| In this piano lesson you will learn to play | | | | the next C is called an octave. The keys are |
| Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star without the use | | | | grouped this way on the whole keyboard.You |
| of sheet music. After this learn to play | | | | also have these notes to the left of the |
| piano tutorial you will be able to play the | | | | middle C. We can call these notes the left |
| melody with both hands!As you know Twinkle, | | | | octave.If you use the notes 1-7 in the left |
| Twinkle, Little Star is a popular nursery | | | | octave to play bass notes with your left hand |
| rhyme. The melody is from France and the | | | | we can notate the melody in the following |
| lyrics from an English poem by Jane | | | | way:1/1 1 5/3 5 6/4 6 5/3The note to the |
| Taylor.The English lyrics are as | | | | right of the slash is the bass note. 1/1 |
| follows:Twinkle, twinkle, little star | | | | means that as you play the first 1 with your |
| | | | right hand you simultaneously play number 1 |
| How I wonder what you are | | | | in the left octave with your left hand.I |
| | | | guess you have noticed that you only play |
| Up above the world so high | | | | bass notes together with some of the melody |
| | | | notes.Let's continue this piano lesson with |
| Like a diamond in the sky | | | | the next line:How I wonder what you are4/2 4 |
| | | | 3/1 3 2/5 2 1/1What fingers should you use as |
| Twinkle, twinkle, little star | | | | you play? You can and maybe you use your |
| | | | index fingers on both hands to play but it |
| How I wonder what you areIn this piano | | | | will be easier to find your notes if you |
| lesson we will use a form of tablature | | | | cultivate the habit to use all your |
| instead of sheet music notation.Tablature is | | | | fingers.On your right hand you can use your |
| a type of musical notation which will tell | | | | thumb to play number 1 and your index finger |
| you where to place your fingers to play a | | | | to play number 2 and so on.The next piano tab |
| melody on your piano. The first thing we will | | | | looks like this:Up above the world so high5/3 |
| do is to locate the note C.The middle C on a | | | | 5 4/2 4 3/1 3 2/5If you want to use |
| piano is the first white key that is to the | | | | fingerings on your left hand you place your |
| left of two black keys. It is called middle C | | | | little finger above key number 1 and your |
| because on the piano keyboard it is right in | | | | thumb on number 5 and the other fingers |
| the middle, near the keyhole.In our piano tab | | | | accordingly.On the next piano tab the melody |
| notation the keys are numbered instead. This | | | | is identical:Like a diamond in the sky5/3 5 4 |
| middle C in our type of piano tab is called | | | | 2 4 3/1 3 2/5Now you only have to play the |
| 1.This means that when you see the number 1 | | | | beginning of the song again:Twinkle, twinkle, |
| you are to play the middle C once. The white | | | | little star1/1 1 5/3 5 6/4 6 5/3How I wonder |
| key to the right of C we call 2, the next 3 | | | | what you are4/2 4 3/1 3 2/5 2 1 |
| and so on.Let's play some piano tab notes:1 2 | | | | 1Congratulations! Now you can play Twinkle, |
| 3 4 5 6 7Now you have played a scale with the | | | | Twinkle, Little Star as a piano solo with two |
| actual notes C D E F G A B.Now we will start | | | | hands!This type of piano notation is probably |
| to play the melody Twinkle, Twinkle, Little | | | | best used as a help to find the notes until |
| Star:Twinkle, twinkle, little star1 1 5 5 6 6 | | | | you know the melody by heart. I suggest that |
| 5Now you have played the notes C C G G A A | | | | you memorize one line at a time until you |
| G.How can you use your left hand? Let's make | | | | know the whole song as this will enable you |
| this piece a little bit more difficult and | | | | to play the song anywhere and anytime!Peter |
| also more rewarding to play by using your | | | | Edvinsson is a musician, composer and music |
| left hand for bass notes.The notes from C to | | | | teacher. |