Unit 2 — Up to G
F and G complete the five-finger position: one finger for each note from middle C to G. Unit 2 teaches F in the first space and G, the treble clef's landmark line, and ends with Mary Had a Little Lamb, Lightly Row and Ode to Joy.
Songs in this unit
F and G complete the five-finger position: one finger for each note from middle C up to G. Unit 2 adds F, in the treble staff's first space, and G, the line the treble clef curls round, so you can read the whole C position, C4 to G4, one finger per note.
- Prerequisite: Unit 1.
- New notes: F4 and G4, on the treble staff.
- Landmark: treble G, the second of the three.
The new notes
| Note | On the staff | On the keys | Finger |
|---|---|---|---|
| F4 | The first space | Just left of a group of three black keys | 4 |
| G4 | The second line, where the treble clef curls | Between the first and second of the three black keys | 5 |
With C, D and E from Unit 1, that is the whole C position: thumb on middle C, and fingers 1 2 3 4 5 on C D E F G. In this position the finger number tells you the note.
The sittings, in order
- Meet F and G. F in the first space, G on the second line: the C position complete.
- Note cards. F and G among C, D and E. Twelve cards.
- Mix. Play it, find it on the staff, name it, which is higher, and a new question: step or skip? E to G skips a line; anything wider is a leap.
- Read a phrase. Five-finger phrases: the finger number on the first note tells you where the hand is.
- Use it: Mary Had a Little Lamb. The skip from E up to G.
- Use it: Lightly Row. All five notes, one finger each.
- Use it: Ode to Joy. Beethoven's theme: almost all steps, with one dotted rhythm near the end of each line.
- Checkpoint. C to G: cards, a short mix and a phrase.
Teaching notes
- F is a step above E: the first space. The treble spaces spell FACE from the bottom up, and F is the first letter.
- G is treble G, the second landmark. The treble clef is an old letter G, and its curl marks G's line. Read it on sight from now on; Unit 4 reads A, B and C upwards from it.
- The hand stays in one place. Thumb on C, one finger per key. If a finger lands on the wrong key, check the thumb first.
- Read shapes, not letters. In a five-finger phrase, the notes move by step and skip. Follow the shape with your fingers.
Common mistakes
- F and G swapped. One is a space, the other a line. Ask "line or space?" before "which letter?".
- Stopping to name every note. The phrase sittings are there to break the habit: read the shape, not each letter.
- The hand creeping up or down. Keep the thumb on middle C unless the music says otherwise.
Related guides
Next: Unit 3 — Down to bass F. Back to the whole path.