This course was an experiment in which I tried guide beginning students to learn and practise some fundamental aspects of piano playing without the need to learn to read music notation. I can't say that I fully endorse this course any more. There are certain aspects of it that I think people have found confusing, and the progression of difficulty is probably not as well suited to a beginner as I would have liked. However, I have decided to keep it available for now on the off chance that someone finds it interesting of finds some value in it.
Lesson 2 helped you practise playing while counting in twos. In Lesson 3 you will play while counting in threes. The music in this lesson is also for String Orchestra and Piano and the pattern you play will use the same two notes. The lesson video is available above should you need it.
Step 1. As in the previous lesson, the first step is to listen to and count along with a short percussion example. Remember, this lesson is about counting in threes so when you count along be sure to count correctly: “1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3...”.
Step 2. Now listen to this short piano piece and try to hear where the three beats fall. Listen to it a few times if you need to.
Step 3. Listen to the same piece now accompanied by some percussion marking out the beats. Count along as you listen and be sure to continue counting right through to the end.
Step 4. Now listen to the lesson music.
Step 5. The part you play this time consists of two separate patterns: the main pattern, and an ending pattern. The two patterns are separated by a period of rest - in the lesson music this is where the piano chords play. Listen to the two patterns and count along making careful note of how long the rest period is. Also be sure to note where the different percussion instruments play in the accompaniment. These will help you remember when the two patterns begin and end.
Step 6. Now play the two patterns along to the percussion accompaniment.
Step 7. Next is the same two patterns accompanied by piano. Listen and count along. This will be more challenging than before, especially the ending pattern, because you won’t have the percussion to help you keep time. You will likely need to do this several times before you get it right. I recommend counting out loud at first, then counting while tapping your finger. It is not necessary to keep perfect time at this stage, just close enough so that you are not noticeably out of time.
Step 8. Now play along to the piano accompaniment. Again, it may take several attempts and perfect timing is not necessary but you should try to play in time well enough so that it sounds okay when you play.
Step 9. And finally, play along to the full version of the lesson music.