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Piano Lesson Four : Sharps, Flats and Key Signatures

Posted by Unknown Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Piano Lesson Four : Sharps, Flats and Key Signatures.

Click here ! for piano lesson one, two, and three

On Sharps, Flats and Key Signatures.

Hello everyo.ne. How are you all going? Keeping up your daily practice is the main thing.

Don’t worry if you do not ‘get’ everything the first time we mention a new term. There will be plenty of time, and plenty of opportunity, for us to go over all the main musical terms again.

This is just great, to have moved onto learning about sharps, flats, and key signaturestoday.

Now – to refresh your memory on the Scale of C. Remember that the Scale of C does not have any black notes in it. We play all white notes in the scale of C, from one C up to the C an octave higher.

Because the scale of C does not use an ‘accidentals’, which are sharps or flats, and it therefore does not use any ‘black’ notes, we say that it has no sharps or flats in its key signature.

The key of C Major has no sharps or flats in its key signature. The scale of C Major has no sharpened notes, or flattened notes.

What is a Sharp? – The sharp sign looks like this – # It is the sign which, when put directly after a note, means that you play that note a semitone higher. This means that an F# will be played on the black note, directly to the right of the white F note.

Look at the diagram on our header at the top of the page. You will see also that F# is actually the same note as Gb. How is this?

Well – The flat sign does the opposite to a sharp sign. A flat sign lowers a note by one semitone. If you were to play B flat, or Bb, then you would play the black note directly to the left of the white B note. The b sign would flatten the note by one semitone, or one half note.

So now you see why F# plays the same note as Gb. This is called an enharmonic change. When you call a note by its ‘other’ name, it is an enharmonic change, though it still sounds like the same note. There is a reason for these notes to have this duality, and it is all to do with key signatures.

Key Signatures define the key that you are playing in. The key signature is found at the left side of the stave, where the sharps and flats are indicated. The key signature defines the key which you will be playing in.

The key signature tells you what notes will be played sharp or flat throughout the whole piece.

If there are no sharps or flats, then your piece will be in either the key of C Major, or A Minor: these are the only two keys which do not have a key signature.

We are not going to look at the minor keys at this stage. Just major keys.

For instance, you can play the piece Twinkle Twinkle Little Star beginning on the note C.

It will go like this in the key of C Major:

C C G G A A G —F F E E D D C.

Or – if that key is too low for you, then you can move the key up a bit. You can begin a song, or a piece of music, on absolutely any note.

It’s just that if you play the piece Twinkle Twinkle Little Star beginning on any other note than C, then you will have cause to use black notes, as C Major is the only scale which has no sharps or flats. The key signature of C Major is the only major one which has no sharps or flats.

If you play your piece Twinkle Twinkle Little Star beginning on the next note, D, then you will have to play an F# instead of F when you come to the F#. That is because the scale of D major has F# and C# in its key signature. This means that every time an F, or a C is played in D Major, they will be automatically played as sharps, as this is written in the key signature. Like scripture. D major uses those two black notes in its scale, so these two notes, F# and C# are defined in the key signature.

‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ will go like this in the key of D Major:

D D A A B B A —-G G F# F# E E D

So – if you see TWO sharps in the key signature at the left of your stave of music, then the piece has to be in the key of D Major, or B Minor. There is only one major key for every key signature, and only one minor key used for every key signature.

This means that you can look at a key signature before you start your piece. You will be able to identify what key the piece is written in, just by looking at the key signature.

It is really such a logical system. At first, you may not ‘get it’, but do not panic. It really does not matter, because we will reiterate this information in different contexts throughout these lessons. More will be done to explain it all in future lessons.

For now, just accept that C Major uses no sharps or flats in the scale, and so it has no sharps or flats in its key signature.

Also accept that D Major has two sharps, F# and C# in its key signature: this means that every time you come to an F or a C, it will be played as a sharp note on the black note directly above these notes.

Here is a diagram of a little ditty written in the key of C Major in the Treble Clef…

And here is the same little ditty written in the key of D Major in the Treble Clef…

Play both these tunes now.

So – now you have a basic insight into how sharps, flats, and key signatures work. We will study more about scales and their key signatures in the future lessons, which will further your understanding of today’s lesson.

