Step 1: Why We Need Rules
Writing with no rules is like writing letters like this: qw4p09ioujfsklifgjh Nobody knows what that means. It is just a mess of letters. But when we write words, we can read them and others will know what we are saying.
Playing notes without rules is like writing letters that form words that nobody can read.
Assignment 1:
Press the PRACTICE button and then, press COMPOSE. Don't press any keys. Just look at the rings. Some rings are blue, some rings are white. After you have looked at the rings for a bit, press STEP 2.
Step 2: The Three Rules
To compose real music, we need to know 3 rules. Don't worry, they are simple:
- Play blue keys to fill the blue rings.
- Play white keys to fill the white rings.
- Always end your composition on a C note.
About the last note: The last note is special and the app will not record any key except the C key. The C key is the first blue key and has C4 written on it.
Assignment 2:
Press the PRACTICE button and then press COMPOSE. After that, play the blue C keys four times. Count along to make sure that you play four blue keys. Then, play four D keys. Take a moment to focus, and then play four B keys. Lastly, end with three C keys.
When done, press STEP 3.
Step 3: Your First Rule-Based Composition
If you completed Assignment 2 correctly, then you entered this melody.
Listen to it two times. Then, press the PRACTICE button and then, the SHOW ME button to listen one more time. Are the melodies the same? If not, read Step 2 and start over. It's ok, that is how learning works.
If the melody you recorded sounds like the one we made, then you have completed this lesson successfully. Press the STEP 4 button to finish up.
Step 4: What We Learned Today
Today, you have made your first melody. Is it a famous melody that everyone wants to hear? No. But it is not wrong. A famous musician could easily take this and, by adding words, make it sound fancy. But that was not today's goal. Today's goal was to build a bridge from wrong to right, and every day you continue learning and practicing, your compositions will get better and better.
If you want to learn faster, repeat STEP 2 one extra time because it will help you hear the blue and white notes faster.
Come back tomorrow for Module 3.
Mentor Note
Dear mentor. Today was a big day. We crossed an invisible border and started to build the foundation of all music. Yes, today was correct music and thus, a real beginning.
Please listen to your child when it shows you the composition. You make the difference between giving up and achieving the goal. The course is easy, and the app helps to break down the steps. All you need to do is provide the time. And soon, you will hear why.