Lesson 10 - Friday 14th October 2016

In today's lesson we caught up on missing work and made any necessary corrections.

In the first lesson after half term, there will be a test on everything we have covered so far:

Pitches (ie. where notes on the stave)
Sharps and flats
Major Scales (the pattern of tones and semitone and specifically the scales of C, G and F major).
Note values (including rests)
Time signatures
Major and Minor triads

Lesson 9 - 10th October 2016

We played this song on the keyboards.

Chord sheet is here.

We looked at Sus4 chords, which are explained well here.

Some of you started to look at Seventh Chords

(we will be going back over this so don't worry if you don't get it yet)



If you know your major scales, this should be very easy!

The major seventh chord is formed of the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th notes of the major scale.

ie. root, major 3rd, perfect 5th, major 7th.

In the minor seventh chord, the 3rd and 7th are flattened

ie. root, minor 3rd, perfect 5th, minor 7th

 

The dominant 7th chord is more of a mixture:

Root, major third, perfect 5th, minor 7th.

Here is a more comprehensive list of 7th chords if you are feeling confident:

Lesson 8 - 7th October 2016

We listened to this:




Then:

By the end of the lesson, make sure you can play Major triads of:
C, D, E, F, G, A and B Major

If you have time, try the minors as well (the same as major but the middle note is one semitone lower).

Those of you who are used to playing chords and are finding it quite easy, try playing the chords with your left hand as well. Also, try using different spacings of the chords (eg. you could play C Major with a C in the left hand and an E and G in the right). Also, you could try different inversions of the chords (ie. with an E or G in the bass instead of a C).

Chords:



This is the C Major triad. (Triad means three-note chord)


Here are a load more major triads.





(Notice how in each case the notes go line-line-line or space-space-space.)



A way of working out any major or minor triad:

To play a Major triad: play a note, the note 4 semitones above and then 3 semitones above that.

To play a minor triad: play a note, the note 3 semitones above and then 4 semitones above that.