Hello and welcome back. I'm Joseph Hoffman,
and in this lesson we're going to be learning how to recognize and identify notes on the bass staff.
Remember, that as a pianist you have two types of clefs.
We have the treble clef for all the higher notes on the piano,
from middle C and up,
but for these low notes down here, we use the bass clef.
Middle C and down is bass clef kingdom.
So, let's get started by checking out our bass staff.
Here we have the grand staff.
Remember, the grand staff is really
two staves put together.
Up here we have our treble staff for the high notes,
and here's our treble clef.
Down here we have our bass clef
which creates a bass staff where we can draw notes that are intended to be played low on your piano.
Well, take your finger with me,
and trace the outline of this bass clef, okay,
and then these two dots are very important because they show you
where the base F line is, so take your finger with me,
and trace it along this line. That line
is bass F.
So any note you see
on that line,
like these, means to play or sing a bass F.
Now remember, there's also an important line up in the treble clef.
Remember, this line that goes through the swirl of the treble clef
shows you where treble G is.
so these blue notes that I'm placing
these are line notes that are on the treble G line, so
that means to sing or play treble G.
Now, another note we've learned so far is called middle C,
and middle C
is on the first ledger line below the treble staff,
or,
it can also be the first ledger line above your bass staff.
Now, one thing to note is middle C doesn't necessarily literally
mean it's exactly in the middle of these two staves.
It's kind of,
called, well, it's called middle C
because it's nearest the middle of your piano, and it is in between these two staves,
but this first ledger line above bass staff,
this first ledger line below treble staff. This is really the exact same note.
Now, let's check out where some of these notes are on your piano.
So, on your piano, remember middle C is the C nearest the middle of your piano,
and bass F
will be this first F below middle C, right here.
So on your own piano, can you find and play your middle C,
and say middle C when you play it?
Good, and then find your bass F,
and say F as you play that. That's bass F
Now,
as you know there are many C's on a piano.
This just happens to be middle C,
but we also have this bass C down here
that I'd like to learn today with you on the bass staff.
So let's come back to the bass staff and find where this bass C is.
Now you know that middle C is right here,
and you know that bass F
is right here,
and bass C is even lower than bass F.
Well, remember that notes can be on either lines or spaces.
So if I go from this line
to this space, that's a step down.
And in the musical alphabet, if you think what is a step below F,
we have to think backwards in the musical alphabet. So it goes F,
then E is a step below,
then we can step down back to this line, which gives us D,
and then we step down one more time,
and now we've made it to base C.
So I'm going to take out these helper notes,
and now
we can see that if we go up two spaces, one, two, on our bass staff,
Then we will land on base C.
Pointed to this note on the screen and say with me, bass C.
So let's practice finding base C on your piano.
I always just use middle C as my reference, and I know that bass C
is the first C below that.
So, find your middle C one more time, and then find the nearest C
going down on your piano, and play it and say bass C.
Now, there are certain notes
that I call guide notes. They're notes I want you to know so well
that you can see them and instantly recognize them.
And these notes in the bass staff that are your guide notes are this bass F.
Easy to find because of these two dots. Middle C
Easy to find because it's on this single ledger line above the staff,
and bass C,
Which is pretty easy to find because it's just one, two, spaces from the bottom.
That second space, that's your bass C.
So point with me and let's name each one.
Say it with me: bass C, bass F, middle C.
Now, the great thing about having these kinds of guide notes,
is because they can help you figure out any other note.
For example, if you saw
this pattern
written on a staff.
You could say, oh, I know that that's bass C,
and I can see that this steps up to the next line
so that must be a D,
because you know your musical alphabet this is really easy
after C comes D,
ah, it steps up again so this must be E.
And this, it's one of our guide notes,
so you know that must be an F, or you could have just thought, oh, a step above E is F,
and then finally, what's a step above F?
can you tell me what this note would be?
If you said G you're correct.
C D E F G
just like the musical alphabet: stepping up.
And notice the pattern of spaces and lines.
Can you say space note or line note with me?
Go: space, line, space, line, space.
That's the pattern of stepping notes. It always alternate space to line.
Now, what if we wanted to keep going up?
What's a step above G?
If you said A, you're correct.
After G in the musical alphabet we have to start over at A.
Now, this next step were coming off the edge of the staff, but that's okay. We have this kind of
secret space
that just sits on top of this line.
Okay, it's a space note
that is just before we have to start adding ledger lines.
Okay, but we don't have to add one yet. It can just sit on top of that line. If this is A,
What is this?
That note would be B,
and I like to remember this is kind of like,
I don't know if you've ever seen a ball on a wall,
but I think of this as the B for ball
on this base staff wall. So ball on the wall that's a B.
And then if we go one step higher now we do need a ledger line.
