3. Page
Welcome to Rocket Piano’s Intermediate Piano Course!
A Personal Message from Me
Welcome back to Rocket Piano! In this book you’re going to learn more about chord
progressions, new key and time signatures, dynamic signs, and much, much more! You’ll
learn how to reach those tricky notes with ease using my hand positioning techniques.
You’ll also have over fifteen original compositions to play, as well as popular songs like
“Amazing Grace” and “House of the Rising Sun.” Don’t forget to listen to the nearly 30
audio tracks included.
This book also continues on with all new Jam Tracks for you to play along with a real
band!
I’ve also included the New Rocket Piano Progress Tracker so that you can have a checklist
of all the techniques you can expect to learn in the course. It is also a Record of Learning
for when you finish whether you want to revise your skills or just show off to your friends
all the amazing skills and techniques that you have learned!
Once you have mastered a lesson or skill tick it off on the Progress Tracker, and move on
to the next lesson! Commit yourself to ticking off the skills you learn as you go and see
your improvement instantly!
Are you ready?
Ruth
23
Listen to a personal
message from Ruth
0101
Every time you see one
of these buttons, play the
relevant video or track!
4. Page
Table Contents
Welcome!..................................................................3
A Personal Message from Me..................................3
Rocket Piano Progress Tracker................................5
Chapter One............................................................6
Review of Chord Progressions.................................6
She’ll be Comin’ Round the Mountain......................6
Shifting Inversions....................................................7
New Hand Technique: 2nd Finger Over Thumb.......8
Re-cap of Rhythmic Notation....................................9
8th Note Triplets.....................................................10
Counting 8th Note Triplets......................................10
Jam Track Six.........................................................14
Chapter Two..........................................................16
A New Time Signature............................................17
Another Key Signature: B Flat Major......................18
Primary Triads in B Flat Major................................19
Amazing Grace.......................................................20
The A Major Scale..................................................21
Primary Triads in A major........................................22
Play it Faster: Vivace..............................................23
Revision Test: Part Three.......................................24
Revision Test: Part Three continued.......................25
Revision Test: Part Three Answers.........................26
Jam Track Seven....................................................27
Chapter Three.......................................................28
More Signs that Modify Notes................................28
The E Flat Major Scale...........................................30
Primary Triads in E Flat Major................................31
Play it Slower: Largo...............................................32
Playing the Scales over Two Octaves....................33
Arpeggios over Two Octaves..................................34
Pedal Practice........................................................35
Jam Track Eight......................................................36
Chapter Four.........................................................37
Seventh Chords......................................................37
Dominant 7th Chords..............................................39
Minor 7th Chords....................................................40
Minor 7 Flat 5 Chords.............................................41
Recap of 7th Chords...............................................41
7th Chords in I, IV, V Progressions.........................42
Non Troppo Allegretto.............................................43
Sforzando...............................................................45
Jam Track Nine.......................................................46
Chapter Five .........................................................48
Three-note 7th Chords...........................................48
Adding Inversions...................................................50
Dominant Chords in Four Keys..............................51
Andantino...............................................................52
Jam Track Ten........................................................54
Chapter Six............................................................56
Key of E Minor........................................................56
E Harmonic Minor Scale.........................................57
E Melodic minor scale............................................57
Primary Triads in E Harmonic Minor.......................58
Revision Test: Part Four.........................................62
Revision Test: Part Four continued.........................63
Revision Test: Part Four Answers...........................64
So Long!.................................................................65
5. Page
Lesson or Skill Page # Date Signature
Shifting inversions ............. .............. ..........................
New Hand technique: 2 Finger Over Thumb ............. .............. ..........................
8th note triplets ............. .............. ..........................
A New Time Signature: 6/8 ............. .............. ..........................
Key Signature: B flat major ............. .............. ..........................
Primary triads in B flat major ............. .............. ..........................
The A major scale ............. .............. ..........................
Primary triads in A major ............. .............. ..........................
Performance direction: Vivace ............. .............. ..........................
Accents ............. .............. ..........................
Staccato Staccatissimo ............. .............. ..........................
Playing in unison ............. .............. ..........................
The E flat major scale ............. .............. ..........................
Primary triads in E flat major ............. .............. ..........................
Performance direction: Largo ............. .............. ..........................
Playing scales over two octaves ............. .............. ..........................
Playing arpeggios over two octaves ............. .............. ..........................
Pedal practice: Ped___ ............. .............. ..........................
Seventh chords ............. .............. ..........................
Dominant 7th chords ............. .............. ..........................
7th chords in a I IV V progression ............. .............. ..........................
Three note 7th chords ............. .............. ..........................
7th chord inversions ............. .............. ..........................
Dominant chords in:G ............. .............. ..........................
In: F ............. .............. ..........................
In: D ............. .............. ..........................
In: Bb ............. .............. ..........................
Performance direction: Andantino ............. .............. ..........................
Key of E minor ............. .............. ..........................
E harmonic Minor scale ............. .............. ..........................
E melodic minor scale ............. .............. ..........................
Primary chords in E harmonic minor ............. .............. ..........................
Rocket Piano ProgressTracker
6. Page
Chapter One
Review of Chord Progressions
In Chapter 17 of the previous Rocket Piano book, you learned about chord progressions;
the series of primary triads that begin on the first, fourth, and fifth notes of a scale. In this
chapter, you will learn a few more pieces with a I, IV, V progression in order to familiarize
yourself with this important sequence.
