Hello and welcome back. I'm Joseph Hoffman,
and in this lesson we're learning how to play a traditional folk song called "Land of the Silver Birch."
If you've been watching my lessons from the start,
you may remember learning a song called "Silver Birchtree" in a past lesson.
This time it's "Land of the Silver Birch," another beautiful song, which I think you'll love.
Let's listen to it now.
Here's our sheet music for "Land of the Silver Birch."
Let's go through our checklist for a new piece. We're in treble clef,
and then what's our key signature?
We have one sharp.
On the ladder of fifths, that tells us we're in the key of G major or possibly E minor.
We'll figure that out in a second.
We're in 4/4 time signature, so four quarter note beats per measure.
Now it's time to figure out
are we in the key of G major or E minor?
Our clues to figuring that out
are looking at the first and last note of the piece, or the first and last chord of the piece.
Taking a look at that, what key would you say we're in?
Because we begin and end on the end on an E, and we have an E minor chord,
that combined with the one sharp key signature, tells us that we are in the key of E minor.
Now you probably noticed that this piece is written in lead sheet style,
meaning we just have the melody notated
with chord symbols up above.
Today we'll learn how to play the melody, and in a later lesson we'll add
accompaniment using the chord symbols.
Before we learn to play the melody though, I'd like to review the rhythm together.
Can you count the beat out loud while we tap the rhythm of this first line?
I'll count 4 beats to get us ready, and then we'll start.
Remember, when you have two eighth notes, we have to fit two sounds inside that 1 beat.
Let's try to count the beat while we tap the rhythm. 1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Good, let's try it again and go back and use our old TA and TI-TI words.
can you say TA and TI-TI with me as we
say or tap the rhythm on your lap
or any flat surface. Just tap the rhythm while we say TA and TI-TI. Go:
TA TI-TI TI-TI TA
TA TI-TI TA TA Good job!
Now let's scan this next line.
We've got quarter notes and eighth notes. That should be no problem right?
But here, this is a rhythm we haven't seen for a while.
You might remember this from songs like "Canoe Song"
had this rhythm: TI TA TI TWO-OO
Let's say that together.
Remember, the flag makes this an eighth note.
An eighth note usually is beamed together with another eighth note in pairs like this.
But every once in a while we have an eighth note all by itself.
And here we have a quarter note in between two flagged eighth notes.
TI TA TI TWO-OO
Let's say that rhythm together. Go:
TI TA TI TWO-OO
If we were counting the beat, this would be beat 1.
This would be the second half of beat 1, which we call &. 1-&, but a quarter note needs
a full beat, and right now it only has half of the beat. So we also give it beat 2,
and then this eighth note gets the & of beat 2.
So if we were counting and tapping, it would sound like this:
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
Let's try that together.
So we tap here on 1, then here on the & of 1, and then here on the & of 3.
Let's try saying it together and tapping, go:
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
One more time. Ready, go: 1-& 2-& 3-& 4-& and in rhythm words it's TI TA TI TWO-OO
Now let's go on to line three and say rhythm words for line three.
First scan ahead,
we've got quarter notes, eighth notes, quarter note, and then here's that TI TA TI TI-TI TA
Be ready for that rhythm there.
Ready, let's say the rhythm words TA and TI-TI
as we tap the rhythm. 1 2 ready, go.
TA TI-TI TI-TI TA
TI TA TI TI-TI TA
Good, now here's another rhythm we haven't seen for a while.
It's a TI-TI-KI. Remember, this extra beam makes these two notes sixteenth notes,
which go twice as fast as eighth notes.
So this rhythm would sound like this:
TI-TI-KI TI-TI TI-TI-KI TI-TI
TI-TI-KI TI-TI TWO-OO Say it with me, ready go
TI-TI-KI TI-TI TI-TI-KI TI-TI
TI-TI-KI TI-TI TWO-OO
Good job, Let's learn how to play it.
Alright, taking a look at the first note and the finger number up above it,
can you tell me where we should put our hand, or just show me on your piano.
Where you should start with your right hand.
You see that finger 1,
and that is on treble E, just a little bit above middle C,
so this is where our hand will go.