Notes can't just float in space.
They always have to be sitting on a line, hanging below a line, or
we've got to add a ledger line, and that brings us, remember this was A, this is B.
Now we're up to C.
So, we've climbed all the way from base C up to middle C.
Just using the musical alphabet C D E F G A B C
And notice how these notes from base C to middle C on the staff
correspond to base C stepping up to middle C on the piano.
C D E F G A B C
Now let's play a game.
I'm going to draw a mystery song in the bass staff.
This is a song that you've learned if you've watched all of my lessons so far.
You'll know this song,
but it's a mystery. You have to look at the notes and figure it out.
Here's your first mystery song.
I'll give you a few seconds to see if you can tell me what this song is.
If you said "Chocolate" you're correct!
Point to each note and sing it with me.
♫yum-yum-yum-yum-yum♫
♫Chocolate I have some♫
Now let's try to sing it in letter names.
Can you tell me the letter name of this first note?
If you said C or bass C you're correct.
Ready? Sing it in letter names, go:
C D E F G
G F E D C
Good job.
Remember, if you're struggling to do the musical alphabet stepping down,
it means you need to practice saying the musical alphabet backwards.
A musician needs to be able to do notes stepping up or stepping down.
G F E D C
I'd like you to keep practicing the musical alphabet until you can do it that fast.
Here's your next mystery song.
I'll give you a few seconds to try and figure out what is this mystery song?
If you said "Let Us Chase the Squirrel", you are correct.
Notice how we have two repeating notes.
So we have: DO DO RE RE
Two repeats, then it steps up to RE on this line. Then MI.
And then do you notice we skipped over this line note.
So we went from a space note to a space note, which has to be a skip up. MI SO
Now let's try singing the letter names: C C D D E G.
Now let's play one more game.
This game is called note hunt.
I'm going to tell you a note that I would like you to hunt for and point to it on your screen,
and the correct answer will magically turn golden
after three or four seconds.
So, see how fast you can find it. See if you can find it before it turns golden.
Okay? For example, let's try one that I'll help you with.
I'd like you to find, now the colors by the way don't matter.
Purple, blue, that doesn't matter in this game.
I just wanted to use a variety for fun.
So, take your finger and point to a base see.
Your job is to hunt for a bass C.
Point to it before it magically turns golden.
Did you find it?
It was right here which you could tell because it turned golden.
Let's try another one.
This time can you find and point to a bass F?
If you're pointing here you're correct.
This time can you find a B for me?
I'd like the B just a step below middle C. Remember that ball on the wall.
Point to the B.
If you're pointing here, you successfully found the B.
This time see if you can find and point to the bass D.
D as in dog, that is a step above C.
Bass C I mean. Point to it.
If you're pointing here, you're correct.
That's a bass D just a step above this note, which is bass C.
Great job today learning how to recognize and name notes in the bass staff.
Remember, that to really master something,
it's important to not just practice it once, but many, many times.
And one of the best ways to get even more practice so you can master your bass staff notes,
is by downloading the music theory activity pages for this lesson.
To get access to that download, you'll need to be a premium member of Hoffman Academy,
which I highly recommend.
Becoming a premium member unlocks all of the many learning resources that I've created for you.
Like sheet music, audio listening, and practice tracks.
Plus, our popular online music learning games.
If you're already a premium member thank you so much for your support.
Your membership helps make it so I can keep making more of these lessons.
For you and for students just like you around the world.
I'm so glad to have you watching and learning with me.
Happy practicing, and see you next time!
Today I would like to share the story of Goldilocks and the Three Frogs.
Once upon a time, there was a girl named Goldilocks,
me,
who was walking through a musical forest
when she came to three notes in the treble staff.
These notes are much too high, she cried
Then she came to three notes down low in the base staff.
Those notes are much too low, she said.
At last, she came to three notes and when she sang them,
She exclaimed, these notes are just right!
And so she used those three notes to compose a song.
After so much composing, she was tired and fell fast asleep.
Meanwhile, the three frogs who lived in the musical forest came to check on their precious notes.
The mommy frog said:
Someone's changed one of my space notes into a line note!
We should go check on our other notes.
Then the daddy frog said:
Someone's taken away my ledger lines!
Let's hurry!
Hurry!
Oh, my!
Someone's been using my three notes to compose an entire song!
And there she is!
Goldilocks woke up and saw the three frogs all staring at her.
All she could think of to say was:
Well, would you like to hear the song I composed?
Sure, I suppose.
Why, of course.
Yeah!
Okay, hit it!
SO MI DO SO SO DO
MI SO SO DO DO
Nice tune!
Dance party!
Yeah! You can come and use our notes anytime!
My name's Goldilocks by the way.
Such a nice girl.