Hello and welcome back. I'm Joseph Hoffman.
In this unit we're going to be learning about all the various pentascales where
DO is on a black key. Today we're starting with the D-flat major
pentascale. Let's come to the piano to check it out. Right now we're looking at
the D major pentascale. Let's observe the white and black pattern that the keys
form. We have white, white, black, white, white. Now to get to D-flat major we are
going to lower every single key one half- step. Remember, a half-step is the nearest
possible note, so we're going to take this D and lower it a half-step to D- flat.
We're going to take this E and lower it to E-flat. We're going to take
this F-sharp and lower it to F. G will become G-flat, A will become A-flat. Now
we have D-flat major. Notice that it's the color opposite of D major. Now it's
black, black, white, black, black. For fun I call this an Oreo cookie position. We
have the black cookie, then the white cream in the middle, and then another
black cookie on top. Let's try to name each key in the D-flat major pentascale
together. Can you point and name them with me? Ready, go. D-flat, E-flat, F, G-flat,
A-flat. Great, now let's try to play it. Go ahead and place your right hand in
the D-flat major pentascale. When you play on the black keys,
with your finger one on a black key, you need to slide your fingers up closer to
the black keys so it's comfortable, which means your finger 3 which is
playing the white key is actually going to be playing pretty deep in the keys
more up where the black keys are. Now with your fingers in this position let's
play and name each note stepping up and then stepping down like we're playing
chocolate. Ready, go. D-flat, E-flat, F, G- flat, A-flat. Now let's step down and name
the notes. Go. A-flat, G-flat, F, E-flat, D-flat. Good. Now let's try the same thing
with your left hand. Place your left hand five fingers in the D-flat major
pentascale. Let's play and name the note stepping up and down. Go. ♫D-flat, E-flat, F, G-flat, A-flat.♫ Now
stepping down. ♫A-flat, G-flat, F, E-flat, D-flat.♫ Good. Now for fun on your own. Later
on you can try any of your old major pentascale songs in D-flat major.
You can play Dinah ♫(plays Dinah.)♫ Try any of your old songs in D flat major. Now that you know
the D-flat major pentascale you're ready to learn our new song for today, "Row, Row,
Row Your Boat." Let's take a look at the score together. Here's the score or sheet
music for "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." For starters it's always good to check your
clef and time signature. Looks like we're in the treble clef today, with a 3/4 time
signature. The top number tells you that we're going to have three beats in every
measure. Now let's figure out what note we start on. Can you tell me the letter
name of this note this note? This note we would call D-flat. See this little flat symbol in
front of it that tells us that this D will actually be D-flat. Can
you find any other notes with flats? That's right there's lots of them. We
have a D-flat here, D-flat here, here's an E-flat, and then this note doesn't have a
flat so it's just plain old F. Now let's try to point to each note and say if the
notes are stepping, skipping, or repeating. We'll say "start" for the first note. Can
you say it along with me? Ready, go. Start, repeat, repeat, step up, step up,
repeat, step down, step up, step up. Now remember where you were here and what
would this be? That's right, this is a step up, and let's stop there for now.
Good. Now let's try to say the letter names, and if you see a flat in front of
it, say the flat name. So let's say the letter names together, go. D-flat, D-flat,
D-flat, E-flat, F, F, E-flat, F, G-flat, and last of all what's this? That's right, it's an
A-flat. Then we come to this symbol then we might not have seen before this
curved line is called a tie.
A tie means to connect these two notes together without playing this one. You
basically add the beats up. This one is worth three beats since it's a dotted
half note. This one's also worth three beats, another dotted half note, so you
basically add three plus three and you hold this note down for six beats. One
rule about ties is they have to connect two of the same note. Now one last thing
before we try playing this song. Let's draw in the beats. If you have this sheet
music which you can purchase from our website you can try doing this yourself
at home. We're going to write in three counts for every measure to help us with
the rhythm. This dotted half note lasts for three beats, so write 1, 2, 3,
and then with this barline that starts a new measure, so we're going to start
over again. 1, 2, 3, and then we start a new measure. So we start again
with 1. This half note only gets two beats, 1,2, and then by the time we
get to three we're ready for this quarter note. 1, 2, 3, then another
dotted half, 1, 2, 3, another half note, 1, 2, quarter note gets 3.
Half note gets 1, 2, quarter note gets 3, and then this dotted half note
gets 1, 2, 3. We're tied to another dotted half note, 1, 2, 3. Now let's
try tapping this rhythm while we count the beat out loud. So, you have two jobs.
