Reading Music Made Easy - Note Reading, Not Note Memorizing!

In this lecture you will learn to read seconds and thirds.

0:00 Introduction to reading notes.

0:55 What is an interval?

1:35 Seconds and thirds on the keyboard

2:12 Seconds on the page

3:00 Thirds on the page

3:48 Direction or movement in intervals - seconds

5:33 Direction or movement in intervals - thirds

In this section you will have the opportunity to practice reading the intervals you learned about in Lecture 3.

In this lecture, you will learn the 5 guide notes in treble clef that when combined with what you have already learned about intervals will give you all the tools you need to start reading melodies quickly and easily. After watching there is a practice worksheet to help you review.

0:00 Introduction

0:27 The treble clef symbol

1:05 A quick look at the staff

2:06 Middle C

3:26 Treble C

4:15 High C

5:10 All 3 C Guide Notes

5:46 Two G Guide Notes

6:26 G Above Middle C

7:20 G Above Treble C

8:00 Both G Guide Notes

8:28 Can You Name All 5 Guide Notes?

Now that you have learned to recognize the 5 treble clef guide notes, seconds and thirds, it is time to put everything together and start reading. You might want to print off the first example, Frere Jacques, for easy reference before starting this lecture.

0:00 Review of guide notes, seconds and thirds

1:00 Step One: Finding the initial note of a song

2:08 Measure one

3:30 Measure two

4:15 Measure three

5:06 Measure four

In this lecture, we will walk through the playing of Mary Had a Little Lamb. Download the song before starting the video so you can easily reference the music as we walk through the song.

Print off your copy of Joy to the World before reviewing this video that gives you some hints as you play this song for the first time.

0:00 Introduction

0:37 Getting started

1:56 Second line of the song; reading large jumps in intervals

2:51 Measure numbers

The final piece to print off and go through is My Country Tis of Thee.

0:00 Introduction

0:37 General notes on playing this song

0:50 Chord symbols

In this lecture you will learn the simple 'recipe' for building major chords.

0:00 Introduction

1:00 Half Steps

1:36 Counting half steps

3:13 Major and minor thirds

3:45 Recipe for major chords

4:14 Naming major chords

5:00 The D chord

Once you have learned the recipe for making major chords, a simple change to the recipe will give you 12 new chords, the minor chords. After you have finished, you can download the supplementary chart to help you remember the recipes for major and minor chords.

0:00 Introduction

0:24 Review counting half steps and recipe for major chords

0:55 Recipe for minor chords

2:35 Difference between major chord and minor chord is in the middle note

3:10 Naming minor chords

In this lecture, you will see the relationship of 4ths and 5ths to 2nds and 3rd on the keyboard.

Reading larger intervals can make the reading process smoother. In this lecture we will look at and practice reading 4ths and 5ths.

0:00 Introduction

0:17 Comparing Seconds and Fourths

0:55 Comparing Thirds and Fifths

1:28 Practice

Put your newly learned skills to practice while playing Jingle Bells, O Christmas Tree and Aura Lee.

You have already learned to make and play major and minor chords, in this lecture you will learn a variation of each of these which will add some 'color' to your chords.

0:00 Introduction

0:20 Making '7' chords

2:20 Making min7 chords

In this lecture you will learn the guide notes needed to be able to read bass clef notes, those notes on the lower half of the keyboard.

0:00 Introduction

0:42 Guide Notes - 3 Cs

0:50 Middle C

1:51 Mirror images

2:14 Bass C

2:31 Low C

3:00 Guide Notes - 2 Fs

3:12 F below middle C

3:27 F below bass C

3:50 All 5 Guide Notes

4:15 Reading intervals

4:45 Common patterns in bass clef - 2 note 'chords'

5:58 Common patterns in bass clef - Reading 3 note chords

7:15 Common patterns in bass clef - 1-5-1 pattern and improvising

9:38 Putting hands together

In this lecture, you will learn what accidentals - sharps and flats - look like on the keyboard.

0:00 Introduction

0:15 Sharps

1:00 Flats

1:17 Two names for each black key (enharmonics)

2:05 Naming chords on black keys

2:45 Finding Cb

In this lecture you will learn how to read and play sharps, flats and naturals. After you finish this section you can download the 3 songs - Good Morning to You, The Muffin Man and The Old Grey Mare - to practice what you learned.

0:00 Introduction

0:22 Three types of accidentals - flats, sharps and naturals

2:32 Flats

4:58 Sharps

6:46 Naturals

In this lecture you will learn the order of sharps and flats in key signatures. After you have completed this lecture, you can practice what you have learned by playing the 3 attached songs.

0:00 Introduction

0:42 What is a key signature?

1:02 Order of Flats - BEAD

2:16 Order of Sharps - FCGD

3:42 All 7 sharps and flats