Flat Signs
This is a flat sign.
A flat sign lowers the note played by one semitone.
On the keyboard, play the key immediately to the left of the note to play a flat. When a flat sign is written on the staff it is always written before the note.
The Note Bb (Treble and Bass)
The Bb note is the black key immediately to the left of the B note, as shown in the diagram.
These Bb notes are written on the third line of the treble staff and about the top line of the bass staff.
This piece uses both the Bb notes shown in the previous diagrams. Playing single note lines with both hands is often more difficult than a melody accompanied by chords. Practice each hand separately if you need to.
C7 Chord
Practice changing between the chords F and C7 with both hands, as shown in this example.
Key Signature of F Major
Instead of writing the flat sign before every B note on the staff, one flat sign can be written after each clef. This means that all B notes on the staff are played as Bb, even though there is no flat sign written before them. This is the key signature for the key of F major. There is one flat sign after each clef.
Here is a new version of the song you learned in Lesson 4, this time in the key of F major. Notice the use of F and C7 played as broken chords in the left hand part.
Bb Major Chord
To play the Bb chord, use the first, second and fifth fingers of your left hand as shown in the Bb chord diagram. Practice changing between F and Bb and also Bb and C7.
Notice the quick changes between F and Bb in this song. This style of accompaniment is common in Blues and Boogie keyboard playing.
