Today I’m going to talk about why I think you should learn how to play “Treat You Better” by Shawn Mendes on piano. “Treat You Better” is a modern pop song in its purest form. The progression and the melody are straightforward and accessible. That is a formula for a winning lesson for beginners! So I chose to feature our rookie level arrangement in my YouTube lesson, and I did so for a few more specific reasons:
1. The melody Is rhythmically approachable
But in terms of hand positions, there is a change towards the end of this passage! But that’s ok, we don’t want things to be too easy. The balance of accessibility and challenge in this melody is perfect for a beginner level player looking for a something to test their skills. The majority of the melody is spent in one hand position, and the change comes only for the final measure. But luckily, we have an entire measure of rest before that new position comes, so we have plenty of time to move and get ready for the new position, which is a few notes higher than where we’ve been.
2. Step-wise left hand part
The left hand part in the majority of our rookie level arrangements tend to be single notes, and are mostly roots of chords. But that doesn’t mean they are always easy, and it definitely doesn’t always mean the notes are next to each other in the scale. But here we have a super friendly left hand part where each note is one note away from the last. This is also known as “Step-wise motion” and it allows us to quickly get this part down so we can focus on the right hand and putting the hands together.
Now it’s your turn to play “Treat You Better” by Shawn Mendes
So dive in! Make sure to watch the video while you’re at your piano or keyboard so you can play along with me as I guide you through the lesson. And don’t forget to hit subscribe so you don’t miss any other YouTube videos lessons… I’m now doing 2 new videos a week, EVERY WEEK!
If you love using your favorite songs to learn the piano, check out ‘Treat You Better’ at the Playground Sessions YouTube channel.
If you like what you see you can download our app to learn the rest of this song with our interactive sheet music.
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