Music Lessons - Introduction to Piano/Keyboard
Lesson 3
This lesson there will be a review of treble lines and spaces, using 4th & 5th fingers without reading notes, E major chord RH & LH, direction in music, processing, reading the contours, and theory work.
Review of Treble Lines and Spaces
In lesson two you learnt E G B on the treble lines and F A in the the treble spaces. This lesson will present all the five lines and four spaces.
Treble Lines
The lines are numbered from the lowest to the highest lines. Therefore the lowest line is numbered '1'. When naming the lines make sure the line goes through the middle of the letter.
Treble Spaces
The spaces are numbered from the lowest space to the highest space. Therefore the lowest space is named F.
Draw a treble clef and write out ten times the names of the treble lines.
Draw another treble clef and write out ten times the names of the treble spaces.
If you have a note such as the following to read:
Review of Treble Lines and Spaces
In lesson two you learnt E G B on the treble lines and F A in the the treble spaces. This lesson will present all the five lines and four spaces.
Treble Lines
The lines are numbered from the lowest to the highest lines. Therefore the lowest line is numbered '1'. When naming the lines make sure the line goes through the middle of the letter.
Treble Spaces
The spaces are numbered from the lowest space to the highest space. Therefore the lowest space is named F.
Draw a treble clef and write out ten times the names of the treble lines.
Draw another treble clef and write out ten times the names of the treble spaces.
If you have a note such as the following to read:
and you are not certain of its letter name, do the following:
1. Ask yourself "Is it a space or line note?"
2. Answer yourself "It is a line note".
3. Ask yourself "How are the treble lines named from the lowest line up?
4. Answer yourself "E G B D F".
You may not have to say 'F' because you have already arrived at the desired line.
Answer='D'.
If you have a note such as the following to read:
1. Ask yourself "Is it a space or line note?"
2. Answer yourself "It is a line note".
3. Ask yourself "How are the treble lines named from the lowest line up?
4. Answer yourself "E G B D F".
You may not have to say 'F' because you have already arrived at the desired line.
Answer='D'.
If you have a note such as the following to read:
and you are not sure of its letter name do the following:
1. Ask yourself "Is it a space or line note?"
2. Answer yourself "It is a space note".
3. Ask yourself "How are the treble spaces named from the lowest space up?"
4. Answer yourself "F A C E".
You may not have to say 'E' because you have already arrived at the desired space.
Answer='C'.
Using 4th and 5th Fingers Without Reading Notes
Creative Work
In this exercise you may use all your fingers, with 4th and 5th fingers playing A and B respectively.
Put both hands in E Major Five Finger Position. The E Major Five Finger Position is E, F sharp, G sharp, A, B. It is called this, because these are the first five notes of the scale of E major. There are three more notes in the scale. Eight notes make up a one octave scale.
See if you can make up a tune with your right hand. Once you have made up a tune, play the E major tonic chord in the left hand as an accompaniment.
When I made up my tune I thought of a simple three note figure, and played it twice.
(two short phrases).
I then balanced this with a longer phrase moving higher up in pitch.
I then repeated the first two short phrases.
My last phrase consisted of a descending passage with one small rise then falling to the key note E
I started and ended on the key note E.
There are many different ideas to create a melody (tune).
Play an accompaniment with your left hand on the E major tonic chord. Play all three notes of the E major tonic chord simultaneously.
This is the tune I made up.
E Major Chord Right Hand and Left Hand.
First Exercise
1. Ask yourself "Is it a space or line note?"
2. Answer yourself "It is a space note".
3. Ask yourself "How are the treble spaces named from the lowest space up?"
4. Answer yourself "F A C E".
You may not have to say 'E' because you have already arrived at the desired space.
Answer='C'.
Using 4th and 5th Fingers Without Reading Notes
Creative Work
In this exercise you may use all your fingers, with 4th and 5th fingers playing A and B respectively.
Put both hands in E Major Five Finger Position. The E Major Five Finger Position is E, F sharp, G sharp, A, B. It is called this, because these are the first five notes of the scale of E major. There are three more notes in the scale. Eight notes make up a one octave scale.
See if you can make up a tune with your right hand. Once you have made up a tune, play the E major tonic chord in the left hand as an accompaniment.
When I made up my tune I thought of a simple three note figure, and played it twice.
(two short phrases).
I then balanced this with a longer phrase moving higher up in pitch.
I then repeated the first two short phrases.
My last phrase consisted of a descending passage with one small rise then falling to the key note E
I started and ended on the key note E.
There are many different ideas to create a melody (tune).
