The Walking Song
Lesson Book page 12
- Playing with fingers 2-3-4 in stepwise motion, down and up
- Double bar line
what's new
- Playing with fingers 2-3-4 on 3-black-keys in stepwise motion (non-legato is acceptable at this stage)
- Keeping a steady beat
what's important
let's get started
- Let's take a short walk in the studio. Step, step, step, step … you keep a steady beat, don't you?
- Imitate me. Let's walk fingers 2-3-4 up and down on the 3-black-keys. Are you steady?
- Point to the notes while I play The Walking Song. Watch the notes move up and down. Which note repeats?
- (On the fallboard) Play and say the finger numbers.
- (On the keys) Play and say the finger numbers. Is your walk steady?
The fingers step from note to note—and sometimes they repeat!
explore and create
Is That an Elephant Walking?
(Play the piece slow, heavy, and low on the keyboard.)How Would a Pony Trot?
Play the piece in the middle range, lighter and quicker.)Can You Sneak In on Tiptoe?
Play the piece high on the keyboard, very soft and very light.)Here Comes a King!
(Play with a stately and solemn quarter-note accompaniment.) (See video and download duet)Be a Clown
(Play a quirky eighth-note accompaniment.) (See video and download duet)Swing Time
(Play an accompaniment with triplets.) (See video and download duet)Tooth Fairy
Does the tooth fairy still visit? (Play an accompaniment with sixteenths.) (See video and download duet)
At this stage playing legato is not yet the ideal.
pedagogy pointers
Now it's time for the fingers to move individually. Staying on the 3-black-keys and using fingers 2-3-4 keeps the hand in balance as each hand steps up and down. The left hand first walks down, then up because that's the most natural gesture.
At this stage playing legato is not yet the ideal. The movement of the notes on the page is more subtle, and the repeated note is introduced.
accompaniments on disk
- CD Tracks 4-5
- MIDI File 2