ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS THE COMPLETE P@gf TURE GUIDE TO PLAYING KEYBOARD S> Rl ] INCLUDES PLAY-ALONG FEATURING | “ee a TRACKSABSOLUTE BEGINNERS Key oardExclusive Distributors: Music Sales Limited 14/15 Bemers Steet, London WIT 31f, England, Music Sales Corporation 180 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor, New York NY 10016, USA. Music Sales Pry Limited Units 3-4, 17 Willfox St, ‘Condell Park, NSW 2200, Australia, Onder No, AMORIB Isa 0-7119-7430.6 This book © Copytight 1999 by Wise Publications ‘worw musicales com Unauthorised reproduction of any part of this publication by any ‘means including photocopying is an infringement of copyright. Arranged by Jeff Hammer Model: Anthuir Dick Keyboard and stool kindly loaned by Rose Morris, Cover and text photographs by George Taylor Other photographs courtesy of LEV/Redferns Book design by Chloe Alexander Printed in Great Britain Your Guarantee of Quality: As publishers, we strive to produce every book to the highest ‘commercial standards, This book has been carefully designed to ‘minimise awkward page tums and to make playing from it a real pleasure, Particular care has been given to specifying ac-tree, neutral-sized paper made from pulps whicl have not been ‘elemental chlorine bleached. This pulp is from farmed sustainable forests and was produced with special regard for the environment ‘Throughout, the printing and binding have been planned to censure a sturdy, attractive publication which should give years of enjoyment. IF your copy falls to meet our high standards, please inform us and we will gladly replace itContents A Introduction Bass moving in fourths 21 Playing position 5 Left and right hands together ,22 Fingering 6 Chords 26 Hand positions 7 Chords with both hands 28 Rhythm 9 Moving right hand 30 Your first note 10 Moving left hand 31 The notes Dand E 12 A new note 32 The notes F, G, A and B 14 Anew tempo 33 Clefs 17 Classic keyboard songs 39 The left hand notes 18 Further reading 40® Introduction Welcome to Absolute Beginners for Keyboard Whether you're a budding pianist or the owner of a new keyboard, this book will get you started, and get you playing, fast! We'll teach you the essential basics that all keyboard players need to know. This book will guide you from the very first time you sit down at the keyboard through to playing whole pieces confidently with both hands together. Easy-to-follow instructions will guide you through + correct posture nd playing position * finding your way around the keyboard * reading basic musical notation, learning note names and understanding rhythm * playing with hands separately and together Play along with the backing track as you learn ~ the specially recorded audio will let you hear how the music should sound ~ then try playing the part yourself. If you have a PC and keyboard with MIDI capability, you can download the extra MIDI tracks included on the CD to your computer, ‘The left hand part is recorded on Channel 3, and the right hand is on Channel 4 ~ so when you are practising you can mute the part you are playing and play along with the other part. Practise regularly and often. Twenty minutes every day is far better than two hours at the weekend with nothing in between. Not only are you training your brain to understand how to play the keyboard, you are also teaching your muscles to memorise certain repeated actions, At the back of this book you will find a section introducing some of the music available for piano and, keyboard. It will guide you to exactly the kind of music you want to play — whether it's a comprehensive tutorial series, jazz and blues, easy-to- play tunes or "off the record!" transcriptions, there's something there for all tastes.Playing position A good playing position means that you'll be comfortable at the keyboard, and, more importantly you'll be more likely to play well Sit facing the middle of the keyboard with your feet opposite the pedals and try to keep a reasonably straight back. Avoid tension in any part of your body particularly in your lower arms, Make sure you don’t slump over the keyboard, a is better than an ordinary chai ss people of difering statures to play in sure your seat is at a height which allows th, or just above, the keys.Fingering I TS Fingering is a system designed to prevent your fingers getting tangled up in knots. It works like this: h finger is given a number, as shown in the photograph below. You will see these numbers over the notes in the music ~ they tell you which fingers 10 use for those notes. ‘Try to stick to the recommended fingerings for each piece and you will soon assume the habit of having your hands in the correct position. Left hand CHEGR POUND WHAT YOU'VE ACHIEVED SO FAR... You can now. + Sit at the keyboard in the comect positon + Place your hands on the keyboard correctly + Understand right and left hand fingerings Right hand| | ee ees te leday. | place your hands on the keyboard. You should be able to play quite comfortably without the coin fling off Your hands should be supported from the wrist — it’s very important that you don’t permit your wrists to descend below the keyboard. Now, with your fingers sitting lightly above the keys, curl your fingers slightly as if gently holding an imaginary ball. Your fingertips should cover five adjacent notes in each hand, This is the normal five finger position, to which your hand will eventually return automatically Hand positionsFinding your way At first glance, the keyboard may seem confusing ~ so many notes! But the keyboard is actually just the same series of 12 notes repeated over and over, for its entire length! PSSA around Only seven letter names are used, The black keys are ed in twos and threes in a repeating pattern this irregularity is actually very useful, because it enables you to find your way around the keyboard, TACT TTT This is the section that we d al with in this book: ee Reading Music Reading music is easy once you under fundamentals you'll take to it in no time. There are two basic elements to the way music is written: pitch and duration. Pitch tells you how high or low a note is (low is to the left on the keyboard, high is to the right), and duration tells you how long the note is played for, and when it is played in relation to other notes around jt ‘The five lines on which the notes are placed are called a stave. A note placed on top of the stave is higher than a note placed at the bottom. For keyboard players there is a stave for the left hai and one for the right. In the early part of the book we will concer ourselves with the right hand only high pitch | — i. the stave low pitch Jargon Buster EC | Duration —how long 2 note lasts Pech ~ how tigh or ow ates 6 Steve =the he Wes ar ea eS |Rhythm Mice, Bar Or Measure? If you look at any piece of music you can see that notes have different shapes — some have tails, some have solid note heads, while others are hollow. ‘They will soon become very familiar to you. This symbol o is called a semibreve, or whole note, and lasts for the duration of a full bar, so it has a count of four beats. Against the count of 1- 2-3-4 you would count semibreves like this: ! 2 3) 4 1 2 3 ° ° ‘This symbol d is called a minim, or half note, and lasts for two beats, so it is counted like this: I 2 3 4 dd Finally, this symbol dis cated « crotehet, or quarter note, and lasts for one beat, Thus there are four of these to every bar and they are counted like this did ‘You now know enough about rhythm to play some music. 2 3 od ‘Music has a basic pulse or beat; multiples of these beats are grouped into larger units called bars or measures Bars are made up of groups of beats ~ when you tap your foot to a piece of music, you're responding to the beat. ‘The most common grouping of beats is 4 in a bar: called ‘common time’, and we'll be using this initially. ‘Try counting steadily from 1 to 4 and then repeating that sequence: 1-2-3-4/1-2-3-4/1-2-3-4/ec Each time you count ‘I’ you are beginning a new bar. Simple really, isn’t i 4 | 2 iS: a ° 4 I 2 3 4 4 lacYour first note Finding Middle G ‘The easiest way to locate a white key is to see where it fits into the pattern of black keys. Look for the groups of two black keys, and then the white key in the middle of these. This note is D. to the left of D — or to the left of the Cis directly group of two black k The groups of black keys are repeated all the way up the keyboard so there are lots of Cs, In order to distinguish between them we usually refer to one of them as middle C, which is ~ you guessed it ~ the one closest 10, or in the centre of the keyboard. te middle C on See the photo below and then lo your keyboard. reg ey cro rg io if IMINO This is how middle C looks on the stave eo eo Notice that middle C occupies small line directly under the main stave, This ig called a leger line. Leget lines enable