When you add chords to a song, the keyboard also allows you to have a bass and drum accompaniment at the same time. Chords are  indicated by chord symbols, which are written above notations of a song in next pages of lesson.

1. Set up the one-finger chord function on your keyboard.

2. Select a rock, disco, or march beat from the rhythm section.

3. Find the switch called synchro/start (e.g Yamaha keyboards), or synchro (e.g Casio, Technics, Roland and Kawai) and press it.

4. Press the C chord key and release it immediately.  Your keyboard will begin playing a C chord with bass and drum accompaniment, and continue playing until you press another key, or the stop button. Look in your owners manual if you need more help to use this feature. Press the C key once for playing C chord continuously. You can also play C major chord by pressing together the three keys C, E, G by left hand with finger number 5,3,1. Or play C major chord with right hand fingers 1,3,5.

In single finger mode you can play any major chord by just pressing the key in the chord area with the same name. Adding a black key on the left of this key will make it a minor chord and an extra white key on the left will make it a 7th chord. If you just began learning to play keyboard I would strongly advise against choosing this mode. It might seem the easiest way, but if you learn to play the basic major and minor chords with three fingers then you will also be able to play your music on keyboards without auto accompaniment (like a piano).

Full keyboard mode is mainly intended for MIDI players but you can also use this to play keyboard. There is no distinction between chord area and melody area. Any note that is played will be regarded as both a chord and a melody note. In this mode only basic major and minor chords are recognized. Because all notes are regarded as chord and melody notes, you can't use notes to switch variations. Use either the PC keyboard for that or use pedals that produce controller or patch( voice) messages.

If you use this mode with a keyboard then you should make some adjustments to your playing style to prevent that melody notes lead to unintended chords. If you press a chord that is recognized then (while you keep it pressed) it will not change when extra notes are pressed (for the melody). If you release the chord keys to make rhythmic moves, then try to avoid pressing more then two keys at a time until the chord keys are pressed again.

SONGS WITH CHORDS

Before playing songs with chords, practice each part separately. First practice the melody of the song by itself (right hand part), then practice the chords by themselves (left hand part).  Once you have learnt both parts, play them together.  Before you play, adjust the tempo to a comfortable speed.  To do this, press the start button, and the drums will play by themselves. If the drums are too fast, slow the speed down by adjusting the tempo control.   You can increase the speed as you become more confident playing the song.  If you are  playing along with the recording, play only the right hand part. For playing single key function for a chord use auto-accompaniment section of keyboard.

ENDING

Most electronic keyboards have a control which can automatically add and ending to a song you are playing.  Press the ending button when you have finished playing a song.  You can, however, use any voice or rhythm that you think suits the song.

Exercises for fingering practice:

In these exercises your fingers will be able to play smoothly and you will be able to learn my notation technique. With this technique you will  learn where to give silence or rest while playing. You will use proper finger numbers for specific keys.

  LOW SOUNDS                                                                            HIGH SOUNDS

                                                   On the keyboard, DOWN is to the LEFT, and UP is to the RIGHT.
                                                   As you move LEFT, the tones sound LOWER. As you move RIGHT, the tones sound HIGHER.

                                                   On the keyboard, DOWN is to the LEFT, and UP is to the RIGHT.
                                                   As you move LEFT, the tones sound LOWER. As you move RIGHT, the tones sound HIGHER.

Name That Key:

Piano keys are named for first seven letters of the alphabet, beginning with A.

A    B    C    D    E    F    G    A    B

Keyboard keys are named for seven letters of the alphabet, beginning with C.

C    D    E    F    G    A    B    C   D

Each white key is recognized by its position in or next to a black-key group! For example: A's are found between the TOP TWO KEYS of each 3-BLACK-KEY GROUP.  Play the following. Use LH 3 for keys below the middle of the keyboard. Use RH 3 for keys above the middle of the keyboard. Say the name of each key aloud as you play

You can now name every white key on your piano.  The key names are C D E F G A B and C, used over and over again. The keys of Piano start from A note. But it make no difference.  Play and name every white key beginning with bottom A. Use LH3 for keys below middle C, and RH 3 for keys above middle C.

Low Sounds

On the keyboard, DOWN is to the LEFT, and UP is to the Right.  As you move LEFT, the tones sound LOWER. As you move RIGHT, the tones sound HIGHER.

Right Hand C Position

Place the RH on the keyboard so that the 1st FINGER  falls on MIDDLE C.  Let the remaining 4 fingers fall naturally on the next 4 white keys.  Keep the fingers curved and relaxed. The names of 5 keys are ALPHABETICAL ORDER: C  D  E  F  G  

Right Hand Warm-Up 

Play the following WARM-UP.  Say the name of each note aloud as you play.  Repeat until you can play smoothly and evenly. As the notes go higher on the keyboard they are written higher in the notation below. Higher means play from left to right side.

Note: Right hand RH fingering or finger numbers is shown above the notations. Warming up fingering practice is very important for playing smoothly and fast.. Practice for 15 minutes for some days the below given lesson.

Left Hand Warm-Up

Place the LH on the keyboard  so that the 5th FINGER falls on the C BELOW (to the left of) MIDDLE C.  Let the remaining fingers fall naturally on the next 4 white keys. Keep the fingers curved and relaxed.

Play the following  WARM-UP. Say the name of each note aloud as you play. Repeat until you can play smoothly and evenly.  *Finger numbers are shown below the notations.

Middle C Position

The MIDDLE C POSITION used notes you already know! RH is in C POSITION.  Both thumbs are now on Middle C.

The Four Four Time Signature

Four four time signature tells that there are four beats in  one measure. Play slowly and evenly, counting a, 2, 3, 4 as you play. Each count is equal to one second and one measure  is equal to four seconds.

Play and say the notes names.  Do this several times! First play left hand ascending and descending then play RH ascending descending. This practice exercise is very important.

Note for Player:- Click play button and let the music to fully download. After fully download you can listen complete music smoothly. To listen again press play button again.

Exercise 1 Middle C Note  (Suggested voice: PIANO)

Play eight Middle C notes. Count aloud as you play.  Use the thumb of your right hand. On the recording there are four drumbeats to introduce this exercise. Music is divided into bars (or measures) by bar lines. In this exercise there are two bars of music. Where  measure 1 is bar one and measure 2 is bar 2.

Exercise 2   (Suggested voice: PIANO)

Here are four bars of Middle C in 4/4 time. Play slowly and evenly, counting as you play.  On the recording there are four drumbeats to introduce exercises and songs in 4/4 time.

 :│ Two dots in the end are called a repeat sign.  They mean that you play the exercise again from the start.

The D note

Exercise 3   (Suggested voice Clarinet)

Play the D note with second finger of your right hand.

Exercise 4 (Suggested voice: BRASS ENSEMBLE)

The Half Note

This is a half note. It lasts for two beats.  There are only two half notes in one bar  OR measure of 4/4 time signature. 

Exercise 5  (Suggested Voice Jazz Organ)

This exercise contains four bars of half notes using C and D. The big number 1 and 3 indicate that you play the note. The small number 2 and 4 tell you to hold until the next note.  Hold also means no sound of keys. This exercise contains four measures of half notes using C and D.  There are only two half notes in one measure of 4/4 time.

Exercise 6 (Suggested Voice Trumpet)

Exercises 6 and 7 use a mixture of half and quarter notes.  Because of the 4/4 time signature, there must be a total of four beats in each measure.

Exercise 7  (Suggested Voice Flute)