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Entry 4 – Learn to Play the Piano in Six Weeks or Less

In this lesson, I will tell you about my adventures in learning to play Greensleeves on my piano.  And then, it’s time for 4^th Intervals, which I’ll explain later.

Here are the skills I needed to play Greensleeves:

I needed to know about ¾ time, which means that there are three beats per measure and the quarter note gets the beat.  I again needed to remember that the natural sign cancels out a sharp or flat, so those are important to pay attention to.  And, lastly I needed to recognize the repeat symbol.  Here’s what that looks like:

When you see the repeat symbol, it just means that you’ll repeat the music between those lines and dots.

While trying out this song, I tried to play it with my right hand only and then smoothly with both hands.  I still need more practice, but it’s getting better.

NOW—4^th INTERVALS

4^th intervals are similar to the 2^nd and 3^rd intervals, just more challenging.  To do 4^th intervals, use your right hand, keeping your fingers equally spaced.  The thing to notice about 4^th intervals is that each note skips from a line to a space or from a space to a line.  Although you are keeping your fingers equally spaced, you can actually see on some sheet music numbers above notes that show which finger to use.  It’s something that takes practice, so it’s super important to take it slow so you have time to check your fingers.  Trust me, it’s easy to mess up, so take it slow.