Playing on White Keys

U N I T T W O

Upon completion of this unit the student will be able to:

Objectives 1. Name, find and play all white keys on the keyboard.
2. Perform simple melodies on white keys.
3. Identify rests and apply them to performance at the keyboard.
4. Tap two-part rhythm patterns.
5. Aurally distinguish low from high sounds, sounds that move up
or down and simple rhythm patterns.

Week of __________
Assignments Write your assignments for the week in the space below.

Did You Know? History of the Piano

Although the piano was invented in 1709 by Bartolommeo Cristofori

in Florence, Italy, piano music and the piano as we know it today did
not really come into its own until much later in the 18th century.
Before this time, the harpsichord and clavichord were the instruments
of choice. Cristofori’s instrument, called the pianoforte, allowed the
performer to play both soft and loud depending on touch. This allowed
for a greater degree of expression. The pianoforte was the direct fore-
runner of the acoustic piano that we know today.

Playing on White Keys ■ Unit 2 11

 Piano keys are named for the first seven letters of the alphabet.
Naming The key names are A B C D E F G, used over and over! The lowest
key on the piano is A. The C nearest the middle of the piano is
White Keys called middle C. The highest key on the piano is C. Going up the
keyboard, the notes sound higher and higher. While most acoustic
pianos have 88 keys, some digital keyboards may have fewer.

M
I
D
D
L
E

A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C

LOW HIGH
Middle C

Beginning at the low end and moving up the keyboard, play and
name every white key beginning with the bottom A, using the indi-
cated rhythm. Use LH 3 for keys below the middle of the keyboard.
Use RH 3 for keys above the middle of the keyboard.

Middle
1-13 (55) RH
3
F G
D E
A B C
E F G
B C D
A
F G
LOW D E
A B C
F G
D E
A B C

3
LH
C
A B
F G
D E
B C
A
E F G HIGH
C D
A B
F G
D E
A B C

Play all the A’s Beginning at the low end and moving up the keyboard, play every
on your piano. A, using

 on each key. Say the name of each key aloud as you
play. Use LH 3 for keys below middle C on the keyboard. Use RH
3 for middle C and keys above middle C on the keyboard. Repeat
this exercise for B, C, D, E, F and G.

Play all the B’s. Play all the C’s. Play all the D’s. Play all the E’s. Play all the F’s. Play all the G’s.

B C D E F G

12 Unit 2 ■ Playing on White Keys

 An octave is the distance from one key on the keyboard to the next
Octave key (lower or higher) with the same letter name.

M
I
D
D
L
E

A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C

C-D-E Groups

RH: 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
M
I
D
D
L
E

C D E C D E C D E C D E C D E
LH: 3 2 1 3 2 1 3 2 1

With RH 1 2 3, begin on middle C and play all of the C-D-E

groups going up the keyboard, using the indicated rhythm and
finger numbers.
1-14 (56)
2 3
1
2 3 E
1 C D

2 3 E
1 C D

2 3 D E
1 C
D E
C

With LH 1 2 3, begin on the E above middle C and play all of the

E-D-C groups going down the keyboard, using the indicated rhythm
1-15 (57) and finger numbers.

E D
C
1 E D
2 3 C
1 E D
2 3 C
1 2 E
D
3 C
1 2 3

Playing on White Keys ■ Unit 2 13

 F-G-A-B Groups

RH: 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
M
I
D
D
L
E

F G A B F G A B F G A B F G A B F G A B F G A B
LH: 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1

With RH 1 2 3 4, begin on the F above middle C and play all of the

F-G-A-B groups going up the keyboard using the indicated rhythm
and finger numbers.

3
4
.
.
1 2
1-16 (58) 4 A
B
3 G

.
2 F
1
B
4 G
A
3 F

.
1 2
B
4 A
F G
2 3
1
B
A
F G

With LH 1 2 3 4, begin on the B below middle C and play all of the

B-A-G-F groups going down the keyboard using the indicated
rhythm and finger numbers.
1-17 (59)

.
.
B
A
G
F
1

.
2 B
A
3 G
4 F
1 2 B
3 A
G
4 F
1
2
3
4

Dynamic signs
New Signs  (piano) = soft
 (forte) = loud

First ending ( 1. ): play first time only.

Second ending ( 2. ): play second time only.

Repeat sign ( .. ): repeat from the beginning.

14 Unit 2 ■ Playing on White Keys

 SOLO REPERTOIRE
starting key: RH
M
I
D
D
L

Summer Night E

1-18 (60)

Kenon D. Renfrow

Flowing

RH 2 A 2 A
G G 1 G G
F F F F F
E E E E E

F
D D

p F

..
6
1. 2.
4

G 1 G
F F F
E E E E E
D D D

f f
OPTIONAL : Play Summer Night with
the LH beginning with finger 4.

