Beginner piano lesson
Hello everyone ! My name is Eric Legaud from Galagomusic.com
Welcome on this very first beginner piano lesson,
made for those who wanna learn the piano
in an another way than reading notes and stuff.
The classical theory will be explained over time
My purpose in this serie of lessons
is to help you play with a series of chords
written with letters.
Maybe you don't know this system,
I discovered it myself quite late
after my studies at the conservatory
I must have been in my twenties.
I was told that scores could also fit on a small piece of paper,
only written with letters on it...I did not piggy
and said, "how the hell is that possible ??"...
...and it's actually quite possible ;-)
and this is what I'm gonna explain to you !
We will start in this lesson by learning the song Let it be
and for each next tutorials I'll explain a new piece
in relation to the technique needed.
Enough chatting, let's play ! :D
So the goal of the game is to find your bearings among all these white and black keys.
What is practical on the piano compared to the guitar
it's that's quite symmetrical, and even downright geometric.
So we have packs of two black keys,
three black keys
two black keys
three blacks keys.
Right ?
To find the C note which gonna be our start,
for just about...all the explanations of the video
When you see a pack of two black keys,
the C note is always placed...just on the left, of those two black keys.
So if i see a pack of three black keys
and play the note just on the left, it won't be a C.
Oh there are two black keys here !
So just on the left, you'll find a C note.
C
Two black keys...the C.
So,
What is handy about knowing where the C note is,
it's that you can determine
where to find the notes D, E, F etc.
For that, you'll have to know by heart
the ascending and descending scale of C major.
So the scale to know is : C D E F G A B C
To know by heart :
C D E F G A B C
And you'll have to know the descending way too.
C B A G F E D C
If you already know this that's perfect.
C D E F G A B C
C B A G F E D C
Often we know it when we go up but not necessarily when we go down.
So learn it in both directions.
We will start now learning how to build our first chords.
But, what is a chord ?
It is at least three sounds played simultaneously.
So this, is a chord.
This, is a chord too.
Rather dissonants.
We will rather make consonant chords.
And we are going to study two big families
Major chords, and minor chords.
So, what does it mean ?
For example a major chord
is a chord that sound rather joyful
It's happy with itself
While a minor chord will sound like this.
Rather sad you hear ?
It's really a feeling.
And we' re going to go into detail
to know how to build major and minor chords.
For now remember that major is "happy"
This is the one you can hear in airports
This sound is major, while
They don't use minor ones in airports
So to build major chords,
for example a C major chord.
We're gonna choose a C note.
So far so good ;)
And we will apply the big mathematical formula :
4 + 3
What does it mean ?
We're gonna count four half-tones, then three half-tones.
But what's a half-tone ?
It is the smallest distance you can find on a piano between two notes
Here we have a half-tone.
Here we have another half-tone
Half-tone.
There too.
There again etc.
So you choose a C note.
And we're gonna start counting 4 half-tones.
The only thing to remember is
You don't count the starting note.
So C is our "root",
and we're going to count four half-tones on top.
1, 2, 3, 4.
So we know now that those
are the two first notes of our C major chord.
And above this new one
we will apply 3 additional half-tones.
So same as before,
I don't count the starting note
and 1, 2, 3.
C, E, G.
This is our first major chord, C major chord. Yihaaa !
We're gonna try the same on a D major chord.
So I first look for the D note
It's gonna be our root note
it's the note that gives its name to the chord.
And same thing, we're gonna apply the 4 + 3 stuff
I don't count the starting note.
1, 2, 3, 4
Here's our second note (called major third)
And over this, I'll add three half-tones.
1, 2, 3
And that gives that shape.
With this technique you will be able to build all the major chords of the earth
in root position.
It means that the root note is on the left of the chord.
We'll see later other positions called "inverted".
But first get used to the method I showed you.
Now let's try to build a G major chord.
I place the thumb on a G note
It might be the G note you want
but it will be nicer on the screen if I choose that one.
So G note
From here I count to four.
1, 2, 3, 4
and on top of that I count three.
1, 2, 3
Ah ah, here's a G major chord, fantastic !
Now same thing, but let's try out a G minor chord (Gm)
there will only be a small change
We will apply here the method 3 + 4
So we start again from the G note
1, 2, 3
And on top that note I count four
1, 2, 3, 4
Here's our G minor chord.
So the difference between a Major and a minor chord
is tiny.
