Hello all! Your lesson notes are as follows:

 

Eva

What we learned/reviewed in lesson: 

  • We have started learning how to read sheet music!! Congratulations!! Here are some things that we learned for reading music:
    • Treble clef (all notes above middle C); the center of the swirl lines up with G
    • Bass clef (all notes below middle C); the center of the swirl lines up with F
    • We focused on middle C, G above middle C, and F below middle C (see attached image)

Recommended minutes to practice:

  • 10-15 minutes, 4 to 5 days a week

What to practice:

  • New finger number patterns! Try one hand at a time; remember hand posture! Do not pop the paint balloons while playing the piano
  • 10 Second Song, Driving in the G clef 
  • Spelling/Composition exercise; See if you can play the words (see image attached) on the keyboard. Can you make any other words?

How to practice efficiently: 

  • If there’s limited time, there are still ways to practice even if Eva can’t get to a keyboard. This can include:
    • Rhythm singback: Caregiver singing out a rhythm (tah tah tee-tee tah) and child can clap back or even sing back
    • Review note names (what’s the note that matches with the treble clef swirl? G! Similar for bass clef)
  • If there’s limited time, and you are able to get to a keyboard, here are some broad concepts to focus on
    • Note recognition / note finding: How quickly can you locate ___ note on the piano? Can you tell me what this note is on the piano?
    • Alignment (or posture) while sitting at the piano and handshape while playing through finger exercises. 

How can caregivers support practice: 

  • Posture/alignment: Eva sitting at the piano and hand position at the keys. Look for the Faber Primer pages from September 5th for a diagram of how to sit and play. 
  • Balloon with paint imagery to prevent collapsing wrists. Even though wrists are elevated, make sure that Eva isn’t creating tension in her arms/shoulders, keep an eye for elbow “wings” and rising shoulders. We should always feel relaxed while we play.

 

Chris

What we learned/reviewed in lesson:

  • Bartok sight reading
  • Minuet
  • Scale and chords with different articulations

Recommended time to practice:

  • 20-30 minutes 4 or 5 days of the week

What to practice:

  • Bartok sight reading: Play through 1-2 exercises at the start of your practice using the methods we spoke about during lessons (parallel or contrary motion? Are notes moving by steps or are there any leaps? Do we see repetitions of patterns throughout the exercise?)
  • Russian Sailor Dance, Midnight Ride
  • 5 note scales with chords in C position and G position. See scale articulation image for different articulations you can practice

How to practice efficiently: 

  • If we’re noticing a lot of resistance with our non-dominant hand while playing, try leading some of your practice starting with your left hand (ex: if you’re sitting down to do scales, start with a left hand scale. Or if you’re learning a new piece, start by reading just the left hand). 
  • If you have limited time, try focusing on broad ideas while practicing. (Ex: if there’s not to work on every single detail, try practicing a piece with some simplified ideas; if you can’t work on articulation, dynamics, hand shape, and notes during the time you have, choose one of those areas to work with. Then at the next practice session, focus on that previous area and combine it with another. 

 

Greta

What we learned/reviewed in lesson:

  • Bartok sight reading
  • First page amber moon
  • Downloaded metronome, see notes from previous weeks on how to use metronome

Recommended time to practice:

  • 20-30 minutes a day, 4 days a week

What to practice:

  • Scales with metronome
    • G major, 80 bpm, hands together, 2 octaves
  • 1st page of amber moon (or first 16 measures), played with solid time and no stops. 
    • Continue working on it bar by bar and stringing it together, 

How to practice efficiently: 

  • If there’s only time to practice technique, practice it in varied ways (almost as if you were practicing a piece of repertoire):
    • Play technique at different dynamics: piano (softly), forte (loudly), crescendo going up the scale, diminuendo on the way down
    • Play with different articulation: staccato, accented
    • Play with different rhythms: swing, dotted, triplets 
  • As you’re piecing your measures together, make sure to work in sections. Practice the individual measures, then work on playing through 4 measures without stopping. Continue to work through the next 4 and then try playing through all 8 measures without stopping and so on. Keep an eye out for note accuracy to the sheet music before memorizing how it feels under the hands.

 

Happy practicing!