us to write notes which are higher or lower than the stave's five lines and four spaces, It is important to be able to recognise one C from another. otherwise you may play the right notes (according to their name) but at the wrong part of the keyboard! The examples o and the notes just the next few pages all use middle CYour first piece Now you're ready to play your first piece Don't worry about reading music ~ as long as you can count to four and you can remember where C you can play this piece. MIDI Fun If you have a keyboard with MIDI c use the backing track supplied on the Cl mute channel 4 and have a go yourself bility, you can and then For now we are working with the right hand only When we introduce the left hand later in the book, its music will be on channel 3, thus enabling you to separate the left and right hands (as they are on channels 3 and 4 respectively). This means you can have the MIDI playing the right hand while you practise the left hand, and vice versa — which is ‘more fun! Now for the first piece. After the four beat intro click. play a C for four beats with the accompanying music then rest for four beats, then play for four and rest for four, and so on until the end of the piece ‘This piece lasts for 8 bars; this equals 8 counts of four in total. This may seem simple, but already you are teaching yourself the discipline of playing in time, and how to count rests. These skills become more crucial as your playing develops. 1234 1234 1234 Count: 1234 MIDI connection port - usually on the back of the keyboard Oo Learning to count regular beats is something which will become second nature to you eventually Play this exercise a few times at differing speeds starting very slowly and gradually increasing the tempo. Smooth, regular and controlled playing is what you should be aiming for at this point Track 1 on the @b demonstrates how this should SBlind/and Track 2 gives you a backing track that you can playY@long with etc.The notes D and E es SS Nera en Ue WS aE EE Here is which found On one side of the note D you found C- on the other side is the note E. =Playing D and E © Try playing all the groups of C, D, € on the keyboard, Play them and name them out loud as you go. Below is a tune to help you learn where these notes are, Play C with the thumb on your right hand, and D and E with your index and midalle fingers respectively The fingering numbers should help you to remember which fingers to use ~ refer back to the diagram on page 6 if you are unsure. You don't have to be able to read the music to play this exercise, just speak aloud the names of the notes as you play them, Allow four beats (one bar) per note. Keep the tempo slow to start with, gradually increasing speed as you become more confident. Watch out for the one bar rest after each group of three notes. The count written over the music should help you with the rhythm, while the names of the notes are written underneath the stave. then play along with the backifig_ ov? < iano part (channel 4) aying along yourself MIDI users can mute the before pl Count: 1234 1234 1234 Keep your hand in a good, relaxed position, avoiding tension in any part of your body, espec shoulders, lower arms and hands. As you play each not the keys with a posi press gently but firmly into > finger action, This piece lasts for 16 bars ~ try to count them as you play 1234 ete.The notes F, G, A& BLook at the keyboard below and notice the repeating Reading from the left, they are F, G, A and B, Practise pattern of three black ~ you can use these to finding each note and say the letter name out loud as find the white keys around and between them. you play the note. fe having trouble memorising the names fall the nates try placing labelled stickers onto the keys. and locationPlaying F, G, A& B Now that you are familiar with counting beats and Listen to the demonstration on 3 bars, le’ ry an exercise that familiarises you with and shempey playing along with Yt backing these four new notes, whilst also teaching you to on rack 6. MIDI users can mute the piano part count in units of two beats each. (chaviflel 4) before playing along yourself. For this exercise play the lower note F with the thumb of your right hand, keeping the relaxed hand position you learned earlier ‘The notes in this exercise change after two beats, Keep your other fingers ‘hovering’ over the 50 you have to think a litle quicker than in the other notes, previous