WICKED KEYS BOOKS

Our books come in multiple formats for individuals and teachers

LEAD SHEET 101
Reading and Arranging for Modern Piano

Who’s it for?
A rare book for every piano student - covering simple, intermediate, and advanced techniques

Beginners can start playing quickly by using the root note approach (chapter 1), before building their skills with LH 5ths (chapter 2) and adding 3rds in the RH (chapter 3)

Intermediate students can learn the beginnings of jazz harmony by adding 7ths to their chord voicings (chapter 4), investigate adding movement via comping (chapter 5) and flow (chapter 6), before adding juicy chord extensions with simple tricks (chapters 7, 8 and 9)

Advanced students can delve into the rich world of reharmonisation, gettin’ down with the real juicy stuff and adding extra chords galore (chapters 10, 11, 12, and 13)

Lead Sheet 101 is a modern approach to chords and melody - learn to interpret beyond “the dots” and add freedom to your playing

+ FREE BONUS eBOOK!

+ FREE BONUS eBOOK!

Purchase any edition of Lead Sheet 101 from wickedkeys.com.au during March 2025 and receive a BONUS eBOOK featuring 27 classic tunes reimagined with jazz and gospel inspired chord progressions!

Folk Songs for Easy Piano

50 Songs in 1 Book

Who's it for?
Beginners after that modern flair

Featuring: simplified leadsheets and easy piano arrangements

With modern backing tracks in ROCK, POP, GOSPEL, COUNTRY, and JAZZ styles - streamable on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube and more!

From a smashingly acoustic pop take on Danny Boy, to a mind meltingly rocking Baa Baa Black Sheep, to a rip-roaring gospel arrangement of Ode To Joy, we even take it the streets of New Orleans with When The Saints, before heading to the high seas with Drunken Sailor: there's something in here for every student!

Made for forward thinking piano teachers and modern students

Folk Goes Modern

Intermediate and Advanced Arrangements

Who's it for?
Intermediate and advanced players seeking fully notated arrangements

Packed with 27 stunningly reimagined arrangements, blending classic melodies with modern pop, rock, jazz, and gospel influences

Featuring:
- an early intermediate gospel inspired take on Amazing Grace

- a jazz ballad version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with some stunning chord voicings

- a frankly smashing (literally) arrangement of House of the Rising Sun

- a pop/rock twist on the Irish classic Danny Boy

- a crowd pleasing rendition of Mary Had A Little Lamb

- and a fresh take on Ode To Joy featuring juicy chords, infectious rhythms, and a brand-new interlude that breathes fresh life into the classic.

And that’s just the beginning—inside, you’ll find 21 more stunning arrangements, each one crafted to breathe new life into beloved melodies.

Whether you’re drawn to folk, gospel, jazz, or pop-inspired pieces, this collection has something for everyone.

Folk Goes Modern

Lead Sheets

A Collection of 27 Classic Tracks Reimagined with Contemporary Chords

The perfect next step for students who've worked through the leadsheets in "Folk Songs for Easy Piano", students exploring the reharmonisation chapters in "Lead Sheet 101", or music teachers looking for a fresh take on some classic material - these lead sheets add more complex harmony to classic folk songs with some utilising simple diatonic reharmonisation, and others going full blown jazz in their chordal approach.

Get chordin' with these juicy takes on classic tunes!

(eBook only)

+ for the month of March 2025, purchase Lead Sheet 101 direct from wickedkeys.com.au and receive a FREE copy of this eBook!

KEYBOARDS
Sound Design for Modern Pianists

Whether your rockin' it out on stage, jamming in a jazz band, or smashing it out in a musical, it's not enough to know where to put your fingers: modern pianists need to know their Rhodes from their Wurlitzer, their Hammond from their Vox, and lord knows they need to know their FX!

This is the book written for modern pianists - in it we cover:

- KEYBOARD TYPES: understanding the differences between a clonewheel, stage piano, workstation, and synth and tips on buiilding your keyboard rig

- BASIC SOUND DESIGN: programming basics including choosing character, shaping tone, and applying FX

- COMPLEX SOUND DESIGN: creating keyboard patches with splits/layers and utilising pedals and controllers

- EXAMPLES AND PLAYLISTS: audio examples of each instrument and FX type, and access to our curated playlists highlighting different intstruments and FX

This is the book that every gigging pianist needs - learn the tips and tricks to shape your sound and play like a pro!