So far you have C, D and E, all clustered around the group of two black keys. This lesson adds two more white keys, F and G, which cluster around the group of three. With five neighbouring keys and five fingers you can set your hand in C position, one of the most useful hand shapes in beginner piano. It is enough to play the whole of Ode to Joy.
Finding F and G
Look for a group of three black keys.
- F is the white key just to the left of the three.
- G is the next white key to the right of F, tucked in between the first and second black keys of the three.
Put this together with what you already know and you have five white keys in a row: C D E F G. C, D and E belong to the pair of black keys; F and G belong to the group of three. There is no black key between E and F. That is why E and F sit side by side with nothing separating them, a detail worth noticing because it will matter more later.
Find three different Fs and three different Gs around the keyboard. Say each letter as you press it. If you ever lose your place, go back to the black-key groups: two-group for C D E, three-group for F G.
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What is C position?
In C position, each of your five fingers rests on its own key, and the hand does not need to move for any note between C and G.
Right hand: thumb (1) on middle C, then finger 2 on D, 3 on E, 4 on F and 5 (the little finger) on G.
Left hand: usually one octave lower, on the C, D, E, F and G below middle C. The little finger (5) goes on C and the numbers count down as you go up: 4 on D, 3 on E, 2 on F, and the thumb (1) on G.
Rest all five fingertips lightly on their keys, with a rounded hand and a level wrist. Your knuckles should form a gentle arch. Fingers 4 and 5 are naturally weaker, so check that they are curved and not lying flat.
The five-finger pattern
The classic warm-up for C position is to play up and down the five keys: C D E F G F E D C. In the right hand that is fingers 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1; in the left hand it is 5 4 3 2 1 2 3 4 5. Play one note per beat and finish on C held for two beats.
This pattern trains every finger to play evenly. Listen carefully: the notes should be equally loud and equally spaced, with no bumps where the weaker fingers take over.
Ode to Joy
Ode to Joy is the main theme from the last movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. It fits entirely inside C position, which is one reason it is such a popular first tune. Most of it moves by steps, one key at a time. Here are the letters, with a held note (two beats) shown in capitals at the end of the fourth and eighth groups:
- E E F G
- G F E D
- C C D E
- E D D
- E E F G
- G F E D
- C C D E
- D C C
Notice that the first and second halves are almost identical; only the very end changes. The first half ends on D, sounding unfinished, as if asking a question. The second half ends on C, sounding settled, like an answer. You can listen to it on the Ode to Joy song page.
How to practise
- Find F and G in three different places. Then find C, D, E, F and G in a row, naming each one.
- Set your right hand in C position. Without playing, wiggle each finger in turn and say its number and its letter: "1 C, 2 D, 3 E, 4 F, 5 G".
- Play the five-finger pattern up and down slowly, right hand, then left hand. Count one note per beat.
- Learn Ode to Joy two lines at a time. Play the first two lines until they are smooth, then the next two, then join them.
- Play the whole melody slowly with a steady count, holding the last note of each half for two beats.
- Challenge: play the melody with your left hand in C position. The finger numbers change (E is finger 3, G is finger 1), but the letters are the same.
Common mistakes
- Letting finger 4 or 5 collapse. These fingers tend to flatten out. Keep the hand rounded and the fingertips on the keys.
- Shifting the hand. In C position the hand stays still. If your thumb has drifted off C, reset before you continue.
- Mixing up left-hand numbers. In the left hand the little finger plays C. Say the numbers out loud to stay on track.
- Dropping the held notes short. The D in the middle and the final C both last two beats.
Try it in Pianuvo
The last lesson of Unit 0: First week at the piano has you find Fs and Gs, play the five-finger pattern in each hand and then learn Ode to Joy, first a few bars at a time with the notes waiting for you, then the whole melody in time. It works with the on-screen keys, a MIDI keyboard, or an acoustic piano heard through your microphone, and scores each attempt so you can see your progress.