examples. Count: 1234 1234 1234 1234 ete. at f Lt Bt i eau ee Right hand summary You have now learnt seven notes in the right hand! é © Take a moment to make sure you are familiar with a= them - their names, position on the stave, and location on the keyboard, CHECKPOUENE WHAT YOU'VE ACHIEVED SO FAR. You can now: * Play seven notes * Understand basic concepts of pitch and rhythm, ‘+ Read music from the staveClefs fi How can we use the same five lines (stave) for the notes in the right hand and for the different (lower) notes in the left? For the lef hand we use a bass clef The answer lies in the symbol at the beginni music. ‘This is called a clef (from the French for key). And in the right hand we use a treble clef: These different cleft represent the letters G and F, their placement on the stave tells us where these notes are situated in each clef With the bass clef the two dots to the right of the symbol, placed either side of the second line down from the top, represent the horizontal line of the not F This fixes the position of the note F - from this we can work out the positions of the other notes. F | Jargon Buster ‘Treble clef — symbol used on the stave for the right hand Bass clef ~ symbol used on the stave for the left hand Look at how the treble clef curls around the second line up from the bottom of the stave. This fixes the position of the note G ~ from this we can work out the positions of the surrounding notes. G _ | °The left-hand notesFrom now on we will show all the notes on both staves, with treble and bass cles.Playing notes and rests Here’s an exercise designed to get you used to playing with the left hand look out fr this symbol == irs called a est bells Listen to the demonstration on fog} you to leave a silent gap of four beats. Count them apc Tgn uy playing along with WHE backing on when you're not playing just as carefully as when you ‘Traek 4, MIDI users can mute the piano part (channel way you will always stay in time fore playing along yourself Count: 1234 1234 1234 1234 ete. a Remember that the fingering numbers start at | with ‘the thumb, going down to 5 for the litte fngerABSOLUTE BEGINNERS uideTo Keyboard Sitting Correctly Itis important to sit correctly at the keyboard. The more comfortable you are, the easier itis to play. Sit facing the middle of the instrument, with your feet opposite the pedals. Sit upright with as straight a back as possible without being stiff. Your seat should be high enough to allow your arms to be level with the keyboard, or slightly sloping down towards it, The Hand Position Support your hands from the wrists, which should be in a flat position. If you bend your wrists too much as you play, you will soon experience muscle fatigue. Curve your fingers slightly as if you are gently holding an imaginary ball. Don't extend your fingers into the keyboard; allow the natural position of your hand to determine which part of the key you depress with the tip of your finger. The Five Finger Playing Position With the tips of your fingers, cover five adjacent white notes in each hand, This is the normal five finger playing position. Itis also the hand's most relaxed state. Always return to this position when you have been playing on other parts of the keyboard, Like a good squash or tennis player always ‘occupying the centre of the court, this is the best ‘alert’ position for keyboard players.The Piano Keyboard There are only seven letter names used in music: ABC DEF G ‘These seven letter names repeat over and ‘over again on the keyboard. The black keys are arranged in groups of twos and threes. How To Learn The White Keys: C D & E Use the black keys to locate the white keys. For example, ‘D’ lies between two black keys. ‘Two black keys ‘Two black keys Mee sre To the left of D lies ©. To the right of D lies E. HNN OU HOHow To Learn The White Keys: FG A&B Use the groups of three black keys to locate F, G, A&B (the remaining four letters of the musical alphabet) Three black keys Thi black keys FIG|A\B FIG/A |B Find all the F's, G's, A’s & B's on your piano. Play each note in turn and name it You now know all the white notes and their names. An Important Note: Middle C ‘One of the most important notes on the piano is Middle C. This is the C nearest the middle of the instrument, directly opposite the manufacturer's, ame, as you sit at the piano. The ¢ below ‘Middle C ‘The most central © MIDDLE c The C above idle C ° bic Look at the illustration