It's never too late to play piano: A Learn as You Play Tutor with Interactive CD (Faber Edition: It's Never Too Late) [Pap/Com ed.] 0571591140, 9780571591145

Citation preview

BEGINNER

PIANO TUTOR

Its nev Toe o lar te ...

TO PLAY PIANO

‘

NEW EDITION

PAM WEDGWOOD_

re

a

a.

Tt’s never too kote...

to play plano A learn-as-you-play tutor with interactive CD

PAM

WEDGWOOD

© 2006 by Faber Music Ltd This edition first published in 2006 by Faber Music Ltd Bloomsbury House

74-77 Great Russell Street London WC1B 3DA Music processed by Jackie Leigh Text designed by Susan Clarke Cover designed by Shireen Nathoo CD recorded and produced by Olly Wedgwood Printed in England by Caligraving Ltd ¢ All rights reserved

ISBN10: 0-571-52070-7 EAN13: 978-0-571-52070-1 To buy Faber Music publications or to find out about the full range of titles available please contact your local music retailer or Faber Music sales enquiries: Faber Music Limited, Burnt Mill, Elizabeth Way, Harlow, CM20 2HX England Tel: +44 (0)1279 82 89 82 Fax: +44 (0)1279 82 89 83 [email protected] fabermusic.com

FABER ii MUSIC

Foreword If you are reading this foreword, you are presumably one of those people who always harboured an ambition to play the piano but never got the time or opportunity to learn. If this is the case, you have chosen your piano tutor wisely: /t's never too late to play piano has been written especially for you! It is carefully progressive, breaks the learning process into bite-‘size, manageable chunks, gives plenty of chances for review, develops general musical skills (such as aural work and improvisation), puts your learning into context with information on the great pianists and composers, and provides recommended listening. And, although | would always recommend that you find a good piano teacher, this tutor has been carefully written so that you can work through it alone, helped by the interactive CD. Music plays a huge part of our everyday lives and learning to play the piano will give you much enjoyment and pleasure. | have been teaching adults for many years and have witnessed first-hand how playing the piano has transformed their lives. | hope that this book will inspire you to go on to explore the huge and beautiful world of music. Just remember: it’s never too late to play piano!

Pam Wedgwood

Which instrument should | choose? In today’s world there are many options available to you when considering what type of piano you might buy. The acoustic piano will always remain the favourite, but this purchase will depend on how much money you want to spend — and how much space you have! An acoustic piano will always be a good investment but the initial cost will obviously be more than buying a keyboard or digital piano. Do keep an eye out for good quality second-hand pianos — asking for a piano teacher's advice if possible. The primary advantage of buying a digital (electronic) piano is that if you want to play in the middle of the night, you can — just plug in your earphones! Keyboards and many digital pianos also have built-in accompaniments and recording devices to develop your composition and improvising skills. Whatever you choose, try and seek

sound advice from an expert before you finally purchase.

How to use this book This book is split into progressive units, with a review at the end of each. The main learning point of each page is shown in the box in the top corner. You will find information in Top tips (handy playing hints), Fact files (introducing new points of music theory) and personal explanations in Pam's noticeboards. You will also see the following symbols by many pieces:

& = CD track number, with 2 bars of count-in beats before each piece =

Teacher's accompaniment part available on pamwedgwood.com

(for the first four units only) To buy Faber Music publications or to find out about the full range of titles available please contact your local music retailer or Faber Music sales enquiries: Faber Music Ltd, Burnt Mill, Elizabeth Way, Harlow CM20 2HX Tel: +44 (0) 1279 82 89 82 Fax: +44 (0) 1279 82 89 83 [email protected]

fabermusic.com

Getting started If you play another instrument — or if you learnt the piano a long time ago — you may not

need to work through everything on pages 3-5. However, you may like to use these pages for revision!

Feeling the beat Just as you have a regular heartbeat, music has a regular beat (or pulse) too. Note and rest values are defined by a number of beats or counts:

Note and rest values oO

semibreve or whole note*

4 counts

4

minim or half note

2 counts

Hl

crotchet or quarter note

1 count

)

quaver or eighth note

1/2 count

N

semiquaver or sixteenth note

1/4 count

Time signatures These appear at the beginning of a piece of music and tell you how many beats or counts there are in each bar (or measure). The top figure tells you the number of beats in each bar; the bottom figure tells you the value of those beats.

i =4x _ counts in each bar

z =X ilcounts in each bar

; 15)

™

counts in each bar

= whole-bar rest for any time signature

Activities Work on your sense of pulse with the following activities. You'll need a CD player and a bouncy ball!

1 Listen to @P on the CD. This track is in TUiter ratios)

EY

2 Play @ again, but this time count the beats in each bar ‘1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4’ etc.

3 Listening to 0. bounce your ball so that it hits the floor on beat 1 of each bar. Try

this exercise again but in double time, so the ball bounces on beats 1 and 3. 4 Practise clapping the following rhythms to the accompanying CD tracks:

ae Sa Piepon RN es iE Ces eeuadiegeye agen aie * English followed by US terms are given throughout. -

All about pitch To show their pitch, notes are written on a five-line stave.

Notes are written on the lines or in the spaces: This is a note head This is a stem

Piano music uses two staves joined together — the top one for the right hand, and the bottom one for the left-hand — called the grand stave. Each stave has a clef at the beginning to fix the pitch of the notes. For high notes, and mainly the right hand, we use the treble clef G;for low notes, and mainly the left hand, we use the bass clef 9°. You may like to practise drawing some clefs on the stave below (start from the middle and work outwards for the treble clef). Notes are grouped into bars (measures) by barlines. At the end of a piece there is a double barline.

How to sit at the keyboard ¢ Always sit in the middle of the keyboard. Use an adjustable stool if possible, to find the most comfortable height. Sit with your back straight, shoulders in relaxed position.

Opp) Imagine there is a string attached to the top of your head gently pulling you upwards! Keep your fingers rounded over the keys. Fingers curved, wrists level with your arm.

(GPM Imagine you are holding a ball under each hand. Keep both feet firmly on the ground.

The keyboard The keyboard has groups of black and white notes, which form a repeating pattern. The

black notes are grouped in twos and threes. The white notes are named after the first seven letters of the alphabet: AB C DEF G. The distance between each note, black and white, is called a semitone (half-step). Middle C is the C closest to the centre of the keyboard. On the stave, middle C has its own line (called a ledger line). In the treble clef, it looks like this:

= Activities 1 Can you find and play middle C on the keyboard? p tip Ifyou are absolutely centred at the keyboard, middle C should be in front of you. 2 Find and play all the Cs on the keyboard. 3 Find and play all the As on the keyboard.

4 Listening to @. play four bars of J Cs. Use either the right or the left hand.

5 Now play four bars of Z Cs to Qo Iways keep relaxed and don’t forget to breathe!

Wt

Right-hand new notes:

E

SLINENPTE SRE

cr

ot

Pamss noticeboard: how to practise

unt 1 Little and often should be your guide. As we get older, it takes longer for our brains to cope with new tasks. Try to do a little bit of practice every day if you can: 10-15 minutes at this stage will allow your brain and fingers to acquire this new skill.

Try to relax when you are playing the piano and be prepared to play everything at a snail's pace until you and your fingers are ready to move on. Never get stressed about your progress —

everyone learns at different speeds!

Playing middle C Use your right-hand thumb to play middle C. Count the beats out loud as you play along to the CD track.

(ERE

The clet for these pieces is

called a treble clef. The right hand usually plays in this clef (see page 4).

There is a count-in of 1 2 1234:

LS ELLER

ELIREOILE RID

BL

EILEEN

IER

LE EEELUC EL SNELL NE ELLEN

ET

EOE

TS

*

LES TNA asGE EES

New note D

4 = count four beats in a bar.

Use your second finger to play D.

d =2 counts

©

=4counts

d = 1 count

Right-hand new notes:

fact file]The fingers on each hand are numbered 1 to 5:

4 3 2

The small numbers above or below the notes on the stave

234 14

indicate which fingering you should use. This ensures you have your hands in the correct position.

E and F workout Say the note names out loud as you play. Use your third and fourth fingers to play E and F.

Four-finger gym Start on your fourth finger.

fact file|A dot under or over a note is called a staccato mark and means play the note short and bouncy. Bounce your fingers off the keys to achieve a Staccato effect. Remember to relax your hand and fingers!

Short and sweet

did

you

know?

‘Piano’ is an abbreviation of Cristofori’s original name for the instrument ‘piano e forte’, meaning soft and loud.

it

Sa

Right-hand new note:

G

____2;€4#«e

G workout Use your fifth finger for G. Keep your hand in the same position: the fingering will help.

SS SS === 1

5

;

2

3

;

mee

Finger strengtheners

Op , you

tip

Build up the strength in your fourth and fifth fingers wherever

are by tapping this exercise on your desk, the dinner table, or the arm

Sofyour chair. Keep to a regular pulse!

@ TER

CR

A

NER OTEN Sa

SE

*

Pam's noticeboard

On a large piece of paper, draw five lines: a stave. Draw the notes C to G in semibreves (whole notes) on the stave in a random order. Hang the paper in the kitchen (or anywhere you will see it). Every time you pass it — name the notes! Then find them on the keyboard. When you can name and find each note without hesitation, add a new note to your stave — you will soon learn the note names this way. Don’t worry if you are having trouble learning the notes - this is normal!

Review pieces Working out fingering

Here are three well-known tunes for you to play. But there are a couple of extra tasks! e There’s no fingering, so think carefully about the fingering before you start to play. e Say the notes as you play each piece.

Merrily we roll along

Traditional

These two dots in front of the double barline are repeat signs:

go back to the beginning of the piece and play it through again. Traditional

You will come across four main periods in music, each typified by a certain style of music and a core group of composers: e Baroque literally means ‘bizarre’ but is a term used to describe the style of music written between approximately 1600 and 1750, characterised by complexity and formality. The best-

known Baroque composers are JS Bach, Handel, Vivaldi and Corelli. e The Classical period in music falls roughly from 1750 to 1830, incorporating the development of the classical symphony, most famously by Mozart and Haydn. Classical music features clarity and balance, and avoids emotional expression. In the Romantic period (approximately 1830-1900) emotional expression becomes key — reacting against the formality of the Classical period. Composers such as Schubert, Schumann, Chopin, Liszt and Tchaikovsky typify the music of this period. Contemporary music of the 20th and early 21st centuries embraces a huge gamut of styles and composers, which is evolving even today.

did

you

know?

The piano covers the full note range of all the orchestral instruments, from below the double bassoon to above the top note of the piccolo.

ae

LL

I

Left-hand new notes:

B

unit 2.

C

Use your left-hand thumb to play middle C.

fact file] The clef for these pieces is called a bass clef. The left hand usually plays in this clef (see page 4).

Middle C blues 1

Middle C blues 2

———————

Use your second finger to play B.

GEM) % = count two beats in a bar.

Beware!

There are four bars to count-in on the CD for pieces in %

Mystery man

Milas

Left-hand new notes:

G

A

A and G workout

Time for tea

Simple duet Try each part with your teacher!

_ Keep your wrist up and make sure the rhythm is even.

ah

*

did

you

know?

Solo flight

‘Philharmonic’ comes from the Greek words ‘phileo’ and ‘harmonikos’, which mean ‘loving harmony’. Ae,

My

games Dec aa hire 5 ae EE

Left-hand new note:

F workout

Clair de lune

23 OLE

EN

Traditional

Hoe down

LA

Blueberry pie

®

Patrick 0’Finnegan’s two old cows Have a go at playing two notes together in the left hand. Repeat until perfect — then speed up!

top tip You are now using all five fingers of your left hand. If you are right handed, you will need to build up strength in your left. Try brushing your hair with your left hand — or cleaning your teeth!

Review pieces Quiz time

The bass player

LL MRT LT

q

Qulz

IETS IIIEIST OTE

COLNE EOE LION ETE LN EEN EON EL

ION

|

q

ZImMe

1 What does | mean? parara

|

eat ee

| beats.

i

3 The white notes are named after the first __._.___-___ letters of the alphabet. 4 What is the name given to the two staves used for the piano? 5 Write your own four-bar piece for the left hand in h on the stave below, using the notes you have learnt. Then play it. We’ve given you the first and last notes.

oa ia

|

Composer in brief Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was one of Western music history’s greatest composers. His father was a respected musician who sacrificed his own career to foster his son’s talent, teaching him piano, violin and music theory from an early age. Mozart began composing at the age of five and during his short life wrote a huge number of masterpieces: the speed with which he was able to compose was legendary! Mozart’s music is of the Classical period and there are many pieces for piano. Recommended listening The Requiem Mass, Piano Sonata No.5 in G K283, Piano Sonata No.12 in F, K332, Symphony No.40 in G minor, K550. For something a bit different try the Wind Serenades,

especially the beautiful K.305. | love the opera The Marriage of Figaro— it was the very first opera | was lucky enough to perform in as an orchestral player!

did

you

know?

The earliest music notation was found on a clay tablet in Mesopotamia (Iraq), dating from approximately 1800sc.

:

Be

SLE EIR

UnLt

Dynamics

Pam's

|

if

Hands together

noticeboa rd

P :

a

.

=

}

You’re ready now to start playing with both hands together. This means that the left- and righthand staves are joined together to make the grand stave (see page 4). When you see notes above each other, you must play them at the same time.

28)

Highland fling

fact file |Dynamics are the volume controls in music: J = forte = play loudly

Pp = piano = play softly

*

29) ERSTE

RT

SSC

ey

*

top p Try to read ahead when you are playing, so you can get your hands ready for the next bar.

Hands together Dynamics

fact file |When a passage Is repeated but has a slightly different

ending, we use first and second time bars. The first time through, play all the music under the first bracket. When you play the passage again, leave out bracket 1 and go straight to bracket 2. Traditional

Left-hand workout for Swinging fingers 1 &

a

ja fe 4 eases th -

S

_8

did

you

know?

=

C ech

rs

—— -

3

5

Bea a (pe Se ee eae oe Saad a ee

o-

ben

Sie

7 ee eee eee

2? ee Se ee

4

Swinging fingers

The term ‘A440 concert pitch’ refers to the pitch of A above middle C vibrating at 440 cycles per second.

el eee

; time signature

In the mirror

fact file| 3 = count three beats in a bar.

Turn this piece upside-down to read the bass

clef version and play it backwards!

Legato means to play smoothly, with no gaps between the notes. Try to play all these pieces /egato.

This note is a dotted minim (or dotted

“le

p(f second time)

:

We three kings .

half note). A dot adds half as much again to any

note’s value, so this is worth three counts. (See page 34 for more on dotted notes.) Traditional

Review pieces

Composer in brief 7

Frédéric Chopin, a celebrated pianist and composer of the Romantic period, was born in Poland in 1810. At the age of seven he published his first composition, and soon after began his concertplaying career. Because he was thin and in fragile health, he was unable to play many big concerts, so limited his performances to small, intimate venues. Chopin actually had very small hands, but was able to dash around the keyboard with amazing dexterity. Whilst living in Paris, Chopin had a steamy affair with the writer George Sands. One day she said to Chopin ‘If | were as talented as you, I’d compose a piece for my dog.’ He responded by composing his Waltz in D flat major, the Little dog waltz.

Recommended listening My favourite Nocturne is in E minor, Op. 72. For sheer brilliance listen to the Waltz in D flat L’adieu, Op.69 No.1 and the Fantasie Impromptu in C sharp minor, Op.66.

did

you

know?

Rachmaninov had an enormous hand span: he could cover 12 piano keys!

Rests: =

g

Pam's noticeboard

unit 4 Rests indicate a gap in the music, where the hand(s) ‘have a rest’. Rests have the same names and durations as notes:

=r

=a semibreve (whole note) rest is 4 beats. It is also used to indicate a whole bar’s rest, however many beats there are in a bar.

=

=a minim (half note) rest is 2 beats.

i

= a Crotchet (quarter note) rest is 1 beat.

Give it a rest! Tap out these rhythms on your knees: left and right hands separately, then together. Don’t forget to stop for the rests! Try blowing to mark the rests.

Listen and clap along with these tracks to check your rhythm! Now write your own rhythm and rest pattern below and tap it out on your knees.

Chiral?

Siesta

These curved lines are called slurs. Notes connected by a slur

must be played smoothly with no gap between them.

Shop

-holic

This note is an upbeat (or anacrusis ): count three before coming in on the fourth beat of the bar (so your count-in onthe CDis 1 2 123). When there is an upbeat, the final bar should be shortened by the value of the upbeat.

slowing down (too much shopping!)

accel. (accelerando) means ‘getting faster’.

did

you

know?

Composers usually identify their compositions by an Opus number (a type of catalogue), running chronologically in order of composition.

Ties:

A curved line joining two notes that are the same pitch is called a tie. A tie joins the notes together like a piece of string: hold the first note while you count the value of both notes. Clap and count this aloud:

ne ee

©

Minuet

—_p=feb) oOfo)a] = ~

S

cs @

the

(—

em

in on the cD for F piecesis: 1 2 3 1 2 3.

vn a bea=

28=:

wn

no

(or decrescendo)

oh

=

(7p)

oO s Oo 2 a>C5 £Se © cca =.)co So ih- =e) sos

osa =

oo

Spas OS (cb)

getting quieter

w

|6 +

Review pieces Sight-reading

Take your partners

GEERT) = =play the note with an accent: with a firmer, weightier touch.

) Don’t confuse your slurs and ties! A slur connects different notes together smoothly; whereas a tie adds together notes of the same pitch.

Pam's

noticeboard

Can you sight-read this piece? Look through the music thoroughly before you play it: check the clef and make sure you know all the notes. Count carefully as you play, but do keep going!

More about music What is a concerto? The word comes from concertin Italian. Mozart has been credited with creating the style of the modern instrumental concerto: usually in three movements, involving one or more soloists playing a virtuoso part whilst the orchestra accompanies them. Concertos often include cadenzas: a final flourish for the soloist to show off their technical ability, usually without the orchestra. There are more concertos written for piano than for any other instrument. Recommended listening My favourite Mozart piano concerto is No.23 in A, K.488, and as a french horn player | have to mention the Mozart horn concertos! The slow movement of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No.2 in F, Op.102 is particularly beautiful.

did

you

know?

Beethoven was the first composer who never held a court position — the first-known freelance musician!

unit 5

Left-hand new notes:

C~

Pam's

DE

noticeboard

So far you have been playing pieces that use only one hand position, with both thumbs on middle C. As you learn more notes, you will begin to move your hand position around the keyboard: look at the fingering in the following pieces carefully!

-

oes eee Sa es P legato

46)

When

'

the saints

go marching

in

Vivace (lively)

fact file] Tempo markings often appear at the start of pieces. They give an indication of the speed a

and style in which the piece should be played. Traditionally they were written in Italian.

Don’t forget the upbeats. The count-in on the CD for this piece is: 1 2 12341.

Traditional

Right-hand new notes:

A

-—-

Making the changes

=

Past times Quite slow and reflective

fact file) The distance between notes can be counted up to calculate their interval. The last five bars of this piece contain intervals of a third, fourth, fifth and sixth in the right hand. You'll need to move your thumb to reach the sixth. An interval of an eighth is called an octave. Notes an octave apart have the same letter name. You now know the notes of an octave in your left and right hands.

|9

Pavane

Don’t forget the upbeat! ‘The count-inontheCDis1

2 123.

Slow and stately

did

you

know?

Mozart’s music is identified by ‘K’ numbers, after Ludwig von K6chel’s catalogue of his music.

“B&G

Quavers (eighth notes):

Pam 5 noticeboard

Half beat notes are called quavers (eighth -notes); play two of them to a beat: Jie Rhythm restaurant A quaver (eighth note) meal: The starter

The main course

The pudding

SE

oni ;

Cau - li- flow-er

Jt

soup

or

in

wine

or

- mel

sau-sage

and

chips

Ney mee

2 sd. Créme

me

d 2

mane ae Chic - ken

Shag) seers

ho-ney-dew'

or

tarte

au

cho-co - lat

-

lon

Can you create some rhythmical menus of your own? What is the rhythm of your own name?

Quaver finger gym

EELS SS

te

are

pmo

EES

This line linking notes is called a beam.

ISS

|MS

Amazing Grace

= foeo oO(2)=) — wa = (2)= —ts@ [][=| —je)=< == Hee! Qaie oO)

“al

Hip _ EN

0

| LL WY

3)

oD ~ N

as

N

Traditional

Composition Review crossword

DIY Now it’s time for you to write a four-bar piece for your right and left hands! | have given you the first and last notes; make sure you include clefs, time signatures, rests and dynamics.

Right hand piece So

——“‘#$WTSCSt

Left hand piece

—————————————————————————————— oOo

Crossword Across

2 Piano is \talian for? 4 Two dots by a barline means ... 6 The five lines upon which music is written. 8 This sign links different notes together smoothly. 9 A note or group of notes at the start of a piece which do not make a full bar. 11 A one-beat note is calleda... 13 A note worth 4 counts is calleda... 14 J + J. =? beats. 16 Half a tone? 17 To make a note worth half as much

a oP

again, you make it ... Down

1 2 3 5 7 10

This divides the bars (measures). Short and detached. Forte is Italian for? Legato means you should be ... Notes which are joined by a beam. The clef in which the left-hand notes are usually written. 12 Right-hand notes are normally written in the ... clef.

15 The same notes linked together. Piease note this crossword uses UK terms. Answers are given on pamwedgwood.com

ak okjw (=)

PS

ae

eis

| |ESR

ae a a

Gee Siederscol re edBS ial ne|i |i sa

eal a

Concert pieces ©

In the valley of the kings With mystery {)

V

BEE |

Composer in brief Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was a German composer and organist of the Baroque period. The Bach family was a huge musical dynasty with many generations holding posts as musicians. JS Bach was a virtuoso organist and it was for this he was famous in his lifetime, more than as a composer. He wrote a great deal of church music for his patrons, as well as keyboard pieces and orchestral concertos. He was a meticulous composer and was the master of the polyphonic style which typifies the Baroque period (the interweaving of separate lines of music).

His influence on future generations of composers has been vast. Recommended listening Any of the Brandenburg Concertos (BMV1046-1051), the Toccata and fugue in D minor you may already know as it is often played at weddings. The ‘Go/dberg’ Variations (BMV988) are beautiful — well worth listening to!

Forget me

A courtly dance

The long slurs in this piece are called phrase -marks. Phrase-marks act as a kind of musical punctuation indicating musical sentences.

know?

pa

Ro)

o = rz)= ro)ro

=

ro)a o ke uw= x wmoS Ac oS£ oy= = —_tS)2 a = oO— fo}n ao 2 oOa n = ~_—= o an= o sio ° pato} 2.oOoSa c=@

aoa

AcE a ra)So ao n =

=) o 1S f= o = a) oS> o rs— o

—

x

you

=

did

=

SSL

=s = 2 = a = a = oa

LS

@

The art of practice

Extending the

UnLt

6

five-finger pattern

Paws

noticeboard:

; the art of practice

e cee: ue and ieee er | ee | e Piano practice isn’t just about playing your pieces: vary it with warm-ups, exercises an sight reading. e Don’t always start at the beginning of a piece when you are practising. e Look ahead in the music,when you are reading the notes. e Repeat short sections until you can play them perfectly. e |t’s a good idea to sing your music; it will help your sense of pitch and rhythm. e Try not to practise your mistakes: careful practise makes perfect. e But if you decide to play a piece through, don’t stop — even if you make a mistake. e If you can play or do anything in life four times completely right, you’ve got it! e Revisit your old pieces: you'll be amazed by how much progress you have made. Remember:

tm,

«———-

it’s never too late to play the piano. You’re going to enjoy it for a lifetime!

§tretching smoothly Your hand will now begin to extend out of the standard

Before playing this, try stretching each pair of fingers apart to extend them slightly.

five-finger pattern we have generally been using so far. ——— eS Ages zy. far wy, BS ee SEBS

o@ LL

ARR

EER

I

SNS

DIS

RLS SANT

This piece has two backing tracks: track 50 is slower so you can work up to the speed of track 51.

Extending the five-finger pattern

Sleepyhead

Legato and staccato workout

This piece has two backing tracks: track 52 is slower so you can work up to the speed of track 53.

did

you

know?

An oratorio is a long piece for chorus and orchestra which tells a biblical story. Handel’s Messiah is perhaps the most famous!

Changing hand position Note reading

‘to

Rock on!

In medium rock tempo

Pam's

noticeboa rd

This piece needs you to be able to change your hand position

confidently in the left-hand chords. You'll need to work out what the last note is! fact file] Sim. (simile) = continue in a similar style.

Here are three challenges to develop your confidence in changing your hand position and in note reading.

Check the fingering carefully and try to look ahead: e Set your metronome to a suitable speed (not too fast to begin with, about 3 = 72) or use track ©. e Allow yourself four clicks to name and then play each note. e As you become more confident, allow three, then 2 clicks per note. The ultimate challenge is to play a note on each click!

Challenge 1

;

Sight-reading

Why learn to sight-read? e You will be able to learn music more quickly. e |t will help you to recognize pitch and rhythm patterns. e You will become musically independent and be able to explore a range of music for the rest of your life!

A few tips before you start: 1 Seta steady pulse (use your foot if it helps). 2 Always check the time signature. 3 Think through the rhythm in your head. 4 Watch out for any patterns: repeating rhythms, notes that move by step or leap. 5 Observe any directions or dynamics before you start.

6 Try to read ahead a few bars as you are playing. 7 Don’t panic! Everyone finds this difficult at first.

Four sight-reading moments Steadily 1

did

you

know?

A metronome mark at the start of a piece shows its tempo (or speed) in beats per minute,

e.g. 4 = 60 means 60 x Js per minute, i.e. one / per second.

New notes:

=

==

Pam's noticeboard

unit

7

Ledger lines are the little lines upon which notes sit if they are too high or low to sit on the stave. We've already met one for middle C in the treble and bass clefs. Low B in the right hand sits below this line.

Be careful!

fact fileJ 7

Left-hand minuet

Bo

OES

The ashgrove

Running away!

single quaver (eighth note) =

half a beat

quaver (eighth note) rest

See page 24 for a full explanation of quavers (eighth notes).

= ) oO na = oO ce= ike) 7)> =

bed oO —

sc Qa. o =

=

R=!

2) fos]=

LO

N

t> is

& = fo} oOi=)yaoO@2=

Ooa

Dotted

New notes:

-

notes:

oe

D

© The gentle maiden

A dot after a note adds half as much again to that note’s value.

mm

11/2 beats

Skye boat song

Hin

Traditional

if a

ul =

top tip Can you tap the right-hand rhythm with your right hand at the same time as your left hand taps the pulse?

Review piece

Largo from the New World Symphony Largo (very slow) 3

Antonin Dvorak

Composer in brief Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904) was the son of a Bohemian butcher who quickly showed talent as a violinist and consequently worked as an orchestral musician before he was able to support himself as a composer. His music is of the Romantic period and has clear nationalistic qualities, using Czech songs and dances. He travelled to England many times, where he was popular and financially successful, and he also lived in America later in his life: hence his ‘New World’ symphony.

Recommended listening Try the wonderful Cello Concerto Op.104, Symphonies Nos.7 (Op.70), 8 (Op.88) and 9 (Op.95), the Serenade for strings in E, Op.22 and the Serenade for winds in D minor, 0p.44.

did

you

know?

Dvorak was well-known for his sunny personality — he loved raising pigeons and trainspotting!

aa

New notes

Flat > signs Key signatures

===

SES

=

Bb

yult § q

Bb

Staccato stomp

The b signs before the Bs are flat signs. A flat /owers a note

by a semitone (half-step) — play the black note to the left of the B.

Play this firmly, but with a loose wrist.

Liquid legato

— ei

——a

YJ

A key signature appears at the start of each line of music after the clef. It tells you which flats (or sharps) you should play throughout a piece of music, whatever the octave of the note: so the sign does not have to appear before every note. All the Bs in this piece should be played as B flats. One flat is a key signature of F major.

The bells

Light and shade

; Put down the right pedal and hold down until the last chord. Keep your heel on the floor.

©

New notes:

Natural

4 signs

To a wild rose

A natural 5 sign cancels a sharp or flat sign shown either in a key signature or earlier in the bar. Sharp, flat or natural signs which are not in a key signature are called accidentals. An accidental effects the note every time it appears in that bar.

Quite slow

Pam's

Edward MacDowell

ticeboard

So far, all the pieces you have played have been in major keys. The next piece is in D minor: see if you can hear the difference. Generally, minor keys sound sad, and major keys happy! When you are listening to music on the radio or CD, see if you can tell whether the music is major or minor.

Latin lover

D.C. al fine (da capo al fine)

Bossa-nova style

on ;

go back to the beginning (capo) and play through as far as Fine (the end).

IP

New notes:

D

E SI

Bb major = i b Eb

Finger gym 1

Finger gym 2

This key signature of B flat and E flat means it is in the key of B flat major.

p You'll need to tuck your thumb under in the second bar.

Theme from The Music of the Night * from Phantom of the Opera

3 :

Serenade in flats

| Vy

ae, Pan

:!

|

* © 1986 Andrew Lloyd Webber licensed to The Really Useful Group Ltd, London WC2H 9TW and Hal Leonard Corporation, Wisconsin 53213, USA This arrangement © 2006 The Really Useful Group Ltd. and Hal Leonard Corporation All Rights Reserved International Copyright Secured

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber Words by Charles Hart Additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe

Pam's noticeboard

This piece is your longest so far and is a challenge! You will need to look at the notes carefully and

Concert piece

practise it hands separately. Good luck!

B) The # sign in bar 6 is a sharp sign. See page 40 for more details on how to play it.

= = oSgs

oh

ul

ah

CA

N

© 1976 Gold Horizon Music Corporation, USA Worldwide print rights controlled by Alfred Publishing Co. Inc., USA Administered in Europe by Faber Music Ltd.

Ss

2sey

~W

Slowl y with feeling

oh

=r

fact file)pp (pianissimo) very quiet Af (fortissimo) very loud

Ss =8 2) —an Bs Oo

New notes:

Fe

F

Fe

inger gym

The # signs before the Fs are sharp signs. A sharp raisesanote by a semitone

(half-step)

— play the black note to the right of the F.

Remember it affects the F every time it appears in the bar.

Happy hour

wae

niehh

ee

@

My old Kentucky home

_ The count-in on the CD is 1231 2. This piece is in G major, which has a key signature of F sharp. Traditional

d

MS| bk

New notes:

Sunday morning

Spanish eyes

This piece is in E minor.

Con fuoco (with fire)

did

you

know?

oS _—A @o = oO—{ @

SS cocc Zo) +os

| co= oO=oe,@o= ccwo=

c ie)~_@o Acawon fos]Cc[e)—= oo—

o

—{=}=

= cyeesoO = >

@

C major scale and arpeggio

UnLt

Paws

A scale (originally meaning ladder) is a set of notes that go up and down by step. Try the scale of C major given below, hands separately at first. Look at the fingering carefully — you will need

noticeboard

10

to learn to tuck your thumb under to play a scale smoothly. This is a very important techique for all pianists. The next pattern is an arpeggio; it uses the first, third, fifth and eighth notes of a scale. You'll find this pattern in many pieces so it is useful to practise it and get to know it well.

C major scale

C major arpeggio

_——— a : f

=e fs ee eet ee ee Sse eee ses a

©

Pieces using C major scale

A twist of lavender

Um cha cha

>

E

= Oo —Ns woreala fo}=J = o o 4!wn n o a wo —oO+—o = a o —oO —o > oO = —— ==oon.2 Qa oOwo = wocc (22) =(=)Leo?)wo~~= @o Soo

2

Look carefully at the three-note chords in the right hand: there are two different chords.

Ra

Oh

did

you

know?

@ = —feb]ra _—Tes@ n

x

fee) a oaSo =)feb) [= mee! =aco

G major scale and arpeggio

G major arpeggio

G major scale

Finger gym in G major

Sea br arene eae aeSe tae ee ee ae

ae

ee

Joy to the world Joyfully

George Frideric Handel Lowell Mason

F major scale and arpeggio

F major scale

F

inger gym |

F ma jor arpeggio

F ma jor

Calypso man

[aX—oSoO= 72)om

r== o 22= t ros)= cS ro)cero)—Ss72) = —wnPa

before trying hands together.

In calypso style

>

wm

Be

wm

os = =

—

ui

ro )

°

— feb)

= o

=

feb)

@

fe =}

P=

= o cheat ro)

feb)

=

feb)

—

—

jo

D>

>

=

” oO

wn

o = o i=) ro wu

@

know?

ae ,

you

x raat = fo) S Sa ” = fo) = o Aa) @ es —_ oO Te) oe) pe =

did

Pieces in different keys

Can you work out which key is each piece in?

Reflections in the water Quite slowly

men

poco rit.

poco rit. = getting a little slower

Rigadoon

Pieces in different keys

~

Lazy bones

55

Ding dong merrily on high

1?

fact file|This sign is a double repeat. You repeat back to the beginning from the dots at the end of bar 4. Then repeat from the end back to the dots at the start of bar 5.

Joyfully

|

Traditional

4

;

Composer in brief Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was a German composer and pianist, who transformed the music of the Classical period, moving it towards the greater freedom of the Romantic period. During his early career he was famous for his virtuosic improvisations at the keyboard; later he gave many performances of his own works for piano. Beethoven was known for being uncouth, rude and unpredictable, and this increased after his discovery that he was gradually going deaf. Although his music was misunderstood during his lifetime, it has been hugely influential ever since. Recommended listening Of his 32 piano sonatas, listen to No.14 in C sharp minor, Op.27 (Moonlight) and No.8 in C minor, Op.13 (Pathétique). My favourite symphony is no.6 (Pastoral) and piano concerto is No.5 in E flat, Op.73. Also try the Violin Concerto in D, Op.61 and the String

Quartets 0p.59 (Rasoumovsky).

did

you

know?

A new piano should be tuned each season for its first year, and once or twice a year after that.

49

A minor scale and arpeggio

unit 11

Pam's noticeboard

We've already listened to the difference in sound between major and minor keys (see page 37). Minor scales have a different pattern of notes to major keys: the third and sixth notes in a

harmonic minor scale are flattened and the seventh is raised (look out for this as an accidental in pieces in a minor key).

A minor arpeggio

A minor scale

©

A minor situation

a tempo

in tempo, usually following rit, to indicate you should go back to the original tempo. dim. (diminuendo) getting quieter.

With movement

sa) BSS Sa Tey 4 pS a

|

a

i|

|: Sort

A

poco rit. (2nd time)

GN

4

iS % a. 1 fh‘

if hi &

+&ay

D minor scale and arpeggio

D minor arpeggio

D minor scale

fact file] F major and D minor are related as they share the same key signature (B flat). This is known as a relative major or minor: F major is the relative major of D minor; D minor is the relative minor of F major.

Finger gym in D minor

fact file] Vivace = very quickly Accel. (accelerando) = accelerate, gradually getting faster.

Composer in brief Claude Debussy (1862-1918) was a French composer writing at the end of the Romantic period. His music has often been called ‘impressionistic’, but although he was influenced by Impressionist painters, writers and poets, he hated this label for himself. Debussy created a distinctly French style of music, with unusual harmonies and layering of textures and sounds. His audiences took a long time to get used to his music, but it has since been very influential to twentieth century composers. Recommended listening For piano, Claire de lune, La fille aux cheveux de lin, and Images. Of his orchestral pieces listen to the beautiful Pré/ude a l’aprés-midi d’un faune and La Mer.

did

you

know?

Henry VIII was a keen recorder player, owning 56 recorders!

SOS

Minor key pieces

Johann Krieger

Allegretto

ta cy

Pavane

S

a —

act ile

an =

fab)

= cS

A awewneS o = oO = oS a=&

@o

2 oS

—_(ep)

wnfb}@

pause on the note(s).

oh top tip For help with ledger lines see page 43.

D> a oS fab) eeeLO

E minor scale and arpeggio

E minor arpeggio

E minor scale

God rest ye merry gentlemen

j)On the CD the count

infor this pieceis1

2 123. Traditional

oh

did

you

know?

Carols were originally associated with dancing (that’s why they are livelier than the standard church music of the time) and were sung all year round, not just at Christmas.

Minor key pieces

Fur Elise

Poco moto

with a little movement

Ludwig van Beethoven

Poco moto

D.S. al Fine

top tip In bars 20-23 the left hand is written in the treble clef. Look out for the clef signs indicating this change. Can you work out the top right-hand note in bar 21 by extending your ledger lines? (See page 43.)

Ledger lines

Reflections

” feb)o

Do a oO @o

oP) + isj=)

—_

i=wo

= = = =onto Ss

n=)Dm o

Fe

=

o 7p)

o = 3Sa = = 2

2

(=)ie

oS

= is)— rs)a re)a4)2)

= > ros] = os=

—

=

oS 2

ea

Ss

fs) —_ ro) oO

a=] ro) a o =

D>

=

= = = = =aS

7) “ rob)

N Nei Ae

=

S

—=

know?

D>

you

ro) —_ a. os

did

S 8

Quite slowly 3

roseoS= 22)@

A short introduction to jazz: syncopation

Pam 5 noticeboard

unit 2 Syncopation is a rhythm which is played off the main beat (S) in the bar. Here are some examples: try to clap each one.

Can you spot any syncopated rhythms in the following piece?

@®

Walking bass blues

fact file) Rall. (rallentando) : gradually slowing down.

(oa

A short introduction to jazz: blues scales

Pam's noticeboard

Music in a jazz style is often based on a blues scale. A blues scale has a different pattern of notes to a major scale: the third, fifth and seventh notes are flattened: these flattened notes are known as blues notes.

*(Gb is the same note as F#: this is an enharmonic).

Stay-at-home blues

Ab is the same as G#, D> is the same as C#.

‘Life is a lot like jazz — it’s best when you improvise.’ (George Gershwin)

A short introduction to jazz: swing rhythm

Pam > noticeboard

Swing rhythm in jazz means that quavers (peed

slightly longer first note ( J

(eighth

notes

) written J J are actually played with a

2 — see page 68 for information on triplet rhythms.)

In fact swing rhythm can’t be accurately notated, so listen to track @ to get the feel of the

piece below, then play along with backing track @ , making sure you play all the quavers in a swung rhythm.

@

Swing it!

Op tip) Try your right hand separately first.

| got the never-too-late blues Slow swing

A short introduction to jazz: improvisation

Pam's noticeboard

improvising in jazz means making up your own musical ideas. The key to improvising successfully is to keep your ideas simple — and keep counting! Experiment with your own ideas over the following two backing tracks. Don’t be tempted to write anything down — improvisations are supposed to be different every time you play them! | am

giving you ideas: a rhythm bank and note banks which will work well. Try using a limited number of ideas from these, getting more adventurous as you become more confident.

Rhythm bank: Use any part or combination of these rhythms, or make up your own. Both pieces are in A

Piece 1 Note bank Use any notes from this blues scale pattern on C:

Try improvising a melody over this accompaniment pattern. Start really slowly.

Note bank Use any notes from this blues scale pattern on G:

‘Jazz is an open-ended music design for open minds.’

@

semiquavers (sixteenth notes):

ine

a

Pam's noticeboard

UnLt

13

A semiquaver (or sixteenth note) is worth '/4 count.

Here are some different semiquaver patterns which you will often find in music.

Try saying and clapping them:

ari

se

Man- ches-

San Fran-cis - co

ted

For- ty - ni- ners

June nesaeoman Wol - ver-hamp-ton

tle

Wan- der- ers

Sea

- hawks

Semiquaver finger gym

Ba

Gioachino Rossini

elewhta and don’t panic!

Composer in brief Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) was an Italian composer and violinist of the Baroque period. He was born in Venice and was ordained as a priest in 1703. For many years he taught the violin at a girls’ orphanage and much of his music was written for these children to play. Vivaldi was an extremely prolific composer, writing over 500 concertos, of which / quattro stagioni (The four seasons) are the most famous. They are written for solo violin, string orchestra and harpsichord. Recommended listening As well as 7he four seasons violin concertos, |’d suggest the Concerto for two trumpets and the Concerto for mandolin and string orchestra.

74)

New rhythm:

Pam's noticeboard

J

j

We looked at dotted rhythms adding half as much again to a note’s value on pages 16 and 34.

The same is true of J. 4—the 2) is worth 3/4 of a beat, and the S makes up the remaining 1/4 of the count. Clap the following rhythm of a well-known song:

Seer

eee

ieee

le

|

I

Ht

Autumn from The four seasons Antonio Vivaldi

8°]

did

you

know?

= play all the notes within the bracket an octave (eight notes) higher than written. Ha

A cantata is a short version of an oratorio. Bach wrote more than 200 cantatas, each one for

a different Sunday in the church calendar.

>

ra

>

\)

in MW

ahi

il

lil my

UY

Mt

(I |

lil]

SNe Try

Uill -

Ea

==

iiAl

all Ml

hd

ila

ia h

75)

agag

NBoNe New rhythm: i, 4

Bridge Street Boogie In boogie woogie style

LL

Ne

..WA

—-

Gee whiz In a relaxed tempo

13

D.C. al Fine

Test your ears @ @

Can you hear whether these tracks are in Z or 4? Listen for the slight emphasis at the start of each bar.

@ @

One of these tunes is major, the other minor. Can you tell which is which?

80) Listen to this jazz piece. Are the quavers swung or straight? Can you hear any blues notes? @ ©

Each of these pieces is typical of the style of one of the four musical periods (see page 9). Which era do you think each is from? Answers on pamwedgwood.com.

14

@

UnNLE

New time signature: §

ticeboard

Paws

6 The time signature 8 means there are six 2 in each bar (measure). Each bar can be grouped into two main beats of dotted crotchets (quarter notes):

Here are some examples of 8 rhythms. Say and clap each one remembering to count in quavers (eighth notes):

, d. | Jd Jaele ei eee @®

SS

=_

fo]

toss

Cy i=] Bee

=