Exercise: This piece is a I, IV, V progression in the key of G major. Practice identifying
the chords as you play.
She’ll be Comin’Round the Mountain
Allegro
01
1
3
5
1
3
5
1
3
5
1
3
5
1
3
5
1
4
1
3
5
q = 126
6
10
2 5 1 5 1 3
5 3 2 5 3 2 1
1 5 4 3 2
3
7. Page
6
Shifting Inversions
You should be comfortable with chord and chord inversions. Now let’s look at shifting
inversions and the difference in sound they can make. You may have noticed that a chord
in root position always sounds very grounded and stable, while the same chord played in
the various inversions has a very different quality. The more you play chords, the more
you’ll notice their tonal qualities.
C major in root position and
inversions in the right hand
Here are the same inversions for the left hand.
Moderato
Exercise: Practice chord inversion with the following piece.
Root
position
1st
inversion
(with the root
note C at the
top)
2nd
inversion
(with the 3rd
note E at the
top)
Root
position
(now an octave
higher)
Root
position
1st
inversion
(with the root
note C at the
top)
2nd
inversion
(with the 3rd
note E at the
top)
Root
position
(now an octave
higher)
1 23 5 1 35 1 35 1 5 3 1 5 3 4 1 5 1
1 23 5 1 35 1 35 1 5 3 1 5 3 5 3 2 1
02
8. Page
New HandTechnique: 2nd Finger OverThumb
At this stage, the pieces that you’re playing are going to demand more technical fingering
and frequent hand position changes. To hit all the notes in a piece more easily, try this
technique. When six notes occur in a row in the melody of a piece, let your 2nd finger go
over the thumb. 2 finger
goes over
Allegretto
Exercise: Practice putting your 2 finger over the thumb with this piece.
24
03
1 2 1 21 1
1
3
5
1
3
5
1
3
5
1
2
5
1
5
1
5
1
4
1
4
2
5
2
5
1
4
1
3
5
b
b
5
b
b
9
b
b
13
b
b
1 2 1 1 2 1
1 2 1
1 2 1
1 2 1
9. Page
Re-cap of Rhythmic Notation
It was a long, long time ago that you learned about rhythmic notation, so here’s a brief
re-cap to refresh your memory. Notice the new names for the quarter, half, whole, etc.
notes. They are more difficult to remember but are used often, so it is important to be
familiar with both.
Whole note
or breve
(4 beats)
Written as a
single note Whole note rest
Written as a
single note Half note rest
Quarter note rest
8th note rest
16th note rest
Written as a
single note
Written as a
single note
Written as a
single note
Half note or
minim
(2 beats)
Quarter note
or crotchet
(1 beat)
8th note or
quaver
(½ beat)
16th note or
semi-quaver
(¼ beat)
10. Page 10
8th NoteTriplets
Eight note triplets occur when there are three 8th notes played in the time of two 8th
notes, or one quarter note. When you play a triplet, then, you will spread the playing of
the three notes evenly across the time it would take to play a quarter note.
When 8th note triplets are written, a small number ‘3’ appears above or below the group
of notes.
Remember ...
three 8th note triplets =
one quarter note OR
two 8th notes.
3
3
iiq = q OR
3
3
iiq = iq
Counting 8th NoteTriplets
When counting 8th note triplets, you count:
one-and-then, two-and-then, three-and-then, four-and-then
Exercise: Clap the beats and count aloud the rhythm and also try clapping the rhythm
and counting aloud the beats.
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
iiq iiq iiq iiq q
3
3
iiq
3
3
iiq
one-and-then two-and-then three-and-then four-and-then
q q q q q
4
4
one two three four one-and-then two three-and-then four
Listen to the following track, which will familiarize you with the sound of triplets.
triplet sign
3
04
25
11. Page 11
q = 96
b
b
3
3
3
3
Exercise: Here’s a small piece just for the L.H to practice 8th note triplets. When notes
in the L.H appear like this and have a repetitive pattern, the following can be called a bass
line.
Andante moderato
Exercise: Try playing triplets with this piece.
05
06
q = 96
3
3
3
3
1
3
1
3
2
4
3
5
345 123 2 34
5
5
16. Page 16
e
q
q.
‘one’ beat instead of a half
beat=
=
‘one-two’ beats instead of
one beat
=
h. =
iiq iiq iiq iiq q e q e q. iiq
one two three four five six one two three four five six one-two three four-five six one-two-three four five six
6
8
‘one-two-three-four-five-six’
instead of three beats. The
dotted half note now makes
up a whole bar in time.6
8
‘one-two-three’ beats now
instead of one and a half. This
also divides the bar into half, so
two dotted quarter notes make
up a bar in time.6
8
ChapterTwo
A NewTime Signature
By now you should be able to play 4
4, 2
4, and 4
3 time. In this chapter, we’ll look at a new
time signature: .
Normal bars and measures are counted by notes that can be divided evenly in half. With
6
8 time, however, the beat is represented by dotted notes (like ) and thus gets divided
evenly into threes. A bar may consist of two dotted quarter notes ( ) or six 8th notes
( ).
Basically, the 6 on top means the bar gets divided up into 6, while the 8 on the bottom
means that an 8th note gets one beat.
This means that this time signature is quite different from those we’ve looked at before.
All the previous time signatures you’ve seen (with a at the bottom) take the quarter note
as the standard for one beat, which makes an eighth note last for half a beat. Now, the
eighth note is the standard for one beat. This means that all the other note values change
correspondingly.