above. From it, you will see that:” ‘The C to the left of Middle C is called "The C below Middle C* ‘The C to the right of Middle C is called “The C above Middle C” ‘You should, at this stage, be able to find these three C's right away. Learn to find them this easy way: * Play Middle C with the right hang (any finger will do). * Play Middle C with the left hand, + Play The C below Middle C with the left hand. Play The C above Middle C with the right hand. + Finally: play Middle C again with one of the fingers of each hand, You now know where to find Middle C east the (5 dss etnieschee Y Y = la i How To Work Out Chords With this easy-to-use guide you willbe able to work out any major, minor, augmented and diminished chord on any note. Follow the simple formulae and all the chords you need will be at your fingertips. ‘Types Of Chord Broadly speaking, there are four types of chord: MAJOR €¢.9. C) MINOR (e.g. Cm) DIMINISHED (e.g. C*) AUGMENTED (e.g. C*) MAJOR and MINOR are the two most important types: popular Western music is based on them. Itis possible to play most popular tunes using MAJOR and MINOR chords only. DIMINISHED and AUGMENTED are merely ‘passing’ or linking chords: they are used for passing from one Major or Minor chord to another. Working Out Your Own Chords: Using Semitones Itis possible to work out any of the four types of chord by using simple formulae. These formulae rely on SEMITONES. ASEMITONE is the smallest possible distance ‘on a keyboard, counting black and white notes:- c A EF C to Dp (or back) is the distance of ‘ONE SEMITONE Ab to A (or back) is the distance of ONE SEMITONE Eto F (or back) is the distance of ONE SEMITONE Chord Formulae MAJOR 4-3 Semitones MINOR 3-4 Semitones DIMINISHED 3-3 Semitones AUGMENTED 4-4 Semitones Example 1 To find the chord of C (Major). Formula: C-4-3 LL ©'0'oe C- £6 Play note C, then count 4 SEMITONES to the right, and you will arrive at the note E. Play note E, then count 3 SEMITONES to the right, and you will arrive at the note G. The notes of the chord are therefore: C, E, G. Example 2 To find the chord of Db (Major). Formula: Db-4-3 POSE ob Fa Play note Dp, then count 4 SEMITONES to the right, and you will arrive at the note F. Play note F, then count 3 SEMITONES to the right, and you will arrive at the note Ab. ‘The notes of the chord are therefore: Db, F;, Ab. Example 3 To find the chord of G (Minor). Formula: G-3-4 0**70 ae a Play note G, then count 3 SEMITONES to the right, and you will arrive at the note Bb. } Play note Bb, then count 4 SEMITONES to the right, and you will arrive at the note D. The notes of the chord are therefore: G, Bb, D.Bass moving in fourths Here's another exercise aimed at getting you to play notes several steps apart in the left hand, Bass lines __andthen try playing along with Ye backing on often move like this, so it is important that you train ‘Track 10, MIDI users can mute the piano part your left hand to move in this way. If you keep your (¢finpél 4) before playing along yourself hand position correct and follow the fingering numbers, this piece will soon fall under your fingers 1234 Listen to the demonstration on igh rh Count: 1234 1234 1234 etc. You will have noticed that the bass line moves in intervals (or distances) of four notes: C-F and D-G. CHECKPOING WHAT YOU'VE ACHIEVED SO FAR... ‘These intervals are known as fouiths because there are four notes separating the top and bottom notes. Similarly, if the top and bottom notes are five notes apan, this is an interval of a fifth. Bass ines often move in this way. You can now. + Count and read different rhythms + Recognise treble and bass clef + Use both your left and right hands ZIi} i) Left and right hands together Now you know enough about keyboard playing to use both your right and left hands together. There are various things to look out for in this piece: Firstly, with two hands playing at once it’s more important than ever that you keep your hands fingers in the correct positions. Use the fingerings given, as they will help to minimise the movement of your hands over the keyboard. In the last bar of the piece you only play for one beat ~ the remainder of the bar is filled with rests. And what are those loops joining the last bar to the one before? They are called ties, and they literally ‘tie or ‘add’ the value of one note to another. tle Counts 1 2 3 4 #+1F 23 4 In this case, your left hand doesn’t restrike the Cin the last bar, you simply hold it down for one extra beat So the last C in the left hand starts in bar 7 and lasts for five beats (four + one); and the E in the right hand lasts for three beats (two + one). Take your time with this exercise ~ make sure you are confident with it at various tempos before moving on. Now that you are familiar with the note names in the left and right hands we'll remove the ‘safety net’ of putting the note names immediately below the music eee Ftlien try playing along with tN€ ba¢king on ‘each 12. MIDI users can mute the piano part (cfénne! 