Step 1: Note Groups
Our piano keys are divided into two groups: blue keys and white keys.
The blue group has 3 members: the C, E and G keys.
The white group has four members: B, D, F and G.
But wait! Four members? Yes, because the G key is part of both groups.
Assignment 1:
Press the PRACTICE button. Look at the letters on the keys and note that the letter G is written twice on the top blue key. The blue G key is the only blue key that is allowed to fill a white ring.
After you have seen the key names, press the COMPOSE button. Then, play any blue keys, but only four times. It does not matter which ones you use. Remember the first rule of composition: blue keys fill blue rings. Then take a little breath and play four white keys. Any white keys you want. After that, look at the remaining white rings and this time, mix in the blue G key. Finish up by playing any blue keys, but remember the third rule of composition: always finish with the blue C key.
Step 2: A Blue Key in a White Ring
Let's look at a composition that used a blue key for a white ring.
As you listen to the melody, look at the G key. Do you notice that it doesn't sound wrong? It fits really nice.
Assignment 2:
Spend a few minutes with the app and compose a few songs. Now that you know the 3 rules of composition, you can experiment. You can make simple compositions where no blue G key fills a white ring, or, you can make mixed compositions where you use a blue G key once in a while. When done, press the STEP 3 button.
Step 3: Why 15 Notes?
The three rules of composition help us to play the right key family to fill the correct rings. But what about those rings? Why are there 15 and not 7 or 22?
Think of music like four boxes of pizza. Each box has four slices, but the last box has one slice missing. That is why our compositions are 15 notes long. Soon, we will dig deeper to find out about this interesting mystery.
Assignment 3:
Press the PRACTICE button and this time, don't compose anything. Just look at those 15 rings. Do you notice that there is a line after the fourth ring? That line is important, for it tells us when a new note group is starting.
Music is math. Musicians don't count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15. No, we musicians, including you now that you can compose, we count: 1 2 3 4. 1 2 3 4. 1 2 3 4. 1 2 3 _
After you see the four groups of four notes clearly, press STEP 4 to finish up.
Step 4: What We Learned Today
Today, we learned about the two note groups and started to talk about our compositions, which are made up of 15 notes. We divided those 15 notes into four parts. Each part has four notes, except the last part, which has three notes.
Please remember that when composing music, the note, or which key you play, is not that important. What is very important is that your music follows the 3 rules of composition, which help us pick the right note group. I say it again: picking a key from the right note group is all that matters. Which of the keys is only a little bit important.
Come back tomorrow for Module 4.
Mentor Note
Dear mentor. Today your child learned that the piano keys live in two families, and that every song we build has exactly 15 notes in four parts.