Music Lessons - Introduction to Piano/Keyboard
Lesson 7
Welcome to this lesson.
A word highlighted in gold, signifies that you will have some practice to carry out. The word 'key-bed' is indicated in a green font, and only applies to the piano.
This week features on the four four time signature, the minim note and minim rest, legato, two note slurs.
Four Four Time Signature
This is the Four Four Time Signature. The top number indicates the number of beats in each measure (bar). The bottom number indicates the note value receiving one beat. The four on the bottom indicates a crotchet (quarter note) receives one beat. You may say that the ofur isn't a quarter, and I would agree with you. Imagine a 'one' is above the 'four' to represent a quarter. If the time signature showed as a 4 over one-quarter, it may have more meaning: Four on top and one quarter on the bottom. However, we have to just know that 4 over 4 (There's no line between the two numbers) means four beats in each measure, and a crotchet (quarter note) receives one beat.
The strong accent is on the first beat of each bar, and the third beat has a medium accent. The accentuation is strong weak medium weak.
Music moves in twos or threes. Place your right hand finger numbers 2, 3 and 4, over the first three black key set above middle C and play these three keys commencing on F sharp. Play 1 on B, 2 on C sharp, 3 on D sharp, 1 on E sharp (same note as F) and 2 on F sharp. This is the scale of F sharp major. Listen to the scale.
A word highlighted in gold, signifies that you will have some practice to carry out. The word 'key-bed' is indicated in a green font, and only applies to the piano.
This week features on the four four time signature, the minim note and minim rest, legato, two note slurs.
Four Four Time Signature
This is the Four Four Time Signature. The top number indicates the number of beats in each measure (bar). The bottom number indicates the note value receiving one beat. The four on the bottom indicates a crotchet (quarter note) receives one beat. You may say that the ofur isn't a quarter, and I would agree with you. Imagine a 'one' is above the 'four' to represent a quarter. If the time signature showed as a 4 over one-quarter, it may have more meaning: Four on top and one quarter on the bottom. However, we have to just know that 4 over 4 (There's no line between the two numbers) means four beats in each measure, and a crotchet (quarter note) receives one beat.
The strong accent is on the first beat of each bar, and the third beat has a medium accent. The accentuation is strong weak medium weak.
Music moves in twos or threes. Place your right hand finger numbers 2, 3 and 4, over the first three black key set above middle C and play these three keys commencing on F sharp. Play 1 on B, 2 on C sharp, 3 on D sharp, 1 on E sharp (same note as F) and 2 on F sharp. This is the scale of F sharp major. Listen to the scale.
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Play this scale one octave lower with the left hand commencing with finger number 4.
Listen to the scale
Play the F sharp major arpeggio right hand with finger numbers 1 2 3 5 on the first, third, fifth and eighth notes (or degrees) of the scale.
Play the F sharp major arpeggio right hand with finger numbers 1 2 3 5 on the first, third, fifth and eighth notes (or degrees) of the scale.
Listen to the arpeggio
Play the F sharp major arpeggio left hand with finger numbers 5 3 2 1.
Play the F sharp major arpeggio left hand with finger numbers 5 3 2 1.
Listen to the arpeggio
Play the chromatic scale for one octave beginning on F sharp, right hand.
Play the chromatic scale for one octave beginning on F sharp, right hand.
Listen to the scale.
Play the chromatic scale for one octave beginning on F sharp, left hand.
Play the chromatic scale for one octave beginning on F sharp, left hand.
Listen to the scale.
Sharps in a key signature always appear in a certain order i.e. in fifths. The order of the six sharps in the key signature for F sharp major is as follows: F C G D A E. To prove this look at the first two i.e. F and C.
On the table start with your right hand thumb (number 1) and tap your thumb on the table and say ALOUD 'F', tap your next finger (number 2) and say ALOUD 'G', tap 3 and say ALOUD 'A', tap 4 and say ALOUD 'B', tap 5 and say ALOUD 'c'.
You have reached C, a fifth above F. If you do the same drill with C and G, you will find G is a fifth above C, and similarly with the other letters G and D, D and A, A and E.
Do you remember that in sharp key signatures the last sharp to the right is the 7th note? (also called the leading note - it sounds as though it wants to lead somewhere i.e. to the upper tonic).
So the key signature for F sharp major is six sharps, namely F sharp, C sharp, G sharp, D sharp, A sharp and E sharp.
Place your left hand 4th finger on B (a step below Middle C), 3rd finger on C sharp, 2nd finger on D sharp, and thumb (number 1) on E, and learn these pieces, which are in the key of F sharp major using the key signature. In this case it is convenient to have your 4th finger on B because in this case, B is the lowest note in the left hand that you will be playing. When you play the scale of F sharp major your thumb plays this note B.
