Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Rock piano lessons of Chuck Leavell - anyone tried?

I'm not much for clicking ads, but this one caught my attention, so I decided to give Piano World the small support contained in clicking an ad.

I'm referring to Chuck Leavell's rock piano lessons (to the right on this site.) I remembered reading a book about the Stones, where he was frequently mentioned, since he was their keyboardist.

Oh, just took a better look and he is not the teacher, but seems to be the teacher's teacher!

Has anyone tried those lessons?

Id definetly be interested in any lessons of his. His solo on 'Old Love' on Clapton Unplugged is literally half the reason im on this forum at all. It was a mind blowing solo that made me look very hard at my guitar and look longingly at pianos for the first time lol.

Just incase you havent heard or seen it....enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3O2QxjWHf4

I clicked. You need to give your email address for the free lessons. I have to say, apart from a personal email from Chuck telling me my login and password, I've not had any spam. You get access to one song (You can't always get what you want) at 7 levels from beginner to Chuck-level. Each level has a lesson (sheet and video of song), technical exercises in the key, a groove chart and improv suggestions.

I think they've done really well to make everything fit the level so far (I've only looked as far as 3). I think you can buy either membership or individual songs. I like the idea all these songs have been adapted to the different levels, so you find your level and go through the material, starting with your favourites.

Videos from a nice young man in a T shirt, with overhead camera so you get to see his fingers.

I won't buy, but as a freebie I'm impressed.

SmokestackLightnin, the only question that popped up in my mind, after watching Chuck's solo was: Can I ever hope to play like that?

tenleftthumbs, this material is probably of good quality - judging from your description of the trial lesson. However the songs chosen do not impress me much, except Honkytonk woman - which I'm not sure if transfers well to the piano - and Ruby Tuesday, which is basically a piano song.

I just bought it, I will let you know what I think or better I will post a recording.
Right now I'm busy learning a song for the ABF recital but I'll start Chuck's lessons in three weeks.

Serge

Agreed. I got his instructional DVD which was pretty good. Not mind blowing, but some good tips. Haven't tried the online stuff, but I'm sure it's got some good stuff if you're interested in playing blues/rock.

Interesting fact. Old Love wasn't on the set list. Clapton called it on stage. So when he says "Chuck", that's when Chuck knew he was playing a solo for a song that wasn't on the list for the night. Talk about being on the spot. One of my favorite solos. Even stole his two handed octave technique. I'm anxious to hear how his site is, and how high the levels go.

Serge88, I look forward to your review or recording.

Not sure how relevant the question is. Not many of us can hope to play like that (I know I can't, there are physical impossibilities). Question is, would you benefit from the materials, and enjoy it, playing at your own level?

I hear his instructional DVD is very good, and it is on my list of things to get when I don't need to worry about money.

My only complaint so far with the irocku is the materials are over-fingered. An intermediate pianist doesn't need to be told which finger to use for each note, and it is bad practice to over-finger even for a beginning pianist.

@Brian



Please explain the basics of this technique or refer to a video that shows it.

ten left thumbs, I wasn't very serious when I said this, if I ever stop practising the piano for whatever reason, it'll not be because I'm convinced I can never play like the former keyboardist of the Rolling Stones. I'd be happy to have a small percentage of his skills.

However I'm sure I could benefit from the material and don't think it's too much for me to pay, just about the price of one personal lesson with a teacher. Still I have a lot of material I have yet to study, which will be enough for me for many months, even more than a year.

Hey All- I'm Howard Citron, Chuck's partner on irocku. Thanks for checking out the site. I'll do my best to answer all your questions, and I'll drag Chuck into the forum if I can't answer for him.

We put irocku together because Chuck is constantly asked 'how can I learn to play like you'? We spent years researching students, teachers, and rocknrollers and building our teaching methodology.

We decided not to have Chuck do the actual teaching because we wanted to make it real. To the point someone made about ever being able to play like Chuck, we believe you can but it will take a serious investment in time on the keys. Chuck has hand picked all the teachers on the site, along with the songs, and the content of each lesson. At one of our recording sessions we did a blindfold test where Chuck played and then some of the other instructors played. It was really difficult to tell who was playing other than the fact the Chuck's playing is really powerful. I guess 25 years on stage with the Stones will force that to happen.

I can go on and on but it might be easier if people throw out specific questions and I'll do my best to answer.

He does this thing in the Old Love solo where he plays a note with his left hand (say an A), then the same note with his right hand and then an A an octave higher with his right hand. Put all together it makes this cool triplet pattern. 5:45 on the YouTube video posted above.

Thank you Howard Citron/irocku, that's interesting. Would you prefer to answer here or through email?

Thanks Brian.

Let's use the Pianoworld forum. That way everyone benefits.

Yeah, me too.

Welcome to Piano world, Howard. And congratulations on having the most eye-catching ad ever here. Designed to appeal to those who can only see orange and those who can only see pink as well as those who only see blue and love the Rolling Stones.

I do have a question: what's with the finger numbers? (see my comment above). Maybe your finger-number guy was getting paid extra for overtime?

I also wanted to congratulate you on the improv level 1 from the free sample lesson. I think it's great and I plan to use it with some students. Simple, sweet, and will give them a good start.

We have gone back on forth on how much fingering to provide so we let our students determine it. Since irocku is web-based and not all of our students have teachers watching over them, many of our students have requested more detailed fingering.

To your point, though, if you watch our videos, we always tell the students that the fingering on the sheet music is only suggested, they should use whatever fingering works best for them.

You will find that on the very advanced improvs, many of them are impossible to play if you don't use the fingering that was originally used by the artist. But to your point, again, it's always better to work it out on your own, if you can.

I prefer to be spoonfed with finger suggestions! At least until I'm able to work them out myself.

I have a question about the song list. Will it be updated for the whole membership year, or are members just entitled to the songs that are listed at the point in time when they become members?

I ask because I'm not familiar with some of the songs, although they may be well known in the North America. Apart from the Stones songs, I'd like to see Elton John tunes, Eric Clapton of course and Beatles songs. Also Billy Joel. But I can understand if there are copyright barriers.

However I would learn the listed songs if they grow on you and the techniques, progressions or methods, learned through them can benefit me in learning other rock songs in general, or in improvising.

I can see from a commercial point of view, lots of folks do like to be 'spoonfed' finger numbers, so it may well sell better. It just makes me cringe to see a 5-finger position, in which the hand doesn't move, to be fingered through a whole line, and the next line, and the next, every single note.

Just a recipe for producing pianists who will think they can read music, all they can actually do is count to 5.

I completely take the point about licks to be learned with a given fingering, even so, that fingering doesn't need to be repeated in that page.

What I did like about the site was that a lot of thought had gone into what can be expected at each level, and then to adapt each song to each level. I hadn't seen that approach before.

Did you road-test this on genuine learners? Just curious.