The Note D
This note D is written in the space below the staff.
To play the note D, place your fingers in position for an E note and add the third finger of your right hand. You are now covering all six holes.
This example makes repeated use of the low D note. As with all new notes, memorize the fingering well and play tunes containing the new note slowly at first.
This melody uses the note D along with all the other notes you have learned. Remember to play all F notes as F# as indicated by the key signature.
The Three Four Time Signature
This is the three four time signature.
It tells you there are three beats in each bar.
There are three quarter notes in one bar of ^ time.
The Dotted Half Note
A dot written after a note extends its value by half.
A dot after a half note tells you to hold it for three beats.
One dotted half note equals one bar of music in ^ time.
Here is a typical example of the way dotted half notes are used in ^ time. As there are no rests in this example, breath marks are placed in every fourth bar after a dotted half note. From this point on breath marks will only be placed every four bars in most examples to encourage you to develop more breath control. However, you can still breathe more often if you need to.
The Whole Note And Whole Rest
This first symbol is a whole note.
It lasts for four beats.
There is one whole note in one bar of * time.
The second symbol is called a whole rest. It indicates either four beats of silence or a whole bar of silence.