Here is a list of the new values of our notes when played in
6
8 time.
q.
iiq iiq
q. q.
6
8
4
Exercise: Clap the beat and count the rhythm of this exercise in
6
8 time.
18. Page 18
b b
b b
Another Key Signature: B Flat Major
Now, you’re ready to learn another key signature: that of B major. B major has two flats
in it, B and E . Below, you can see how this key signature is indicated on the staff.
Remember that any major scale can be created by two tetrachords joined by a whole note
(Chapter 13 of the previous book). Therefore, the two tetrachords starting on B will make
the B major scale.
Use the same R.H. fingering to play B major as you do in F major. The R.H fingering will
go: 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4, both ascending and descending. The thumb will go under the 4 finger
on ascending, and on descending the 4 finger will go over the thumb.
Here’s the scale ascending.
b
b
b
Exercise: Here is the scales with both hands ascending and descending. Play over it
several times slowly to begin with. Pay particular attention to the R.H fingering.
R.H.
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
bb
first tetrachord
W HW W HWW
second tetrachord
joined
key signature
10
41 2 41 2 43 3 123 124 3
bb
bb
1 23 3 315 524 12 41 2 3
L.H.
bb 15 124 23 3
first tetrachord second tetrachord
joined
W HW W HWW
key signature
19. Page 19
Here is the I, IV, V chord progression in Bb major for the L.H, with the chords in the root
position.
This time the same progression except now with the inversions we’ve used previously
when looking at the primary chords.
PrimaryTriads in B Flat Major
The three primary triads in Bbmajor are Bb, Eb, and F.
b
Chord
I
IV
V
Triad
B major
E major
F major
Position
1st note
4th note
5th note
b
I IV V
R.H.
32 4
1
5 6 7 8
bb
Bb
Eb F
Exercise: Now play the inversions with both hands.
bb
I IV V
L.H.
1 5
Bb Eb F
432
11
I IV VL.H.
1 5
Bb
(root position)
Eb
(1st inversion)
F
(2nd inversion)
432
bb
bb
bb
20. Page 20
Exercise: This piece has the same chords as the I, IV, V progression but in a different
order than what you’ve been playing. This time, the chord progression goes: I, IV, I, V.
Try to identify the chords and their names in reference to their place in the progression.
Moderato
Amazing Grace
12
1
3
5
1
3
5
1
3
5
1
2
4
53
5
q = 88
bb
3
bb
5
bb
3
bb
9
bb 3
bb
13
bb
3
bb
4
1
1
5
4
4 2
2
21. Page 21
The A Major Scale
Now that you’ve mastered the B flat scale, you’re ready for another: the A major scale.
The A major scale has three sharps in it: F#, C#, and G#.
Take a look at the ascending A major scale for both hands below. Remember that you can
create the A major scale yourself by using the two major tetrachords joined by a whole
note principle.
joined
R.H.
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
first tetrachord
W HW W HWW
second tetrachord
key signature
Exercise: Play through the A major scale with both hands ascending and descending.
Use the normal fingering for the major scales.
1 23 3 31
1 2 1 23 1 123
5 524 12 41 2 3
4 43 235 5
13
L.H.
15 124 23 3
first tetrachord second tetrachord
joined
W HW W HWW
key signature
22. Page 22
You can vary how you play the I, IV, V progression by using the inversions differently,
which will give the progression a different type of quality in the chords. As you already
know, a chord that isn’t played in the root position usually has a sense of movement about
it. On the other hand, a chord played in the root position feels more grounded. If you use
the inversions differently, you can shift the progression in terms of the range in which it is
played.
Look at the example below, in which inversions of the I chord are played. These inversions
change what inversions you will use to play the other chords, as well as making the chord
type easier to hear. Remember: if a chord is played too low on the keyboard, it loses
quality, definition and becomes unclear.
Here is the same progression for the L.H with the chords in the root position.
Again, the same progression, except this time with the inversions.
Chord
I
IV
V
Triad
A major
D major
E major
Position
1st note
4th note
5th note
PrimaryTriads in A major
The three primary triads in A major are A, D, and E.
IV V
R.H.
32 4 5 6 7 8
I
1
A
D E
I IV VL.H.
321
A
4
D
5
E
A
(1st
inversion)
VIIVIIVIVI I
D
(root position)
E
(2nd
inversion) A
(1st
inversion)
A
(1st
inversion) D
(root position)
A
(1st
inversion) E
(2nd
inversion)
A
(1st
inversion)
I IV V
L.H.
1 5
A
(root position)
D
(1st inversion)
E
(2nd inversion)
432
23. Page 23
Vivace
Play it Faster: Vivace
Vivace is the next tempo indicator you’ll learn. It means to play the piece lively and quick.
It is a faster tempo than allegro, so vivace is now the fastest tempo you’ve played.
Exercise: Try this piece. Remember what the staccato dot means? (If you don’t,
refer to Chapter 9 of the Beginner book.)
14
1
3
5
5
1 5
2
4
1
3
q = 132
f
6
11
16
1
4 32
3 2 1
3 5 13 2 1
4
2 5
1
1 4 5
5 1 2 5
3
5
2
5
1 4
3
5
1
24. Page 24
RevisionTest: PartThree
1. If the root position of the C chord is made up of C E G in that order, what is the 1st
inversion of the C chord made up of?
a. C G E
b. E G C
c. E C G
d. G C E
2. How many 8th note triplets fit into a measure of 4/4?
a. 4
b. 8
c. 12
d. 16
3. What does 6/8 at the beginning of a piece indicate?
a. there are eight 6th notes per measure
b. there are six 8th notes per stave
c. there are six 8th notes per measure
d. there are 6 sharps and 8 flats in the key signature.
