When the Saints Go Marching In: Hands Together

Hello and welcome back. I'm Joseph Hoffman.
Today we're going to learn how to play "When the Saints Go Marching In" hands together.
Before you do this lesson, it's important that you've thoroughly mastered the right hand and left hand alone,
which we covered in previous lessons.
So, if you're already feeling confident in your right hand and left hand alone,
then let's come to the piano and get started putting it hands together.
Okay, while we're practicing the hands together today, I'm going to ask you to count out loud as we do it.
I know that sometimes my piano students act like I'm torturing them if I ask them to count out loud while they play,
but trust me it's really worthwhile and will help you keep the steady beat and get all these rhythms correct.
So, I will demonstrate for you the first four measures
while counting out loud. I'd like you to just count out loud. You don't have to play this time
Watch me, and then I'll let you take a turn.
So here's our beat 1 2 3 4
Now count with me, ready go:
1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4,
1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4,
1, and stop.
Good, now you'll notice the right hand and left hands are simply taking turns playing.
What I'd like you to do is press pause and practice those first four measures while counting out loud.
Yes, it won't hurt you, I promise.
Press play when you're ready to go on to the next line.
All right, did you survive the counting out loud?
Good.
Now, let's take a look at the next line.
We have the last note that the left hand plays really which spills over from line one on this G,
and then the right hand takes over again.
2 3 4 1 2, then we have a bunch of half notes in a row.
The right hand's on this G, it skips down to E at the same time the left hand plays G,
and then both hands skip down.
And then both hands skip back up, and then the right hand steps down to D, left hand echoes.
Which brings us to the first note of line three. Now listen to all of that together.
I'd like you to count out loud quietly while you listen to me play. I'm going to start with this G in the left hand on beat 1.
Ready, go. 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4,
1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4,
1
Now, press pause and try that on your own while counting out loud, then press play when you're ready to go on.
Let's check out how the right hand and left hand work together on line three.
It will be helpful on this line to write in the beats. So on your own sheet music,
why don't you try doing this with me. We're going to write in all 4 beats for each measure.
Beat 1 is right here,
and on beat 2 the right hand plays a quarter note while the left hand is still holding the half note,
and then on beats 3 and 4,
both hands play a quarter note.
Now,
one measure at a time as we write in the beats we're going to practice tapping
that rhythm. So use your left hand for the bass clef notes and your right hand for the treble clef notes.
Let's count the beat and tap.
I'll count in 4 beats to get us started. 1 2 3 go
1 2 3 4, So you notice on beat 1 left hand tap, beat 2 right hand taps, and then together,
together. Let's try that again. Count and tap, ready go.
1 2 3 4
Good, now let's go ahead and write in the beats for the next measure.
Beat 1 the right hand plays
while the left hand has a quarter rest.
So where does beat 2 fall?
Since the quarter rest takes up 1 beat, we know beat 2 must fall on this quarter note,
which also takes up a beat.
So that brings us to beat 3 for this half note, then while this half note is holding,
the right hand has already been holding for 3 beats, so we're ready for beat 4 on this quarter note.
See how the hands kind of take turns? We have right hand, left hand, left hand, right hand.
Let's try tapping that rhythm.
Get ready with both hands and count the beat. Ready, go.
1 2 3 4,
one more time ready, right hand first, go: 1 2 3 4
Good, let's write in the next 4 beats.
Beat 1 right hand,
we have a quarter rest so that brings us to beat 2 for the left hand.
Then beats 3 and 4 the left hand continues to hold while the right hand plays quarter notes.
Let's go ahead and do the next measure as well while we're at it.
We have beat 1 right hand.
And that would make this beat 2.
What is the left hand doing for the first 2 beats?
Since we have this half rest, the left hand does nothing for 2 beats. 1 2, and then on beats 3 4,
We have two quarter notes.
All right, let's try tapping both of these measures together while counting the beat.
Right hand for treble clef, left hand for bass clef, starting here, count with me, ready go.
1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4
Good, one more time,ready go: 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4
Good, now let's try tapping the entire line counting the beat while tapping the rhythm. Start
with left hand on beat ...