Lesson 26: 6-Note Composition Challenge

What Will You Learn in This Lesson?

Congratulations on reaching Lesson 26! Now that you’re comfortable playing A, B, and C in your right hand and A, G, and F in your left, it’s time for a composition challenge using just these 6 notes. Your task is to fill 5 bars of sheet music with these notes, using quarter, half, and whole notes.

Why Is This Important?

This exercise helps build your confidence as a composer. It’s also great practice for turning your musical ideas into written notes, a key skill when you start working on more complex compositions.

How to Practice Effectively:

The key is not to overthink it. Set a timer for a few minutes and try to finish your 5 bars within that time.

Pro tip: Start with an A note and finish with an A note in the fifth bar to give your piece a clear beginning and end. Try writing the first 4 bars without playing the piano, then check how it sounds afterward.

In the video, I start by composing the left hand first. There aren’t many choices here—bars 2, 3, and 4 will either be A, G, or F notes. After finishing the left hand, I move to the right hand. For the first 2 bars, I simply go with what comes to mind. When I get to bars 3 and 4, I repeat exactly what I wrote in the first two bars. The reason I don’t add any variations in the right hand is that there’s already variation happening in the left hand. Even though the right hand is the same, thanks to the left hand it sounds different.

How Do You Know You’re Ready to Move to the Next Lesson?

Level 1 – Basic: You’ve composed 5 bars.

Level 2 – Solid: You’ve composed 5 bars and played them on the piano.

Level 3 – Pro: You’ve filled the entire blank sheet with different variations.