LESSON SEVEN

The Note C (Above Middle C)

The note C is written in the third space of the staff. Notes written above the middle line of a staff usually have their stems going down.

The fingering for this C note is the same as that of middle C. Like the note G, you will once again need to use more pressure to sound this new C note correctly. Practice alternating between this C note and G, and also middle C as shown in the following example.

The William Tell Overture

The Dotted Quarter Note

A dot written after a quarter note means that you hold the note for one and a half beats. A dotted quarter note is often followed by an eighth note.

Brahms Lullaby

This melody makes use of dotted quarter notes and also contains the new C note you have just learned.

The C Major Scale

A major scale is a group of eight notes that produces the familiar sound:

You now know all of the notes needed to play the C major scale.

The number underneath each note indicates its position in the scale. These numbers are called scale degrees. The distance from the first to the eighth note of a major scale is one octave. An octave is the distance between a note and its next repeat either higher or lower. The names of the first and last notes of a major scale are always the same.

Key Of C Major

When a song consists of notes from a particular scale, it is said to be written in the key which has the same name as that scale. For example, if a song contains notes from the C major scale, it is said to be in the key of C major. The following song is written in the key of C major.

Lavender’s Blue

There are literally thousands of melodies which can be played using only the notes of the C major scale. It is extremely important to know all of the notes of this scale well and to be able to change between the notes easily. The following examples are designed to help you develop this skill.