Prelude:  LinnStrument setup, chord spelling, chord terms, melody tips, plugin settings

Lesson 1 – Let’s Begin! Don't keep me in Sus-pense

Begin with the End in Mind.  The purpose of the book is chord-melody playing, left and right hand at the same time.  So, let’s put it all together from the first lesson!  Ingredients: Major - Sus4

Lesson 2 – The Mellow Jam – I-IV

I-IV gives you a great starting point for vamping/jamming/improvising with more harmonic content.  Think of it as adding a song section in your song.  Ingredients:  Major - Maj7

Lesson 3 – Minor as One and Only

Simple Minor vamp ii-V7 - Change your Evil Ways Baby!  Ingredients:  Min7 - 7th

Lesson 4 – The Foundation of Western Music:  I-IV-V7

Without a doubt the most important harmonic content in Western Music is the  I-IV-V7.  Now we can finally begin playing real songs!

Lesson 5 – Minor Relative or Otherwise

The relative minor is a welcome addition to any simple progression!  Unleash your inner folk musician...

Lesson 6 – The Mighty ii-V7-I

Even simple songs can benefit from a ii-V7-I.  Of course, you're not playing Jazz or Pop without a 2-5-1 progression, be a "Satin Doll..." and modulate me!

Lesson 7 – The Turnaround - I-vi-ii-V7-I

The only way to end a Jazz standard is to turn it around!

Lesson 8 - Song for Sarah - iii-vi-ii-V7

An important variation to the I-vi-ii-V7-I, thus completing the Box pattern ascending and descending.

Lesson 9 – The Minor One:  iim7b5-V7alt-i

The Boss-a of Minor progressions is a 2-5-1 with minor/alt chords.

Lesson 10 – The Motorcycle of 4ths – Modulation Baby!

Cycle of 4ths can take you where you want to go:  Go to the "Wild World" of "Europa" so you can see the "Autumn Leaves" of the "Secret Garden" and be "All the things you are!"

Lesson 11 – Scalewise Movement

Make a pretty pop song with an ascending scalewise progression, it just seems "Longer" going "Here, There, Everywhere" so find someone to "Lean on me."

Lesson 12 – Passing Chords – Slash Chords Descending

Moving down stream was never so much fun!  You'll be "Blowin' in the Wind and feeling a "Whiter Shade of Pale"

Lesson 13 – Passing Chords Ascending

Major/3rd bass is found in a lot of pop, classical and gospel...for a good reason!  You'll find that Tootsie "Might be You."

Lesson 14 – Don’t Diminish the Gospel

Gospel shows us that a good diminished chord placement can make a simple tune hip!

Lesson 15 – Augment the Pop

Greatest Augment of All...let this progression remind us of what we used to be!

Lesson 16 – Minor Cool Passing Chords (add some salsa to your progression)

Descending from Minor-MinorMaj7-Min7-Min6 is a cool way to add salsa to any latin, jazz, blues or pop song!  Be a "Funny Valentine."

Lesson 17 – Chords to Lean on:  Appoggio

Make a simple song jazzy with appoggio...it's so simple and will take you "Over the Rainbow."

Lesson 18 – Take the A Train with the Girl from Ipanema

Going up a step to a 7th chord is always disorienting and interesting, especially with Duke or Jobim!

Lesson 19 – Freebird (Finally!)

Mixolydian progressions are the basic staple of Southern Rock...great to jam to!

Lesson 20 - The Blues I7-IV7-V7

The Blues - the foundation of American Music...very important!

Lesson 21 – Double Stops - Intervals Right Hand

Eventually you'll want to chord with your right hand like a piano player...  This is the prelude to the next Method course of comping and playing in a band...  These double stops can be used to add more interest to your right hand melodies.  

Appendix

Chords

Chord Mapping

Chord Simplification/Substitution

Patterns

Scales

Melody Mapping by numbers

DAWs - Ableton Live, Cubase, Logic, Waveform/Tracktion, Sonar, Fruity Loops, Reason

Plugins - AU/VST:  AAS, Arturia, Fxpansion, Korg, Madrona Labs, Melda MPower, Native Instruments, Roland, Spectrasonics, Sylenth, Synthmaster, U-he, UVI, Xils Lab

Playing the Melody - Finding the notes, aids to learning to play by ear.

Music Theory for Dummies - learning how to use chord charts, spell chords, use substitutions.