Lesson 1 - Bars 1 to 10

Welcome to Lesson 1 of The Summer Knows (Summer of ’42).

In this first lesson, we begin our journey into the beautiful music from Summer of '42, composed by Michel Legrand.

This tutorial series is divided into five videos, and in this course, we’ll take a slightly different approach from my usual format. Instead of separating the right hand, left hand, and technical elements into different lessons, we’ll learn them together from the very beginning. In this piece, the left-hand patterns, the ascending runs, and the technical challenges are deeply connected to the musical expression, so it’s essential to build them simultaneously and naturally.

In this first lesson, we focus on the opening section of the piece. You’ll discover the three main motifs that shape the introduction, followed by the ascending arpeggio passage. We’ll also take time to understand the key of F minor, its scale, and its harmonic color — an important foundation for playing this piece with confidence and sensitivity.

Take your time with this first part. Focus on clarity, balance between the hands, and a calm, controlled sound. This opening sets the emotional atmosphere for everything that follows.

📚 Lesson 1 – Chapters

00:00 – Demo

00:20 – Introduction

01:01 – Key Signature & Scale

01:44 – Bars 1–3

04:57 – Bars 3–5

07:42 – Bars 1–5 (Full Playthrough)

09:16 – Bars 5–7

10:27 – Bars 1–7 (Full Playthrough)

11:11 – Bars 7–8

12:26 – Bars 1–8 (Full Playthrough)

13:19 – Bars 8–10

23:29 – Bars 1–10 (Full Playthrough)

24:34 – Final Words

The key signature:

The F minor scale:

Bars 1 to 10 notes