come back in together after a pause.
“I also appreciate that I get to learn to play both melodies and accompaniments!”
“My kids sing along when I play Disney songs too.”
Questions
Do I need to read music?
No. You play from a lead sheet: the melody, the chord symbols and the words. If you can't read notes yet, I write the letter names under the notes for you.
I'm a complete beginner. Can I start with play and sing?
Yes. Your first play-and-sing pattern is in Level 1, and many of my students start as complete beginners.
Online or in person?
Both work. Most of my students learn online on Zoom, and the rest come to my studio in Canberra.
Tell me a few songs you'd love to sing, and your experience level.
WhatsApp me about play and singStart Your Lessons
Message me on WhatsApp with your experience level and a few songs you'd love to play. I'll reply with available slots and how we'd get started.
+65 8876 3831