4. What is in the key signature of Bb major?
a. Bb
b. Bb and Eb
c. A# and D#
d. 5 flats
5. What are the sharps in the key of A major? Name them in order of their appearance
on the stave from left to right.
a. C# F# G#
b. C# G#
c. F# C# G#
d. F# C#
25. Page 25
RevisionTest: PartThree continued..
6. What does the term vivace mean?
a. play lively and quick
b. play slow and solemn
c. gradually getting faster
d. play sweetly
7. What is the defining characteristic of a harmonic minor scale?
a. it has no sharps or flats
b. the descending scale is different to the ascending scale
c. it has a raised 7th note
d. it is played with harmony in 3rds
8. What is the defining characteristic of a melodic minor scale?
a. it has no sharps or flats
b. the descending scale is different to the ascending scale
c. it has raised 7th note
d. it is the opening melody of the song “House of the Rising Sun”
9. What is the defining characteristic of a natural minor?
a. it has no sharps or flats
b. it has the same key signature as it’s relative major
c. it has the same key signature as E melodic minor
d. it played only on black notes
26. Page 26
RevisionTest: PartThree Answers
1. (b) The first inversion of the C major chord is E G C (pg 7)
2. (c) There are three 8th note triplets for every quarter note, so 3x4=12 (pg 10)
3. (c) The 6/8 time signature indicates that there are six 8th notes to be played in
each measure. (pg 14)
4. (b) The key signature of Bb major contains Bb and Eb. (pg 16)
5. (c) The key of A major contains the sharps C# F# and G#. They are written on the
stave from left to right as, F#, C#, G#. (Remembering that the sharps are placed on
the key signature beginning with F# and going up a 5th each time a sharp is added.)
(pg 19)
6. (a) Vivace means to play vivaciously, meaning lively and quick. (pg 21)
7. (c) The Harmonic Minor has a raised 7th in addition to it’s key signature. (pg 142
Beginner book)
8. (b) The Melodic Minor is different descending from ascending. Ascending it has a
raised 6th and 7th, and when descending the 6th and 7th become natural again. (pg
142 Beginner Book)
9. (b) The Natural Minor has the same key signature as it’s relative Major which is
located a minor 3rd up from the Natural Minor scales root note. (pg 141 Beginner
Book)
27. Page 27
07x
07
Listen to this track, and
play along with us!
WE’RE JAMMIN’!
JamTrack Seven
Exercise: This Jam Track is in the key of B flat major, and uses the time signature
you’ve been learning about. Practice through your piano part a few times, before jam-
ming it out with the Rocket band!
6
8
Slow
bb
bb
5
bb
b
bb
9
bb
bb
13 1.
2.
bb
bb
14 3 21 1 5
2
1
3
2 1 2 3 4 3 2 1
4
5 4 3 2 1 2 2 1 3 5 1
3 5 2 43
5
3 54 5
3
1
5
1
24
5
1
23
5
1
28. Page 28
q
n
q
q
q
n
You’ve seen the sign before. It is an accent sign, which
tells you that you should play that note louder. You may
also see a sign above or an sign below a note. Both
mean the same as an accent sign.
n n
_
qqq.
q q q...
.._ Dots inside a slur mean that the notes should be played
slightly staccato (in other words, a little bit less staccato
than when the notes have ordinary staccato dots).
-
q
q
-
The sign is a wedge sign. When you see this sign, play
the note super staccato. In other words, play the note as
briefly as possible. This is referred to as staccatissimo.
-
The sign means the note is to be played with slightly
more pressure to it.
-q
q
-
-
ChapterThree
More Signs that Modify Notes
Here are a few more signs that you should know. They are less frequent than the other
signs we’ve looked at but they’re important to know in case they come up in any of the
pieces.
Play it a Little Less Staccato:
Play it a Lot More Staccato:
Play it a Bit Harder:
Play it Louder:
26
30. Page 30
The E Flat Major Scale
The next scale for us to look at is the scale of Eb major. Eb major has three flats:
Eb, Bb, Ab.
bb
b
L.H.
1
5
124
2
3
3
first tetrachord second tetrachord
joined
W HW W HWW
key signature
Exercise: Play through the Eb major scale with both hands ascending and descending.
bb
b
bb
b
1 23 3 315 524 12 41 2 3
4 43 231 2 1 23 1 1235 5
R.H.
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
first tetrachord
W HW W HWW
second tetrachord
joined
key signature
bb
b
OR written this way,
an octave lower
bb
b
15 124 23 3
first tetrachord second tetrachord
joined
W HW W HWW
16
31. Page 31
This time, when playing the I, IV, V progression, try using different inversions in different
hands. It creates a different quality; the sound becomes more full. Try playing the standard
inversions in both hands and then the different inversions in different hands and notice the
tonal quality difference.
Here is the same progression for the L.H. with the chords in the root position.
The same progression with the inversions:
PrimaryTriads in E Flat Major
The three primary triads in Eb major are Eb, Ab, and Bb.
b
Chord
I
IV
V
Triad
E major
A major
B major
Position
1st note
4th note
5th note
b
b
IV V
R.H.