4) before playing along yourself ‘Y Here’ where your hands should be, ready to sear playing,Take a rest! Count: 1234 1234 1234 1234 ete. tie Dita fo Rests — or when not to play. Now we will look at what the music tells us when you are not playing. The symbols occupying the spaces where you are not playing are called resis, and they have similar rhythmic values to notes. This is how they work: A rest for a semibreve (whole note) or four beats is written like this; A shorter rest for a minim (equal in length to two beats) looks like this: A crotchet (or quarter ————— note) rest, for a duration of one beat, looks like this; You can combine these rests For example, to have a part silent for three beats you would combine the two beat minim rest ® with the one beat (crotchet) rest } giving total of three beats Fest like thisLeft hand summaryRight hand summaryChords AAT A chord is created when you play more than one Right-Hand Chords note simultancously. You can do this with the right or Most notes in a chord are played in the right hand, so left hand, or with both at once, There are many that’s a good place to start. Later we will add more different types of chord, but here a shapes you can master in seconds. a few simple notes to our chords and introduce the left hand,Your fingers won't always lie from 1-5 over C- G in the right hand, and this chord sequence is a case in point, To move to the best position in the second bar, it is necessary to prepare in bar 1, so you should use fingers 1, 2, and 4 to play the first chord. When the same chord comes back in bar 5 you can use the standard 1, 3, 5 fingering, because this helps prepare the downward movement for the chord in bar 6. Try to make the fingers move smoothly and positively from one key to another. As you play one chord, try to think ahead to the next one, and prepare your fingers for their new positions Listen tothe demonstation on aes, det Tp plying slong wath 8 tng on ‘eack 14, MIDI users can mute the piano part (inna) beore plying slong yourel Try not to let your hands move out of poston when you play this piece ~ as the music gets more complex its increasingly important that your hands make the minimum ‘movement to play the notes. Count: 12 3 4 12 3 4 123 4 §t 23 428 Chords with both hands Now let's add the left hand. Generally, when playing chords, the left hand plays fewer notes than the right, and they are more widely spaced. The left and right hands don't play separate chords, they si the job of playing the notes of one chord. If you have a tempo contra on your keyboard vse it to learn the pieces at a slower speed then you can gradually come up to the proper speed Practise the following exercise one hand at a time You already know the right hand part, as it’s exactly the same as the previous exercise, Now we are going to add the left hand, Once again, hand and finger positions are crucial — you should be able to play this exercise without dramatically moving your hand up and down the keys. From the one basic hand position you have been using so far you should be able to play all the notes in this piece Listen tothe demonstration on ‘ges, a then ty playing along with the MMking on “tract i6 MIDI users can mute the piano part (RH Chatifel ¥ nel 3) before playing along yourselfmean memMoving the right hand Now let’s introduce a little motion in the right hand, while keeping the left hand steady. Remember that the crotchets (quarter notes) in the right hand have a count of one beat each, while the semibreves (whole notes) have a count of four beats each. Watch out for the sudden stop at the end, as you only play on the first beat of the last bar ~ the rest of the bar is silent, as indicated by the rests. As the exercises get more complicated, remember that you can isolate the left and right hands, practising them independently before putting them together. Listen to the