With your mouth count the beat out loud, and with your hand tap the rhythm. Ready,
go. 1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3.
How'd you do? If you need a little more practice, just rewind and try it again.
Otherwise let's keep going and we'll try playing it on the piano.
Okay, let's try to play "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"t using the D-flat major pentascale.
I'll take a turn first playing just the first four measures, and then you take a
turn. It starts off ♫DO, DO, DO RE ME♫ Your turn. Good. Now let's
try that same section again, and this time count the beat out loud while you
play. My turn first. 1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3. Good.
Now let's try that together. I'll play along with you. Count the beat out loud
and play. Ready, go. 1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3.
Good. Now let's try the next section next. We have ♫MI, RE MI, FA SO♫ Now your turn. It starts on finger
three on MI, which is F.
Good, now let's play that section counting the beat while we play. My turn
first. 1 2 3, 1 2 3, 2 3, 1 2 3. Now let's try it together. Count the beat and play.
Ready, go. 1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3. Good job. Now let's take a look at the
second half of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." The first thing is we need to figure out the
letter name for this note here. Can you figure that out? What's it called?
If you said D-flat, you're correct. Two ways you could have figured it out: you
could have remembered that this space right below is C, and just stepped up one
note to D; or you could have remembered this top line was flag F just count it
down F E to get to D. Now one thing you should know about flats. If you have a
flat symbol on this line it makes every other D on that same line also flat. A
flat can live all the way up to a barline and then it dies. It can't go across
the barline except in one case and that is a tie. A tie can make a flat live
across the barline. So this a is also a flat because of the tie. So all three of
these Ds are D-flat.
D-flat, D-flat, D flat, then the flat dies. Now what about this
note here? Can you tell me the letter name for it? If you said A-flat, you're
correct. What about this one? That's right, another A-flat and a third A-flat. So we
have D-flat, D-flat, D-flat, A-flat, A-flat, A-flat, then it skips down to what note?
That's right, it's F, F, F, and can you figure out this one?
That's right, D-flat, D-flat, D-flat. The flat lives for the whole measure. Now do
you see this pattern? We have three repeating notes on high D-flat. Now here
are some interesting instructions. We've got this LH left hand cross over. To do
the left hand cross over, remember your right hand is already here
in the D-flat major pentascale, but we need a high D-flat. This is low D-flat
right next to middle C. Your left hand is going to cross over your right hand, your
right hand will just sit there and with finger three play D-flat three times
like this: ♫ D D D ♫ Now will you try that?Place your right hand in the D-flat major
pentascale and then bring your left hand over with finger three and play three D- flats.
Go. ♫ D D D ♫ Good job. So, now if we we're singing this in solfege, this D-flat
would be high D-flat with our left hand crossing over.
We'll have DO DO DO then SO SO SO, MI MI MI, DO DO DO, and then what?
Do you see here how are the notes moving? These last five notes? If you said
stepping down, you're correct. A-flat, if we're in the D-flat major
pentascale, is SO. so we'll have so far me rate dough and that's for life is but a
dream
alright let's practice playing the second half of row row row your boat
remember with our right hand here in the D flat major pentascale our left hand
crosses over we play three heidi flats Doh doh-doh and then we go to right hand
finger five so so so and then we skip down to me me me Doh doh-doh so all
together will sound like this don't don't do so so so
me Doh doh-doh now you try good then it finishes by simply stepping down the
pentascale life is but a dream now you're trying
now I'd like you to press pause and practice the whole song from the
beginning to the end try two different ways the first time try singing the
solfege or the letter names then the second time through try counting the
beat out loud while you play
nice work learning row row row your boat and the D flat major pentascale today we
also learned about ties and flats your knowledge and skills and music are
becoming quite impressive high five to the screen well you know the drill
practice every day have fun and I'll see you next time
so if D flat major is an Oreo cookie position that what would D major be
let's try and find out okay these two the white keys this one goes up Def
sharp these two down to the white keys hmm look it's a blackberry jam sandwich
uh-huh white bread on the bottom blackberry jam
in the middle and more white bread on top so does that mean D minor would be a
mayonnaise sandwich Nick I think I'd prefer a marshmallow sandwich really
marshmallow with mayonnaise no no all right or maybe it's just one giant bowl
of vanilla ice cream with a whip cream all over and white candy sprinkles with
the glass amount to wash it all down mmm you know piano lessons make me hungry
yeah me too I know let's go make a sandwich great idea look at the
mayonnaise I'll get the marshmallows