Part 4: Playing Notes Together – Exercise 7 & 10
Welcome to our continued journey in sight-reading! In this lesson, we’ll keep playing three notes in each hand, but with a new twist: you’ll learn to play notes simultaneously.
Day 1: Laying the Foundation
- Written Guidance: Before diving into playing, read the ‘Detailed Breakdown of Exercises’ in the Materials tab. It offers an in-depth view of what to expect and how best to tackle these exercises.
- Video Practice: Watch and practice along with the lesson video. This visual aid is crucial for understanding how to play the notes together.
- Sheet Music Practice: Turn to practicing with the sheet music. Pay special attention to the fingering numbers indicated.
- Exercise 8 – Audio Download: Grab the MP3 file available in the Materials tab.
- Groove Along: Play along with the ‘Exercise 8 track. This will help in syncing your playing with a rhythmic backing.
Day 2: Refinement and Mastery
- Sheet Music Drill: Continue practicing with the sheet music. Repeat until you feel comfortable and confident.
- Revisit the Video: Practice again with the video. This time, focus on:
- a.) Playing the correct notes.
- b.) Maintaining the right rhythm.
- c.) Ensuring proper hand positioning.
- Backing Track Practice: Finish up by playing along with the MP3 track, keeping a steady rhythm.
Successfully completing Step 3 on Day 2 means you’re ready to move on. Up next, we’ll challenge ourselves with handling four notes in each hand – an exciting step forward!
Detailed Breakdown of Exercises 7 - 10 Exercise 7: This exercise focuses on playing A notes simultaneously. It's intentionally repetitive, allowing you to concentrate fully on syncing the notes in both hands. Exercise 8: Designed to be rhythmically and melodically unusual, this exercise ensures that you're reading the music rather than memorizing it from demonstration. Its complexity requires constant reference to the sheet music, enhancing your sight-reading skills. Common Mistake #1: Avoid pausing at each barline. Many beginners mistakenly treat barlines as stopping points. Remember, barlines simply mark the end of a set of beats (like 1-2-3-4) and help in navigating the sheet music. The flow of the music should continue uninterrupted across barlines. Exercise 9: This is your first encounter with playing notes both separately and together within the same exercise. It’s a new challenge to coordinate the hands when they switch between simultaneous and sequential playing. Common Mistake #2: In the video, you'll notice a demonstration of playing short, separated notes where they should be connected. When notes in the right hand follow each other, aim for a smooth, connected (legato) sound. We'll delve deeper into legato and staccato later, but for now, focus on this smoother transition between notes. Exercise 10: This exercise introduces whole notes, which may initially be confusing. These notes are held for four beats. Don't worry too much about this just yet; we'll cover it in more detail in the rhythm section. For now, feel free to mimic my approach in the video.
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