32 4 5 6 7 8
I
1
Eb Ab Bb
bb
b
bbb
bbb
I
(1st
inversion)
IV
(root position)
V
(2nd
inversion)
I
(1st
inversion)
I
(root position)
V
(1st
inversion)
IV
(2nd
inversion)
I
(root position)
I
(root position)
IV
(2nd
inversion)
V
(1st
inversion)
I
(root position)
I
(2nd
inversion)
IV
(1st
inversion)
V
(root position)
I
(2nd
inversion)
17
I IV V
L.H.
1 5
Eb
(root position)
Ab
(1st inversion)
Bb
(2nd inversion)
432
bb
b
I IV VL.H.
321 4 5
BbAbEb
bb
b
32. Page 32
Play it Slower: Largo
Now that you’ve learned to play fast (vivace), it’s time to learn how to play slowly. Largo
is another tempo indicator that means to play slower than adagio, or in a slow and stately
way. In fact, largo is the slowest tempo you have played thus far.
Exercise: Practice this tempo with the following piece. 18
Largo
5
1
3
5
1 4
12 5
13
5
13
5
1
44
5
1
32 5 1
5
12 215
5
q = 58
bbb
bbb
6
bbb
bbb
11
bbb
bbb
16
bbb
bbb
21
bb
b
bbb
2 4 3
5 2 4 3 1 5
4 1
3 1 43
33. Page 33
Playing the Scales overTwo Octaves
You’re now ready to try playing scales over not just one octave, but two. You’re going to
need a new hand technique for this one. You’ll have to cross your thumb under your 4
finger after playing the first octave. Once the thumb has been repositioned, it can cover
the second octave.
1
1 2 3 4
5
1 2 3
4
1 2
23 3
Here, the 1 thumb goes under the 4 finger so that the
rest of the notes in the two octaves can be reached.
123 123
45
12 1
2
3 3 4
Now, on the descending, the 4 finger
has to cross over the hand to make all
the notes accessible.
Now, let’s apply the same technique to the left hand.
Exercise: Now, try playing the scales in unison with two octaves. Then go back and play
the other scales you’ve learned so far with both hands and two octaves. These exercises
are important to learn because they familiarize you with the scales and can also be used
to warm up the fingers before playing.
On the ascending L.H scale, the 4
finger goes over the hand, making
the rest of the notes accessible.
1
23
123
45 12
1
23 3 4
Finally, on the descending scale, the 1 thumb goes under
the hand so that the hand is positioned to get all the notes
in both octaves.
1 2 3 1
14 53 41 2 23 3
27
34. Page 34
Arpeggios overTwo Octaves
Now that you know how to play scales covering two octaves, you need to know how to
play arpeggios covering two octaves.
Let’s start with the right hand. This time, the 1 thumb has to go under the 3 finger as the
right hand ascends. Upon descending, the 3 finger will have to go over the the 1 thumb.
1 2 3 1 2 3 5
123 123
1 thumb goes under
the 3 finger
Now the 3 finger
goes over the 1
thumb
The same principle applies to the left hand, except reversed. On ascending, the 3 finger
will go over the 1 thumb. Upon descending, the 1 thumb will go under the 3 finger.
3 31125 512 23 23
3 finger goes over
the 1 thumb
Now the 1 thumb goes
under the 3 finger
Exercise: Now try both hands together. Go slowly until you get the hang of it.
Exercise: Once you’ve gotten the hang of playing two octave arpeggios in C major, try
playing two octave arpeggios in all the other keys, using the same fingering.
R.H.
L.H.
36. Page 36
WE’RE JAMMIN’!
JamTrack 8
Exercise: This Jam Track is a great opportunity for you to practice accented and stac-
cato notes within a band context! Practice through your piano part a few times, before
jamming it out with the Rocket band!
08
08x
Play this track, to jam
with the band!
5
9
13
1. 2.
54
3
5
1 3
1
3
2
4 3
5
1
3
1 3
5 4 1 3
2
1
5
3
1
5
3
1
5
2
1
5
3 1
4
2
3 5
37. Page 37
Chapter Four
Seventh Chords
All the chords you’ve played so far have had at most three stacked notes. Now, you’re
ready to add one more note to create a 7th chord.
A 7th chord is created by adding another note to an already existing triad. It gets its name
because the additional note is a 7th interval above the root note of the chord.
Here is the 7th
interval without the
other chordal notes.
7th chords create a more complex type of harmony within the chord. The additional note
adds harmonic complexity as well as making the chord more distinct.
Now, let’s take a look at the left hand. The chord below is a C major 7th chord. It is built
up from the C note in the root. It has a C major triad in it and a 7th note at the top.
Seventh chords, like triads, can be major or minor. For now, think about the 7th chords
that appear in the key of C major. The fingering for playing 7th chords is:
R.H. 1, 2, 3, 5 or 1, 2, 4, 5.
L.H. 5, 3, 2, 1 or 5, 4, 2, 1.
At this stage use the fingering that is most comfortable for you. The fingering that appears
on the music is simply a guide.
root note
3rd note
5th note
7th note
root note
3rd note
5th note
7th note
1
3
5
2 1
3
5
2
1
3
5
2 1
3
5
2
Familiarize yourself with 7th chords by playing through the seventh chords of notes in C
major. It is quite a stretch, so don’t worry if you have to go quite slowly to start with.
29
As you can see, the 7th chord
is named because there is a
7th interval in the chord.
