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Thanks. I tried to keep it as short as possible. People never complain that a sermon is too short, but you'll hear it if you go too long. I can always count on my wife to let me know when I preached too long.
Thank you, David. I too, have been a Duane Shinn fan for a while now although I have not taken it (unfortunately) as far as you have yet I am always, seems like, into his stuff. I should say also congrats on your accomplishments thus far and congrats also on giving all of us very good and eloquent review.
Could you give some examples of the songs the course includes?
If I go to the website, there are a bunch of other courses like "Chord Progressions", "How to Improvise on the Piano", etc. Does this crash course include all that?
Could you give some examples of the songs the course includes?
If I go to the website, there are a bunch of other courses like "Chord Progressions", "How to Improvise on the Piano", etc. Does this crash course include all that?
Since I sold the course I don't have the books anymore (although, I still have my backup copies of the DVDs), therefore I can't give you a list of all the songs that are covered (it's somewhere around 200). I did upload 40+ songs from the course in this thread. That should give you an idea of the type of songs covered.
I'm not sure what's covered in Duane's "Chord Progressions" and "How to Improvise" beyond what the titles suggest. I think those are more specialized while the 52 Week Crash Course is more general that includes some basic elements of the courses you mentioned.
Thank you, David. I too, have been a Duane Shinn fan for a while now although I have not taken it (unfortunately) as far as you have yet I am always, seems like, into his stuff. I should say also congrats on your accomplishments thus far and congrats also on giving all of us very good and eloquent review.
Stay safe concerning this pandemic.....Duane.
Thank you for the kind words and may you and your family stay safe also.
It took me 3 years and 3 months to finish. The last song I’ve chosen to upload is a hymn that is covered in one of the last few lessons. Actually, in the lesson book it’s called Greensleeves, but in my hymnal it’s “What Child Is This.” The lesson book did not have the chorus in it so I had to figure out the extra chords in the song from the hymnal. This course has taught me how to analyze music and it gave me a basic understanding of key signatures.
I’ll play the song as written, then with my own arrangement, and finally with Duane’s arrangement. One of the benefits of this course is learning how to play songs in different styles. My arrangement uses hand-over arpeggios which was taught in the course and Duane’s arrangement uses a more “playful” syncopated rhythm. I could play my arrangement in church, but I’m not sure about Duane’s. Duane’s arrangement was definitely harder for me to learn. I do enjoy playing it his way also. The piano sound is the VSL Steinway D.
God Bless, David
Wow David! Congrats! You are may be the first PW'er that has finished this course in full view of PW! In fact you started it and finished it in full view! Your discipline has been unbelievable! I'm simply in awe that you pushed through with this! You and EP need to go in a Duane Shinn Hall of Fame. If someone said you were in the less than 1%, I would believe them as the PW'ers that started and quit this this course, including ones that went through multiple cycles of starting and quitting, just litter this thread. In fact, of the 564 posts on this thread, besides EP, you are the only one I recall that has finished this course!
Woot! Woot!
This course is not for the faint of heart
across the stone, deathless piano performances
"Discipline is more reliable than motivation." -by a contributor on Reddit r/piano "Success is 10% inspiration, and 90% perspiration." -by some other wise person "Pianoteq manages to keep it all together yet simultaneously also go in all directions; like a quantum particle entangled with an unknown and spooky parallel universe simply waiting to be discovered." -by Pete14
Wow David! Congrats! ...besides EP, you are the only one I recall that has finished this course!
Thanks.
I think more people would finish if there was a forum dedicated to this course where students could interact with each other and the teacher (unfortunately, Duane has passed, RIP). It's tough to go at it alone. I think Duane's course might have been more popular if he would have developed it in the 21st century and made it internet based.
Wow David! Congrats! ...besides EP, you are the only one I recall that has finished this course!
Thanks.
I think more people would finish if there was a forum dedicated to this course where students could interact with each other and the teacher (unfortunately, Duane has passed, RIP). It's tough to go at it alone. I think Duane's course might have been more popular if he would have developed it in the 21st century and made it internet based.
God Bless, David
I believe you are right. There are modern ways to get through difficult, involved, and time-consuming material, and his course is not it. It isn't an exemplar of best practices in instructional methods, by today's standards. Perhaps there was a time when people had patience for a mail-order course like this, but no longer.
