HOME David J Ford: private lessons in, Newburgh, Fife

Keyboards:
The 'keys' are probably the most challenging but versatile of all the instruments. When you consider the guitar, that’s saying something. But keyboards is not just piano. Fantastic though it is to be able to sit at a pub - or Auntie's Joanna & bash out a tune, or play some relaxing Chopin or Michael Nyman, playing piano can lead you onto the never-ending array of sounds that come from the modern keyboard.

A guitar gives up to 6 different notes at any one time allowing you to play the tune, the bass, the chord & add rhythm too – if you’re good enough…. The piano does all this too but with as many tones (notes) playing at once as you have fingers – so more than 6 then.

Hammond Organ & Rhodes Piano are classic sounds you get on any reasonable keyboard & though now as old as hat can still make your spine tingle. String sounds and others can add depth & warmth to a bands sound without too much fancy finger work.

Paperless tuition – well almost:

Not a fan of the written page, he will ask you to provide a recording of two or three pieces of your favourite music on CD or MP3. This music will be the focus of the lesson.

You will be taught how to identify lines, chords & rhythms within the music & reproduce them on the keyboard. You will be taught how to translate what you hear into what you play.

Sheet music is hard to avoid in piano playing & the piano is the one instrument where Dave will probably introduce some notation. Depending on the style you wish to learn & how easily you grasp certain theory aspects, Dave will still be keen to keep the paper to a minimum. In his piano teaching experience so for though, he has never been able to dispense with it completely. Maybe one day.

Though having played the piano from around 7 years old, Dave still finds it the most challenging of all his instruments. He will usually refuse a Guiness before sitting down at the piano stool – not so when holding a sax or trumpet

He is though, an expert at reproducing what he hears on the keys or anything else. Dave was a founder member of Edinburgh’s Soul Inferno for whom he played keys for two years.