Music Lesson: Learning a New Note

Okay, for this next song, we need to learn a new note. This will be going up in our scale.

Important Techniques

• Higher Pitch:

  • Every time we go higher in pitch, you need to make your lips a bit tighter and ensure you're blowing hard.
  • Use your tummy muscles to push the air through.

• Valves:

  • We use valves number one and two.
  • So this is one and this is two.
  • Press them down together, and that gives us the note E.

Notes Overview

• We know:
  • C
  • D
  • E

Remember: Press those valves down firmly!

Switching Between Notes

When you change between D and E, try just switching your fingers over. Don't pick all of your fingers up and press them down , you'll get a cleaner sound that way.

• Practice:
  • Try doing this without blowing for a bit.
  • That's really good practice and will strengthen your fingers.

E Sounds Like This: It's the highest of our three notes so far.

Sound Comparison

• C: Our lowest
• D
• E

If it doesn't sound right:

• It may be that your lips are not tight enough.
• If you don't tighten your lips when going up, you may drop down and get a low A instrument.

E: See, my lips shouldn't drop for that E. Keep everything tight!

Three Note Jam

When you play Three Note Jam, it's about practicing these three notes in a scale.

Play with Four Beats

1. First of all, play it with four beats on each note.
2. Here's a demonstration:
   • 1, 2, 3, 4. (Repeat twice)
3. Take a break and then do it the opposite way around, starting with your highest note and coming down.

Key Points:

• Lips tight.
• Don't forget to switch your fingers from E to D for a cleaner sound.
• Remember to use your tongue for every note.

Doubling Up

After that, the next bit is doubling up on those notes:

• Play two beats on each note.

Instructions:

1. 1, 2, 3 (Repeat twice, then take a break)
2. Now, do it the other way around starting on E, then D, then C.

Tip: It's a great way to warm up , doing these few simple phrases up and down your scale gets your fingers used to those patterns.

Playing Each Note Four Times

Next time, we'll do each note four times. Let's try that going up:

• 1, 2, 3...

Then repeat that twice for four bars and take a rest.

Coming Down in Pitch

Now, we'll do the same thing coming down in pitch:

• Get your lips ready and take a big breath.
• 1, 2, 3...

Well done!

Improvisation in Three Note Jam

In Three Note Jam, we have a long space for your improvisation or making up your own patterns.

• I'll give you some copybacks for ideas, or you can create your own.
• Ideas:
  • Think of a question.
  • Play the syllables of your name. For instance, my name is K. I could create a phrase using three notes.

Example:

• "I like fish and chips."
• Let me show you that one!

Explore Food Inspirations

Instead of "fish and chips," think of a different food that you like to eat. This will give us a different rhythmic pattern based on the syllables.

Examples:

• "I like apples."
• "I like spaghetti bolognese." (That would be quite complicated!)

Demonstration and Fun

Think about how you can incorporate different foods to inspire your own patterns. I'll do some demonstrations now for you to copy.

Here's my pulse:

• 1, 2, 3, 4.

Remember

Three Note Jam is like your own personal jam session! Have fun, make mistakes, and don't worry if you're not getting a clear sound.

Consider:

• Are your lips tight enough?
• Are they too tight?
• Are your fingers pressed down all the way?

Just enjoy the process! You can make up your own rhythms too; you don't have to stick to the long notes and four notes.

This backing track goes on for a long time. Have fun with this one, and I'll see you in the next lesson to learn a new note!