Introduction: Learn Some Basic Piano
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About: • teenager ~ year 11 ~ GCSE • born on Bastille day • 2 labradoodles • loves all things dog, tech and music • flautist and pianist though I like to dabble with others :) • been fea…
hola! this is a - slightly - impromptu tutorial that will teach you basic theory, and how to play in the treble clef, i.e. how to play with your right hand, and a smaller amount as to how to read bass clef!
Step 1: Meet the Parents... Sorry Clefs!
meet the treble and bass clefs, above is how they are written.
Step 2: I See “C”
meet the note “C”, above you see C in both the bass and treble clefs and where it is on the piano. the C in the treble clef is two octaves higher than the C in the bass clef.
INTERVALS!
as I've mentioned an octave, I may as we'll tell you more, an octave is a difference of 8 tones, and a tone is two semitones, or the difference between C and D, for example. a semitone is the difference between C and C sharp.
so... the most important intervals are...
octave = difference of eight tones
perfect fifth = difference of five tones
major third = difference of two tones
minor third = difference of three semitones
INTERVALS!
as I've mentioned an octave, I may as we'll tell you more, an octave is a difference of 8 tones, and a tone is two semitones, or the difference between C and D, for example. a semitone is the difference between C and C sharp.
so... the most important intervals are...
octave = difference of eight tones
perfect fifth = difference of five tones
major third = difference of two tones
minor third = difference of three semitones
Step 3: Meet the Family!
meet D E F G A and B! they are the "whole" tones, or the white keys on the piano!
Step 4: Meet the Distant Relations.. the Semitones!!
meet F sharp, C sharp, B flat and E flat, probably the four most common semi tonal notes. they are the black keys on the piano. they are a semitone higher or lower than the note they effect. sharps are higher, flats are lower. you write them by writing the note (e.g. C in C sharp) and then adding the sharp or flat sign in front of the note.
enharmonic equivalents are notes with the same pitch that are written differently, mathematically they are slightly different frequencies, but on the piano they have the same frequency.
e.g.
A flat is the same as G sharp
E flat is the same as D sharp.
double flats and sharps lower or raise a note by two semitones, not one as in single flats and sharps. you write TWO signs in front of the note.
you can make a previously sharpened or flattened note into its natural form by add a neutral sign, but most simple music doesn't include these, so I will leave them out.
enharmonic equivalents are notes with the same pitch that are written differently, mathematically they are slightly different frequencies, but on the piano they have the same frequency.
e.g.
A flat is the same as G sharp
E flat is the same as D sharp.
double flats and sharps lower or raise a note by two semitones, not one as in single flats and sharps. you write TWO signs in front of the note.
you can make a previously sharpened or flattened note into its natural form by add a neutral sign, but most simple music doesn't include these, so I will leave them out.
Step 5: Rhythm!!
semitone = 4 beats
minim = 2 beats
crochet = one beat
quaver = half a beat
semiquaver = quarter of a beat
dotted rhythms are these notes with a dot after them, the dot adds half the value of the note to it
e.g. dotted crochet = one and a half beats
dotted minim = three beats
minim = 2 beats
crochet = one beat
quaver = half a beat
semiquaver = quarter of a beat
dotted rhythms are these notes with a dot after them, the dot adds half the value of the note to it
e.g. dotted crochet = one and a half beats
dotted minim = three beats
Step 6: Chords
sooo.. chords? they're your left hands best friend. if you don't know much about the piano they're the easiest accompaniment to a melody.
read above for more information!!
(some of which is unnecessary and need be ignored by those who know little of music (particularly on cadences))
and now you know some random bits about music, so you can impress your friends if the pub pianist goes AWOL (or whenever you might need basic musical knowledge, I don't know really)!
leave any feedback or comment if you need anything clearing up!!
thanks for reading (:
read above for more information!!
(some of which is unnecessary and need be ignored by those who know little of music (particularly on cadences))
and now you know some random bits about music, so you can impress your friends if the pub pianist goes AWOL (or whenever you might need basic musical knowledge, I don't know really)!
leave any feedback or comment if you need anything clearing up!!
thanks for reading (:
