Hello and welcome back. I'm Joseph Hoffman.
Today we have two new black key pentascales to learn: A-flat major and minor.
Let's come to the piano to get started.
Here we have the A major pentascale, but we'd like to turn this into A-flat major.
So to do that we'll just color reverse it like we've done before.
We'll take these two white notes and move them down a half step to black keys.
This black key will become a white key,
and these two white keys will step down a half step to become black keys.
So we moved everything down one half step,
and now we have another Oreo cookie position: A-flat major.
Now can you point and name each note one at a time using only flat names for the black keys?
Try it by yourself, go.
Here's the correct answer. We have A-flat, B-flat, C, D-flat, E-flat.
Now let's try a tricky challenge. Let's name these same notes enharmonically using only sharp names.
And remember, we want to use each letter of the alphabet in order and only once.
Can you try to name these with sharps?
Here's the answer:
We have G-sharp, A-sharp, then a B-sharp, C-sharp, D-sharp.
Well, you might be asking well why not just call this C?
Well remember we want to use the letters in order. We had a G,
we had an A, G-sharp and A-sharp, then the next letter in the alphabet is B.
So if we want to use sharp names we have to call this a B-sharp,
and then a C-sharp. If we had a C and a C-sharp, then we'd be using C twice and no B.
So we have to say G-sharp, A-sharp, B-sharp, C-sharp, D-sharp.
If we want to spell it by sharps.
Now, can you tell me which note I would have to change to make this minor?
If you said this third note here, the B-sharp or C,
you're correct. We need to lower that a half step to B.
So now we have G-sharp minor, or we could say A-flat minor.
All right, let's try 'Stepping and Skipping' hands together.
Right off the bat with both hands in the A-flat major pentascale.
Can you find this with me?
We'll go nice and slow, 'Stepping and Skipping' hands together in A-flat major.
1 2 ready, go: ♫Stepping up, and stepping down, and skipping up and down♫
Now play a chord. I chord, let's try the V7 chord,
and then back to the I chord.
Now just in case you forgot how to find the V7 chord,
you move DO down to TI which in this case is a white key. It's always a half step below DO.
And then we use FA and SO, which in this case are these two black keys here.
Together with this G make the V7 chord. We have I chord,
V7 chord, I chord.
Now let's turn that into G-sharp minor.
So this white key moves down a half step to the B natural.
The V7 chord in minor is the same but the one chord will now have this B in the middle.
'Stepping and Skipping' in G-sharp minor. 1 2 ready go:
♫Stepping up, and stepping down, and skipping up and down♫
I chord, V7 chord, I chord. Good.
Now I have a challenge for you. Can you transpose "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" to A-flat major.
Let me give you a couple of hints.
You'll place your right hand in the A-flat major pentascale.
You'll play along,
and then when your left hand needs to cross over, remember DO is now on A-flat.
So when you get to the 'merrily' part where your left hand crosses over you've got to find this A-flat up here
for ♫merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily♫
I'd like you to press pause and try to play "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" in A-flat major.
Press play when you're ready to watch, and try it with me.
All right, let's try "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" in A-flat major together.
I'll count 1 2 3 and then we'll start.
Here we go: 1 2 3 ♫Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream♫ Left hand crosses over.
♫Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream♫
Nice.
Now, today I'd like to try an epic improvisation with you.
This improvisation is going to involve both a flat minor and A-flat major.
It's going to kind of tell a story.
At first I'd like you to start with your right hand
or left hand in the G-sharp minor slash aka A-flat minor position
like this:
And I'm going to be playing kind of a pensive, flowing, and thoughtful accompaniment like this:
And I'd like you to make up a melody that matches that mood.
Remember we're going to try and tell a story together, so maybe this is the start of some adventure.
There's something wrong in the forest, or there's a dark cloud over the mountain.
An adventurer has to go forth to explore it.
Okay, so you'll be telling that story in the G-sharp minor pentascale, and if you get bored in one octave,
you can always move your hand up an octave or even down an octave.
Sometimes maybe your left hand will take a turn,
sometimes your right hand, but I encourage you to just play one note at a time
so it's a melody. I'm taking care of the chords for you.
Now, so we'll go along in that mood for a while,
and then something is going to shift in the story, so I want you to listen for this sound. You'll hear:
Now here's where the exciting part of the story begins.
When you hear that sound,
that's your cue to shift into A-flat major.
So you'll move that third finger up a white key, and then
our adventure really gets exciting, and I'll be playing some chords
and again just try to make your notes match the feel and excitement of the accompaniment that you're hearing.
Once again you can go up an octave if you want to make it sound more high,
or down an octave if you want it to sound more low. Whatever your inspiration is telling you.
Okay, let's have fun making a musical epic story together with this improvisation.
Cover up the G-sharp minor pentascale,
and you can begin as soon as you hear the accompaniment start.
Nice job improvising in the A-flat major and minor pentascales today.
If you'd like to practice the improvisation more, you can watch this lesson again later.
Or you can download the improvisation accompaniment as an mp3 file from the Hoffman Academy website.
I also have a couple of super challenges for you,
that is to see if you can transpose other songs and pieces we've learned in this unit
to A-flat major.
You've already tried "Row, Row, Row Your Boat",
Transposing both of those to A-flat major is my challenge to you.
Thanks for watching, and see you next time!
A flat pancake.
a flat tire.
A flat blanket.
A-flat...
that's all there is to say.