39. Page 39
Dominant 7th Chords
Before you go further, you need to know about dominant 7th chords. It is when a minor
7th interval is added to the major V chord. It is called the Dominant 7 chord because
adding the minor 7th gives it a dominant pull towards the I (1) chord.
In the I, IV, V progression that you already know, the V chord will be played as a dominant
7th chord. Below is an example using the C major key. Notice that the V chord (G major)
now appears as a dominant 7th chord (V7).
A dominant 7th chord is normally used on the V chord of a progression.
Here are the dominant 7th chords in a few of the major scales:
b
b
bb
bb
In C major, G is the V chord, so G
becomes the dominant 7th chord.
In G major, D is the V chord, so D
becomes the dominant 7th chord.
In F major, C is the V chord, so C
becomes the dominant 7th chord.
In Bb major, F is the V chord, so F
becomes the dominant 7th chord.
The notes in a G major
dominant chord are G, B,
D, F. So...
G is the root note.
B is the 3rd note.
D is the perfect 5th.
F is the 7th note.
I V7
C G
I V7
I V7
I V7
I V7
30
40. Page 40
Minor 7th Chords
Minor 7th chords are a snap once you understand dominant 7th chords. Basically, a
minor 7th chord is a dominant 7th chord with a flattened 3rd note.
To get a minor 7th chord, take the major 7th chord. Flatten the 7th note (which makes it
a dominant 7th). Then, flatten the 3rd note. Look at the example below.
1
3
7
5
C minor 7th chord
(root position)
bb b
b
b
b
● The 7th note, B , is a minor 7th away from C.
● The 5th note, G, is a perfect 5th away from C.
● The 3rd note, E , is a minor 3rd away from C. This gives the chord its minor
quality.
● The root note is C.
Relative to the root note, a minor 7th chord goes 1, 3,5, 7. It looks like a minor triad with
a minor 7th on top.
b b
41. Page 41
Minor 7 Flat 5 Chords
This is the last 7th chord you’ll learn in this book. With the addition of this chord, you’ll
have the vocabulary you need to cover the 7th chords in any major key.
Minor 7 flat 5 chords are written minor 7 5 for short. To create one of these chords, all
you have to do is take the existing minor 7 chord (1, 3, 5, 7) and flatten the 5th. In other
words, it will look like this:
1, 3, 5, 7
These chords sound quite unusual, and it may take a while to get used to how they
sound.
Here is an example. This is a C minor 7 5 chord in the root position.
b
b b
b b b
b
C minor 7 flat 5
(root position) bbb
1
3
7
5
b
b
b
Recap of 7th Chords
Here’s a brief recap of the chords you have learned to play so far:
● Major 7th chord: 1, 3, 5, 7
● Dominant 7th chord: 1, 3, 5, 7
● Minor 7th chord: 1, 3, 5, 7
● Minor 7 5 chord: 1, 3, 5, 7
To learn more about 7th chords go to the Rocket Piano Introduction to Jazz Piano book.
b
b b
b b bb
● The 7th note, B , is a minor 7th away from C.
● The 5th note is now flattened from G to G . This note gives the chord its unique
sound.
● The 3rd note, E , is a minor 3rd away from C. This gives the chord its minor
quality.
● The root note is C.
Relative to the root note, a minor 7 flat 5 chord goes 1, 3, 5, 7. It looks like a regular
minor 7 chord with a flattened 5th note.
b b b
b
b
b
42. Page 42
7th Chords in I, IV,V Progressions
Now that you understand how to create a dominant 7th chord, you can put 7th chords
into the I, IV, V chord progression that you already know. This creates a I, IV, V7th chord
progression.
Let’s try creating this chord progression now in the key of C major.
Be careful when playing 7th chords. Because of the new added notes -- and especially
if the chords are played lower down the keyboard -- the chords can sound muddy and
unclear. To avoid this, play the inversions of the chords. The same inversion principle that
you learned with triads will apply, except now that there are more notes, the inversions will
be a little more tricky.
Here are the inversions of the C major 7th chord for the right hand.
Because there are now four notes
in every chord, there are also four
different inversions to play:
• root position
• 1st
inversion
• 2nd
inversion
• and now a new position, the
3rd
inversion.
root
position
1st
inversion
2nd
inversion
3rd
inversion
C major 7th chords with all inversions
Here are the same inversions for the left hand. Notice that the last inversion, the 3rd, has
to be played down an octave. This is because it would be too high to play in the L.H.at
this stage. The third inversion still has the same notes as a 3rd inversion C major 7 chord,
but is simply an octave lower.
I V7
IIV
I V7
IIV
root
position
1st
inversion
2nd
inversion
3rd
inversion
R.H.
L.H.
(played down an octave)
43. Page 43
NonTroppo Allegretto
In this next piece, all the chords are inversions of a C major 7th chord. This will get you
used to their sounds and shapes.
Note the new dynamic sign. Non troppo allegretto is Italian for “not too much allegretto,”
or not too fast. (The word troppo means ‘too much,’ while the word non means ‘not.’ So
non troppo means, ‘not too much.’)
Non troppo allegretto
Exercise: Play this piece slowly, or adagio, to begin with, then get up to speed.
21
3
1
3
5
2
1
3
5
2
1
3
5
2
1
3
5
2
1
3
5
2
mf
6
11
1 3 1 1 3
1 3 5 4 3 1 35 1 2
1 35 1 2 1 3 35
44. Page 44
On the following page, you’ll play a piece with the I, IV, V progression in C major using the
seventh chords. You’ll also note that the V7
chord (G7) is played with an inversion instead
of in root position. This is because the root position would be too low and cause the chord
to sound muddy and unclear.
