Tunes for Ten Fingers (Third Edition)

TUNES FOR

A first piano book for young beginners

PAULINE HALL

Third edition

Consultants: Janet Bullard and Jeanette Gallant

Illustrations: Rosie Brooks

Play-along audio tracks are available on major streaming platforms or to

download from a companion website: www.oup.com/tunesforten

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Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP, England

This collection © Oxford University Press 1982, 1991, and 2025.

Unless marked otherwise, all pieces are by Pauline Hall. All pieces are © Oxford University Press.

Unauthorized arrangement or photocopying of this copyright material is ILLEGAL.

Pauline Hall has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988,

to be identified as the Author of this Work. Each composer has asserted his/her right under

the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the Composer of their Works.

Impression: 1

ISBN: 978–0–19–357406–9

Music and text origination by Julia Bovee

Printed in Great Britain

3522OUP-Tunes for Ten Fingers.indd 1 14/02/2025 12:24:48

2

To the Teacher

This book is intended for the very young beginner.

• One note is introduced at a time.

• Words are used as a natural way of learning rhythm, and those longer than a crotchet chet (quarter-note) have oblique dashes

after them corresponding to the length of the note.

• Clapping each tune before playing will also encourage rhythmical playing.

• Fingering has been kept to a minimum, and it is left to the teacher to pencil in extra fingering where it is felt to be helpful.

• Great importance is attached to the correct position of the hands; good habits are formed at this stage and the

foundations of good technique are laid.

Finally, learning the piano should be fun. It is hoped that this book will help to make it so!

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3

Are you ready to play the piano?

Return to these pages for reference as you progress through the opening pages of the book.

Getting around the piano

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Before you start to play, it is a good idea to find your way around the keyboard. Here are some

music games to start you off.

The black keys are grouped in twos and threes.

Find and play all the groups of three black keys. Now find and play all the groups of

two black keys.

Play all the white keys. How many are there on your piano?

Find your way

On the piano there are low sounds and high sounds.

This way

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down or low

Play some low notes with your left hand.

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This way is up or high

Play some high notes with your right hand.


4

Here is a picture of the keys of the piano:

ABC

DEF

G

The white keys are called A B C D E F G. These seven letters are repeated right up the piano.

C is an important note which sits to the left of the group of two black keys.

C

Find all the Cs on the piano.

The C in the middle of the keyboard is called middle C.

Find all the Ds. Quickly hop on to each one with one finger.

Find all the Es, Fs, and Gs. Now find the As and Bs.

Musical words

With one finger play these words (the piano picture will help you):

DAD

AGE BEAD FACE EGG CABBAGE

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Can you think of any more words you uc

can play? ....................................................................................


5

Things you need to know before you begin

Notes

Music moves with a steady beat or a count like the tick of a clock.

w

h or H

q or Q

Musical signs

This is a 4-count note called a semibreve (or whole-note)

This is a 2-count note called a minim (or half-note)

This is a 1-count note called a crotchet (or quarter-note) te)

Music is divided into bars (or measures) by barlines. . The top number at the beginning tells you how many to count in each bar.

Can you clap this rhythm? Count ‘1, 2’ before e you begin.

Now clap this rhythm counting ‘1, 2, 3, 4’:

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Music notes are written on two ladders called staves.

The right-hand ladder is shown by the squiggly treble clef sign: &

The left-hand ladder is shown by the squiggly bass clef sign: ?

Every note on the keyboard has its own line or space on the stave.

This is a line note:

It sits on the ladder with a line

going through its middle

Fingers and thumbs

This is a space note:

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It sits in a space

between two lines

thumbs are numbered 1

fingers are numbered 2, 3, 4, 5

Write the numbers beside each finger and thumb.

left hand right hand

When playing, shape your hand like a bridge, with your fingers nicely curved.

Your thumb is part of the bridge, so let it lie on the key.

Could a little mouse sit under your bridge?

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Here is a picture of how your hands should look:

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Middle C sits on its own little line, in

the middle of the two ladders.


7

Your first right-hand note: middle C

Middle C sits on its own little line underneath the right-hand ladder.

C

Play middle C with your right thumb while your other fingers rest on the keys above in the shape of a bridge.

Clap this rhythm counting ‘1, 2, 3, 4’:

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Find all the Cs on the piano.


