I Can Play In Three (Analyse)

Music Lesson: Introducing the Note B

So let's learn a new note. This time it's a lower note, lower in pitch.

The Note B

• Just before C, if you think about your alphabet, what comes before C?
  It's B.

• For B, we press down our middle valve.

• You need to keep your lips quite relaxed.

• Remember, it's lower, or just a tiny bit lower than C.

Comparison of Notes

• Here's C and here's B.
• Hear the way the pitch goes down a little bit?
• Do that again: Here's C and B.

So there's a section of the song that just goes from C to B.

I'll just play it slowly for you. It sounds like this, with the words using the new note, B. We land on our B with the second figure down.

Practicing Together

So let me play that: one, two.

Try that one more time together: one, two, three.

That's it!

And make sure, as always, you're using your tongue to try and get the notes to come out clearly.

Adjusting Pitch

If that's going too high, you might find you're getting this sound, which means you're on the next kind of set of notes up on a G.

Don't worry if you're a bit high; you'll soon settle down. Just kind of drop your lips and see if you can settle on the lower C and B.

Understanding Time Signature

So remember, this is in 3/4 time, which means there are three beats in a bar.

• Instead of a kind of marching time that we've had before, we're counting:
  • 1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3. 1.

Do you see the way I'm swaying with that count?

• 1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3.

You can try swaying while you're playing the tune. It really helps to get that three-in-a-bar feeling.

Improvisation Section

The improvisation section is enough time for you to do copy backs or make up your own improvising.

This is quite a gentle song, so practice playing quite softly if you can.

• Don't blow too hard. This will also help you to get those lower notes.

Practicing the Tune

So let's try now, let's practice the tune, and it goes:

I can play in three. One, two, three. And gently.

I can play in three with the new note, B. So the new note comes in right at the end.

Join In!

Okay, I'm going to play the first four bars. You can join in if you want to:

One, two, three.

And the second half starts off in the same way:

I can play in three with our new note.

Don't forget, our new note is B.

So here we go:

I can play in three.

Emphasizing the Beat

When you're doing the improvisation section on this one, don't forget to try and emphasize the first beat in the bar, both on improvising and in the tune, so we get that swing to the 3/4 time.

Off you go!