Lesson 76

Debka Hora: Hands Together

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Hello and welcome back. I'm Joseph Hoffman.
Today we are learning how to play the right hand part for "Debka Hora", and we'll be trying it hands together.
Let's get started by checking out the score.
So, we're learning the chords today, which the right hand will be playing.
Can you tell me the letter names for these two notes that form the first chord in the right hand?
If you said D and A, you are correct.
Let's go ahead and mark that, and on your own piano try playing a D and A chord with your right hand.
How many beats will we hold each chord?
If you said two you're correct.
A couple ways you could have figured that out, you could see these are half notes. You know a half note equals 2 beats,
or the fact that we're in 2/4 time, and you see one chord in every measure.
So let's practice playing line one while we count. 1 2
So just on your own piano, get your right hand ready, and let's say out loud 1 2 as we play each chord, go.
1 2, 1 2
1 2, 1 2, great.
Now, let's take a look ahead at how these chords line up with the left hand.
In sheet music when the notes are stacked over each other, that means to play them together at the same time.
So this first note that the left hand plays is the same time you play this chord,
and then you'll notice the left hand will keep playing while the right hand holds.
Here's beat 1-& 2
Here's beat 2, so this TI-TI gets beat 1, this t TI-TI-KI gets beat 2,
all while the right hand is holding,
and then we get another chord right here.
TI-TI TI-TI-KI, right on that next note, TI-TI TA
That's where we play the next chord.
We play together here.
TI-TI TI-TI-KI, and then we play together here again, TI-TI TA Okay, our right hand is on the D just a step above middle C, and then we've got this A up here handled by finger 5, trusty finger 5 of the right hand.
And as we said, these are just 2 beat chords since they're half notes. So let's practice just going 1 2, 1 2.
Can you try that with me, go.
1 2, 1 2,
1 2, 1 2
Good, now I'd like you to count the beat out loud
while you play the chords. I'll play chords and the left hand,
but you for right now just play the right hand chords and count out loud. That's your job.
I'll count 2 beats to get us started.
Ready, 1 2.
1 2, 1 2,
1 2, 1 2,
1 2, 1 2,
1 2, 1 2.
Great, now on your own you're going to try next putting it hands together.
Remember to watch where the notes line up with each other.
You might go really slowly at first.
You can also try counting the beat to help you keep track.1 2, 1 2,
one two one two
It's also tricky to play a chord while you do a staccato in the other hand. Remember, one hand is going to stick
while the other hand does staccato.
So really take your time. Slow it way down.
Before you try it hands together, it might help to review just the left hand alone once while you count the beat.
1 2, 1 2, 1 2, 1 2.
And then back to hands together. 1 2, 1 2.
Try really slowly, try left hand alone, try right hand alone,
and then put it together.
Pause the video to work on that, and then press play to go on.
Now, let's go on to line two.
What do you notice about the treble clef or right hand part of line two?
If you look carefully at each note, you'll see that the notes are exactly the same as the left hand,
but starting up here on treble D instead of down on bass D.
You'll see that they step up together, then repeat with staccato, and they step up to G,
step up again to G, repeat, and then step down, step down, step down.
So we call that playing in octaves.
The notes are one octave apart, and both hands are basically playing the same thing. So they're playing in octaves.
Remember when you play a staccato, you want a nice little wrist lift.
So, I'd like you to press pause and try the right hand alone once on line two.
And then after you've tried that, try it hands together.
Press pause to try that on your own, then press play to go on.
All right, now it's time to put the whole song together.
I'm going to play the entire song hands together.
I challenge you to just play the right hand part along with me,
and then later you can try it hands together yourself, or it's okay to just listen too.
But whatever you do, try to count the beat along with me as you play or listen.
So, get hands in position, or hand, you're just right hand today.
I'll play both, and count the beat with me.
Here we go, 1 2,
1 2, 1 2, 1 2, 1 2,
1 2, 1 2, 1 2, 1 2,
1 2, 1 2, 1 2, 1 2,
1 2, 1 2, 1 2, 1 2,
Great job.
Great job working on "Debka Hora" hands together today.
Every day when you practice, I recommend that you review the hands alone once to kind of warm up.
In other words, first play the left hand once ...