Congratulations on getting through the eighth-note lessons. Get ready for some tongue-twisting counting! In lesson 5, you’ll get acquainted with the 16th note grouping. Simon talks you through the counting and sticking and mixes in some old friends from lessons 1-4.

This lesson introduces the 8th note rest. In addition to talking about the “training motion,” we’ll give you various examples of how these rests work and throw in some notation from the previous three lessons to keep everything fresh! You’ll also see individual 8th notes for the first time in this lesson – lookout for the single tail!

Now that you are comfortable playing whole, half, and quarter notes with your right hand, we’ll work on some 8th notes and bring in the left hand. We’ll start with some straightforward 8th note groupings and mix them with some of the messages you learned in lesson 2.

In this first notation video, Simon explains these three important note categories. We’ll also talk about counting, rests, and look at which hand is responsible for playing which note, also known as “sticking.” Also, we will discuss a “training motion” that will help you along the way. Simon also highlights the benefits of practicing at slower tempos using a metronome. Getting Started FAQs