About
Hi!
I'm John Geraghty,
I am a musician, songwriter, composer, performer, author, teacher and entrepreneur.
To date, I’ve spent 30 years teaching folks to play the piano. Most recently, I’ve distilled that experience into The Complete Classical Piano Course.
Why I created The Complete Classical Piano Course
After teaching piano for some 30 years, I think I have a lot of knowledge to share with the world. I noticed people were learning the piano from YouTube but were only being taught a small part of what you really can learn.
Having a private piano teacher will always be the best way to learn, but I decided to write The Complete Classical Piano Course because students who were learning by themselves from YouTube needed a comprehensive course, not just about classical piano but also playing techniques that I use when playing any style of music. I wanted to give students a full course that covers all my teaching strategies, tips, and tricks as well as the fundamentals that were taught to me by Diane. I wanted this to be part of my legacy.' Over the years, I’ve taught hundreds of students and I’ve learned from them too, and one of the most important things I learned was this…
"There's no such thing as a bad student, just a bad teacher."
I discovered that there's a difference between musicians who teach music and teachers who teach music.
The key is in the role. When I play the piano, I am a musician, but when I’m teaching, I am a teacher. If it sounds simple, it’s because it is, but as with most things in life, it’s often the simple things we miss.
To be honest, I probably learned the wrong way.
I started playing at 17, after an epiphany at college. It felt like someone had touched me on the shoulder and said 'you're going to be a professional songwriter'. I was into art at the time, so music was way off my radar. At that very moment, I went to the music section of the library.
I figured I should learn to play an instrument if I was to write songs. I picked up the first music book I saw, I think it was called 'How To Read Music'. I opened the first page and saw a picture of a piano. That's why I play it still today.
Practice, Practice , Practice
I taught myself to play the piano and after two long years, I realised that I didn't really know much at all about music. So, I enrolled in night school and learned classical piano from Diane Tigg. After my first lesson with Diane and for the five years she taught me, I practised 4 hours Monday-Friday from 7-11 pm and 12-8 pm on Saturday and Sunday for about 5 years. Around 36 hours a week practising piano! Sometimes I would rest my head on the keyboard for a few minutes, knowing I had another hour to practice. I realised that my peers had already taken Grade 8 piano and I was way behind all of them. I just wanted to catch up.
Oh, great hindsight, how you mock us…
I now know, there's a quick way to learn the piano and there's a bad way to learn. Most people learn like this...
"Too much time and not enough progress."
When really they should be making this progress...
"Less practice with faster results."
Yes, there are lots of piano tuition online courses, books, and private lessons. You may even have tried some of them.
The way I teach is different.
I can help you get there in no time at all. There are no gimmicks and no fluff with my teachings.
Everyone can learn, but so often we need to learn in our own way. The best way to teach one student may be completely different from another student.
Got questions?
The Brain is a Curious Thing
When I teach, I always try to get inside the head of each student. I want to know what they’re thinking, why they're thinking it and work out why they keep thinking it. I do this for every student.
"In a group of three people, there will always be one person I can learn from"
This old Chinese proverb makes sense to me. I learned from all of my students….and still do. I discovered how and why they would play, practice, and understand the music in a particular way. Indeed, I found through 27 years of experience, that they all had similar experiences.
Strategies and Tips
I applied what I'd learned from the children to my adult students and showed the children what my adult students had taught me. Over the years, learning how each student thought, practiced and played the piano, I realised that both children and adults had the same recurring problems.
And I would just keep...
SIMPLIFYING how to teach it to them.
I knew I had to collate it all in one simple, straightforward course. I wanted The Complete Classical Piano Course to include all my tips and strategies that I learned teaching through the years. I wanted a concise comprehensive course covering EVERY scenario when learning the piano. A comprehensive system, but one which allowed anyone to learn in their own unique way. Tips and strategies on...
- Sight-reading
- Ear Training
- Technique
- Practicing
- Theory
After almost 20 years without playing, I decided to return to the piano. John Geraghty’s “The Complete Classical Piano Course” was immensely valuable, as it is a complete self-learning guide to piano playing, including theory, technique and performance. Although I have studied the piano in the past, I believe the set of these four books (Manual, Technique, Practice Notes and Music) may also be used by any beginner. The pack comes with a set of 3 CDs that will help the student to progress. Lessons are progressive and the music selected is adequate. I was awarded the ABRSM certificate in Music Performance, Grade 5 Piano, and passed with distinction. Although this achievement was not only attributed to John’s course, I must highlight how important his work was.
I am now preparing for the ABRSM Grade 8, and, being a frequent reader of the Pianist magazine, I also find John’s articles “Playing by Ear” quite useful.
PAULO CARDOSO
*The 30-DAY GUARANTEE!
Try out the complete course for a full 30 days!
If you don't see any improvement in your piano playing or for any reason you don't feel that this course is for you, even after trying out the books, the audio CD's and the online videos, you can return the books and CDs with no questions asked for a full *refund.
Got questions?
Musical Experience
Apart from being a private piano teacher with over 30 years experience, I've also worked as a pianist, producer, and arranger in rock, pop, and Jazz bands.
I've had music published in PIANIST magazine. My latest book Playing By Ear - A Songwriter's Way was featured as a 6-part series in the magazine. (Issue 109-114: Aug 2019 – July 2020)
In the Oct/Nov magazine of PIANIST magazine, I wrote a nice little piano rag, paying homage to Scott Joplin called Harry's Rag.
You can buy Harry's Rag here for £1.99
Six-part Jazz improvisation online series
Ideal for beginners and musicians wanting to learn some tips and techniques in Jazz improvisation.
"How to' Online Series
This series will cover many piano genres including Contemporary Classical, Blues, Country, Latin, Rock n Roll, New Orleans, Jazz, Pop, Funk, Boogie Woogie, Ragtime, Rock, Gospel and Ballad style. Each article will demonstrate plenty of playing techniques and tips to help broaden your musical knowledge and repertoire of different genres.
Songwriting / Producing
While I did my classical piano training, I also practiced my songwriting. Learning all I could about chords and improvisation, covering many different musical styles including Blues, Jazz, Country, Latin, and Funk piano. At the same time, I practiced my lyric writing and music production.
My latest single Flow was released on 30th November 2023.
www.smashharry.com
