New
New
Year 7

Playing a melody in the C position on the keyboard

I can identify the notes C to G on the keyboard and perform a melody in the C position.

New
New
Year 7

Playing a melody in the C position on the keyboard

I can identify the notes C to G on the keyboard and perform a melody in the C position.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. On the keyboard, the C is to the left of the two black keys.
  2. The C position is when you place your thumb on C and other fingers on the adjacent notes allowing for more control.
  3. Recognising C, D, E, F and G on the stave.
  4. C on the stave is distinctive as it sits under the stave and has its own line.
  5. Practising slowly at first allows time for more accuracy.

Keywords

  • C position - A hand position when playing the keyboard. The most important features is having your thumb on C.

  • Melody - The main tune or recognisable part in a piece of music.

  • Stave - A set of five lines used in music to show different notes.

Common misconception

Mistaking F (or another note) for C and not understanding the impact this has on the finger prompts.

Reinforce 'C to the left of the two black keys', why F is a common mistake and the finger prompts only work if the C position is correct.

It is expected that pupils may prefer to follow the finger prompts, but notation has been introduced briefly to provide a starting point as required. This may well require more focus and time if pupils want to read from this alone.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
What does pitch mean?
The speed of the music
Correct answer: How high or low a note is
How long or short a note is
The different layers in the music
Q2.
What has changed if a piece of music starts slowly and gets faster?
Correct answer: The tempo
The timbre
The texture
Q3.
What is the musical term for volume?
Tempo
Correct answer: Dynamics
Texture
Q4.
Which of the following best describes performing to a pulse?
Gradually getting faster
Gradually getting slower
Correct answer: Keeping to a steady and consistent beat
Q5.
Which of the following is another term for tune?
Correct answer: Melody
Rhythm
Pulse
Q6.
A is a selection of long and short note durations put together in a pattern
Correct Answer: rhythm

6 Questions

Q1.
How do we find C on the keyboard?
It is to the right of the two black keys
It is to the left of the three black keys
Correct answer: It is to the left of the two black keys
Q2.
Which of these is the C position?
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q3.
The set of five lines and four spaces on which musical notes are written is called the .
Correct Answer: stave, staff
Q4.
When you sing happy birthday the part you are singing is called the .
Correct Answer: melody, tune
Q5.
Which note has its own line and sits just underneath the stave?
D
Correct answer: C
E
A
Q6.
Name the black note pictured on the stave.
An image in a quiz
G
Correct answer: E
D
F