This week was a big one for my YouTube channel - we finally hit 10,000 subscribers! In honor of this huge (and hard-earned) milestone, I want to share with you my YouTube 10k Subscribers Celebration. In this post, I'll share the story of how I started my channel, what I have learned AND my top 10 viewed videos of all time!
Why did I start a YouTube channel?
I first started my YouTube channel back in 2019, when I was filming promotional videos for my original Piano Skills for Singers courses. I needed a way to embed those videos on my website and my web designer suggested that I put them on YouTube.
After that, I experimented with a few videos that were based on content that was in my online courses. Not surprisingly, they didn't do very well - only a couple of dozen views.
Shortly after, I posted a bunch of performance videos of me playing covers of a wide range of songs. This was part of my 2019 goal to get more "evidence" of my work out in the world. I have done so many different gigs and projects but most people didn't even know I did them!
Gaining some YouTube Traction
About halfway through 2019, I started to get views in the hundreds. I posted some how to videos for some accompaniment strategies and my favorite practice app Drum Genius.
I hit the "big time" (for me) with videos on How to Walk a Bass Line and How to Count in the Jazz Band. I was starting to get some great feedback on my work.
YouTube Growth 2022-2023
I 2022 and 2023, I started to really prioritize my YouTube channel, posting every single week. I invested in Tube Buddy - an SEO tool that helped me to come up with better titles and to polish my videos better.
I started getting my first videos with over 1000 views and even some with views in the tens of thousands.
Here are my Top Ten Videos of all time (so far)..
#10 - How to Clap Quarter Note Triplets
As with many of my YouTube videos, I made this one because clapping quarter notes is so poorly taught! I learned the "old fashioned way" when I was a kid and it just never made sense to me. When I was in college, my musicianship professor taught me how to subdivide polyrhythms and I had a huge aha moment. It was the least I could do to pass it on!
Clearly it was helpful, because it has over 6500 views!
#9 - Sight Read Better
Sight reading is one of those skills that pains MOST piano students. I have always been a great sight reader and had no idea why...until I started teaching my son piano.
For nostalgia's sake, I taught him using my old piano books from when I was four. Turns out that the method that my first teacher used was the key to my sight reading. I explain it all in great detail in this video. Nearly 7000 people have enjoyed this one!
#8 - How to Practice with the iReal Pro
The iReal Pro is an app that all of my jazz friends know about, but I was surprised that very few folks outside of the jazz community knew about it. To follow up my How to Use the iReal Pro video, I made this video which gives a lot of ideas on how to actually practice with it. With almost 20,000 views, I'm glad it's been helpful!
#7 - 15 Minute Vocal Warmup Routine
After years of posting piano content, I thought it was time to add a little vocal content. In this video, I take my viewers through an easy 15 minute vocal warmup that gets the voice moving really well. It's pretty close to the routine I do to get my voice going most days. Nearly 12,000 people have enjoyed this one!
#6 - What is the Tresillo Rhythm?
I consider the Tresillo Rhythm to be a little bit of magic for pianists. It works kind of like a standard guitar strumming pattern works. In this video, I explain what the tresillo rhythm is and show how I apply it to a huge range of songs. 11,000+ people enjoyed this one!
#5 - You Can LEARN to play by ear
I made this video after I read a post by a MUSIC TEACHER who said that playing by ear is a skill you are BORN WITH. (Um, NO!)
Believe it or not, my ears were terrible until I made a concerted effort while I was in university. I spent many hours trying to finally be able to play by ear. It took a lot of work and I WISH I'd had help. This video breaks down these simple steps that I have used to teach a LOT of folks how to play by ear. Nearly 13,000 folks can play by ear thanks to this video!
#4 - My 5 BEST Ear Training Tips
Another video about Ear Training! Anyone who knows me knows that I am a big believer in musicianship skills. I have THREE courses in The Versatile Musician that deal with musicianship skills: Piano Technique and Ear Training, Crash Course in Solfege and Rhythm Workout.
In this video I share 5 tips that will make a HUGE different in your ear training skills. 13,000+ views on this one!
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#3 - How to Use the iReal Pro
As I mention in #8, I discovered that the iReal Pro app was virtually unknown among the non-jazz population and I wanted to make sure people knew how to use it.
I also selfishly made this to help my students learn to use it without my having to explain it over and over again. Now, I just send them the link to this video and they're good to go.
Nearly 20,000 views on this one!
#2 - The Circle of 5ths Explained
Not only am I obsessed with musicianship, but I'm also a huge theory nerd too! Knowing the Circle of 5ths is a HUGE part of understanding how music works. It's like a key that unlocks a lot of the "mysteries" of music theory. This video has over 50,000 views!
#1 - Piano For Singers - 4 Easy Accompaniment Strategies
I guess it's not surprising that this is my #1 video, since I'm the Piano for Singers gal! This video has over 60,000 views and shares 4 accompaniment strategies that work for hundreds and hundreds of songs.
The prime focus of my Piano Skills for Singers methodology is to master major and minor chords and then learn a ton of different accompaniment strategies. (The Versatile Musician offers 25+ strategies!!)
This method works so darn well because it's easy to level up and the material works across so many genres. Nearly 63,000 people have checked this one out!
What's Next for my YouTube channel?
This summer I have a ton of fun song tutorials going live on the channel. I have been experimenting with more of these song tutorials, as learning songs is a great vessel for teaching chording and accompaniment skills.
In The Versatile Musician membership I have an entire course called Let's Learn Songs, which contains over 70 song tutorials, complete with printables with the lyrics, chords, voicings, accompaniment strategies and more.
Make sure to subscribe to the channel to check out some of the videos!
Here are a few recent song tutorial videos that have done really well:
Want to level up your musical skills? Strengthen your piano skills, develop your ear training, become a rhythm ninja and learn new skills like jazz and improvisation.
The Versatile Musician is an all-in-one membership that combines video lessons, print material and live support to help you level up your skills and thrive as a musician and music teacher.
To learn more, check out www.theversatilemusician.com and get ready to become the best musician possible!
Why do singers need piano skills?