Here are some pieces to play in the key of F sharp major. This scale has six sharps in the key signature. These sharps are the five black keys you play and the white key E sharp (same key as F). The only white key you play which is not a sharp, is B. The melody is divided between the hands, so as to have you reading notes in the treble and bass staves. Try to keep an even beat when playing from one hand to the other hand, and also play smoothly (legato). Listen for the legato on the sound files, especially when playing notes in one hand, then notes in the other hand.
A Short Stroll
Sharps in a key signature always appear in a certain order i.e. in fifths. The order of the six sharps in the key signature for F sharp major is as follows: F C G D A E. To prove this look at the first two i.e. F and C.
On the table start with your right hand thumb (number 1) and tap your thumb on the table and say ALOUD 'F', tap your next finger (number 2) and say ALOUD 'G', tap 3 and say ALOUD 'A', tap 4 and say ALOUD 'B', tap 5 and say ALOUD 'c'.
You have reached C, a fifth above F. If you do the same drill with C and G, you will find G is a fifth above C, and similarly with the other letters G and D, D and A, A and E.
Do you remember that in sharp key signatures the last sharp to the right is the 7th note? (also called the leading note - it sounds as though it wants to lead somewhere i.e. to the upper tonic).
So the key signature for F sharp major is six sharps, namely F sharp, C sharp, G sharp, D sharp, A sharp and E sharp.
Place your left hand 4th finger on B (a step below Middle C), 3rd finger on C sharp, 2nd finger on D sharp, and thumb (number 1) on E, and learn these pieces, which are in the key of F sharp major using the key signature. In this case it is convenient to have your 4th finger on B because in this case, B is the lowest note in the left hand that you will be playing. When you play the scale of F sharp major your thumb plays this note B.
Here are some pieces to play in the key of F sharp major. This scale has six sharps in the key signature. These sharps are the five black keys you play and the white key E sharp (same key as F). The only white key you play which is not a sharp, is B. The melody is divided between the hands, so as to have you reading notes in the treble and bass staves. Try to keep an even beat when playing from one hand to the other hand, and also play smoothly (legato). Listen for the legato on the sound files, especially when playing notes in one hand, then notes in the other hand.
A Short Stroll
Practise this piece. In the key signature, the last sharp to the right is E sharp, therefore the key (scale) of this piece is F sharp major. There is no B in this piece. The second last note is E sharp (same key as the white key F).
A general rule in keyboard playing is:- next note, next finger. Starting finger numbers are given i.e. right hand 2nd finger on F sharp, and left hand 3rd finger on C sharp.
Listen to the piece
A general rule in keyboard playing is:- next note, next finger. Starting finger numbers are given i.e. right hand 2nd finger on F sharp, and left hand 3rd finger on C sharp.
Listen to the piece
This is another piece for you to practise. Always read the key signature (six sharps), look carefully at the starting finger numbers in each hand, and keep your hands in the correct position. There is no B in this piece, and there are two E sharps to play in the left hand.
Listen to the piece
Minim
Listen to the piece
Minim
The minim note has a white head and a stem, and lasts for two counts. Above is a minim with an up stem and a minim with a down stem. Every note has a rest of corresponding value. The black oblong sitting on the middle line is a minim rest which receives two counts in silence.
Quarters and Halves
Quarters and Halves
The above, is another piece in the key of F sharp major. Be aware that where there is a B or E sharp, these are white keys. Play the B with the 5th finger of your right hand, and the E sharp in bar three with the thumb of your right hand, and the E sharp in the last bar with the thumb of your left hand. See how many minim notes and minim rests you can find in this piece.
Listen to the piece
Coming to a Stop
Listen to the piece
Coming to a Stop
When you practise the above piece, watch out for the B notes, and the E sharp notes. I won't tell you where they are, on this occasion.
Listen to the piece
B Major
Listen to the piece
B Major
Above is another piece for you to practise. You will notice the key signature has five sharps. The last sharp to the right is A sharp, therefore the piece is in the key of B major. The white keys required to be played are B and E. Changes of hand position occur with the right hand at bars 3, 6 and 8.
Listen to the piece
Striding Out
Listen to the piece
Striding Out
'Striding Out' is in the key of B major. The only white keys to play are B and E.
