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.
In Step Three you will practise moving around the keyboard in different ways. The five lessons in this step involve playing patterns that move up or down the keyboard in particular ways, or in the case of Lesson 1, remaining in a static position on the keyboard. The lessons will also introduce you to some terminology that should prove useful in your future studies.
As promised in the previous steps, the patterns you play in Step Three will be longer and more complex than those you have played so far. Here your part will not be restricted to a particular group of notes. You will play on both the white and black keys and the patterns you play will cover a wider area of the keyboard than before. Finding, playing, and remembering the notes in your part will each provide its own challenge and together will give you a real taste of what it means to learn to play the piano.
Having worked through Steps One and Two, you should be quite familiar now with the structure of these lessons. I will continue to walk you through each step, but don’t feel limited to what is written here. Explore different approaches to practising each step and develop your own strategies for addressing difficult moments in the music.
Since your part in the music is becoming more complex, you will most likely need to watch the video lessons for Step Three. This will be particularly true for Lesson 4 and Lesson 5 where the patterns you play are split between the two hands. I recommend watching the lesson video at least once before starting the lesson.