In this unit you will develop your keyboard skills and ability to play from basic musical notation.
You will be able to:
- identify the notes middle C to high C on the musical stave
- recognise the difference in note values
- play melodies using your right hand
- add chords using your left hand
- play at an appropriate speed with the help of a rhythmic accompaniment
- play with confidence
Middle C
The first note you will learn on the keyboard is middle C. It is written on a small ledger line underneath the stave.
You will find it in the middle of the keyboard, to the left of the two black keys…
Remember:
= 1 beat(crotchet) = 2 beats (minim)
Now try to play these short warm up pieces on the keyboard:
D
The second note you will learn on the keyboard is D. It is written just beneath the bottom line on the stave.
You will find it near the middle of the keyboard, in-between the two black keys…
Remember:
= 1 beat(crotchet) = 2 beats (minim)
Now try to play these short warm up pieces on the keyboard:
E
The third note you will learn on the keyboard is E. It is written on the bottom line of the stave.
You will find it near the middle of the keyboard, to the right of the two black keys…
Remember:
= 1 beat(crotchet) = 2 beats (minim) = 4 beats (semibreve)
Now try to play these short warm up pieces on the keyboard:
Adding Chords
While we use our right hand to play melodies on the keyboard we can also add ‘chords’ using our left hand.
Try these short warm up pieces which use both hands. Then you can begin to practice your first full piece…
Left HandRight Hand
Warm Up 1
Warm Up 2
Merrily We Roll Along
(without note names)
Merrily We Roll Along
(with note names)
F
The fourth note you will learn on the keyboard is F. It is written on the bottom space of the stave.
You will find it near the middle of the keyboard, to the left of the three black keys…
Remember:
= ½ beat (quaver) = 1 beat(crotchet)= 2 beats (minim) = 4 beats (semibreve)
Now try to play these short warm up pieces on the keyboard:
Super Trooper
(without note names)
Super Trooper
(with note names)
G
The fifth note you will learn on the keyboard is G. It is written on the second line of the stave.
You will find it near the middle of the keyboard, in between the three black keys…
Remember:
= 1 beat(crotchet) = 2 beats (minim) = 4 beats (semibreve)
Now try to play these short warm up pieces on the keyboard:
Lightly Row (without note names)
Lightly Row (with note names)
A
The sixth note you will learn on the keyboard is A. It is written on the second space of the stave.
You will find it near the middle of the keyboard, to the right of the two black keys…
Remember:
= 1 beat(crotchet) = 2 beats (minim) = 4 beats (semibreve)
Now try to play these short warm up pieces on the keyboard:
One with the note names…
…and one without…
Twinkle Twinkle
(without note names)
Twinkle Twinkle
(without note names)
B
The seventh note you will learn on the keyboard is B. It is written on the third line of the stave.
You will find it near the middle of the keyboard, to the right of the two black keys…
Remember:
= 1 beat(crotchet) = 2 beats (minim) = 4 beats (semibreve)
Now try to play these short warm up pieces on the keyboard:
One with the note names…
…and one without…
High C
The eighth note you will learn on the keyboard is High C. It is written on the third space of the stave.
C D E F GA B C
You will find it to the right of the middle of the keyboard, exactly one octave (8 notes) higher than middle C…
Remember:
= 1 beat(crotchet) = 2 beats (minim) = 4 beats (semibreve)
Now try to play these short warm up pieces on the keyboard:
One with the note names…
…and one without…
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
(without note names)
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
(with note names)
The C Major Scale
Now you can read and play from middle C to high C on the stave.
These notes, when played one after the other form a scale known as C major.
Try to play this scale with your right hand using the correct fingers:
Now try to play it backwards…
Minuet in G
(without note names)
Minuet in G
(with note names)