Lesson 4 of 29PianoAdvanced

Meet Andrew Johnson

2:28

Meet Andrew Johnson, the composer and pianist recording the Grade 7 tracks - he shares his background and how he'll help you play your pieces.

Part of the courseRockschool Piano Grade 729 lessons (2h 46m)

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What's in the course

29 lessons (2h 46m) · 1 free

- 01. Welcome to the online course
  1:46
- 02. Meet James Beckwith
  1:42
- 03. Meet Paddy Milner
  1:31
- 04. Meet Andrew Johnson
  You are here
  2:28
- 05. Meet Ross Stanley
  3:30
- 06. Meet Marina Haywood-Lieberman
  4:32
- 01. Hard to Handle, The Black Crowes (Performance)
  3:10
- 02. A Song For You, Ray Charles (Performance)
  Free lesson
  4:30
- 03. Theme from Schindler's List, John Williams (Performance)
  4:00
- 04. Natchez Trace, Glen Partridge (Performance)
  2:56
- 05. Soma, Simon Troup (Performance)
  2:45
- 06. Times Square, Kit Morgan (Performance)
  3:11
- 01. Hard to Handle, The Black Crowes (Lesson)
  9:30
- 02. A Song For You, Ray Charles (Lesson)
  22:52
- 03. Theme from Schindler's List, John Williams (Lesson)
  11:11
- 04. Natchez Trace, Glen Partridge (Lesson)
  14:31
- 05. Soma, Simon Troup (Lesson)
  13:36
- 06. Times Square, Kit Morgan (Lesson)
  12:30
- 01. Improvisation - the next level
  1:33
- 02. Advanced blues form
  6:23
- 03. Advanced blues demonstration
  2:29
- 04. Advanced improvisation techniques
  8:08
- 01. Intro to scales, arpeggios and voicings - why they're useful
  2:49
- 02. Scales - Grade 7
  4:07
- 03. Arpeggios - Grade 7
  5:50
- 04. Chord voicings - Grade 7
  4:41
- 01. Site reading with the "KAT TRAP" method
  9:04
- 01. Course outro
  0:49
- 02. About Rockschool & exams
  0:55

Lesson transcript

Welcome to Your Piano Journey!

Hey there, everybody! How are you today? Great to see you.

Introduction

My name is Andrew James Johnson. I'm a composer and pianist from the UK.

We're sitting in a fantastic studio here in the heart of London, with a beautiful Steinway piano. I'm going to be recording some amazing tracks to help you understand how to play your pieces better.

About Me

Just a little bit about me:

I've been a professional pianist for about 25 years.
I've played all over the world with orchestras, bands, and as a music director.
My experience includes working for Disney and major cruise ships, as well as some of the biggest entertainment companies in the world.
Currently, I'm focusing on composing and working on my own album. I've released a few albums over the years and am enjoying every moment in the music industry, using these fingers to create and play music.

Why You're Here

It's really great that you have chosen to learn the piano, that's absolutely fantastic news! Whether you're a beginner or an advanced Grade 8 student tackling some of the more challenging pieces, you are in the right place.

I've played everything from concertos and sonatas by:

Beethoven
Bach
Chopin
Rachmaninoff

...to contemporary artists like:

Bruce Hornsby ("The Way It Is")
David Bowie ("Life on Mars")
Coldplay
Elton John

I look forward to diving deep into the music, going into details that you might not have encountered in your regular lessons.

Learning Approach

Whether you're learning visually or have prior lessons, I'm here as your instructor to help you grasp the finer points of making music.

What You'll Learn

We will cover:

Technical skills:
- Scales
- Arpeggios
Musical skills:
- Self-expression
- Professionalism in your playing

Remember, it's not just about the black dots on the page. Music is so much more than that.

As you learn and improve, you'll discover how to bring your music to life. The real difference between a professional and an amateur player lies in the ability to communicate the message of the music to your audience, or even just to yourself.