It's just a half-tone difference.
It is in the middle that everything is.
If I got four half-tones in my first third
my chord will be Major.
If I have only three half-tones,
my chord will be minor.
G Major.
G minor.
So,
if we wanna be build an A minor chord for example.
Find an A note.
We're gonna find it from the central C note.
C, B, A
That's why it's helpful to know the note names in ascending and descending way.
Because you could also do C, D, E, F, G, A.
But from there : C, B, A
It's much closer !
So the A note,
our root
I apply the learned formula : 3 + 4
1, 2, 3
1, 2, 3, 4
There you are ! :)
This is an A minor chord.
At first it seems a little boring
because you have to count.
The advantage is that it works every time !
Just be careful of your half-times counting.
So the goal of the game for the moment is to practice
building any chord you want.
You start from any key, even a black one
For example this one
which is a Bb (flat)
We'll see later how you find flat and sharp notes.
For now just trust it's a Bb.
And same stuff, try to build a Bb Major chord.
1, 2, 3, 4
1, 2, 3
This is a Bb chord.
Bb, D, F
If I go in Bb minor
I know that my first third must only contain three half-tones.
So 1, 2, 3
and 1, 2, 3, 4
Here's Bbm
If I wanna build now a...
F sharp Major (F#)
I start from the F# note
To add a sharp on a note,
you choose the natural one
and then you go one half-tone above.
So F# Major chord :
1, 2, 3, 4
1, 2, 3
There you are, this is F# Major chord !
For a F# minor chord :
I'm starting ftom the F# note
1, 2, 3
then 1, 2, 3, 4
F#, A, C# = F#m chord !
(sorry for this)
Now let's apply this in the context of a song.
The song will be what I played in the beginning : Let it be (Beatles)
The chords of this one will be perfect for a start !
This will allow you to become familiar with chord changes.
And as I told you, it may seem a little daunting to count,
but it comes very fast, very quickly you will remember that
a C major is, ah ah, here !
G Major, ah ah, I can see you !
It's just with practice that you'll come to save time for all of this.
So before going further, there is a little summary sheet on my website,
that will summarize all the informations.
Another important thing
is the international way for naming the notes.
In French we will say for this one "Do Majeur"
In English, we won't say Do Majeur
but "C chord"
What you have to know :
A B C D E F G = La Si Do Re Mi Fa Sol
You'll find all of those informations on the summary sheet.
Go on my website to check this out.
So if we wanna build a Major chord,
we won't say in the international way "Do Majeur"
On sheet music we will say that it is a "C"
When there is just one letter, it is said that it's a major chord.
When you see a "C" on a score, it is a C Major chord.
But if you see "Cm", it means that you will have to play a C minor chord.
m'kay ?
This is that kind of stuff we're gonna need right now to play our song ;-)
So, let's discover its chord progression.
A chord progression is the harmonic framework of a piece.
All of the western musics are built of a serie of chords.
And on top of, we will write a melody and all that.
What interest me for the moment is only chord progression.
So in the first bar of Let it be,
A bar is a segment of time
corresponding to a specific number of beats.
On the score you can see a C
with a vertical bar on its left and on its right.
That's one bar.
So when you see a C,
it's a C note but also can be a C major chord.
So I'm gonna play a C major chord.
I play a C note, then count 4 + 3
That's a C major chord !
Then we'll need a G.
So I look for the G note.
We could choose the G above where we are,
but in our song, Mc Cartney play the one below.
So we start from this G note
three white keys below
and we're gonna build our G major chord.
G then +4, then +3
You did it !
So from the start, C major then G major.
About the fingerings.
If you're a beginner pianist, just know that
the thumb is the finger called n°1
for both hands.
And the pinky is called n°5.
Also for both hands.
So if I say than on a C major chord
I play with 1, 2 and 4
it means that I'll use Thumb, Index and ring finger.
This is the most common fingering for this kind of chord position.
Or you could also play with
like this.
with Thumb, middle finger, pinky (1, 3, 5).
If you are a very beginner,
I think you'll be tempted to play chords like this
with 1, 2, 3
know that it is not so great.
but if you just want to test without bothering
this could work.
but if you want to work then properly
Choose the fingering 1, 2, 4
or 1, 3, 5.
I think that 1, 2, 4 is best.
Now about t the wrist positioning,
as you can see my wrist is not broken up or broken dow.
it is just in the extension of my arm.