demonstration on Frae® 1, ane thgn ty playing along with off backing on ‘Track 1$. MIDI users can mute the piano part (Channel 4, LH Channel 3) before playing along yourseli. TT TTT tg sn)Moving left hand Here's an exercise to get you used to moving your MIDI users can mute the piano part (RH Channel 4, left hand, while keeping your right hand fairly stil LH Channel 3) before playing along yourself. ‘The left hand is moving every two beats, so it's quite easy 0 play, but be careful to keep the note at the bottom of the left hand (C) constant ~ it’s only the upper note that changes. i ‘Notice that in the last bar you play two beats on and two beats off. Good musicians always take care to have tidy endings, and i's a good habit to cultivate! Listen to the demonstration on ‘frach 19, and then try playing along with the Biking on Track 20. coun: | 23 4 1234 «$23 4 «+123 4 et.«4 A new note Now it's time to look at one more note-value, the quaver, of eighth-note. Quavers (or eighth notes) are the shortest notes that, you're going to play in this book, They last for half a beat and require accurate counting, How To Count Quavers Quavers split the crotchet beat in half, in a 4/4 bar they are counted like th Count: 1 & 2/& 3 &/4 & beam beam ‘An easy way of remembering the duration of combined quavers and crotchets és (without playing) to call a crotchet Look at the example below and say the words under the stave rhythmically Tip (On their own quavers are written with a curved flag attached to the stern, but are bracketed together with a beam when groups occur to make thern easier to read. Flag One def quaver | Beam Four fr gon J J CL Next, clap the line as you say the words. Then play the two bars, keeping a steady beat pulse. tea cof-fee tea tea tea cof-fee tea (break) Here's a tune full of crotchets and quavers — to Repeats practise the rhythm, speak the words (rhythmically), then choose a slow speed and count with a steady beat so you can focus on your fingering, Practise the tune a few times slowly until you can speed up and still be accurate. Look out for the repeat sign at the end of the piece. If you see the sign ‘fat the end of a piece, it means that you are to repeat the entire piece. Sometimes only a section of a piece is to be repeate will see the sign [fat the beginning, and ‘fat the end of that section. coffee coffee tea tea coffee coffee tea coffee coffee tea tea coffee coffee tea coffee tea coffee tea tea coffee tea tea (ik *€ [deers 4A new tempo F& Another common grouping of beats is 3 in a bar. This is sometimes referred to as ‘waltz’ time. Count steadily to 3 and keep repeating, Try to feel the emphasis on the first beat of the bar and the rhythm of the tempo. 1-2-3 /1-2-3 /1-2-3/e This symbol dis called a dotted minim and lasts for 3 beats. The dot after the minim has the effect of adding half the minim’s length to it: you hold the note for 3 beats Written Played & 2: ea | Pee You now have a chance to play four well-known pieces, specially arranged for keyboard. “On Top Of Old Smokey” will be in 3/4 time, Remember to count to yourself before starting, until you feel confident with the rhythm of 3 beats in a bar, This piece also starts on the last beat of the bar — known as the upbeat. This is quite common and you simply need to count 1-2 and then start playing on 3, continuing 1-2-3 from there. For all pieces, listen to the examples on the CD first ind remember to keep counting all the way through! 12 3 1 2 3 ete. d. IJ. | CHECKPOING WHAT YOU'VE ACHIEVED SO FAR. You can now: + Sit comfortably at the keyboard * Find left and right hand nates on the keyboard + Read basic note values and pitches ‘from both the treble and bass clefs * Play right and left hand chords * Play left and right hands togetherJingle Bells You're now ready to try playing a complete song! Remember to follow the music carefully, and you won't have any problems with this simple melody. ‘Traditional Keep the left hand steady throughout and concentrate ‘on getting the melody right. Fis litem MeacfP2A, and then sry plying slong with Track 2 © Chit vet erieOn Top Of Old Smokey First liste te Ps, and then uy playing along We've added chord symbols above the music to help with Me ft hand you with the left hand sons MOU AE) aE He) e ey eULI) LT a wey UY OY6, Oh When The Saints Z Here's another well-known song, to build on your First lis aris and then try playing along, repertoire. Keep the left hand