Chapter 2: Nate’s Three Finger Piano · PDF file2 Chapter NATE’S THREE FINGER PIANO METHOD Chapter 2: Nate’s Three Finger Piano Method How to quickly find any chord. his

Chapter
2 N A T E S T H R E E F I N G E R P I A N O M E T H O D
Chapter 2: Nates Three Finger Piano Method How to quickly find any chord.
his is the basic system on which the more advanced improvising and real-time arranging of songs while reading will hinge. You can probably pick this up in about half-an-hour. It will then take a few months to master. You can think of it a lot like typing. You want to practice until you can do it
instinctually. When a touch typist uses the keyboard, they dont have to think about how a word is spelled. It just pours from his/her fingers. Likewise, with this system, you should just know where the chords are after a few months of practice. After that, when you want to be creative, you can change the voicings in an infinite number of ways to put your own unique stamp on the music.
T
The Quick Method to finding any Chord
Steps 1-2: Finding the Starting Position At first, you will want to find the Root of the chord in octaves, and the fourth above the higher root. This will be the starting position for Nates Three Finger Method.
Step 3: Finding the Quality from the Starting Position Depending on the quality of the chord (M, m, 7, or dim7), you will move the top two notes to the left to find the final chord.
Note: Nates Three Finger Piano Method is an instructional method, sort of like memorizing Every good boy does fine to memorize the note names on the musical staff. It is a mnemonic trick. Just as a skilled musician doesnt need to think of the lines of the staff, you will want to use to system to quickly memorize the chords until you can do them subconsciously, like when you type an e-mail. This should take between one to six weeks, depending on how studious and/or previously-schooled in music you are.
14

N A T E S T H R E E F I N G E R P I A N O M E T H O D
Step 1 Find the Root of the Chord in Octaves. If its a C Major 7th Chord, you would find two Cs:
R
Play the left
If the chord were F# Minor
Step 2 Now find the root in your ryoure finding a C Major 7th C
If youre finding a F# Minor
Root in the left hand and the right Root in
7th Chord, you would find tw
ight hand and find the notehord, the 4th above the Roo
R
7th Chord, the 4th above the
4
15
R

the right hand.
o F#s:
a 4th above (to the right). If t (C) would be F.
R
R
R
Root (F#) w
4

ould be B.
R
R

N A T E S T H R E E F I N G E R P I A N O M E T H O D
Step 3 What you have so far is what well call the starting position. The starting position is the Root of the chord in octaves with the fourth above the higher root (the one in your right hand). The Third step is to move the top two notes to left. You will do it one of four different ways depending on whether the chord is a M7, m7, 7 or dim7 chord.
Step 3 for Major Seventh Chords, Move the top two notes (the higher Root and 4th) down a half-step (one key to the left). For C Major 7th (CM7):
Starting Position for C Chords
C Major 7th
R
Starting Position fo
F Major 7th
R
r F Chords
R
R
16
R
3
4

7

4 R
7
3

Step 3 for Minor Seventh Chords, Move the top two notes (the higher Root and 4th) down a whole-step (two keys to the left). For C Minor 7th (Cm7):
R
C Minor 7th
F Minor 7th
7
R
r F Chords
R
R
17
R
3
7
4

4
R
3

Step 3 for Dominant Seventh Chords, Move the middle note down a whole step and move the top note down a half-step. For C Dominant 7th (C7):
C Dominant 7th
F Dominant 7th
R
7
R
r F Chords
R
R
18
R
3
7
4
4
R
3

Step 3 for Diminished Seventh Chords, Move the middle note down 3 half-steps and move the top note down a whole-step. For C Diminished 7th (Cim7):
C Diminished 7th
RR 4
3
6R
Starting Position for F Chords
F Diminished 7th
4 RR
3
6R
19