Listen to the piece
Thirds
Listen to the piece
Thirds
Wow, seven sharps; however two will be on white keys, namely B sharp (same key as C) and E sharp (same key as F). Play the first three notes of this piece with finger numbers 1, 3 and 5. At bar two, when you play C sharp on the first beat with your thumb, swing the other four fingers slightly to the right to get you into a new position to enable your third finger to be over F sharp. At bar three, play the E sharp on the third beat, with your thumb (number 1). Find out how many intervals of a third occur in this piece. Just to remind you, an interval of a third is from a line to the next line or a space to the next space. Also to help you further, I can see two separate intervals of a third going across a bar line, and one interval of a third occurring between the treble and bass staves. An interval is the distance from one note to the next note.
Listen to the piece
Two Note Chord
Listen to the piece
Two Note Chord
A chord is two or more notes sounded together. The above piece has some two-note chords to play in the left hand. These two notes are E sharp (same key as F) and G sharp. There are no B sharps to play in the treble (right hand), However there are seven E sharps (same as F) to play.
Listen to the piece
Key of C Major
If you completed the introduction to piano/keyboard class, you learned the scale of C major. This scale is played on white keys, and has no sharps or flats. Play 'Thirds' again, ignoring the key signature, in other words, as though there were no sharps there. You would have now played the piece in the key of C major.
Similarly, ignore the key signature of 'Two Note Chord', and play this piece in the key of C major.
Legato
Legato means to play smoothly from one note to the next. For one split second, there are two notes down on the 'key-bed' together. The sign that indicates music is to be played legato, is a curved line called a slur. Sometimes a slur is written under notes, and sometimes over notes, and this is also called a phrase. At the beginning and end of a slur a lovely movement of the arm may be made, by moving the arm up and down at the beginning and letting the arm float off at the end.
Two Note Slurs
Listen to the piece
Key of C Major
If you completed the introduction to piano/keyboard class, you learned the scale of C major. This scale is played on white keys, and has no sharps or flats. Play 'Thirds' again, ignoring the key signature, in other words, as though there were no sharps there. You would have now played the piece in the key of C major.
Similarly, ignore the key signature of 'Two Note Chord', and play this piece in the key of C major.
Legato
Legato means to play smoothly from one note to the next. For one split second, there are two notes down on the 'key-bed' together. The sign that indicates music is to be played legato, is a curved line called a slur. Sometimes a slur is written under notes, and sometimes over notes, and this is also called a phrase. At the beginning and end of a slur a lovely movement of the arm may be made, by moving the arm up and down at the beginning and letting the arm float off at the end.
Two Note Slurs
A two-note slur is two notes connected by a slur. In other words, it is a very short phrase. In most instances, the first note is slightly louder than the second note, and the second note is usually clipped. It has a kind of lilt to it. The two note slur is sometimes called a couplet, and also is sometimes referred to as a down up, as there is a down arm on the first note, and an up arm on the second note.
Practise the following two note slurs:
Two Note Slurs
The hand is held in a very natural hand position over and very close to the keys, and all movement comes from a down arm movement for the first note, and an up arm movement for the second note. This in itself aids in a dynamic of slightly louder on the first and a little softer on the second note. Listen carefully to the piece hereunder, and how the two note slurs have a kind of lilt to them. The two-note slur was a stylistic characteristic of the classical music period. Much of Mozart's music consists of couplets (two note slurs), which contribute much, to the elegance of the music.
Couplets
Practise the following two note slurs:
Two Note Slurs
The hand is held in a very natural hand position over and very close to the keys, and all movement comes from a down arm movement for the first note, and an up arm movement for the second note. This in itself aids in a dynamic of slightly louder on the first and a little softer on the second note. Listen carefully to the piece hereunder, and how the two note slurs have a kind of lilt to them. The two-note slur was a stylistic characteristic of the classical music period. Much of Mozart's music consists of couplets (two note slurs), which contribute much, to the elegance of the music.
Couplets
The piece above titled 'Couplets, consists of two note slurs (or couplets), and is in the bass staff, to be played by the left hand.
Theory Work
Draw a grand staff, and write out the key signature for F sharp major in the treble and bass. Write out the key signature for C sharp major in the treble and bass.
Aural Work
Play the scale of B major, singing each note as you play with the right hand, then the left hand.
Play the arpeggio of B major with the right hand, then the left hand singing these notes as you play.
Theory Work
Draw a grand staff, and write out the key signature for F sharp major in the treble and bass. Write out the key signature for C sharp major in the treble and bass.
Aural Work
Play the scale of B major, singing each note as you play with the right hand, then the left hand.
Play the arpeggio of B major with the right hand, then the left hand singing these notes as you play.
I do hope you enjoyed this lesson; don't forget the quiz. See you next lesson.