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Your first left-hand note: middle C

Middle C for your left hand sits on its own little line above the top of the left-hand ladder.

C

Play middle C with your left thumb while your other fingers rest on the keys in the shape of a bridge.

Clap each rhythm before you play, counting ‘1, 2, 3, 4’:

w

h

n

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This note is held on while you count ‘1, 2, 3, 4’. Draw another one here.

This note is held on while you count ‘1, 2’. Draw another one here.

q This note is held on while you count ‘1’. Draw another one here.

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The sea

Now both hands play a tune for middle C. Count 4 in each bar and always remember to clap the rhythm before you begin.

Play the bit about the big waves loudly with strong fingers, and the ripple bit quietly with gentle fingers.

Accompaniment

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New right-hand note: D

D sits underneath the first line. It is a step up from middle C.

C D

Play D with your 2nd finger. Clap the rhythm before you play, counting ‘1, 2, 3, 4’:

Another tune for D

Find all the Ds on the piano.

Try walking your thumb and 2nd finger up and down the C to D until your fingers know the way.

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Gone to sea

Sometimes the finger numbers are above the notes to help you.

See-saw

Make the notes change places up and down very smoothly.

Use your thumb for C and 2nd finger for D.

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Counting sheep


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New left-hand note: B

B sits up above the top of the left-hand ladder, just a step lower than middle C.

B

C

Play B with your 2nd finger.

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Find all the Bs on the piano.

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Some more tunes for your left hand

In the garden

A sunny day

Buzzing all around!

Accompaniment

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Tunes for right and left hand

Right hand plays C and D with fingers 1 and 2.

Left hand plays C and B with fingers 1 and 2.

The rocking chair

Make this tune sound smooth and rocking. Play it slowly.

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Up and down

The notes change places smoothly without any gaps in between.

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The grandfather clock

Look carefully to see which hand plays, and be ready to change over.

Count ‘1, 2, 3, 4’ on each note.

Accompaniment

Fun in the sun

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Are you remembering to keep your hands like little bridges?


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New right-hand note: E

E sits on the first line of the ladder (called a stave), just above D.

C D E

Play E with your 3rd finger.

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Find all the Es on the piano.

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A tune for C, D, and E


17

Some more right-hand tunes for C, D, and E

Teatime!

One potato, two potato

Can you spot the difference between D and E?

D sits below the first line, and E has the first line running through its middle.

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Do you remember?

w This is a 4-count note called The right-hand ladder is shown by the squiggly treble clef sign: &

a semibreve (or whole-note)

The left-hand ladder is shown by the squiggly bass clef sign: ?

h or H

This is a 2-count note called

a minim (or half-note)

q or Q This is a 1-count note called

a crotchet (or quarter-note)

A new kind of note

h. is a 3-count note. It is called a dotted minim (or dotted half-note).

Elephant’s waltz

A waltz is a dance in 3-time. Count ‘1, 2, 3’ as

you play.

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These boxes are called bars (or measures).

The top number at the beginning tells you

how many counts there are in each bar.

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These dots mean ‘play it again’.

Accompaniment


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More right-hand tunes for C, D, and E

These tunes have 3 counts to each bar.

What do I see?

Look out!

Write the names of the notes underneath them.

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20

Mary had a little lamb

American folksong

Words by Sarah Josepha Hale (1788–1879)

Little Arabella Miller

Play next-door notes with next-door fingers. When you miss a note out, miss a finger out too!

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New left-hand note: A

A sits on the top line of the left-hand stave.

A

B

C

Play A with your 3rd finger.

s

Find all the As on the piano.

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Some music games

Guess the note

1. Play any note in the middle of the piano. Sing or hum it. Did your note match exactly? Try some more notes!

2. Play two notes together, not too far away from each other (perhaps middle C and E).

Sing or hum the higher one—that’s easy!

Sing or hum the lower one—more tricky!

Practise doing this. You’ll get better, and it will train you to listen more accurately.

Stepping stones

Can you cross the river? Each stone has a note on it.

Write the number of counts beside each one, then count as you

jump from stone to stone.

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New right-hand note: F

F sits in the first space of the right-hand stave.

Play F with your 4th finger.

Find all the Fs on the piano.