Play an accompaniment with your left hand on the E major tonic chord. Play all three notes of the E major tonic chord simultaneously.
This is the tune I made up.
E Major Chord Right Hand and Left Hand.
First Exercise
Line to Line Skips - Skip one key and one finger
Play the exercise. Where you see the three notes vertically on top of each other, play them precisely together. This is helped by getting your hand formation correct over the notes beforehand i.e. preparing in the air close to the keys. Listen to the exercise.
Second Exercise
Play the exercise. Where you see the three notes vertically on top of each other, play them precisely together. This is helped by getting your hand formation correct over the notes beforehand i.e. preparing in the air close to the keys. Listen to the exercise.
Second Exercise
Although you haven't learned the bass staff yet, see if you can play the exercise above with your left hand, and listen to it on the sound file.
Third Exercise
Third Exercise
Play, then listen to the exercise above.
Fourth Exercise
Fourth Exercise
Play, then listen to the exercise above.
Fifth Exercise
Fifth Exercise
The exercise above is a challenge. See if you can play it. Some of you may be familiar with the bass staff which will be learnt in next week's lesson. For those who are not familiar with it here's a few clues:
a. The notes are below middle C.
b. Look at the first and second exercises above, for some clues.
c. Put your 3rd finger (the longest finger) on the first note E.
d. Place your 3rd finger well in to the white key E because there's two black keys to play next.
e. If you found you can play this exercise, play it again using the 5th (little) finger of your left hand to play the first note E, the 4th finger on F sharp, and the 3rd finger on G sharp.
The thumbs do not normally play on the black keys in passage work (playing one note after another), only on some chords involving black keys.
Play and listen to the sound.
Direction in Music
Music can only go in three directions - up, down, same (or repeat).
Examples:
a. The notes are below middle C.
b. Look at the first and second exercises above, for some clues.
c. Put your 3rd finger (the longest finger) on the first note E.
d. Place your 3rd finger well in to the white key E because there's two black keys to play next.
e. If you found you can play this exercise, play it again using the 5th (little) finger of your left hand to play the first note E, the 4th finger on F sharp, and the 3rd finger on G sharp.
The thumbs do not normally play on the black keys in passage work (playing one note after another), only on some chords involving black keys.
Play and listen to the sound.
Direction in Music
Music can only go in three directions - up, down, same (or repeat).
Examples:
Up
Above is an example of playing up the keyboard to the right.
Down
Playing down the keyboard to the left.
Above is an example of playing up the keyboard to the right.
Down
Playing down the keyboard to the left.
Click to set custom HTML
Playing the same note.
Steps and Skips
A step (for example Middle E to F) on the staff is a line note to the next space note (L-S), or a space note to the next line note (S-L). Middle E to F sharp is also called a step. It's just that the latter is a larger step than E to F. A skip on the staff is a line note to the next line note (L-L), or a space note to the next space note (S-S). I always think of skips as being easy to see as they are the same i.e. both line notes, or both space notes. Also a step is next key next finger, and a skip is skip a key, skip a finger (this applies for the white keys).
Steps
Line to Space
Steps and Skips
A step (for example Middle E to F) on the staff is a line note to the next space note (L-S), or a space note to the next line note (S-L). Middle E to F sharp is also called a step. It's just that the latter is a larger step than E to F. A skip on the staff is a line note to the next line note (L-L), or a space note to the next space note (S-S). I always think of skips as being easy to see as they are the same i.e. both line notes, or both space notes. Also a step is next key next finger, and a skip is skip a key, skip a finger (this applies for the white keys).
Steps
Line to Space
Space to Line
Skips
Line to Line
Line to Line
Space to Space
Processing
Processing is a way of learning to read and play music in an orderly way.
For instances to process exercise four in this week's lesson:
1 Say ALOUD "E", then play the E key.
2 Say ALOUD "Up a Step, F sharp", then play the F sharp key.
3 Say ALOUD "Same, F sharp", then play the F sharp key.
4 Say ALOUD "Down a step, E", then play the E key.
5 Say ALOUD "Up a skip, G sharp", then play the G sharp key.
6 Say ALOUD "Down a step, F sharp", then play the F sharp key.
7 Say ALOUD "Down a step, E", then play the E key.
Try processing exercise four. Have your right hand in the correct position on the keyboard, read the first note, then carry out step 1. Read the next note and carry out step 2, and so on, until you have finished the exercise.
Reading the Contours
Training your eyes to read the contours, i.e. the direction (up, down same) the notes are going, before you start plalying the exercise, is an important aspect of reading music, because you would then have some idea of whether you are going up or down or same before you start playing. The exercise you just processed has the following contours.
