Emma Berube

Hello Everyone!

Great lessons all around this week!!

Georgia:

Today, without Georgia’s piano method book, we took the opportunity to have a dictation lesson! We started Sally’s Song from the Nightmare Before Christmas. Georgia was able to plunk out the notes for the first three phrases of the song by focusing on the contour of the melody line, and using the recording of the song for reference. We also talked about how to determine the rhythm of the song by listening to where the words line up with the beat of the song. For this week, Georgia can continue to practice the first phrase of Purple Cow in her method book as well as the first three phrases we have written from Sally’s Song so far. If she would like, Georgia can use the reverse side of “Sally’s Song” to continue dictating the song at home. If she gets stuck, please help her by asking her leading questions: does it sound like the notes get higher or lower? Which words are held for longer than others? We can correct this work next week when we finish dictating Sally’s Song. 

Noreet:

Today we reviewed the difference between Parallel and Contrary Motion. There are bars in Ode to Joy that flip between these two directions. Noreet should review these bars carefully to ensure her hands are moving in the correct direction and playing the correct notes together. We also reviewed what tension and resolution mean in music. Noreet knows where these moments of tension are in the music – they’re also marked in her book. When practicing, she should isolate these bars and play them on their own so that she can hear them out of context of the full song/phrase. Practicing this way will help her recognize and become familiar with these tense moments when playing the full song. Noreet also mentioned an interest in conducting! We reviewed different time signatures and discussed the role of the conductor in an ensemble. I then showed her how to conduct in 4/4 time. She can play with this at home by conducting as she listens to music at home. When reviewing Ode to Joy hands separately, challenge Noreet to conduct with the hand that is not playing! 

Eva:

Today we reviewed the Haunted Mouse! In class Eva read the first two phrases with minimal assistance. Please review these two lines at home, use the flashcards if necessary. I played the third line for Eva at the end of class to point out how the third line is just the beginning of the first and second line combined! Encourage her to play all three lines at home. Please also help her sight read the final line of the song. To do this, Eva can plunk out the notes on the piano, or you can use the flashcard game. I’ve also given Eva a replacement notebook to be filled in and coloured at home. If you are able, please also review Classic Dance as we will continue with both Haunted Mouse and Classic Dance next week! 

Benji:

Today Benji played Sailing in the Sun! For this week when practicing this song, encourage Benji to play along to the metronome to ensure he does not speed up or slow down between phrases. The metronome can be set between 80-120 beats per minute. Start at a slower pace (80BPM) and with each repetition increase the speed a little. The goal for next week is for Benji to play the whole song at 120BPM. We also started Ferris Wheel! We learned the first two phrases in class. We also talked about why these two phrases sound very similar to each other by discussing scale degrees and intervals. The first phrase of Ferris Wheel starts on an E, but the second phrase starts on a C. The second phrase starts a third lower than the first phrase. With pencil we labelled other thirds that appear in the first two phrases. Please help Benji review the notes for Ferris Wheel at home, and when playing the song ensure the notes are held for their full written value. If necessary, flip to the “Get Ready for Take Off” page of the book to review note values. Finally, Benji learned the C Major scale! He can use this scale to warm up his fingers before practicing Sailing in the Sun and Ferris Wheel. Make sure Benji starts this scale with his thumb and uses all of his fingers to walk up and down the keys. The fingering for this scale is as follows (1,2,3,1,2,3,4,5) with 1 being the thumb and 5 being the pinky finger. Reverse this order when descending the scale. 

Clara:

Today Clara played Owl in the Night! Please continue to practice this song at home and ensure Clara focuses on the dynamic markings in the piece! When reviewing Owl in the Night we also talked about minor keys! Clara now knows that the relative minor of a major key can be found by identifying the 6th scale degree of the Major scale! I’ve given her a sheet that shows this with C Major and A minor as well as E flat Major and c minor. Clara can practice all four of these scales for warm up. We started to talk about Major 7th chords as the cadence for Owl in the Night uses a V7 chord. This is labelled in her sheet music. We will review 7th chords next week. Finally, Clara sight read Skating Waltz! She can continue to review these notes at home, paying close attention to when she plays 3rds in the left hand and when she plays 4ths – the 4ths are marked in her sheet music.

