The Basics
Introduction | Animal Story
Learn the names of all 7 keys on the piano with a fun story.
You'll be able to tell the names of the names backwards and forwards. An indispensible requirement for reading music.
Exercise 01 | Naming the Keys
After watching the video, name the keys described in the animal story correctly.
Practice→Step 01 | The Grand Staff
The Staff is a group of 5 lines, like your five fingers.
Since we need two hands for the piano, we need two groups of 5 lines, called the Grand Staff.
The way we write notes on the staff is with little bubbles
Concept 01 | Hands and Lines
Imagine that the lines are your fingers, and the spaces are the gaps between them.
Diagram 01 | Spaces, Lines and Notes
The color bubbles either go on the lines or between them.
Step 02 | Middle C-D-E
Finding middle C on the Grand Staff is the easiest thing in the world. Middle C is the bubble in the middle of the staff with a short line through the middle.
Diagram 02 | Middle Cat - middle C
The cat's eyes in the middle of the staff are the easiest to recognize.
Exercise 02 | "Dog House"
Find the notes of the "Dog House" family.
Practice→Step 03 | B-C-D
Let's add a note below middle C.
In this step, there are only 3 options.
The note is either below C, above C, or it is C itself.
Exercise 03 | Find the Keys
Find the notes right in the middle of the staff.
B, middle C, or D.
Step 04 | A-B-C
Going lower from middle C, we'll add one more note, the A which is right on the first line below middle C.
Exercise 04 | Expanding your range
Recognize whether the bubble is a A, B or a C.
Practice→Step 05 | Intervals: 2nd and 3rd
An interval is the distance between two notes.
And each of them has a specific shape (see drawings bellow)
For instance:
A-B and B-C are both 2nds.
A-C and C-E are both 3rds.
Exercise 05 | Identify the intervals
D and E together are classified as a 2nd. G and A together are also classified as a 2nd.
E and G cover the span of 3 notes - E F G.
Also, A and C have a 3 note span - A B C. So they are called thids.
Now, forget about counting the distance and try to recognize the interval by their shape in the following exercise.
Practice→Step 06 | A-C-E
A, C and E are Line notes that are found in the middle of the Grand Staff.
Notice they are all a 3rd apart (skipping one note).
Exercise 06 | Line Notes
Practice the line notes.
Practice→Step 07 | A to E - Full Range
This step includes everything you've learn so far.
All the notes from A to E.
Exercise 07 | Put it all Together
Practice all the notes in the the middle of the Staff. That includes line notes and space notes.
Practice→
