Hello and welcome back.
I'm Joseph Hoffman. You probably noticed I've got the Frog family back.
That's because we're learning how to add chords to Frog in the Middle. Chords make
music sounds so much more interesting and exciting.
I think you're going to love it. So let me show you how to play a chord. When you
play a chord
what you're actually doing is playing two notes at the same time, and to do
that we're going to use finger one and five.
So to practice that I'd like to use a flat surface like a piano lid closed or
a table and just touch your finger one and five down and then gently lift your
fingers two three and four in the air, like this.
Now remember, your thumb kind of points sideways, like this, but your finger five
should play more near its tip. Now we're going to touch with fingers one and five
with fingers three and four in the air, and then lift by letting the wrist float up a little
bit like this.
Touch and lift. Now can you practice that with me?
We're going to do it three times. Touch fingers one and five together, touch and
lift, touch lift, touch lift.
Good, now let's try it with the other hand, also using figures 1 and 5. Touch
and lift, touch and lift, touch and lift.
Good. If you need extra practice with that just press pause and try some on
your own. When you're ready we're going to try it on the piano keys.
With your left hand let's put fingers one and five on G and C, so we're in c
position with the left-hand finger five on C, and remember you're going to play
two notes at the same time. A C and a G together will sound like this.
and fingers 2, 3, and 4 need to lift up enough that they don't accidentally play
their keys because if you play all at the same time it sounds kind of crazy.
So you only want C and G to go down. Gently lift fingers two, three, and four and use
a dropping motion to make the notes go down and then lift back up.
lift, drop
lift. Now let's try together. We'll do three drop lifts with the left hand on C
and G. Ready, go. Drop, lift, drop, lift, drop lift.
Good, you're playing chords. Now let's try your right hand.
So again with finger one and five on C and G, slightly lift fingers two three and four
comfortably and now we're going to drop and lift.
Let's try it together three times. Ready, go.
Drop, lift, drop, lift, drop, lift.
Good. I kind of like to imagine there's a balloon on my wrist that kind of gently
floats it up every time I do that.
Drop, lift
drop, lift.
Good, now let's try both hands, fingers one and five or five and one on C
and G, three drop lifts for chords.
Ready, go. Drop, lift, drop, lift, drop, lift.
Great, now we're ready to try playing it with Frog in the Middle.
Again, when you add chords this is going to make your song sounds so much more
professional. Before we try playing it
hands together let's give our right hand a rest and I want you to play chords
while you sing Frog in the Middle. I'd like you to play one chord
every time you sing the word frog and then also at the end of the song play a
chord on can't catch me, one chord for each word.
Why don't you watch me do it once and then you can try it. It will go like this.
Frog in the middle
Frog in the sea
Frog in the middle
Can't catch me
So I wanted you to notice that every time I sang frog
at that same moment I played a chord and then I held the chord down while I was
singing the other words, frog in the middle, so all the while you're singing,
frog in the middle, that cord continues and then the next time you say frog
again you play another chord.
Ok this time why don't you try it with me. Place left hand on C and G with fingers
five and one, and we're going to play chords. Ready? Sing and play chords with
me.
Ready, go. Frog in the middle
Frog in the sea, Frog in the middle
Can't catch me. Good job.
Now let's try it in the right hand. Same idea, place fingers one and five on C and G.
We're going to drop every time we say frog, or can't catch me.
Ready, go. Frog in the middle
Frog in the sea, frog in the
middle, can't catch me. Now
last of all let's try both hands. Place both hands on C and G, and we're going to
play some chords.
Ready, go. Frog in the middle,
frog in the sea, frog in the middle, can't catch me.
Now you're ready for the really mind-blowing part. We are going to
take chords in one hand while you play the melody in the other hand. This is
going to sound really cool.
It might feel really hard at first but once you can do it you're going to be
like, wow I am a pro. Now let me show you what that's going to look like on the
piano.
We're going to put the chords in the left hand and the melody in the right
hand.
Come and take a look. Are you ready for this?
So now notice how the two hands work together to play Frog in the Middle with
chords.
Here we go.
Isn't that awesome?
Now in order to do this
at first I want you to just try the very start of the song.
Hold the chord down, now remember the first thing you'll do is play a chord while
your right hand finger five plays frog.
So that's step one. Just see if you can play frog.
Your left hand is doing a chord and your right hand is playing frog. Try that
three times. Frog.
Your turn.
Good, now let's do it two more times. Frog
Again, frog.
Now the trick is make your left hand stay put and just keep holding that chord
down while you continue in the right hand like this.
I'll show you.
So remember, you do frog together and then your right hand continues with, in
the middle,
while your left hand just stays put and does nothing, and that's the hard
part. Your left hand is going to want to do the same thing your right hand is
doing.
but just tell it to chill out and let the right hand continue while the left
hand holds. My turn again.
Now you try it. Good, now we're going to try the same thing for frog in the sea.
We play frog together and then the right hand continues with, in the sea.
My turn.
Now you try.
Good and then the ending will go like this, Can't catch me. On can't catch me
remember you'll play one chord with each note. Can't catch me. Why don't you try that.
Ready, go.
Good job.
All right you have made it now to the end of Unit One.
This is lesson 20, right at the end, and we've done this great challenge of
chords in one hand while you play the melody in the other hand. Now it's very
common for this to be very tricky at first.
I'm ending this unit with a real challenge so don't get frustrated if it
didn't go great the first time or even the second time or even the third time.
It may take you lots of tries at first. If you're not quite getting it go back
to just playing chords
while you sing the melody, and the right hand does nothing. When you're
comfortable with that then try adding the melody back in and just keep trying
until you get it.
Practice means struggling sometimes and really working at something, and then
once you get it you're gonna be like whoa!
I can't believe this was ever hard! And it will start to feel easy.
Congratulations again on making it to the end of Unit One.
Thanks for watching. Can't wait to see you in the next unit, and i'll see you
next time.
Frog in the middle
Frog in the sea Scuba guy!
What on earth are you doing? Trying to play a frog in the middle with chords.
UHHH!