Thank you everyone!

Looking forward to more great lessons next week!

Hello Everybody!

I hope you all had a great long weekend, and a Happy Thanksgiving to those who got together with loved ones!

Georgia:

Today Georgia finished learning the Clown! Now that Georgia is comfortable playing all the notes in the song, we discussed the structure of the piece. We learned how music has different sections within songs and can be labeled differently based on the notes in each section. Georgia now understands that The Clown is in ABA format. For this week, Georgia is to continue practicing The Clown, but she is encouraged to use a metronome when playing to ensure a steady beat and even tempo when playing. Each click of the metronome equals one beat, or one quarter note. You can use google to access a free metronome. Remind Georgia to set it to a speed between 100-120 beats per minute when playing. She is encouraged to practice at different speeds within this range. Georgia can also start to practice Purple Cow! This week Georgia should write in the notes of this song only in the designated boxes. She should try sight-reading the rest of the first line of Purple Cow on her own at home. We will continue learning this song and make any necessary corrections next week.

Noreet:

Today we took a break from Ode to Joy and learned the first two lines of I Am the King. Noreet should continue practicing these two lines at home in between her practice of Ode to Joy. When practicing Ode to Joy, Noreet should practice line by line reviewing the right hand, then the left hand, then slowly putting both hands together. Encourage her to go back and review any mistakes before she moves onto the next line. She is to use this method to practice the first 4 lines and the last 2 lines of the song. We will review the fifth and sixth lines in class next week. Also, I have highlighted spots in the music where Noreet plays in contrary motion. Noreet should pay close attention to these spots as this means her hands will move in opposite directions to each other. 

Eva:

Today in class Eva wanted to review Sailing in the Sun. We focused on the last line of the song and Eva can now confidently play the whole song! We also reviewed the first line of Classic Dance. I played the second line for Eva and explained that this line simply alternates notes and gets a little higher with every bar. She has a colouring/worksheet at home that shows her this. Please encourage Eva to practice Classic Dance at home. Remind her to start in C positon! Focus on the second line at home. You can use the colouring/worksheet to remind her of the notes. Help Eva connect the worksheet to the sheet music by pointing out that the notes she is being asked to play are the same notes she has coloured. She can play from the colouring sheet for now if the colour-coded notes are easier for her to understand. Finally, Eva was given a new notebook! The notebook uses the same concept as the flashcards, but it is up to Eva to fill in the answers! There are still blank pages so I will add some questions next week. 

Benji:

This week, when reviewing Sailing in the Sun, Benji was able to read all of the notes by himself with minimal guidance. We played the whole song with both hands and reviewed the dynamic markings in the song. When practicing at home, should Benji get stuck, remind him that the first note of the song is a C, then ask him if the next note is higher or lower than C. Using this method, Benji should be able to play all of the notes in the song. Most of the notes in Sailing in the Sun are in alphabetical order, there are not any big jumps. If there are any problem areas while practicing at home, we can review them in class next week. Once you have reviewed the notes, encourage Benji to play the whole song with the dynamic markings! These dynamic markings are indicated by the mf, p, and f written under specific lines of the song. Should he forget what these mean, they are written in the review page of at the beginning of his book. I’ve also recorded a video of myself playing the song for reference. You can find that video here. Please encourage Benji to try reading the notes before using the video as I do not want him to merely copy what I am doing. You can help him by asking guiding questions about what he sees on the page. Allowing Benji to  find the answer on his own will better his musical understanding. 

