Hello and welcome back. I'm Joseph Hoffman.
Today we are learning how to play the left hand and hands together for "Ode to Joy".
So by now you should be very good and confident at playing the right hand
so we can take a look at the left hand.
Let's come over to the staff and take a look.
Okay we're back in the sheet music for "Ode to Joy".
Last time we learned the right hand notes up here in the treble clef.
Today we're looking at the left hand in the bass clef.
Tell me what you notice about the left hand part?
That's right, they are all whole notes mostly.
Down here we get a couple of half notes but mostly we're holding each note four beats.
Now can you tell me the letter name of this first note in the left hand?
If you said D, you're correct.
We're a skip below the bass F line which would land us on D.
What about the letter name of this note here?
If you said A, you're correct.
This time we're a skip above the F line.
Now do you see any patterns in the left hand?
That's right, I'm sure you noticed we went from D up to A,
back to D, to A. We're just going back and forth D and A.
Since we're in the D major pentascale, D will be DO and A will be SO.
Now I have a singing challenge for you.
I'd like you to try singing DO and SO for each note of the left hand
while I play the right hand.
Since you're doing whole notes you're going to hold the note for four counts
equal to four of my quarter notes up here in the right hand.
It will sound like this.
DO SO
and then on from there.
Now it's your turn to try.
So I'd like you to sing DO or SO and hold it for the correct number of beats.
Remember when you get down here you'll only hold this SO for two beats
and this DO for two beats.
Okay get ready. I'll play the right hand, you sing the left hand while I point.
I'll sing along with you too. Ready go.
DO
SO
DO
SO
DO
SO
DO
DO SO DO.
Okay let's try playing this on the piano now so come to your piano
and put your left hand in the D pentascale.
This song will only need DO finger five, and SO in our left hand.
What I'd like you to do is count the beat out loud while we play.
Since we're doing whole notes we'll we going
one, two, three, four for each note starting with DO.
So let's play and count the beat.
One, two, left hand go.
One, two, three, four
One, two, three, four next line
One, two, three, four
Be ready one, two, three, four.
Good now let's take a look at line three.
On line three our left hand hangs out on A three times in a row.
Then we rest for two beats followed by another A.
Let's try it. Ready go.
One, two, three, four
Rest, rest, three, four.
Good. And then line four is just the same as line two.
Let's try it. Count the beat. Ready go.
One, two, three, four
One, two, three, four.
Good job.
Okay now let's try the whole song without stopping.
I'd like you to play the left hand while I play the left hand and right hand together.
You're just in charge of the left hand.
So with your left hand in the same position as before
get ready to play finger five. Count the beat please while you play.
One, two, ready, go.
One, two, three, four
One, two, three, be ready
One, two, three, four.
One, two, three, four
One, two, three, four.
Great job.
Okay now you're ready to try this hands together.
Remember that when notes are stacked over each other it means to play them together.
So when your right hand plays its first note F sharp
your left hand at the same time will play this first D.
And while your right hand continues to play these three notes
your left hand will just continue to hold that D.
These play together, then the right hand continues.
Then these play together.
The tricky part comes down here where we have these half notes in the left hand.
We play together here together, then the right hand plays this eighth note all by itself,
and then we play together again.
So we have.
Together, right, together.
Since this part is probably the trickiest part of line one and two,
let's just practice this measure a few times
and then we'll go back and try the whole thing.
Okay so we're working on the last measure of line two.
Let's place both hands now in the D major pentascale.
The right hand, let's try that part first.
Remember we have this rhythm TA TI TWO.
Now you try.
Good and while the right hand does that the left hand does SO DO.
Now try the left hand. Go.
Good now when we put it together it will look like this.
TA TI TWO.
Notice you play the first note together,
then the right hand plays by itself on that little eighth note,
leading right to both hands playing DO together.
Watch it one more time.
Now I'd like you to press pause and try that five times by yourself
until you're very comfortable with it.
Press play again when you're ready to go on.
Good so now you should have this really good.
And you're ready to tackle the rest now.
So go back to the beginning now and you're going to try the whole thing hands together.
Go ahead and press pause and practice it through a few times on your own.
When you're ready to watch me do the whole thing,
or if you're ready to try playing along with me hands together,
then press play again to continue.
Okay let's watch all of "Ode to Joy" hands together.
If you're ready you can play along with me, or if you prefer, you can just watch.
One, two, ready, go.
Great job working on "Ode to Joy" hands together today.
I hope you enjoy practicing this great piece by Beethoven and I'll see you next time.
You know Scuba, this music really does make me feel joyful.
Yeah, like eating ice cream and sing a rainbow at the same time.
Like dancing in the snow.
Like having a good friend like you.
Hey, how about some ice cream? My treat!
Sure! Sounds good!
Let's go.