The interesting thing is that the course still sells because so many do think they can make it, even acquire the course, often the whole thing, but then naturally winnow out. Those people don't know themselves as well as they think they do.
I do know myself - maybe not great but enough to know that I look at this course and even if it was what I wanted to learn, I realize that I would just not be able to do it. I'd be in the 99% that drop out. There is no way that I'd get through the 52-weeks (more like 156-208 weeks!) and graduate as you and EP have.
But all this only makes your achievement, and that of EP's, even more notable, and you were the only one who shared your weekly/monthly progress with the course with the rest of us here on the thread. I truly believe that if you could get through Duane's 52-week course, you can get through anything, no matter how difficult. You are one of those rare people that just needs to set your mind to something and you will put your shoulder to the plow and by and by, the entire field will be done... 👍 🙇♂️ (LOL... I've just made Duane Shinn's course something like an archetype of real life, or something! 🤣)
across the stone, deathless piano performances
"Discipline is more reliable than motivation." -by a contributor on Reddit r/piano "Success is 10% inspiration, and 90% perspiration." -by some other wise person "Pianoteq manages to keep it all together yet simultaneously also go in all directions; like a quantum particle entangled with an unknown and spooky parallel universe simply waiting to be discovered." -by Pete14
In reality, it's never finished - the course is a start. As one of my former teachers (Andy LaVerne) told me, the work is pretty much always the same, it just gets more fun (I'm paraphrasing).
In reality, it's never finished - the course is a start. As one of my former teachers (Andy LaVerne) told me, the work is pretty much always the same, it just gets more fun (I'm paraphrasing).
I'm beginning to realize this now that I've started Duane's Praise and Gospel Course. The arrangements are more complex with chord substitutions and non-familiar ways of voicing chords.
My brain got used to a certain formula for arranging during the 52 Week Course, and now the Praise and Gospel Course has added much more to the palette. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed, but I'm going to plod along like I did with the Crash Course.
I don't think I would have been able to start the Praise and Gospel Course first. It would have been too much information. I'm glad I started with the Crash Course.
You are one of those rare people that just needs to set your mind to something and you will put your shoulder to the plow and by and by, the entire field will be done... 👍 🙇♂️ (LOL... I've just made Duane Shinn's course something like an archetype of real life, or something! 🤣)
Yep, my wife always says I'm not a good multitasker. I like to do one thing at a time and put all my energy and focus into it. It was a stress on our marriage early on (we've been married over 21 years) because I put all my energy into wooing her and drawing out the true affections of her heart, and then after we were married, I turned my attention to other things (work/ministry).
I've learned to have better balance in my life as I've gotten older. That's one of the reasons why the Crash Course took 3 years for me to complete. I had to balance my priorities of family and ministry along with my pursuit of learning to play the piano. If I was single or didn't have children, I think I could have completed it in half the time.
David, how long do you estimate your Praise and Gospel Course will take you? Just curious, is all.
Thanks a good question. When I originally started the 52 Week Crash Course I thought I'd be doe a lot sooner than I was. The same might be true for the Praise and Gospel Course. I originally thought one year, however, now that I've been getting into it and looking ahead, it quite possibly will take longer.
I'm saying a year, but I really don't know. It depends upon my brain and the amount of time I spend practicing. It's mystery right now.
I do know that the Pro Secrets Course is going to take me more than 3 years to finish because I'm spending 30 hours on each technique (there are 36 of them) and I know that I can't do an hour a day consistently on each one.
David, how long do you estimate your Praise and Gospel Course will take you? Just curious, is all.
Thanks a good question. When I originally started the 52 Week Crash Course I thought I'd be doe a lot sooner than I was. The same might be true for the Praise and Gospel Course. I originally thought one year, however, now that I've been getting into it and looking ahead, it quite possibly will take longer.
I'm saying a year, but I really don't know. It depends upon my brain and the amount of time I spend practicing. It's mystery right now.
I do know that the Pro Secrets Course is going to take me more than 3 years to finish because I'm spending 30 hours on each technique (there are 36 of them) and I know that I can't do an hour a day consistently on each one.
It's going to be a marathon.