steady, and don’t forget with Track 26 to count! / ‘Traditional © Copiight 199 Dorsey Brothers Muse Lied, 89 Fath Suet, and W ‘Al Rights Reserved. International Copright SecuredSkip To My Lou This piece combines everything you've leamed so far. Listen carefully 10 Py and try to follow the You'll need to follow the music quite carefully so your music at the same ti fingers don't end up in knots! Work out fingerings that you are comfortable with, and stick with it - you ‘Then play along with the backing track, gh shouldn't have too many problems. Traditional [© Cop tight 1999 Dancy Brother Mase Limied, Fah iret, Lon WL A Rights Reserved. International Copyright Securedes Congratulations! In a very short space of time you've covered a lot of ground and you're already well on your way to being able to learn and play many more great songs for keyboard. You've learnt correct posture at the keyboard, where to place your fingers on the keys, and how to play with both hands together. You've also learnt a lot about music — how to read music notation and how to count note k hs and play in time. ‘We've suggested some songs you might like to try to learn, and also some books to buy to farther your knowledge and skills Keep up the good work!Classic keyboard songs FE Superstition $i Theme from “T40 Further reading Now you're ready to move onto more advanced material, There’s a wealth of music of different styles out there for you to enjoy, but why not investigate some of the titles below; they'll help you continue to develop your technique, and will introduce you to some of the great keyboard repertoire that you'll be able to play See the Music Sales Catalogue for the full list of titles, The Complete Keyboard Player Series The most comprehensive series of books for piano and keyboard available, with 50+ titles. Each book contains a collection of pieces by The Beatles, and Gershwin, or styles such as Jazz Blues, Pops, and Film and TV Themes, The series is supplemented by 9 specially-arranged songbooks and there 0 four tutor books available ‘The Complete Keyboard Player Book 1 (Tutor Book) Contains 15 famous songs including ‘Let It Be’, ‘Super ‘Trouper’ and ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’. Instrumental backing track includes piano, guitar, percussion and many others. AM91383 ‘The Complete Keyboard Player Abba Sixteen classic Abba songs arranged for keyboard. Includes ‘Thank You For The Music, ‘Mamma Mia’, and “Dancing Queen’ AM91095 The Complete Keyboard Player Movie Music A superb collection of film music from the. big screei Includes ‘Schindler's List’ Love is All Around’ and ‘Goldeneye’ tists such as Abba, FastForward An exciting new series of instrumental instruction books, Includes hints and tips with easy-to-follow instructions and advice. The accompanying CD allows you to listen and then play along with the specially-recorded backing tracks FastPorward: Cool Blues Keyboard Superb book and CD pack, with help on learning riffs, octave rundowns, and turnarounds, to help you get that genuine blues feel on your keyboard, AMO34835 FastForward: Dynamic Rock Keyboards Leam to play full, rich dynamic piano riffs and fills, swirling organ sounds and effects, moody electric piano chords and much more with this exciting book and CD pack. AM92437 The MIDI Keyboard Library GM MIDI disk for you to load to your keyboard, containing eight great tracks in full arrangements. Accompanying songbook contains melody line, chords and lyrics. Books include Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Genesis and Sting, as well as styles such as Ballads, Blues and Pop and Rock Hits MIDI Keyboard Library: Ballads Includes ‘Candle In The Wind’, ‘He Ain't Heavy...He’s My Brother, Imagine’, and ‘Lady In Red’ AMOI788: MIDI Keyboard Library: Sting Includes ‘Fields of Gold’, ‘An Englishman In New York’, ‘If | Ever Lose My Faith In You’, and ‘Fragile’ AM91784Step-by-step pictures take you along with a backing track! Absolute Beginners has been designed to tell you everything you need to know from the very first time you play your keyboard. In one great book you get: A look-and-learn course that uses clear pictures instead of long explanations Practical advice and tips covering everything you need to know to get you playing, fast! CD audio tracks to show you how things should sound, plus... Full-length accompaniment tracks to play along with! It’s simply everything you need! BN 0-7119-7430-6 a iii