Unit 3 — Down to bass F
The left hand reads the bass staff. From middle C it steps down through B, A and G to F, the line between the bass clef's two dots. Unit 3 teaches those five notes with the left thumb on middle C, and bass F, the third landmark.
Songs in this unit
The left hand reads the bass staff. From middle C it steps down through B, A and G to F, the line between the bass clef's two dots. Unit 3 teaches those five notes with the left hand in middle C position: thumb on middle C, little finger on bass F.
- Prerequisite: Unit 2.
- New notes: C4, B3, A3, G3 and F3, on the bass staff.
- Landmark: bass F, the third of the three.
The new notes
| Note | On the bass staff | On the keys | Left-hand finger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle C (C4) | One ledger line above the staff | Middle C | 1 (thumb) |
| B3 | The space just above the staff | Just left of middle C | 2 |
| A3 | The top line | The first A below middle C | 3 |
| G3 | The top space | The first G below middle C | 4 |
| F3 | The fourth line, between the clef's dots | The first F below middle C | 5 |
The bass lines, bottom to top, are G B D F A ("Good Boys Do Fine Always"); the spaces are A C E G ("All Cows Eat Grass"). You only need the top of the staff for now.
The sittings, in order
Five new notes are too many to meet at once, so the unit meets them in two sittings, with cards between.
- Meet the bass staff. Middle C again, now above the bass staff; B and A step down from it.
- Note cards. Only the three met so far.
- Meet G and F. Bass F, the landmark between the clef's dots, and G a step above it.
- Mix. Both clefs in one sitting: play it, find it on the staff, name it, which is higher, and echo (hear a short phrase, then find it on the keys). The clef, not the shape, says which note it is.
- Read a phrase. Both clefs; the left hand's position is F to C.
- Use it: Hot Cross Buns, left hand. The tune moved down to A G F, read from bass F.
- Use it: Mary Had a Little Lamb, left hand. A G F G A..., with middle C for the top note.
- Checkpoint. Both clefs: cards, a short mix and a phrase.
Teaching notes
- Middle C in the bass is one ledger line above the staff: the same key as middle C under the treble staff. The clef says which hand, not which key.
- B3 is the space just above the bass staff, a step below middle C.
- A3 is the top line; G3 the top space.
- F3 is bass F, the third landmark: the fourth line, between the clef's two dots. The bass clef is an old letter F and is also called the F clef.
- The left thumb is 1 too. Finger numbers run down the keyboard in the left hand.
Common mistakes
- Reading bass notes as if they were treble. A note on the bass staff's top line is A; on the treble staff the same place is F. Two letters off: the most common reading error there is. The Mix puts both clefs side by side so you have to look at the clef.
- Numbering the left hand from the little finger. The thumb is 1 in both hands.
- Mixing up B3 and middle C. B sits on top of the staff; middle C has its own short line.
Related guides
Next: Unit 4 — Treble G and up. Back to the whole path.