PREMIUM COURSE
Kiefer: Keys, Chords, & Beats
Learn how to marry theory, improvisation, and beat making to become a better pianist and producer, with Grammy-winner Kiefer.
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Kiefer has been called the best kept secret in jazz and alt-rap. Both a skilled pianist and a dynamic producer, Kiefer draws on the rich traditions of Black American music for a sound that's not quite jazz, not quite hip-hop — something entirely his own. Picture Dilla-inspired beats with rich, complex harmonies and flashy solos on top.
In this course, Kiefer showcases his approach to the piano and keys, making modern piano-based music by tackling five creative challenges and breaking down how he navigates each one. We'll be exploring how to write sophisticated and soulful chord changes, how to harmonize with a melody, how to come up with exciting solos, how to fashion short loops into interesting beats, and so much more.
If you're a pianist, or a producer with some background in piano, dive in to take your skills to the next level.
Kiefer
Pianist and producer
Kiefer is a Grammy-winning pianist and producer. He was born and raised in San Diego, immersed in jazz by his father. He studied at UCLA’s Jazz Studies Program under renowned jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell and got his beats education at the LA club Low End Theory. Kiefer released his debut album Kickinit Alone in 2017 with Leaving Records and, in 2018, signed to Stones Throw and released his second album Happysad. Three EPs — Bridges, Superbloom, and Between Days — expanded his compositional approach to his songwriting. Kiefer has toured the world and collaborated…
Course Outline
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Section 1
Introduction
- Meet Kiefer
- A Quick Overview
- Introduction to the Discord Community
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Section 2
Getting Started
- Sounding More Like Yourself
- "Real Artists Ship"
- Five Artists
- Kiefer's Sound
- Practice vs Performance
- Designing a Practice Program
- Finger Warm Ups
Section 3
Writing Chord Changes
- The First Challenge
- The Circle of Fifths & Chord Changes
- A Stable Progression
- Know Your Stacks
- Getting Less Stable
- Moving Further Away
- Voicings & Extensions
- Coming Up With Voicings
- A Wild Progression
- Practice: "Inside Out"
- Your First Challenge
Section 4
Melody & Chords
- The Second Challenge
- Coming Up With a Melody
- Melodic Contour
- Analyzing "Dolphin Dance"
- Finding Melody in Speech
- Relating Chords to Melody
- Chord Tones and Tensions
- Practice: Writing Melodies
- Practice: "Third Impulse"
- Practice: "Bottom Note/Top Note"
- Your Second Challenge
Section 5
Improvisation
- The Third Challenge
- Kiefer Plays "Peace" by Horace Silver
- Analyzing Kiefer's Solo
- Great Artists Steal
- Singing Your Solos
- Touch & Time Feel
- Selecting Scales
- Practice: Learning a Bebop Lick
- The "Superhero" Solo
- Practice: "The Tamir Drill"
- Stretching Out a Phrase
- Your Third Challenge
Section 6
Making a Beat
- The Fourth Challenge
- Making a Beat
- Coming Up With Chords
- Rhythm & Time Feel
- Grace Notes
- Finding the Right Voicings
- Adding a Bass Line
- Writing Bass Lines
- Adding Rhodes
- Adding a Solo
- Reflecting on the Process
- Practice: The Daily Sketch
- Your Fourth Challenge
Section 7
Conclusion
- What We've Learned
- Summary: Practice Activities
- What's Next
MORE INFORMATION
Who is this course for?
This course is for intermediate and advanced pianists or pianist-producers. You should already have some level of comfort playing with two hands on the piano and some familiarity with music theory, including scales and chords.
What will I learn in this course?
You'll learn how Kiefer approaches playing piano, including how he comes up with chord changes, how he writes and harmonizes melodies, how he improvises and improves his improvisation skills, and how he comes up with keyboard parts for beats.
Are there any pre-reqs?
You should have some prior knowledge of major and minor scales and how to construct chords built on scales. You should also be able to comfortably play chords and melodies on the piano. If you're new to this stuff, check out our short Music Theory for Beginner Pianists course as primer.
You will definitely need a piano, keyboard, or a keyboard-based MIDI instrument to get the most out of this course.
How long does this course take?
This course was designed for you to go through at your own pace. If you wanted to do all the content linearly from start to finish, there are five big milestones in the course and a final challenge that could be done over the course of one to two months.
You're also welcome to just skip around to the lessons and sections most relevant to you and your music.
Is there a specific start date?
You can start the course anytime. If you'd like more accountability, and guided feedback from a professional, you can request to work through the course and your own goals with a Soundfly Mentor for four or six weeks, and get a more personalized experience for a specific period of time.
How many lessons are there?
This course includes 60 lessons, including videos, graphics, text, activities, demos, creative prompts, downloadable tracks, stems, and much more.
What do I get if I enroll as a subscriber?
As a subscriber, you'll get unlimited access to all courses on Soundfly.com, including this and all our other premium courses, to go through at your own pace. This includes all the videos, tutorials, demos, quizzes, activities, downloads, and other materials within our full suite of courses.
What is your refund policy?
Our mission is to support musicians, not to rip anyone off. If you realize after subscribing that it's not what you wanted, email us as soon as you can with your reason for cancelling. Our policy is to issue refunds within two weeks of a purchase, for either a monthly or annual subscription, if the courses didn't meet your expectations.