This entry was posted in Learning to Read Music, Piano Lessons for Beginners and tagged flats, key signatures,major scales, minor scales, reading music, sharps, understanding key signatures. Bookmark the permalink.

Piano Lesson Three : How To Play Piano Chords

Posted by Unknown

Before we learn Piano Lesson One & Piano Lesson Two. Now, lets learn Piano Lesson Three : How To Play Piano Chords.

Hello Everybody – I hope that you are having fun learning to play the piano. I hope, too, that you are all keeping that practice up, and that you are getting to know your way around the keyboard.

In the first lesson you learned how to play the Octave, and in Lesson Two, we covered theScale of C Major. So now you can play the Scale of C Major in both the left hand and the right hand- using the correct fingering. Best to keep these separate until you have learned the fingering inside out.

You have also learned how to read the notes of the Scale of C Major on the Treble Clef, and also on the Bass Clef.

That’s just great. Already, you can play Octaves, the Scale of C Major, and you can read music. You are doing very well.

This is Lesson Three, on How To Play Piano Chords.

In just a moment, we are going to learn how to play the Major Chord on C.

First, before we try to play this chord, What Are Chords?:

Chords are fascinating things. They are used all the time in guitar music. If the guitarist strums the guitar, then he/she is playing chords on the guitar. If you get the music sheet for a song, such as a Beatles tune, then you will see letter names above the melody, all along the way throughout the tune. These letter names are the names of the chordswhich are used in the song. These chords can be played either on the guitar, or on the piano.

You will find that understanding how chords are formed musically will help your understanding of music overall. Understanding how chords are formed will enlighten you as to how music is shaped. Chords represent the basis of the musical system we use today, which is all about harmony.

Chords which harmonise are the sounds which back all those favorite melodies we love to sing or listen to.

Playing Chords: Being able to play chords on the piano will be of enormous benefit to you, as this will give you the ability to accompany your own melodies, or to accompany other people when they sing. You will be able to play chords when somebody plays along with you on their guitar.

How to Play the Chord of C Major on the Piano.

The key of C Major has no black notes, and so it has no sharps or flats, which we will find out about later. For now, just accept that C Major is a simple key to play in, because it does not use any black notes.

So, let us see what the chord of C Major looks like when it is written on the stave, in the key of C: Here is a diagram of the Chord of C Major written on the Treble Clef, or ‘G’ Clef. The first chord is using Middle C as the tonic note, or root. The second chord is still a C Major chord, but it is written an Octave higher.

So – What Do You See? How is this C Major Chord Formed? You can see that the notes are formed with one note left out in between each note which is played. On the treble clef above, you see the note C at the bottom, with a line through it. The next note of the chord is the E, which is on another line. The third note of the Major Chord on C is the G note.

Play these three notes together, which are written on the stave: – C, E, G.

Great – You are now playing the Major Chord on C - the notes C, E, and G.

Now, let’s look at the notation for the left hand. Here is the Bass Clef, or F Clef, with two examples of the chord of C Major notated. The first example is written an Octave below Middle C but the tonic note, or root of the chord, is still C. The second chord is an octave higher, using Middle C as the root note, or tonic note.

It is such a logical system. Now look - the ‘root’ of the chord is the lowest note, the note which the chord is formed on, when it is written in its 1st position, like these examples above.

You will have spotted that if the first note is on a line, then the other two notes forming the major chord will also be on a line. They will take the next two lines immediately above the root note of the chord.

You will have spotted that if the ‘root’ of the chord is on a space, then the other two notes which form the chord are on the spaces directly above the first note, the root note of the chord.

So it is on the piano/keyboard: To form the major chord on C, you play the C, miss a note, play the E, miss a note, then play the next note, the G.

Practice playing the C Chord with the right hand.

Practice playing the C Chord with the left hand.

Play them often, and try to get the fingers to come down on the notes evenly, so that the notes are played all at the same time. This will become easier with practice, as your fingers will become more strong given time. When your fingers have developed strength, then your technical ability will have improved, and you will be able to play these notes altogether, without difficulty, and with a nice even sound.

So – now you can recognise the Chord of C when it is written on the stave. You also canplay the C Chord on the piano.

