Description

Date: February 11, 2025; 5:30 – 7:00 pm CST (online)

Skill Level:  Advanced Beginner and above. Students should be comfortable playing with both hands and should have a working knowledge of a few standard chords (A, D, G, C, Am, Em, etc.). Reading music is helpful but not required. No prior knowledge of music theory is necessary.

Class Registration Fee:  $20

Have you ever wanted to play tunes at a dance, but have been unsure as to how to do that effectively?

Exploring Dance Piano Styles – “The Basics” – will address the very basics of playing back-up piano for traditional dance.  Students will learn how to “boom-chuck” with the left and right hand, in various meters (2/4, 4/4, 3/4, 6/8).

Students can go on from here, and learn the specifics of playing for Couple Dances, Contra, Old-Time, and Squares, Irish, Scottish and Canadian Dances, and/or English Country Dance.

For this session, you will need to be able to set up a device to show the student at the piano, with keyboard visible.

Amy McFarland has been playing piano since she was a young child, with a focus on traditional music, dance music of many styles, song accompaniment, ragtime, swing, and more. She has played for traditional  dancing for over forty years, has taught lessons and workshops, and has composed music. She has taught Piano off the Page to nearly 100 students for over a decade.