TEACHER ACCOMPANIMENT

Flowing ( q = 96)

&c ‰ j œ ‰j
œ
‰j œ ‰j œ ‰ j
œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœœ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œœœœ
Fœ œ œ œ p
F
œ œ
?c w ˙ w
w w
with pedal
˙
6 1. 2.

& ‰ j œœœ ‰j œ ‰ j œ .. ‰ j ‰ j ‰ j
œ œ fœ œ
œ œ œœ œ œœ œœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙˙˙
œœ f
œ œ rit.
? .. ˙ œ œ
w bw ˙ œ œ ˙
˙

Playing on White Keys ■ Unit 2 15

 Rests are signs for silence.
Rests Quarter rest (  ) means rest for the value of a quarter note.
Ó
Ó
Half rest ( ) means rest for the value of a half note.
Whole rest ( ) means rest for the value of a whole note or
any whole measure.

SOLO REPERTOIRE starting key: LH

M

Simple Elegance
I
D
D
L
E

1-19 (61) 1

Moderate Kenon D. Renfrow

D
ΠD
Ó Œ
f
C C C C
B B B
A A A
G 1
1 2 2
LH
4
5

7
B
Ó D
ΠD
C
B
A
B
C
A
G 1 G 1

F 5

Ó
12

Ó
D D
C
B B
A A
1 G

f 3 4
5

OPTIONAL: Play Simple Elegance

with the RH beginning with finger 5.

TEACHER ACCOMPANIMENT
Moderate (
= 180)
#4
& 4 Œœœœ Œœœœ Œ œœ œœ œœ Œ œœ œœ œœ Œ œœ œœ œœ Œ œœ œœ œœ Œ œœ œœ œœ Œ œœ œœ œœœ
œœœ œœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
fœœœ œœœ
?# 4 Œ Ó ŒÓ ŒÓ ŒÓ ŒÓ ŒÓ œŒÓ œŒ Œ
4œ œ œ œ œ
detached
œ œ
9
#
& Œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ Œbœ œ œ Œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ Œ w
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œœœ www
F f rit.
?# Œ Ó ŒÓ ŒÓ ŒÓ ŒÓ ŒÓ œŒ Œ
œ œ œ œ w
œ œ œ
16 Unit 2 ■ Playing on White Keys
 RHYTHM READING Tap the following rhythm patterns using RH for notes with stems
going up and LH for notes with stems going down. Tap hands
separately first, and then hands together, always counting aloud.

1-20 (62)

˙ ˙ œ œ ∑˙ œ ˙ œ œ œ ∑˙
∑ ∑
1.

1-21 (63)

2.
˙˙ .. œ˙ . œ œ ˙˙ . œ ˙˙ ..

1-22 (64)

œ Œ œ Œ ∑ œ Œ œ Œ ˙˙ ˙˙
˙ Ó
∑ ∑
3.

1-23 (65)

4.
œœ ˙œ œ œœ ˙œ œ ˙œ œ ˙œ . œ œ œœ œœ œœ ˙˙

EAR TRAINING 1. Your teacher will play LOW or HIGH sounds.

• Circle LOW if you hear LOW sounds.
• Circle HIGH if you hear HIGH sounds.
2. Your teacher will play sounds that go UP or DOWN.
• Circle the arrow pointing up if the sounds go UP.
• Circle the arrow pointing down if the sounds go DOWN.
3. Your teacher will clap a rhythm pattern.
Circle the pattern that you hear.

1-24 (66) 1-25 (67)

1. 2.

LOW
HIGH
1-26 (68) 1-27 (69)
3a. 3b.
œ ˙ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ œ œ œ œ
œ œ ˙ œ œ ˙ ˙ œ ˙ œ
Teacher: See page 153.

Playing on White Keys ■ Unit 2 17

Review Worksheet
U N I T T W O

Name ________________________ Date _____________________

1. Write the letter name on each key marked X.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
A

2. Write the numbers from column A in the appropriate blanks

in column B to match each item with its best description.

Column A Column B

1. Quarter note q Moderately loud

2. Half note h Note receiving 4 counts

3. Dotted half note h. Soft

4. Whole note w Note receiving 1 count

5. Piano p Œ
6. Mezzo forte F
7. Forte f Note receiving 3 counts

8. Quarter rest Note receiving 2 counts

9. Half rest Second ending (play second time only)

10. Whole rest

11. 1. Ó
12. 2. First ending (play first time only)

13. Repeat sign Ó

14. Measures and bar lines Loud

15. Double bar

..

18 Unit 2 ■ Playing on White Keys