Study the four positions of the G dominant 7th chord for the left hand below.
When the G dominant 7 chord appears, play it in the second inversion. This makes the
chord more clear and gets all the tonal qualities of the chord.
Exercise: Play the inversions below until you are familiar with the sound qualities of the
7th chords.
root
position
1st
inversion
2nd
inversion
3rd
inversion
L.H.
1
3
5
2
1
3
5
2
root
position
2nd
inversion
Sforzando
To play the piece on the next page, you also need to know what sforzando or sforzato
means. Whenever you see the abbreviations sfz or sf appear in the musical score, you
should play in a forced and accented way.
This is considered an expression mark and is similar to playing notes with accents signs
() over them. It’s just a different way of writing the direction.
48. Page 48
Chapter Five
Three-note 7th Chords
7th chords don’t always come in groups of four. Sometimes, you will omit one of the notes
and play only three notes of the chord. But which three?
The most important notes of the 7th chord are the 3rd, 7th, and root note. You can usually
remove the 5th note in the chord while still maintaining the quality of the 7th chord. This
is because the 5th adds no real tonal quality.
To hear how this works, play the 7th chords in the C major scale below and listen carefully.
The 5th note has been removed from each chord.
When you remove the 5th, you’ll find that 7th chords become easier to play and slightly
less cumbersome.
Now, try playing the same chords with the left hand.
As you play, you’ll notice that the lower chords sound quite muddy and unclear. Do you
also hear the change that happens when you remove the 5th note in the 7th chord?
1
3
5 1
3
5
1
3
5
1
3
5
R.H.
L.H.
31
49. Page 49
1
3
5
1
3
5
1
3
5
1
3
5
1
3
5
1
3
5
23
6
Exercise: Play through this progression slowly to get used to the shape, sound and
finger position of the 7th chords with the 5th note omitted.
50. Page 50
Adding Inversions
Now that you understand how to play 7th chords with the 5th note omitted, you’re ready
to look at inversions. Just like the other chords, 7th chords with the omitted 5th note
also have inversions. Because there are only three notes, there are only three possible
positions.
Below are the C major 7th chords in the three positions with their 5th notes omitted.
Now, see if you can use the same rule with the dominant 7th chord. Below is an
example of the G dominant 7 chord in the three positions, omitting the 5th note.
root
position
1st
inversion
2nd
inversion
root
position
root
position
1st
inversion
2nd
inversion
root
position
root
position
1st
inversion
2nd
inversion
root
position
root
position
1st
inversion
2nd
inversion
root
position
51. Page 51
Dominant Chords in Four Keys
Now, it’s time to look at the other dominant chords of the keys you’ve learned so far.
Remember that the dominant chord is always the V chord from the 5th note in whatever
major scale. Also, note the key signature for each key.
Key of G major
Here is the D dominant 7 chord
omitting the 5th note in three
inversions. D is the V chord in
the key of G major.
Key of F major
Here is the C dominant 7 chord
in the 3 positions omitting the 5th
note. C is the V chord in the key
of F major.
b
b
root
position
1st
inversion
2nd
inversion
root
position
root
position
1st
inversion
2nd
inversion
root
position
root
position
1st
inversion
2nd
inversion
root
position
root
position
1st
inversion
2nd
inversion
root
position
52. Page 52
Key of D major
Here is the A dominant 7 chord
in all the 3 positions omitting the
5th note. A is the V chord in the
key of D major.
Key of Bbmajor bb
bb
root
position
1st
inversion
2nd
inversion
root
position
root
position
1st
inversion
2nd
inversion
root
position
root
position
1st
inversion
2nd
inversion
root
position
root
position
1st
inversion
2nd
inversion
root
position
Here is the F dominant 7 chord
played in the 3 positions omitting
the 5th note. F is the V chord in
the key of B major.b
Andantino
Andantino is another tempo indicator. It’s a bit confusing, as it usually means to play
slightly faster than andante, but can also mean to play slightly slower. Be certain by
checking the metronome mark (the q = 78 below) to make sure that you’re playing the
piece at the right tempo.
54. Page 54
WE’RE JAMMIN’!
JamTrackTen
Exercise: In this Jam Track you will be able to put to use all that you have learned
about 3 note 7th chords in this chapter. Practice through your piano part a few times,
before jamming it out with the Rocket band!
This song uses a weird looking sign called a ‘Coda’. It means you miss out the middle
section when you repeat the song, by skipping to the end part where the Coda is. Listen
to this example track to see how it is played.
10
Continued on next page..
b
b
b
9
13
5
44
2
2
1
4
23 5
5
3
1 1
4 1 5 1
56. Page 56
Chapter Six
The final key that you’ll learn in this book is E minor. You learned about minor keys in
Chapter 18 of the previous book. You should recall that every minor key is relative to
a major key. In fact, the sixth note of every major key is the starting note of its relative
minor. Both relative major and minor keys share the same key signature.
Key of E Minor
The relative major key of E minor is G major, because E is the 6th note in the G major
scale. The notes in E minor are the same as the notes in G major. The key signature for
G major tell us that it has one sharp in it, F#.
To create the natural minor key, use the same notes as in G major, but start the scale on
the sixth note (in this case, E).
