Lesson #7

Hello Parents,
I am so happy with the progress of class! One thing I would love them to focus on this week is doing the Alphabet Pieces Game consistently. I know it doesn’t seem like a very important activity BUT, the 3rd year students who did not do it consistently, struggle to know their keys quickly. Here is one of our blog posts with some fun ideas to make it more enjoyable. We will be doing races in class to help them get faster at naming the notes and I want everyone to feel successful.

Is your child is starting to fight you on practice time? Here is a post that can help with that too!

Melodic Patterns

When learning to play melodic patterns:
1. Play all 5 in Middle C Position.
2. Play at separate times. The clef tells which hand will play. Treble Clef is RH and these patterns go DOWN. Bass Clef is LH and these patterns go UP.
3. What are the notes telling you to play? Steps, skips, or leaps? They ALL end on Middle C.

I am Robin Hood

This theme song is significant because it is the first song we play hands together with each hand playing independently. In class we learned to play the melody with the right hand. Place your RH thumb (1) on Middle C, 2nd finger on Middle D, and the 3rd finger on the black note above Middle D. And then play in the rhythm of BUG-BUG-BEETLE-BUG, BEETLE-BEETLE-SLUG. Practice hands separately this week. We will put it all together soon!

Lullaby and Goodnight

Did you know that we can make a song sound different by changing a block chord to a broken chord? It’s time to break all of the chords in Lullaby and Goodnight. Stylizing the block chords to broken will change the mood of this song into a calm, peaceful lullaby. Played piano (find the p under the music) with broken chords this lullaby will be sure to put you to sleep!

Are you ready for spring to come? Let It (Winter) Go is a cool piece to play now that our students are warmed up with all of the chords in right and left hand.