Now, I'd like you to figure out on your own how to play the first two measures.
Be sure to watch the rhythms, watch the notes and watch the finger numbers.
There's going to be a finger number coming along in measure two.
You probably already see it. That may not be what you expect,
but it's to get you ready for some notes that are coming on the next line, so be sure to follow the finger numbers.
It may not be what you expect. That's my hint to you.
Press pause and figure out how to play measures one and two on your own,
then press play, and we'll try it together.
Here's what you should have figured out for measures one and two.
Now, did you notice that finger 3 has to play that B.
We have: TA TI-TI TI-TI TA, up 1/5, back down 1/5,
then finger 3 comes up to that B, so our finger 5 can reach that high E
that's coming in measure three.
Okay, now if you need a little extra work on measures one and two, press pause
to give yourself time, otherwise let's keep going.
Will you try it with me now? Let's play measures one and two together.
I'll count 4 beats to get us ready,
and then let's say or quietly whisper the rhythm words as you play.
1 2 3 4
TA TI-TI TI-TI TA TA TI-TI TA TA, make sure on those last two TAs you're using a finger three.
Now, look at the next measure, and you'll see that finger 5
has to reach a little bit up to this high E.
Step down, step up, step down, then skip down,
and then skip down again. Our finger 1's just going to have to reach over to G.
Okay, notice that TA TI-TI TI-TI TA.
Now you try.
Good, and the words there are: ♫Where still the mighty moose♫
Now you try again.
Good, now after 'moose', our fingers are going to slide down snug up next to our finger 1
so we can do ♫wanders at will.♫
Now you try.
So 'wanders at will' starts with finger 2 on A: TI TA TI TWO-OO You try again.
Good, now let's listen to all that from the beginning.
TA TI-TI TI-TI TA TA TI-TI TA TA
TA TI-TI TI-TI TA TI TA TI TWO-OO
Now press pause and work on the first four measures on your own.
Try it a few times until you're really confident,
and then press play to go on.
Okay after 'wanders at will,'
then we come back up to that E.
Tell me what measure this matches.
measure five matches measure three.
And we just learned this, and then this time it's a little different. Here we switch to a finger 3 on A,
and that's to be ready for these notes here which go all the way
down. TI TA TI TI-TI TA.
now I'd like you on your own to practice measures five and six.
Starting with finger 5 on this high E.
Be sure to watch the notes, and the rhythms, and the finger numbers carefully.
You've got a lot you're keeping track of as a pianist.
Start with finger 5 on that high E, press pause and work on measures five and six on your own,
then press play to go on.
Good, and then we're into the last two measures this: ♫Hi ya ya hi ya, Hi ya ya hi ya, Hi ya ya hi ya ha.♫
Remember those rhythms? TI-TI-KI TI-TI TI-TI-KI TI-TI
TI-TI-KI TI-TI TWO-OO
Now you try.
Good. Let's try it together and say the rhythm words while you play TI-TI-KI TI-TI, ready, go:
TI-TI-KI TI-TI TI-TI-KI TI-TI
TI-TI-KI TI-TI TWO-OO
Great, now
let's listen to the whole thing put together.
You can try playing along with me, or you can listen just this once.
Here we go:
♫Land of the silver birch, home of the beaver,♫
♫Where still the mighty moose wanders at will.♫
♫Blue lake and rocky shore, I will return once more♫
♫Hi ya ya hi ya, Hi ya ya hi ya, Hi ya ya hi ya ha.♫
Now it's your turn. Press pause and try playing the entire song from start to finish, and then press play to go on.
Great work learning how to play the melody of "Land of the Silver Birch".
Happy practicing, and see you next time!
Hey, did you guys know that you can sing "Land of the Silver Birch" as a round?
Oh, let's try it!
Yeah, sounds fun!
Okay, but we'll need one more singer.
Perfect!
Frog, will you sing along with us?
Uh..
I believe that's frog for: sure I'd love to sing with you!
Oh, great! Let's do it then. I'll start, then you Princess, then Chef,
then Frog.
Got it.
♫Land of the silver birch, home of the beaver♫
♫where still the mighty moose wanders at will♫