Curving up, then level, curving down a little, then curving up again slightly higher before curving down.
In other words, Up, Same, Down, Up, down.
Contractions
Playing the keyboard is a physical skill. In the first lesson I discussed the natural hand position.
Now try the following:
1. Find your natural hand position. Right hand will do for now.
2. Touch your thumb and little finger at their tips.
This is a hand contraction.
Extensions
From the contracted position, now extend all your fingers so they spread out as far as possible.
This is a hand extension.
The two exercises below, give an example of the contracted and extended hand.
Exercises
Chromatic Exercise (contracted hand) - Right Hand
Processing is a way of learning to read and play music in an orderly way.
For instances to process exercise four in this week's lesson:
1 Say ALOUD "E", then play the E key.
2 Say ALOUD "Up a Step, F sharp", then play the F sharp key.
3 Say ALOUD "Same, F sharp", then play the F sharp key.
4 Say ALOUD "Down a step, E", then play the E key.
5 Say ALOUD "Up a skip, G sharp", then play the G sharp key.
6 Say ALOUD "Down a step, F sharp", then play the F sharp key.
7 Say ALOUD "Down a step, E", then play the E key.
Try processing exercise four. Have your right hand in the correct position on the keyboard, read the first note, then carry out step 1. Read the next note and carry out step 2, and so on, until you have finished the exercise.
Reading the Contours
Training your eyes to read the contours, i.e. the direction (up, down same) the notes are going, before you start plalying the exercise, is an important aspect of reading music, because you would then have some idea of whether you are going up or down or same before you start playing. The exercise you just processed has the following contours.
Curving up, then level, curving down a little, then curving up again slightly higher before curving down.
In other words, Up, Same, Down, Up, down.
Contractions
Playing the keyboard is a physical skill. In the first lesson I discussed the natural hand position.
Now try the following:
1. Find your natural hand position. Right hand will do for now.
2. Touch your thumb and little finger at their tips.
This is a hand contraction.
Extensions
From the contracted position, now extend all your fingers so they spread out as far as possible.
This is a hand extension.
The two exercises below, give an example of the contracted and extended hand.
Exercises
Chromatic Exercise (contracted hand) - Right Hand
Play thumb on E.
Play 2nd finger on F.
Play 3rd finger on F Sharp.
Play thumb on G.
Play up (ascending) and back (descending).
Have your thumb always moving to its new position while the other fingers are playing (the always moving thumb). It's good to develop a supple and independent thumb. Also play the key with the corner of the thumb near the nail. This keeps the wrist up, giving more freedom in the hand.
To give you an idea about the moving thumb, I like to play the exercise as hereunder:
1. Play E with the thumb.
2. As your second finger plays F, move your thumb behind that finger.
3. As your third finger plays F sharp, move your thumb behind that finger. Swivel your third finger very slightly when you play F sharp, as well as do a small lateral (sideways) movement to the right with your right arm.
When you descend follow the above principles.
Play the above exercise. While you play it, saying this ALOUD may help:
"One, tuck, three, play" then descend.
Getting the thumb to tuck behind your second finger, is the key to the correct thumb movement (see an excellent exercise for this below).
Listen to the sound
The One, then tuck, Exercise
Step 1. Play Middle E with your right hand thumb.
Step 2. Play F sharp with your right hand second finger, and at the same time tuck your thumb behind that finger. The thumb shouldn't touch the second finger when you do this exercise.
Step 3. Hold this position for a couple of seconds, then go back to step 1 and step 2 again. Play the exercise at least five times.
Arpeggio Exercise (extended hand) - Right Hand
Play 2nd finger on F.
Play 3rd finger on F Sharp.
Play thumb on G.
Play up (ascending) and back (descending).
Have your thumb always moving to its new position while the other fingers are playing (the always moving thumb). It's good to develop a supple and independent thumb. Also play the key with the corner of the thumb near the nail. This keeps the wrist up, giving more freedom in the hand.
To give you an idea about the moving thumb, I like to play the exercise as hereunder:
1. Play E with the thumb.
2. As your second finger plays F, move your thumb behind that finger.
3. As your third finger plays F sharp, move your thumb behind that finger. Swivel your third finger very slightly when you play F sharp, as well as do a small lateral (sideways) movement to the right with your right arm.
When you descend follow the above principles.
Play the above exercise. While you play it, saying this ALOUD may help:
"One, tuck, three, play" then descend.
Getting the thumb to tuck behind your second finger, is the key to the correct thumb movement (see an excellent exercise for this below).
