Bob Egan's THREE FINGER PIANO: Learn the five simple piano chord formulas that allow you to play every song ever written - in under 5 minutes.

Book front cover

Book back cover

Contents:

1) The 5-Minute video, illustrated - includes instructions for teachers.

2) The First Lesson

3) Text of the 5-minute video without pictures

4) Link to Bob Egan's website listing over 250 easy-to-play 3- and 4-chord songs.

1) The 5-Minute video, illustrated - includes instructions for teachers.

Let's start by finding middle C on the keyboard:

The black keys are in group of 2's and 3's. Find the group of 2 black keys closest to the center of the keybord. The WHITE KEY to the LEFT is middle c. Play it.

Here's a closer shot

Now, with your right hand INDEX finger, play the C again and then play the 7 notes to the right, saying their names as you play them: C,D,E,F,G,A,B,and C.

You will end up here at another "C" note. You have played a "scale."

Now, without trying to name the notes, play all the notes back down to the original "C."

Now, we're gong to make our first chord.

To make a chord, you put your index finger on the chord you want to play. In this case it's C.

Then make the following pattern:

Index Finger - leave THREE EMPTY KEYS - put your middle finger down - leave TWO EMPTY KEYS - then put your ring finger down.

Now play this chord. Simple. This is the basis of the 16 chords you need to know to play most songs. So only 15 more to go.

Keeping your fingers in the 3-2 position, you are going to PLAY THE SEVEN 3-2 PATTERNS up the scale starting with the C chord (CDEFGABC). Then play them back down to C.

I've named the chords for later, but don't worry about that now.

(C chord)

(D minor chord)

(E minor chord)

(F chord)

(G chord)

(A minor chord)

(B diminished chord)

(C chord)(Sounds the same as the first "c" chord, but higher pitch.)

Now, keeping your fingers in the same position, play the same chords back down to "C."

(You have now played 6 of the 16 chords you will need to know : 4 major chords and 3 minor chords. (Major chords are usually just referred to by their name, like "G" not "G major.)

Don't worry about the names of the chords right now, this was just to get your fingers used to playing the basic 3-2 position.

THE SEVEN PRIMARY CHORDS (ABCDEFG) are played in one of three (3) hand positions:
   •Straight,
   •Triangular, or
   •Angled.
Knowing the three types will make switching between chords easier and faster.

1) Straight: (the C, F, and G chords)

You are going to play a C chord, then an F chord , then a G chord: in each your fingers are in a straight line.

1) The C Chord.

1) The F Chord.

1)The G Chord.

Now here they are one after another. Play them back and forth quickly. First C, then F, then G. Then G, then F, then C.

(These three chords, you will soon discover, are the basis of thousands of rock and roll songs.)

2) Triangular: (the D, E, and A chords)

PLAY a D, then an E, then an A chord: in each your fingers are in a triangle shape, with your middle finger on a black key.

Play this D chord.

Now play this E chord, up one white key.

And now play this A chord, up 3 white keys from the E.

Now try to play the three chords without looking at the pictures.

3) Angled: (the B chord)

PLAY a B CHORD - three times: The 3-2 formula makes it come out like a sideways L. Play it three times.

Here's the B chord.

Ok, now we are going to learn to play MINOR CHORDS (which make a chord sound sad) First, you form a REGULAR 3-2 CHORD, then you MOVE YOUR MIDDLE FINGER ONE KEY TO THE LEFT.

So we're going to start with a C MINOR chord.

First make a C using the 3-2 Method.

Now move your middle finger one to the left. That's a C-minor. Now play a C-major, followed by a C-minor. Do you notice how the C-minor sounds "sad?"

Now we are going to learn the D-minor, E-minor, and A-minor (written as Dm, Em, and Am) - the three minors you will play most.

1) to Play a D minor (Dm) chord, first make a D chord with the 3-2 formula. Then, move your middle finger one key to the left, and play the chord.)

First, make the D chord.

Then move your middle finger back one key to make it a D-minor.

2) Play an E minor (Em) chord.

First, make a "3-2" E chord.

Then, move your middle finger one key to the left. That's an E minor chord.

3) Play an A minor (Am) chord.

First, make a "3-2" A chord.

Then, move your middle finger one key to the left.

4) Now, play the three chords one after the other - 3 times in a row.

(You have now played 9 of the 16 chords you need to know)

To play 7th NOTES (which add EXPECTATION to a note), as you play a chord (a regular chord or minor chord), just use the index finger of your left hand to play the note 2 keys to the left of your right hand's index finger.