How to Form the Chord of F Major on the Piano:

Now – we are going to learn how to play the Chord of F Major. The formula to play the F Chord is exactly the same as playing the C Chord. ….the play a note, miss a note, play a note, miss a note, play a note…..routine, using the F note as the root, or the base of the chord. In the right hand, we will use our thumb on the F note.In the left hand, we put our little finger on the F and build the chord up from there…………

So now we will build the F Chord

Right hand first: The thumb will be on the F note. Miss the G note, Play the A note with your 3rd finger. Miss the B note. Play the C note with your little finger, the 5th.

There you have it – the F Chord in the right hand. This is how the F Chord looks on the stave, in the Treble Clef. We have given you two different placings of the F Chord in the Treble Clef. They are an Octave apart from each other.

Now, here is what the F Chord looks like in the Bass Clef. We have again shown you two different placements of the chord of F. They are an Octave apart from each other, as you can see.

To play the F Chord in the left hand:

You will put your little finger, the 5th, on the F note. The 3rd finger of the left hand will take the A note, the thumb of the left hand will take the C note at the top of the chord.

Practice For the Next Few Days:

Read the chords which we have notated for you. These are just the two chords, on C Major, and on F Major. Play them all. Get familiar with these chords. Get good at moving from one chord to another quickly, with ease, so that you can play the chords without faltering.

This entry was posted in Learning to Read Music, Piano Chords, Piano Lessons for Beginners and tagged bass clef,Beatles tune, chord of C major, chord of C Major on piano, chords on the guitar, chords which harmonise, correct fingering, guitar chords, guitar music, harmony, how to play piano chords, learn to play chords, learning to read music, piano chords, playing piano chords, read music, scale of C major, treble clef. Bookmark the permalink.

Piano Lesson Two : The Scale of C Major

Posted by Unknown

Before Piano Lesson One. Now Piano Lesson Two : The Scale of C Major.

Greetings again, one and all.

This is Lesson Two, on The Scale of C Major. This follows on logically from the previous lesson, where we learned about the notes C,D, and E, and playing the Octave.

There are many different scales: you will learn the major scales and the minor scales in time. But for now, The Scale of C Major is the first important scale to learn: It is the easiest scale to remember, as it contains only white notes.

So – we have learnt where C,D, and E lie. Well – guess what? You have already learned the first three notes of the Scale of C. The scale of C begins with those same three notes – C,D, and E.

The diagragm below shows you what the Scale of C looks like when it is written on the stave. This first example is written in the Treble Clef, or ‘G’ Clef, which is the clef most used for the right hand. It is called the ‘G’ Clef, because that elaborate swirly circle, which we call the ‘Clef’ begins on the 2nd line up, and that line denotes ‘G’.

But don’t worry about learning all these details at once. You pick these things up as you go along: once you understand how the system works, then learning the terms becomes a whole lot easier.

For now, just look at the visuals: On the diagram here, you can see that at the beginning of the scale, the notes are moving upward. This is because the scale is ascending to begin with. Then, you will notice that after the scale reaches the highest point, which is anOctave higher than the beginning C, the scale turns around to descend back down the scale, until it reaches the original tonic note of the scale which we began on.

Well, if you go to your piano or your keyboard, then you will see that these notes are also moving upward as you play them. Starting from Middle C, moving up towards the right,you get a higher pitch with each ascending note that you play.

We play a total of eight notes ascending in the scale of C Major, before we descendback down the scale again. We will start on Middle C and play all the white notes above middle C, until we reach the C which is an octave above. So – The Scale of C Major, written on the Treble Clef:

Now let’s have a look to see what the Scale of C looks like in the left hand. Here, it is written on the Bass Clef, or ‘F’ Clef. The ‘F’ Clef has its name, because this swirly embellishment, the ‘Clef’, has its beginnings on the 2nd line from the top, which denotes ‘F’. You can see that the notes move upwards, from space to line, from line to space, every time producing a higher note as the scale ascends.

Enough about that for the moment – let’s look at how the Scale of C Major is written for the left hand, on the Bass Clef, or ‘F’ Clef.

Now – To Play the Scale of C Major in the Right Hand:

We call going UP the scale, from middle C up to the top C, ascending the scale. We call the movement down from that higher C to the lower middle C, which I will run describe for you in a moment, descending the scale.

