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tonebase Piano Course

Trills: from Beginner to Virtuoso

Taught by renowned pianist

Dominic Cheli

In this course, Dominic Cheli teaches how to trill with every finger combination across every style and level. He also teaches the many different types of trills (slow, fast, measured, free, light, short and more) and how to use the hand and fingers to create the desired effect.

  • checkmark icon
    Difficulty: 
    all-levels
  • checkmark icon
    Duration: 
    1
     hours
     hour
All courses on tonebase include subtitles in English and Spanish

Course Syllabus

Trills and Ornaments Across Musical Styles

In this lesson, Dominic Cheli teaches the technical approach to trills from Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary periods.

The Importance of Rotation for Trills

In this lesson, Dominic Cheli teaches the core technical foundations of the trill and how to play long trills, short trills, free trills, measured trills, and the importance of rotation in the hand.

Playing Short Trills, Mordents, and Trills in Slow Music

In this lesson, Dominic Cheli teaches how to develop speed and virtuosity in your trills and how to develop crispness in the fingers for mordents, and short trills.

Trilling With the Finger Combinations of 1/2, 1/3, 2/3, and 2/4

In this lesson, Dominic Cheli teaches how to trill with the standard fingerings: 1/2, 1/3, 2/3, and 2/4, and the correct curve of the fingers for this technique.

Trilling With the Finger Combinations of 3/4, 3/5, and 4/5

In this lesson, Dominic Cheli teaches how to trill with the more difficult fingerings: 3/4, 3/5, 4/5 and how to play extended chains of trills found in music.

Trilling and Playing a Melody With One Hand

In this lesson, Dominic Cheli teaches how to trill and play a melody with one hand, found in many of Beethoven's passages, using Bach's 28th Goldberg Variation as a template. He also teaches the importance of light and slow trills for bass notes and trilling with both hands at the same time.

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Dominic Cheli
meet YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Dominic Cheli

Dominic Cheli’s career includes debuts at Walt Disney Concert Hall and at Carnegie Hall. He has CDs out on the Naxos and Delos labels and is the Head of Piano at tonebase.

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Dominic Cheli
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