Lesson 19:
Greensleeves in A-minor, D-minor, and E-minor

Greensleeves offers a nice study in fingering and minor keys. The fingerings here will move around and stretch a little, and you’ll find occasional black notes. Overall, it is an excellent melody for a piano player still learning notes and fingerings.

Instructions for learning a piece on the piano:

-play each line with right hand (fingerings written above note names) until it is easy and/or memorized.

-play each line with left hand (fingerings written below note names) until it is easy and/or memorized.

-play each line with both hands until it is easy and/or memorized.

-string the lines together until you can play the whole piece. Keep it slow until you are comfortable and familiar with it. Then, start playing it faster, working up to an appropriate tempo for that piece.

-Regardless of tempo, relax your arms & shoulders and keep it smooth and flowing.

[The tunes listed in the "free piano lessons" portion of this website provide a fun way for beginners to begin getting to know their way around the piano keyboard. By learning a bunch of simple tunes and learning to play them hands-separately and hands-together, as well as in at least 3 different keys, a new piano player not only learns the layout of the notes, but also begins to develop knowledge and confidence in piano fingerings. Along the way, you are working on the ability to learn and memorize melodies on the keys. Add a bit of work with a metronome and you begin developing a sense for steady rhythm, as well as the ability to work with an extremely valuable tool. Together, these elements will become part of a solid foundation of basic skills needed for more advanced piano playing in the future.]

Video Tutorial

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Music Notation

Click here for the music. 

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Key of A-minor (sing along to establish proper rhythm):

[note: F-Sharp is the black note to the right (a half-step up) of F.]

[note: G-Sharp is the black note to the right (a half-step up) of G.]

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Key of D-minor (sing along to establish proper rhythm):

[note: C-Sharp is the black note to the right (a half-step up) of C.]

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Key of E-minor (sing along to establish proper rhythm):

[note: C-Sharp is the black note to the right (a half-step up) of C.]

[note: F-Sharp is the black note to the right (a half-step up) of F.]

[note: D-Sharp is the black note to the right (a half-step up) of D.]

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Other verses:

2. I’ve been so ready at thy command,To grant whatever thy heart would crave,And I have waged my life and land, Your love and good will for to always have.

(chorus)

3. I bought thee petticoats of the best,The cloth as fine as cloth could be,I gave thee jewels to fill thy chest,And all this I spent for the love of thee.

(chorus)

4. Now, Lady Greensleeves, farewell, adieu!I pray the good Lord may prosper thee, For I am always thy love so true,Till you come once again for to love but me.

(chorus)

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More Information on Greensleeves

For more about this tune, click here.

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