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C D E F


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Some more tunes for F

Frank frog

A surprise

Lullaby

Play this tune very quietly with gentle fingers.

Accompaniment

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New left-hand note: G

G sits in the top space of the left-hand stave, just below top-line A.

G

A

B

C

Play G with your 4th finger.

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My wish

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Find all the Gs on the piano.


26

Tunes for left and right hand

Roller coasters

Reena Esmail

Westminster chimes

Count ‘1, 2, 3’ steadily. Remember to hold each dotted minim (dotted half-note) for 3 counts.

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Calm breeze

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Jonathan Brigg

Do you remember what these dots mean?

If not, have a look at page 18.


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Old MacDonald had a farm

Foror

Which other animals were there on the farm?

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Trad.


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Locked in!

Alan Bullard

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New right-hand note: G

G sits on the 2nd line of the right-hand stave.

Play G with your 5th finger.

George

Can you spot the difference? E sits on the first line and G on the second line.

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C D E F G


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A Christmas Carol

Good King Wenceslas

Melody from Piae Cantiones (1582)

Words by John Mason Neale (1818–66)

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Tie

When two notes on the same line or in the same space are joined like this

The second note is held on for its value instead of being played again.

, the curve between them is called a tie.

They look as if they were tied together with a piece of string.

Little Miss Muffet

Clap the rhythm of this piece before you play, counting ‘1, 2, 3’:

p

English nursery rhyme

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Little Bo Peep


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Twinkle, twinkle, little star

Play this tune quietly with gentle fingers.

Anon.

Words by Jane Taylor (1783–1824)

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Bluebird

Keep both your hands ready to play their share of the tune.

Accompaniment

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A duet: Heart to heart

Your right hand plays this tune.

Play one octave higher than written when performing with the accompaniment.

Accompaniment

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Reena Esmail


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New left-hand note: F

Look out for left-hand F. Is it on a line or in a space?

F

G

A

B

C

Play F with your 5th finger.

Five little monkeys

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A tune for all the notes you know

Right hand

Left hand

Your hands play together in the last two bars.

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Two important new signs

f means ‘loudly’. It’s short for forte, which in Italian means ‘loud’.

p means ‘quietly’. It’s short for piano, which in Italian means ‘quiet’.

Marching band

Start this tune very quietly and make it get gradually louder as the band gets nearer.

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Rests

A rest is a silent count. Each note has its own rest sign.

This is a rest worth q or one count.

This is a rest worth h or two counts.

It balances on the third line.

This is a rest worth w or four counts. It hangs down from

the fourth line. It is also used for a whole bar’s rest.

In the next tune, say ‘shh!’ on all the rests.

Cuckoo

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Quavers

e this is a quaver (or eighth-note). It is worth half a crotchet (or quarter-note), so that:

e + e = q

Two quavers usually join hands like this: qa a z

Clap this rhythm, and then play it on one note:

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Now you know five notes for your right hand

and five for your left hand.

Jingle, bells

Look out for the quavers. They come on the words ‘in a’ and must fit exactly into 1 count.

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James Pierpont (1822–93)

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Two little dicky birds

This tune has a lot of quavers in it. Two quavers must fit evenly into 1 count.


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Keeping fit!

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Alan Bullard


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This old man

Clap this rhythm before you begin to play:

Walking

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Hush, little baby

Trad. lullaby

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Happy birthday to you

Before you play, clap this rhythm:

This tune starts on the last beat of the bar. Count ‘1, 2’ before starting.

There are only two beats in the last bar. They balance the first bar where there is only one beat.

Patty Hill (1868–1946)

and Mildred J. Hill (1859–1916)

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Practise this so that you can play it perfectly on a special birthday!


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Mabel

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Two tunes to sing and play

The Princess

This tune starts on the last beat of the bar. Count ‘1, 2, 3’ before starting.

Play the other verses too:

2. A wicked fairy cast a spell.

3. The Princess slept a hundred years.

4. A noble Prince came riding by.

5. He woke the Princess from her sleep.

6. The wedding bells rang out with joy.

Skip to my Lou

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Trad. American dance


48

WELL DONE!

Now that you have completed your first book,

you can move on to More Tunes for Ten Fingers


Tunes for Ten Fingers (Third Edition)

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