Beginner Piano Lesson #17

Playing with Dynamics (Soft and Loud)

One of the secrets to making music sound beautiful is dynamics—how softly or loudly you play.

New Terms

• p (piano) = play softly
• f (forte) = play loudly
• mf (mezzo forte) = moderately loud
• mp (mezzo piano) = moderately soft

Finger Warm-Up

Play each note slowly with your right hand:

C – D – E – F – G – F – E – D – C

Count:
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9

Play it:

1. Softly (p)
2. Loudly (f)
3. Start soft and gradually get louder

New Skill: Crescendo

Crescendo ( < ) means gradually get louder.

Example:

C – D – E – F – G

Start very softly on C and increase volume until G.

New Skill: Decrescendo

Decrescendo ( > ) means gradually get softer.

Example:

G – F – E – D – C

Start loudly on G and gradually get softer until C.

Practice Piece

Right Hand:

C C G G A A G

F F E E D D C

Play the first line softly and the second line a little louder.

Homework

✅ Practice 10 minutes daily
✅ Play C major five-finger pattern with soft and loud dynamics
✅ Try one familiar song and add crescendos and decrescendos

Musical Thought

Notes tell us what to play.
Dynamics tell us how to play it.

A simple melody played with feeling often sounds better than a difficult piece played without expression. 🎹🌹

Beginner Piano Lesson #16

Introducing the G Major Scale and Simple Chord Playing

Goal: Learn the G Major scale and play a simple left-hand accompaniment.

Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Play these five-finger patterns slowly:

Right Hand

• G – A – B – C – D – C – B – A – G

Left Hand

• G – A – B – C – D – C – B – A – G

Keep your fingers curved and relaxed.

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The G Major Scale

The G Major scale has one sharp: F♯

Notes:
G – A – B – C – D – E – F♯ – G

Right-Hand Fingering

• G (1)
• A (2)
• B (3)
• C (1)
• D (2)
• E (3)
• F♯ (4)
• G (5)

Left-Hand Fingering

• G (5)
• A (4)
• B (3)
• C (2)
• D (1)
• E (3)
• F♯ (2)
• G (1)

Practice up and down 5 times.

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Chords for G Major

G Major Chord

G – B – D

C Major Chord

C – E – G

D Major Chord

D – F♯ – A

Play each chord slowly with both hands.

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Simple Exercise

Right Hand Melody
G – A – B – C | D – C – B – A | G

Left Hand Chords

• G Major
• C Major
• D Major
• G Major

Listen for a smooth, steady rhythm.

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Rhythm Practice

Count aloud:

1 – 2 – 3 – 4

Play one chord per measure while keeping a steady beat.

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Practice Challenge

Try playing:

G Scale → G Chord → C Chord → D Chord → G Chord

Repeat 5 times without stopping.

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Piano Tip of the Day

Look at the music more than your fingers. Developing this habit early will make reading music much easier as pieces become more advanced.

Homework: Practice the G Major scale and the G–C–D–G chord progression for 10–15 minutes each day. 🎹

Beginner Piano Lesson #15

Building Smooth Chord Changes & Melody Playing

Warm-Up (5 Minutes)

1. Play the C Major Scale up and down:
   • C D E F G A B C
   • Right Hand: 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5
   • Left Hand: 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1
2. Finger Exercise:
   • C-D-E-F-G-F-E-D-C
   • Play slowly and evenly with each hand.

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New Chords

Practice these three chords:

Play each chord four times, then switch smoothly to the next.

Pattern:
C → F → G → C

Repeat 5 times.

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Rhythm Practice

Count:

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

Play the left-hand chord on:

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

Keep a steady beat.

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Simple Melody

Right Hand:

C – D – E – G | G – E – D – C

Play slowly while holding C Major in the left hand.

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Coordination Exercise

Left Hand:

• C chord (4 beats)
• F chord (4 beats)
• G chord (4 beats)
• C chord (4 beats)

Right Hand:

• Play the melody above while changing chords.

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Musical Tip

Try to look ahead to the next chord before moving your fingers. Smooth transitions are more important than speed.

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Practice Assignment

• C Major Scale: 5 times
• Chord progression C–F–G–C: 10 times
• Melody exercise: 5 times
• Play everything together at a slow, steady tempo

Goal for Lesson #15: Develop smooth chord changes while keeping a steady rhythm and simple melody.

Beginner Piano Lesson #14 – C Major Chord

In many beginner piano courses, Lesson 14 introduces the C Major Chord, one of the most important building blocks in piano playing.

What is a C Major Chord?

A C Major chord is made up of three notes:

• C
• E
• G

Play these three notes together to create a bright, happy sound.

Right-Hand Fingering

• Thumb (1) = C
• Middle Finger (3) = E
• Pinky (5) = G

Left-Hand Fingering

• Pinky (5) = C
• Middle Finger (3) = E
• Thumb (1) = G

Practice Exercise

1. Play the chord slowly.
2. Hold for 4 counts.
3. Release and repeat 10 times.
4. Try playing:
   • C chord
   • Rest
   • C chord
   • Rest

Simple Song Pattern

Play:

C Chord – C Chord – C Chord – C Chord

Count:

1 – 2 – 3 – 4

Keep a steady rhythm and relaxed hands.

Tip

Keep your fingers rounded, wrists level, and sit tall at the piano. Good posture now will make future lessons much easier.

🎹 Practice Goal: Play the C Major chord smoothly with both hands 10 times without looking down at your fingers every time.