In other words, leave ONE EMPTY KEY (whether it's black or white) between your two index fingers.

Let's start again with a C chord.

First, make a "3-2" C chord.

Now, place your left index finger two keys to the left of your right index finger. This leaves one empty key between your two index fingers.

Good - that's a C-seventh (also known as a C7th) chord.

Now we're going to learn to play four more 7th chords.

First, the D7th: To begin, make a D-chord using the 3-2 method.

Then add your left hand index finger - two keys down (i.e. two keys to the left of your right index finger.).

The E7th: First, make an E using the 3-2 method.

Then add the left finger, leaving one key in between.

The G7th: FIrst, make a G using the 3-2 method.

Then add the left finger, leaving one key in between.

"Well, alllllll right," as Mick Jagger used to say. You've now know how to play 13 of the 16 chords.

Now we'll quickly learn the formulas to play Flats and Sharpes, and then you will graduate "Play Every Song" school.

First, flats. To play a flat, you make a 3-2 chord, then you just move all three fingers one key to the left. Let's start with good old C-flat (which actually is the same formation as a B-chord but let's forget that for now)

Make a C using the 3-2 method.

Ok, now move all three of your fingers one key to the left, and play that chord. That's a C flat. (It's also a B, but in this instance, just think of it as a C-flat in order to understand the finger pattern.)

A flat you might use a lot is B-flat

So, to make a b-flat chord first make a B with the 3-2 Method.

Now move all your fingers back one key. Now play the note. That's a B-flat.

And that's the method to make all the other flats.

So now, let's do the same thing for sharps.

To play a sharp, you make a 3-2 chord, then you just move all three fingers one key to the right.

Let's start with good old C again.

First, make a C using the 3-2 method.

Ok, now move all three of your fingers one to the right, and play that chord. That's a C-sharp.

A sharp you will use a lot is an F-sharp.

So, to make a F-sharp chord; begin with a 3-2 F chord.

Then, move all your fingers forward one key. Now play the chord. That's an F-sharp chord.

All the other sharps are made the same way.

More importantly, now you've played all of the "Sweet 16": the 16 chords you need to know to play most songs!! You rock! In fact, now you CAN ROCK!

Ok, now remember how I told you at the beginning, that you've be able to play an A-flat minor seventh (Abm7) note? Let's do it.

First, make an A.

Now lets make it an A-flat by moving all your fingers one key to the left.

On, now, let's make it a minor by moving your middle finger one key to the left. Good so far. that's an A flat minor.

Let's make it a seventh by adding your left finger two keys to the left of your right index finger.

Play the note. What do you have? An A-flat minor seventh! Easy as that!

You can make hundreds of chord combinations that way. You just take it step-by-step like you would add layers while making an ice cream sunday: first the ice cream (the chord) - then the syrup (flat or sharp) - then the whipped cream (minor) - finishing with the cherry! (the 7th).

QUICK REVIEW

These are the 16 most popularly used chords in most songs.

This is how many books for easy chord piano will look.

Another chart that summarizes what you know. The "triangles" mean your fingers are in a triangular formula like when playing a "D". A ". . ."code means your three fingers play white keys.

A list OVER 250 3-CHORD and 4-CHORDS SONGS

NEXT STEPS in Bob Egan's THREE FINGER PIANO.

1) In order for your fingers to get comfortable playing the keys, we are going to start you off playing 3 and 4 chord songs on just the white keys.

That primarily includes the chords: C, F, G, and Am.

2) Then we will add C, F, G, Am songs that also include Dm and/or Em, or both. They are also chords played on all white keys.

3) Then we will add chords that include one black key: D, E,and A; and then 2 black keys: B.

When we add a black key, we have to form a triangle with our fingers and it takes a little getting used to when, primarily when switching between chords.

4) Then we will add songs with 7th chords, in which you use your left index finger. A7, D7, E7, G7th

We will also learn to play 7th chords with our little finger, making our first 4-finger chord. (Note: this may make a chord too wide for smaller children, who can continue to use their left hand to make the 7th.)

5) Then we will include songs with Sharps and Flats: F# and Bb.

6) Then we will add bass notes to the chords to make the chords sound fuller, using one finger from our left hand playing an octave below the chord being played at the same time we play the chord.

7) Then we will alternate playing the bass notes and playing the chords, for a different rhythm.

8)Then we will do two bass notes with the left hand, while playing the chords on the right.