Listen to the sound
The One, then tuck, Exercise
Step 1. Play Middle E with your right hand thumb.
Step 2. Play F sharp with your right hand second finger, and at the same time tuck your thumb behind that finger. The thumb shouldn't touch the second finger when you do this exercise.
Step 3. Hold this position for a couple of seconds, then go back to step 1 and step 2 again. Play the exercise at least five times.
Arpeggio Exercise (extended hand) - Right Hand
Play thumb on Middle E.
Play 2nd finger on G sharp.
Play 3rd finger on B.
Play up (ascending) and down (descending).
As you play up, your arm should have a small sideways (lateral) movement.
As you play down, your arm should have a small sideways movement back again.Listen to the sound.
Right Hand Moving up the Keyboard
Play 2nd finger on G sharp.
Play 3rd finger on B.
Play up (ascending) and down (descending).
As you play up, your arm should have a small sideways (lateral) movement.
As you play down, your arm should have a small sideways movement back again.Listen to the sound.
Right Hand Moving up the Keyboard
Play Middle E with thumb.
Play F sharp with 2nd finger.
Play G sharp with 3rd finger.
Play A with thumb.
Play B with 2nd finger. Play D with thumb.
Play E with 2nd finger.
Play F sharp with 3rd finger.
Play G with thumb.
Play A with 2nd finger.
Play B with 3rd finger. Ascend then descend according to this fingering. I hope you enjoy the journey.
This is far from a musical sounding exercise but there is a very good reason why I included this. You will see umm - maybe next lesson, I like keeping you in suspense. Also it is not very good rhythmically. Try playing it in threes with a slight emphasis on the key played by the thumb ascending. Also when you arrive at the top note 'B' play it twice emphasizing the 'B' the second time you play it, then as you descend, slightly emphasize the key played by your third finger. Have a listen to the sound.
Theory Work
Draw a treble staff and using line and space notes, write crotchet notes to make up words. Remember you can only use words that have letters in the musical alphabet A B C D E F G. Play each note you have drawn, with the third finger of your right hand, in the correct place on the keyboard.Draw a treble staff, then write crotchet notes ascending, according to the 'right hand moving up the keyboard exercise' you just played. You need not draw the descending notes. Don't forget the notes above the middle line have down stems. Notes on the middle line (B) have down or up stems, according to the next note (C sharp). C sharp has a down stem therefore B would have a down stem.
Aural Work
Put your right hand in the E Major Five Finger Position. Play E, hold it down for approximately two seconds, listen very carefully and sing "la" to it on the second half of its duration. Then play and sing the succeeding notes similarly ascending to B. Do the same descending.
Do the same as above, this time singing Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, Fa, Mi, Re, Do.
Lastly do the same as the above two actions, holding each note down for about one second and singing exactly with your playing.
Play F sharp with 2nd finger.
Play G sharp with 3rd finger.
Play A with thumb.
Play B with 2nd finger. Play D with thumb.
Play E with 2nd finger.
Play F sharp with 3rd finger.
Play G with thumb.
Play A with 2nd finger.
Play B with 3rd finger. Ascend then descend according to this fingering. I hope you enjoy the journey.
This is far from a musical sounding exercise but there is a very good reason why I included this. You will see umm - maybe next lesson, I like keeping you in suspense. Also it is not very good rhythmically. Try playing it in threes with a slight emphasis on the key played by the thumb ascending. Also when you arrive at the top note 'B' play it twice emphasizing the 'B' the second time you play it, then as you descend, slightly emphasize the key played by your third finger. Have a listen to the sound.
Theory Work
Draw a treble staff and using line and space notes, write crotchet notes to make up words. Remember you can only use words that have letters in the musical alphabet A B C D E F G. Play each note you have drawn, with the third finger of your right hand, in the correct place on the keyboard.Draw a treble staff, then write crotchet notes ascending, according to the 'right hand moving up the keyboard exercise' you just played. You need not draw the descending notes. Don't forget the notes above the middle line have down stems. Notes on the middle line (B) have down or up stems, according to the next note (C sharp). C sharp has a down stem therefore B would have a down stem.
Aural Work
Put your right hand in the E Major Five Finger Position. Play E, hold it down for approximately two seconds, listen very carefully and sing "la" to it on the second half of its duration. Then play and sing the succeeding notes similarly ascending to B. Do the same descending.
Do the same as above, this time singing Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, Fa, Mi, Re, Do.
Lastly do the same as the above two actions, holding each note down for about one second and singing exactly with your playing.
That is all for this lesson. Remember there is a quiz to complete. I look forward to the next lesson.
