Pieces › The left hand

The left hand

Low C position and your first bass notes

Your left hand sits an octave lower: pinky (5) on the low C, then D (4), E (3), F (2), and G with your thumb (1). The numbers run the opposite way from the right hand!

In pop, the left hand mostly plays the bass: the note that gives the chord its name. Here the computer plays the melody while you lay the foundation.

Tips

• The thumb is always finger 1 and the pinky finger 5, whichever hand you use.
• Listen to how your bass changes the color of the melody.

Five fingers on the left

Go up from C to G with your left hand (5-4-3-2-1), then back down.

The Ode to Joy bass

One whole note per measure: C (finger 5) or G (thumb). The computer plays the melody you already know.