CPTP077: How to Teach Lead Sheets and Chord Charts with Susan Deas

Teach lead sheets and your students will be more likely to be lifelong pianists. In fact, Susan Deas surveyed teachers and found that 90% thought teaching lead sheets was useful skill. Cultivating a love of music and keeping students playing was also rated as a primary focus, and most teachers thought lead sheets would help with this.

So why are many of us still not fitting this creative skill into our lessons?

Susan Deas takes a practical, straight-forward approach to lead sheet playing. Her book, Improvisation for Classically Trained Pianists, breaks down this skill into a truly step-by-step process.

As Susan says: "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good, have a go!". Jump in to episode 77 and find out how you can teach lead sheets in your studio.

Transcript

If you'd like to download a PDF transcript of this episode, please click below.

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In this episode, you’ll learn

• The difference between a chord chart and a lead sheet
• Why Susan set out to research the area of improvisation
• What Susan found out about teachers' attitudes to creativity
• Why teachers don't teach lead sheets, and why they should
• How to get piano parents on board with improvisation
• How Susan prepares young students for lead sheet playing
• What you can do to fit more improv into your piano lessons
• Susan's top tips for how to teach lead sheets

Links Mentioned

• Improvisation for Classically Trained Pianists
• Susan's chord resources
• What's the Difference between a Chord Chart and a Lead Sheet
• The Ultimate Guide to Left Hand Piano Styles & Patterns

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Do you teach lead sheets in your studio?

If so, what approach do you use? If not, what's stopping you getting started?

Do you like the idea of a more step-by-step process for teaching lead sheets and chord charts?