Place your right hand on your keyboard or piano. Put your thumb over middle C, in preparation to play the scale. Put your 2nd finger over the D note, and your third finger over E.

Play these notes now, evenly, one after the other, slowly, C…D…E… Now, put your right hand thumb neatly under the third finger, which is playing E. Slide that thumb onto the next white note beside the E your 3rd finger is on. Now, position your hand so that all the fingers are neatly placed over all the remaining white notes. These notes are the rest of the white notes which comprise the scale of C. Play the rest of the scale with the fingers which lie comfortably over the remaining notes of the C scale – F, G, A, B, C.

Your little finger will be at the top of the sequence now, on that C. To descend, simply play the 4th finger on the B, the third finger on the A, 2nd on the G, thumb (1) on the F.

Now – when you have run out of fingers, and you are left with your thumb on the F note, just reverse that procedure which we used to smoothly ride, when we ascended the scale, from the F to the G, where we put the thumb underneath. This time, because we are descending the scale, we put the 3rd finger over the top of the thumb, so that the 3rd finger neatly falls on the E, leaving the 2nd to play the D, and the thumb to play the Middle C note.

This hand movement is the exact opposite of the arrangement we used to ascend. To descend, we simply slide the third finger over the top of the thumb, instead of the thumb sliding underneath which we did in ascending the scale.

‘Voila’ – you have played the scale of C major, with the correct fingering. This is the beginning stage of learning a good piano technique. The fingering must be learned, just as I have explained above. Learning correct fingering is imperative if you want to play well.

We use this fingering in the right hand so that the notes can all be played evenly, and without any wierd arm or hand movements which would interfere with the smooth execution of your playing.

How To Play the Scale Of C Major with the Left Hand

Now – Are you ready to learn the left hand fingering? Do not be daunted. It is quite a logical procedure, really. We are just going to reverse the sequence which you used for the right hand…..

Eazy peazy. Just put your left hand little finger on the C below Middle C. Now – evenly play the notes ascending – C, D, E, F, G….

So – you have run out of fingers now that you have arrived at G in the left hand? Your thumb should be on that G. Now, put your 3rd finger OVER the thumb. Play the A with your third finger, as it stretches over the G note. Now, your 2nd finger will fall naturally onto the B, and your thumb will be left to play the Middle C.

Hooray – the ascending form of the scale of C Major has been played with the left hand. Now, descend evenly, using the exact same fingering to come down the scale. When you arrive at the third finger on A, slide the thumb neatly underneath, so that the thumb can play the G note evenly, without any hesitation. Continue to play the rest of the notes with the hand falling naturally over the rest of the notes – G, F, E, D, and back to C.

When the hand is placed over the five notes, with one finger allotted to each key, this is called the Five Finger Position.

Learn to play the Scale of C using separate hands. Play each note evenly. Try to get an even touch, so that no note is played louder than the next.

Homework: After you have practiced your scale of C Major with separate hands, and you have learned to play it smoothly, you could put the two hands together. Keep putting the effort into sitting at the keyboard and doing your practice. Do at least half an hour a day, every day, and you will see results.

This entry was posted in Learning to Read Music, Piano Lessons for Beginners, Piano Scales and tagged ascending the scale, bass clef, F clef, five finger position, G clef, learning to read music, piano scales, piano technique, scale of C major, the octave, treble clef. Bookmark the permalink.

Apa Itu Kentrung ?

Posted by Unknown Saturday, November 16, 2013

Kentrung sebuah kesenian asli Indonesia yang berasal dari pantai utara Jawa. Kesenian ini menyebar dari wilayah Semarang, Pati, Jepara, hingga Tuban - dimana kesenian ini dinamakan Kentrung Bate karena berasal dari desa Bate, Bangilan, Tuban. Kentrung Bate pertama kali dipopulerkan oleh Kiai Basiman di era zaman penjajahan Belanda tahun 1930-an.

