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Fundamentals of Piano
- 1. LEARNING PIANO FUNDAMENTALS By Kimberlee Richardson-Gross
- 3. 4 beats 2 beats 1 beat ½ beat ¼ beat Whole Half Quarter 8th 16th
- 4. The staff is divided into measures by bar lines. Each measure contains the same number of beats throughout the song. The top number tells how many The bottom number tells what note beats are in each measure. receives one beat.
- 5. Here are examples of different time signatures. Some are more common than others. Here is an example of common time and what it means for song meter. Click here to practice or learn more about time signature and meter. Practice 4/4 time , 3/4 time , or 2/4 time .
- 6. Music is written on a staff. The treble clef and bass clef on the staff will determine where the notes on the piano are played. Piano music is written on a grand staff. In most cases, the right hand will play on the treble staff, and the left hand will play on the bass staff. The grand staff is separated by Middle C.
- 7. Treble Clef lines: Treble Clef spaces: Treble Clef spaces: Think you know it? Take the quiz!
- 8. Bass Clef lines: Bass Clef spaces: Think you know it? Take the quiz!
- 9. Notes of the Music Alphabet are named using the first seven letters of the alphabet. A B C D E F G After G, the Music Alphabet starts over at A and continues up the piano. Below are the pneumonic devices I use to teach your child the names of the notes on the piano. The story is simple, but effective. When you are ready, click here and practice finding all notes on the piano.
- 10. The first hand position your child will learn is C position. The fingers on each hand rest on the notes, C, D, E, F, and G.
- 11. The next hand position your child will learn is G position. The fingers on each hand rest on the notes, G, A, B, C, and D.
- 12. The final hand position your child will learn is Middle C position. The fingers on each hand rest on the notes, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Notice that both thumbs rest on Middle C.
- 13. Time to practice what you know! Twinkle, Twinkle Love Somebody The Donkey Rock Song Ode to Joy Lightly Row Please rate your experience!
Editor's Notes
- As a parent, it is important to you to be able to assist your child in every way possible. This tutorial is designed specifically for parents with no musical background , yet have children enrolled in piano class. This tutorial will cover important basics of music theory and beginning piano methods that will allow you to practice with your child at home with the confidence of knowing you are teaching them correctly.
- In this section you will find the most common notes and rests used in the music your child plays. The rests appear on the staff, and the notes appear under the staff. Each note corresponds with the rest directly on top of it. They have the same name and receive the same number of beats. Here are the names of the notes and rests from left to right: Whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth.
- The time signature organizes the rhythm of music into various meters. There are two numbers that make up a time signature, and each number has a special meaning. The time signature determines how notes are divided into measures. Each measure is separated by a bar line, and this helps keep music organized. Notice the different time signature examples and how this affects the meter of a song.
- Time signatures relate to fractions. If you think of time signatures in terms of math, they will be easier to remember. The whole note receives four beats. Divide the top number of the time signature into four. The answer will be the numerical value of the note that receives the beat. For example, in common time, the top number is four. Four divided into four equals one. The quarter note receives one beat, and there are four beats in every measure.
- This is a staff. It has five lines, and four spaces. Notes are written on the staff to create melody, and their location on the staff determines the pitch. Notes high on the staff have a high pitch and notes low on the staff have a low pitch. Musical notes are named using the first seven letters of the alphabet. You will learn more about this later.
- These are the names of the treble clef lines and spaces. The word treble means high, so most of the notes played on the treble staff will be to the right of Middle C. The names of the treble clef lines are Every Good Boy Does Fine. The treble clef spaces spell the word face, F A C E.
- These are the names of the bass clef lines and spaces. The word bass means low, so most of the notes played on the bass staff will be to the left of Middle C. The names of the bass clef lines are Good Boys Do Fine Always. The bass clef spaces are All Cows Eat Grass.
- Now that you have learned how music is written, it is time to learn how to play what you see on the music staff. Remember, the music alphabet uses the first seven letters of the alphabet. The white keys are organized according to the black key groups. The two black key groups are like a little house, and inside the little house live the cat, dog, and elephant. The three black key groups are like a big house, with a front door, back door, garage, and attic.
- For now, your child will play songs that use one of three hand positions. These positions are known as C position, G position, and Middle C position. Notice where the hands are placed on the piano keys, and the fingers that hover above each note. If you keep your hands in the desired position during the song, you should have no problem locating the notes for that song. Notice that in hand positions, the finger numbers are opposite each other. This means that your left hand finger 5 will play C, and your right hand finger 1 will play C.
- This is G position. It works the same as C position, except the hands hover over different notes. Notice that the fingers in this position are opposite, just like in C position. Left hand finger 5 is on G, and right hand finger 1 is on G.
- This is Middle C position. Notice how both thumbs hover over Middle C. The fingers are on different notes in this position, and it may take a while to become accustomed to the set up.
- Now that you have learned the basics, it is time to put your new knowledge and skills to work. Try playing a few songs. Click the link, and get ready.