God bless, David
Wow! You’re going to be busy for a very long time! From the sounds of it, the courses you bought are actually cheap, for all the hours of instruction you’re getting out of them!
Good luck and if you continue to post your progress here, I’ll be following along.
David B, I have a question about the Praise and Gospel Course, if it's the same course I have or if it's something different. I have the "Three-year course in Gospel Piano Playing" (bought about 20 yrs. ago, it came on 36 cassettes). Each tape is a different Hymn, starting with Amazing Grace and the last one is Jesus Loves the Little Children. On each one he helps you analyze the hymn and shows different ways to play and arrange it.
If it is, then you can understand that you will never really finish it because he is essentially teaching you to play and arrange any hymn in the book. (And by extension most any song or lead sheet, although naturally he doesn't really get into jazzy extended harmonies, etc., it being about hymn playing.)
David B, I have a question about the Praise and Gospel Course, if it's the same course I have or if it's something different. I have the "Three-year course in Gospel Piano Playing" (bought about 20 yrs. ago, it came on 36 cassettes). Each tape is a different Hymn, starting with Amazing Grace and the last one is Jesus Loves the Little Children. On each one he helps you analyze the hymn and shows different ways to play and arrange it.
If it is, then you can understand that you will never really finish it because he is essentially teaching you to play and arrange any hymn in the book. (And by extension most any song or lead sheet, although naturally he doesn't really get into jazzy extended harmonies, etc., it being about hymn playing.)
I'm not sure if it's the same one. It sounds similar. I have 4 DVD's that are around 2 hours long each and one song book with 14 hymns in it.
The course starts with "Amazing Grace" and ends with "Have You Any Room For Jesus?" Jesus Loves The Little Children does not seem to be in it. Here are the songs:
Amazing Grace Cleanse Me O How I Love Jesus Whispering Hope Footsteps Of Jesus Where He Leads Me Precious Memories Londonderry Aire Pass Me Not Higher Ground Just As I Am Life's Railway to Heaven Only Trust Him Have You Any Room For Jesus
With the exception of the first and last songs, the order might be different. Duane says that the intent of this course is not just to learn these songs, but to use these songs as a basis to learn arranging techniques that can be applied to all songs. In that sense, it will never be over. However, I do have to learn all the songs in the course in order to learn the techniques. I'm not sure how long it will take to go through all the songs/DVD's.
David, do you think it might be time for you to start an "Advanced Duane Shinn courses" thread to be a potpourri of the other courses, such as Gospel and Pro Secrets, so as not to confuse future readers of this 52 Week thread?
And I too encourage you to keep posting videos of your progress!
across the stone, deathless piano performances
"Discipline is more reliable than motivation." -by a contributor on Reddit r/piano "Success is 10% inspiration, and 90% perspiration." -by some other wise person "Pianoteq manages to keep it all together yet simultaneously also go in all directions; like a quantum particle entangled with an unknown and spooky parallel universe simply waiting to be discovered." -by Pete14
David, do you think it might be time for you to start an "Advanced Duane Shinn courses" thread to be a potpourri of the other courses, such as Gospel and Pro Secrets, so as not to confuse future readers of this 52 Week thread?
And I too encourage you to keep posting videos of your progress!
Yeah, I will probably start a new thread for the Praise and Gospel Course. I'd rather keep threads course specific in the infinitesimally small chance someone else might be interested in acquiring Duane's materials.
Here are the ones in my course: (I think it's been quite a while since it was listed on his website) (titles are shortened) It's quite a different list than yours. My apologies if this is OT
Amazing Grace Ivory Palaces Mighty Fortress Holy, Holy, Holy Just As I Am Face to Face My Faith Looks Up Like a River Glorious He Arose When the Roll is Called Sweet Hour of Prayer In the Garden What a Friend Come thou Fount Jesus Loves Me Turn your Eyes I Have Decided Stand up for Jesus Abide with Me There is a Fountain All Hail the Power Softly & Tenderly Morning is Broken The Old Rugged Cross Battle Hymn Fairest Lord Jesus I Surrender All Beyond the Sunset Just a Closer Walk Bring Them In Sweet By & By Jesu, Joy of Man My Hope is Built I Love to Tell the Story Jesus loves the little Children
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