Seni Kentrung diiringi alat musik berupa tabuh timlung (kentheng) dan terbang besar (rebana). Seni Kentrung sendiri syarat muatan ajaran kearifan lokal Dalam pementasannya, seorang seniman menceritakan urutan pakem dengan rangkaian parikan dengan menyelipkan candaan - candaan yang lucu di tengah-tengah pakem walaupun tetap dengan parikan yang seolah dilakukan luar kepala. Parikan berirama ini dilantunkan dengan iringan dua buah rebana yang ditabuh sendiri. Beberapa lakon yang dipentaskan di antaranya Amat Muhammad, Anglingdarma, Joharmanik, Juharsah, Mursodo Maling, dan Jalak Mas.

Berdasarkan pernyataan yang didapat dari situs forum budaya Kesenian Kentrung dianggap terancam punah karena gagal melakukan regenerasi. Sejumlah orang yang masih mampu memainkan kesenian ini dan kebanyakan sudah lanjut usia. Isyu yang kini ada di antara para pemain Seni Kentrung adalah permintaan agar pemerintah segera mendokumentasikan kesenian tradisi, termasuk kentrung bate, dengan harapan terdokumentasinya (tidak hilang) budaya dan kesenian asli daerah. Dokumentasi kentrung dianggap oleh pemainnya sangat penting mengingat sudah tidak ada penerus dalam kesenian ini.

Sumber :
Wikipedia

Terkait : Apa Itu Kentrung ?

Learn Your Harmonica

Posted by Unknown Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Learn about your harmonica. The harmonica is a reed instrument that uses brass reeds. The reeds are what split the air you push or pull through the holes to create tones. Reeds are mounted on a plate, sensibly called the reed plate, which is also usually made of brass. The part of the harmonica that the reed plate is mounted to is called the comb, and is typically made of plastic or metal. The mouthpiece of the harp may be integrated into the comb, or in chromatic harmonicas, screwed on separately. The cover plates cover the rest of the apparatus, and can be made of wood, metal, or plastic.

A chromatic harp's sliding bar is also usually made of metal.
Depending on whether you inhale or exhale through your harp, different notes are produced by the reeds. A typical diatonic harp tuned to C on the exhale is tuned to G on the inhale. These scales complement each other nicely, each filling in the other without having to add extra holes.
The reeds inside your harmonica are delicate and will wear out over time. Gentle playing and regular care are required to maintain a good tone as long as possible.

Related : Learn Your Harmonica, To Learn Your Harmonica, Learn Harmonica

Avenged Sevenfold - Seize The Day Lyric

Posted by Unknown

"Seize The Day"

Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost

It's empty and cold without you here, too many people to ache over

I see my vision burn, I feel my memories fade with time

But I'm too young to worry

These streets we travel on will undergo our same lost past

I found you here, now please just stay for a while

I can move on with you around

I hand you my mortal life, but will it be forever?

I'd do anything for a smile, holding you 'til our time is done

We both know the day will come, but I don't want to leave you

I see my vision burn, I feel my memories fade with time

But I'm too young to worry (a melody, a memory, or just one picture)

Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost

It's empty and cold without you here, too many people to ache over

Newborn life replacing all of us, changing this fable we live in

No longer needed here so where do we go?

Will you take a journey tonight, follow me past the walls of death?

But girl, what if there is no eternal life?

I see my vision burn, I feel my memories fade with time

But I'm too young to worry (a melody, a memory, or just one picture)

Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost

It's empty and cold without you here, too many people to ache over

Trials in life, questions of us existing here, don't wanna die alone without you here

Please tell me what we have is real

So, what if I never hold you, yeah, or kiss your lips again?

Woooaaah, so I never want to leave you and the memories of us to see

I beg don't leave me

Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost

It's empty and cold without you here, too many people to ache over

Trials in life, questions of us existing here, don't wanna die alone without you here

Please tell me what we have is real

Silence you lost me, no chance for one more day [x2 then continues in the background]

I stand here alone

Falling away from you, no chance to get back home

I stand here alone

Falling away from you, no chance to get back home

Related : Avenged Sevenfold - Seize The Day Lyric, Lirik Lagu Avenged Sevenfold - Seize The Day Lyric

Music For Your Life

Piano Lesson Four : Sharps, Flats and Key Signatures

Piano Lesson Three : How To Play Piano Chords

Piano Lesson Two : The Scale of C Major

Apa Itu Kentrung ?

Learn Your Harmonica

Avenged Sevenfold - Seize The Day Lyric

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