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Beginner Piano Lesson #2

Beginner Piano Lesson #2

(Building on Lesson #1: finding the keys and basic finger placement)

Review

Before starting, find Middle C on your piano or keyboard.

Place your fingers:

Right Hand

  • Thumb (1) = C
  • Index (2) = D
  • Middle (3) = E
  • Ring (4) = F
  • Pinky (5) = G

Left Hand

  • Pinky (5) = C
  • Ring (4) = D
  • Middle (3) = E
  • Index (2) = F
  • Thumb (1) = G

Learn the Quarter Note

A quarter note (♩) gets 1 beat.

Count:
1 – 2 – 3 – 4

Play one key for each count.

Example:

C – D – E – F

Count:

1 – 2 – 3 – 4

Right-Hand Exercise

Play slowly:

C – D – E – F – G

Then back down:

G – F – E – D – C

Repeat 5 times.

Count steadily:

1 – 2 – 3 – 4

First Simple Melody

Play:

C – C – G – G

A – A – G

F – F – E – E

D – D – C

You may recognize this as the beginning of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.

Play slowly and count each note.

Rhythm Practice

Clap this rhythm:

♩ ♩ ♩ ♩

Then:

♩ ♩ ♫♫ ♩

Count:

1 2 3-and-4

Learning rhythm is just as important as learning notes.

Homework

Practice for 10–15 minutes daily:

  1. C-D-E-F-G up and down.
  2. Twinkle, Twinkle melody.
  3. Count out loud while playing.
  4. Keep fingers curved and relaxed.

Piano Tip

Play slowly enough that you never make a mistake. Speed comes naturally after accuracy.

Lesson #3 will introduce the C Major Scale and your first chords. 🎹

 
music

Beginner Piano Lesson #1: The Basics

🎹 Beginner Piano Lesson #1: The Basics

Week One

🎯 Lesson Goals:

  • Learn the layout of the piano
  • Understand finger numbers
  • Play your first simple melody

1. 🧭 Know Your Keyboard

The piano is made up of white and black keys. The black keys are in repeating groups of 2 and 3.

Find Middle C:

  • Look for a group of 2 black keys near the center.
  • The white key to the left of the first black key in that pair is Middle C.

2. 🖐️ Finger Numbers

Each finger on each hand has a number:

  • Thumb = 1
  • Index = 2
  • Middle = 3
  • Ring = 4
  • Pinky = 5

You’ll use these to know which fingers to play notes with.

3. 🎵 Play Your First Notes: C-D-E

Place your right-hand thumb (finger 1) on Middle C, and play this:

 
C - D - E - D - C
1   2   3   2   1
 

Try to keep your fingers curved and relaxed. Play slowly and evenly.

4. 📖 Practice Tips

  • Practice 5–10 minutes a day to build muscle memory.
  • Focus on accuracy first, then on speed.
  • Use a metronome if you can (start slow: 60 bpm).

✅ What’s Next?

Once you’re comfortable, you can move to:

  • Playing C Major Scale
  • Reading basic sheet music (treble clef)
  • Using both hands together

 

music

Saxophone Day

Saxophone Day

November 6 is Saxophone Day, an unofficial holiday that celebrates the woodwind instrument popularly used in jazz, classical music, and military ensembles.

The day honors saxophonists and commemorates the birth anniversary of its inventor Adolphe Sax. Born in Belgium in 1814, Sax was an instrument maker and musician who designed and introduced the Saxophone in 1840.

Used Extensively

It was first adopted for use in military bands and soon became a popular instrument played in a concert band and in chamber music. Chamber music is a type of music played by a group of small instruments – ones that usually can fit into a small room or chamber.

Today, the Saxophone is used extensively in jazz and other kinds of dance music and in symphony orchestras around the world.

Other saxophones include Mezzo Soprano, Sopranino, Tubax, Bass and Contrabass.

How to Celebrate?

  • Are you a saxophonist? Bring out your instrument and play some music with a band or solo for your family and friends.
  • Attend a chamber music, jazz or symphony orchestra concert. Keep an ear out for the Saxophone notes.
  • If you have always wanted to learn how to play the Saxophone, today is the day to get started.
music, Quiz

Sunday Quiz October 6

Guitar Playing Quiz

1. What is the standard tuning of the six strings on a guitar from the lowest pitch (6th string) to the highest (1st string)?
A) E-A-D-G-B-E
B) E-B-G-D-A-E
C) A-D-G-B-E-A
D) E-G-D-B-A-E

2. Which of the following is a common chord progression in Western music, often used in pop songs?
A) I-IV-V
B) II-V-I
C) I-VI-II-V
D) All of the above

3. What is the name of the part of the guitar that amplifies the sound in an acoustic guitar?
A) Soundhole
B) Bridge
C) Saddle
D) Nut

4. Which of the following is a barre chord?
A) A major
B) C major
C) F major
D) G major

5. What technique involves plucking a string and immediately muting it with the side of the palm to create a percussive sound?
A) Fingerpicking
B) Palm muting
C) Tremolo picking
D) Hammer-on

6. What do we call the technique where a guitarist presses down on the fretboard with one finger and then “pulls off” to a lower note without re-picking the string?
A) Bend
B) Hammer-on
C) Slide
D) Pull-off

7. Which famous guitarist is known for pioneering the use of electric guitar effects like distortion and feedback?
A) Eric Clapton
B) Jimi Hendrix
C) Carlos Santana
D) B.B. King

8. In music theory, what is the interval between the open 6th string and the 5th string on a guitar in standard tuning?
A) Major third
B) Perfect fourth
C) Perfect fifth
D) Minor third

9. What is the purpose of a guitar capo?
A) To mute the strings while strumming
B) To change the pitch of open strings
C) To amplify sound
D) To increase string tension

10. If you are playing an arpeggio on the guitar, what are you doing?
A) Playing each note of a chord individually
B) Strumming all the strings at once
C) Tuning the guitar by ear
D) Sliding between notes

11. What does the term “action” refer to on a guitar?
A) The type of strumming pattern used
B) The height of the strings from the fretboard
C) The movement of the strings when tuning
D) The speed of playing a solo

12. What does the “bridge” of a guitar do?
A) It connects the fretboard to the headstock
B) It allows string tension adjustment
C) It anchors the strings to the body of the guitar
D) It amplifies the sound

13. Which of the following is NOT a type of guitar pick?
A) Standard
B) Thumbpick
C) Fingerstyle
D) Jazz pick

14. What is a power chord typically composed of?
A) The root note and a minor third
B) The root note and a perfect fifth
C) The root note, third, and fifth
D) The root note and octave

15. What is alternate picking on the guitar?
A) Strumming with alternate up and down strokes
B) Plucking with alternating fingers
C) Picking with a pick on alternate strings
D) Using a pick to play alternate notes on the same string

Answer Key:

  1. A, 2. D, 3. A, 4. C, 5. B, 6. D, 7. B, 8. B, 9. B, 10. A, 11. B, 12. C, 13. C, 14. B, 15. A