After youve memorized these chords, play them sequentially without using Nates Three Finger Method:
Lower the middle note a whole-step and the top note a half-step for 7
Find 4th above the higher G (C)
Find Root G in Octaves
Lower the top two notes a whole-step each for m7
Find 4th above the higher A (D)
Find Root A in Octaves
Lower the top two notes a half-step each for M7
Find 4th above the higher C (F) Find Root C in
Octaves Lower the top two notes a whole-step each for m7
Find 4th above the higher B (E)
Find Root B in Octaves
Find 4th above the higher E (A)
Find Root E in Octaves
Find 4th above the higher D (G)
Find Root D in Octaves
Find 4th above the higher F (Bb)
Find Root F in Octaves
Find 4th above the higher C (F)
Find Root C in Octaves
Exercise 1
20

Exercise 2
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21

What if its Not a 7th Chord? If the chord is a simple major or minor chord, the middle note will not be a 7th, but either the root or the 5th its up to you.
Easy option: Leave the middle note on the root: Step 3 for Minor Chords (no 7th), Move the top note down a whole-step:
Starting Position fo C Chords
R R
C Minor
4
Step 3 for Major Chords (no
C Major
R
7th), Move the
C Chords
R
R
R
top note down a h
R
R
22
r
3
alf-ste
3
p:
r
4

Fuller option: Move the Middle Note down a 4th: Step 3 for Minor Chords (no 7th), Move the top note down a whole-step and move the middle note down a 4th to the 5th (this will be explained in more detail in chapter 6).
RR
C Minor
4
3 5R
Step 3 for Major Chords (no 7th), Move the top note down a half-step and move the middle note down a 4th:
RR
C Major
4
5R 3 I would recommend that if you are to the m that you use the easy option at first. There will be plenty of time ake thin ound interesting, but you want a foundation of certainty and speed. ntually y an add as many roots and 5ths as you like to a chord and it wont cha the qualit s only the 7th and 3rd that matters.
new to m Evenge
23
systegs s
ou cy. It

M3m7 R
m3 m7 R
M3 M7 R
M3 5thR
M3 5th R
M3 m7 R
3 3 M3m3 5th R
m3 m7 R
m3 R R
M3 M7 R
M3R R
M3R R
M3 M7 R
M3 R R
Exercise 3
Mm R
m3m7 R
24
37
R R
M
M
R M3R
M3m7 R
M7 R
m7 R
R

Understanding The Relationship of the 7th and 3rd of a chord to the Root
The low 7th is down a whole-step from the Root of a chord. It is used in Minor 7th and Dominant 7th chords.
The low 3rd is down a whole-step from the 4th scale degree. It is used in Minor, Minor 7th and Diminished chords.
7ths and 3rds of C chords
The extra-low 7th is down 3 half-steps from the Root of a chord. This scale degree is used in diminished and minor 6 chords.
TheRoocho
Naming the 7ths an
The 7ths are ju
1 half-step 2 half-step 3 half-step
7
R 7 7
high 7th is down a half-step fromt of a chord. It is used only in Mrds.
The high4th of a cand Dom
d 3rds
L
H XL R
st left of the Root: : the high 7th s: the low 7th s: the extra-low 7th
The
25
3
3 R
the ajor 7th
3rd is down ahord. It is useinant 7th chor
H
L
R
3rds are 1 half-s 2 half-s
4
half-step from the d in both Major 7th
ds.
4
just left of the 4th: tep: the high 3rd teps: the low 3rd

High, High The Major 7th chord has a High 7th and a High 3rd. This gives it a warm, floating kind of sound, a bright sound. Well call the Major seventh chord type: High, High, or H,H for short.
C Major 7th
R
Exercise 4
Each
R H7
26
R
down a half
H3
4
-step

Low, LowThe Minor 7th chord has a Low 7th and a Low 3rd. This gives it a sad kind of sound, a mellow sound. Well call the minor seventh chord type: LOW, LOW, or LL for short.
C Minor 7th
R
Exercise 5
L 7
R
27
R
L 3
4
Each down two half-steps

Low, High The Dominant 7th chord has a Low 7th and a High 3rd. This gives it a tangy, tension-filled sound that is anxious to move to a less tangy, tension-filled place (resolve). This tension comes from the tritone (augmented 4th) between the Lo

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Chapter 2: Nate’s Three Finger Piano · PDF file2 Chapter NATE’S THREE FINGER PIANO METHOD Chapter 2: Nate’s Three Finger Piano Method How to quickly find any chord. his