Unit 6
Middle C Position
New: Both thumbs on middle C; notes near the middle of the grand staff
In the middle C position both thumbs share middle C. The right hand plays C D E F G as before. The left hand moves up so that fingers 5-4-3-2-1 sit on F G A B C, finishing on middle C. The hands are now right next to each other, and you read notes near the middle of the grand staff.
What is new
One key, two ways to write it
Middle C can sit on a ledger line below the treble staff, or on a ledger line above the bass staff. It is the same key either way. The staff tells you which hand plays it.
New left-hand notes
F is the fourth line (between the clef's dots), G the top space, A the top line, B the space just above the staff, and C the ledger line above that.
Ledger lines
Short extra lines for notes beyond the staff. One ledger line above the bass staff, or below the treble staff, is middle C.
Part A: Reading across the middle ♩ = 60
Hands take turns across middle C. Metronome 60.
Part B: Longer phrases ♩ = 72
Eight-bar phrases in 3/4.
Part C: Eight bars in 4/4 ♩ = 66
Eight-bar phrases in 4/4, including whole notes and quarter-half-quarter rhythms.
Pieces
Pieces are for playing more than once. Read each one first without stopping, like an exercise; then practise it until it sounds steady and musical.
Over the Bridge ♩ = 72
Original
The tune walks down from the right hand, crosses middle C into the left hand, and comes back up again.
Sharing Middle C ♩ = 84
Original
Both hands start on middle C. Watch which staff it is written on.
Echo Across Middle C ♩ = 76
Original
The right hand climbs, the left hand answers by stepping down from middle C, and the two hands meet on middle C at the end.