C Scale Warm-up
Lesson Book page 53
- Extension of the reading range in the bass clef
- Left-hand bass notes D and E
what's new
- Playing a left-hand C five-finger scale
- Playing with good tone and a steady tempo
what's important
let's get started
- You know Bass C and Bass F. Look at the example in the book. D and E fill in the space between. Which is the only note with a stem going up? (Bass C)
- Let's shade in space 2 (Bass C) in the first measure of the second line of music. Can you name all the notes in that line?
- Warming up means getting ready. Let's find some LH warm-up patterns and play each three times in a row (Mm. 1-2, 5-6, 7-8). (Improvise an accompaniment.)
- The LH only steps and skips. What does the RH pattern do that's different? (Leap.)
Warm-up "tricks" get the hands ready.
explore and create
Sports Announcer
Pretend that your hands are rival football teams. As you play the song, I'll be a sports announcer. Team A steps up the field. Team B leaps and steps down the field. (Continue for the rest of the piece.)Field Goal
Can your LH kick a field goal at the end? Find the lowest C on the piano. Win the game! (See video)The Fans Are Dancing
Make the fans dance and celebrate using the LH C five-finger scale. (Play a vamp to set the tempo and mood.)
Both hands find the C five-finger scale.
partner pages
Theory
p. 41 Bass C-D-E-F-G (C Position)
- Students identify the five Bass C position notes, then write the five-finger scale on the bass staff.
- Students are challenged to write whole notes to match letter names of Bass C-D-E-F-G.
pedagogy pointers
The new octave-apart hand placement is called the C five-finger scale. Moving the left hand to begin on a Bass C extends the reading range in the bass clef. The space between Bass C and Bass F and G is now filled in. The piece gives the left hand a chance to play the notes in the five-finger scale up and down, stepping and skipping. This is the first time the hands begin a piece an octave apart.
accompaniments on disk
- CD Tracks 72-73
- MIDI File 36