You may also recall that there are three minor scales: the natural minor, harmonic minor,
and melodic minor. The natural minor has all the same notes of the relative major
scale. You can see that the E natural minor scale below shares the same notes (and key
signature) as the G major scale.
Here is the same scale, down an octave in the L.H.
Key signature
6th note of the scale, E
G major
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
57. Page 57
E Harmonic Minor Scale
In the harmonic minor scale, the seventh note is raised a half step (or up a semi-tone.
To create the E harmonic minor scale, the seventh note, D, gets raised to D .#
The harmonic minor is the commonly used minor scale. So, when looking at E minor, we
will refer to the harmonic minor.
E Melodic minor scale
The last minor scale is the melodic minor. The melodic minor scale uses different notes
depending on whether the scale is ascending or descending.
On ascending scale, the sixth and seventh notes are raised a half step. The sixth note,
C, becomes C , while the seventh note, D, becomes D .
On the descending scale, you will play the same notes in the natural minor scale. In other
words, the sixth note (C) and seventh note (D) will now be played as naturals.
# #
7th note raised by a semi-tone to D#
E harmonic minor scale
E melodic minor scale
6th and 7th notes
raised to C# and D#
6th and 7th notes
return to naturals
ascending scale descending scale
58. Page 58
PrimaryTriads in E Harmonic Minor
Now that you understand the scale of E harmonic minor, you can use the same process
as before to form the primary chords for this key. The only difference is that you will play
the V chord as a dominant 7th chord in the most suitable inversion.
The primary chords of E minor are E minor, A minor, and B major.
The V chord triad in E harmonic minor is B major. Now that we have learned dominant 7th
chords, we can add the seventh to turn this V chord into a V7 chord.
Here is the same progression for the left hand.
Chord
i7
iv7
V7
Triad
E minor 7
A minor 7
B dominant 7
Position
1st note
4th note
5th note
iv7 V7
R.H
32 4 5 6 7 8
i7
1
E minor 7 A minor 7 B dominant 7
iv7
V7
L.H
32 4 5 6 7 8
i7
1
E minor 7 A minor 7 B dominant 7
Here is an example of a i, iv, V chord progression with some inversions and some with
the 5th omitted.
25
iv minor7
V dominant7i minor7
62. Page 62
RevisionTest: Part Four
1. Name all the notes included in the scale of Eb major?
a. Eb, F, Gb, Ab, B, C, Db, Eb
b. Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D, Eb
c. Eb, Fb, G, A, Bb, C, Db, Eb
d. Eb, F, G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb
2. What is the term Largo indicating for you to do?
a. Play to the end and repeat from the Largo indication
b. Play in a slow, stately way
c. Play notes stressed and full
d. Largo is the italian term for song-like, indicating to play expressively
3. Name a fingering technique used in playing a scale over two octaves ascending and
descending.
a. 3 finger over thumb technique
b. thumb under 4 finger technique
c. thumb under 3 finger technique
d. all of the above
4. Which finger is not used when playing an arpeggio over two octaves with the right
hand?
a. the 2 finger
b. the 3 finger
c. the 4 finger
d. the 5 finger
5. What does the term dolce mean?
a. to play soft and sweetly
b. to play quietly and dull
c. to hold or pause on the note
d. to play moderately loud and at a walking pace
63. Page 63
RevisionTest: Part Four continued..
6. What kind of chord does the symbol V7 indicate?
a. Major chord
b. Minor 7th chord
c. Minor 7 b5 chord
d. Dominant 7th chord
7. What does the term non troppo mean?
a. no tripping
b. not to be played as a triplet
c. not too much
d. play without repeats
8. Which chord tone is omitted when making three note 7th chords?
a. the root
b. the third
c. the fifth
d. the seventh
9. What sharps are played in an E harmonic minor scale?
a. F#
b. F# C#
c. F# D#
d. F# C# D#
64. Page 64
RevisionTest: Part Four Answers
1. (b) The notes in the scale of Eb major are Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D, Eb. Eb key
signature has three flats. (pg 27)
2. (b) Largo is an indication to play in a slow and stately way, ‘largely’. (pg 29)
3. (d) All of these fingering technique are used in playing a scale over two octaves. (pg
30)
4. (c) The 4 finger is not needed to play an arpeggio over two octaves. (pg 31)
5. (a) Dolce is the italian term for sweet, and it indicates to play soft and sweetly. (pg 32)
6. (d) V7 is the chord symbol for the Dominant 7th chord. The dominant 7th chord
consists of root, 3rd, 5th and flat 7th, a major triad with a minor 7th added. (pg 35)
7. (c) Non troppo means ‘not too much’ and normally precedes another expression - for
example, non troppo allegro, means not too fast. (pg 39)
8. (c) The 5th chord tone is usually omitted to create a 3 note 7th chord. This is because
it is least important in describing the function of the chord. (pg 42)
9. (a) The key signature is F# and is the same as its relative key G major. Because it is
a harmonic minor the 7th note D is also raised or sharpened, but this is written as an
accidental beside the note rather then in the actual key signature at the beginning of
the stave. (pg 49)
Well done! What score did you get out
of 9? If you got less then 5 correct, go
back and do the test again and refer to
the book to find your answers. This is a
good way to ensure you are familiar with
this book before going on to the next.
65. Page 65
So Long!
Well, that’s it for now! I hope you’ve enjoyed my Rocket Piano Intermediate course. Now
you’re ready to go onto the third book in the Rocket Piano series, the Advanced course.
You’re doing great!
Until next time!
Ruth
