When to cont with bass clef

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J_Piano
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Joined: Wed Dec 04, 2019 2:50 pm

When to cont with bass clef

Post by J_Piano » Tue Dec 10, 2019 9:04 pm

So I'm at the beginning of bass clef (not just the little intro vid), however, I haven't memorized all the notes from treble. I know the instructions said it was okay if I hadn't memorized everything yet, but does it make sense to move forward?

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sw1tch73ch
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Re: When to cont with bass clef

Post by sw1tch73ch » Wed Dec 11, 2019 4:29 am

You can move forward. What I recommend is learning one note at a time. Start with the bottom or the top line of the clef. The top is the A just a couple white notes below Middle C. Or you could learn the G that is the bottom line - that will be more interesting, it is An Octave and then a bit more below middle C (10 white notes below Middle C).

So what you really want to learn is the pattern of the keyboard, the sheet music will come in time.

Everything on a Piano is relative to a version of the Note C. The pattern of black keys will make that more apparent. There are a pair of black keys near each others, and there are a trio of black keys near each other. The first, the pair of black keys has a C as the white note to their left. D is the one between them and E is the note to the right. C, D, and E, start each octave. The Trio have a similar set of keys, F to the left, G between the left two black notes, the note A between the right two black keys, and then finally B to the right of the trio. This pattern is exactly the same for each octave. As Harry Connick Jr. says, there are only 12 notes, the 7 white note and the five black notes, they repeat in each octave and only their pitch change.

Now you probably won't recognize the sound of a given key yet, but certainly you can recognize the patterns of the black notes. 2 and 3. That's all there is. C, D, E and F, G, A, B - repeating. So, learn the C keys and know the other 6 follow each C in that order every time.

Then remember that G at the bottom or the A at the top of the bass clef. As you go, try to learn some other line or space between those two. It doesn't happen all at once, but you only learn them by keeping going.

You've probably already nailed those 12 notes, but here is a picture to help remember. A similar picture of the bass clef notation is possible (The Letters for each of the five lines and four spaces - one note longer than an octave), but it gets crowded and busy quick, so just start with this and remember one note in the notation for the bass clef. I have a laminated "Music Theory" poster on my music rest. I can refer to it when I forget.
Octave Letter Names.png
Octave Letter Names.png (80.13 KiB) Viewed 5277 times
Last edited by sw1tch73ch on Thu Dec 12, 2019 2:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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pavel
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Re: When to cont with bass clef

Post by pavel » Wed Dec 11, 2019 7:46 am

small tip from my side how I learned bass clef (or generally all notes). Assign each note one unique word. I started from middle, so D note, I asked myself "how can you not remember such a simple thing, you moron". Maybe for you it is not obvious but in my language morn = debil, so associated with D :D :D Each note has small name, some are funny, some not. As time goes by I do not see "debil" anymore but simple D ... works for me

J_Piano
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Joined: Wed Dec 04, 2019 2:50 pm

Re: When to cont with bass clef

Post by J_Piano » Wed Dec 11, 2019 8:26 pm

Thanks all! I really appreciate it.

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