Clara:

Today we reviewed Bumper Cars and used this song to discuss song structure! Clara now understands that Bumper Cars is in ABA format. We also reviewed Melody in G to compare structure and Clara identified that this song is in AA prime format. Clara also learned what a Cadence is! The difference between the A and A prime sections of Melody in G is the Cadence at the end. We will continue discussing song structure and Cadences over the next few weeks. Finally, we started Owl in the Night! For this week, Clara is to practice at least the A section of this song, but can play the whole song if she wishes. We will review Owl in the Night next week and learn more about minor keys!

Christian:

Great to see you! Thank you for your work on the scientist in your absence. For this week continue practicing the new chords we reviewed in class. Focus on transitioning from chord to chord. You can use a metronome to push yourself – start slow and increase the metronome with each repetition until you can comfortable transition from chord to chord at a quick tempo. If you can find the video you referenced the other week, please bring that to our next lesson and we can break down more of the concepts that creator mentions in the video. I will draft the right hand of the melody for you to sight-read over the next week, we will review this in class.

Great lessons all around this week everyone!

Looking forward to seeing you all again next Thursday!

Hello Everyone!

Happy October! Thank you for the great first month of the school year!

Georgia:

This week we discussed how Georgia should approach practicing at home. While she is encouraged to play the whole song from start to finish when she begins her practice for the day, she should be keeping an eye out for any spots that need extra attention. Georgia should isolate and review these areas on their own without playing the song to ensure she can focus on improving just those spots. At home this week, Georgia should review The Clown. Please help Georgia by reminding her that the song starts in her left hand. Encourage Georgia to play the first two lines hands together. She can then practice the last two lines hands separate. She will need to sight-read the right hand of the last two lines on her own. Please help her by reminding her that the starting note of the third line is a B. She can figure our the rest of the notes on her own. Remember, Georgia should resist the urge to write in the notes to help challenge her memory and sight-reading skills.

Noreet:

Today we reviewed more of Ode to Joy! At home Noreet can continue to practice the first 3 lines hands together. Challenge her by asking her to play the following 3 phrases hands together this week. (6 lines hands together total). Please help her by reminding her that the 5th phrase is to be played a whole octave higher! We also reviewed intervals today and identified parts in the song where Noreet has to play a large interval (big jump between notes). She can continue to analyze intervals between any notes she is less confident in. Finally, we reviewed the pattern of the song, specifically difference between the ends of each phrase and listened to parts of Ode to Joy played by a symphony!

Eva:

Today we reviewed Classic Dance. When practicing at home, help Eva get started by asking her to show you C Position on the keyboard (both her 5th finger of her left hand and thumb of her right hand should be on C, one octave apart). Please encourage Eva to play the second phrase as well. We read the notes together in class using the flashcard game. She can review the notes with the flashcard game as well as with the fill in the blank colouring sheet for Classic Dance. We will correct this next week. If Eva is feeling really confident, once she has played the second phrase, you can tell her the third phrase is identical to the first phrase. So she already knows how to play it! We will look at both the second and the third phrase together next week.

Benji:

Today we reviewed Little River and started Sailing in the Sun! We didn’t play any of the notes today, we just read them. Encourage Benji to play the notes at home by taking turns at the piano. The first note of the song is middle C, from here Benji can figure out the rest of the notes in the song. If he gets stuck, ask him if the next note is higher or lower than the previous note. This song alternates hands within the same bar. The right hand starts then the left hand takes over. Please remind Benji of this at home, and clarify this by reminding him that all notes in the staff with the treble clef (the tall swirly clef) are played in the right hand, and all notes written on the staff with the bass clef (the backwards C clef) are played in the left hand. Finally, to help Benji with his sight-reading I’ve sent home a new fill in the blank work sheet! Under each note in each bar Benji needs to write in the letter name for that note.

Clara:

Today we reviewed Criss Cross. To help Clara visualize the contour of the line (the overall direction) we wrote out the whole song in the treble clef. This helps Clara see how close each note is even though they are played in different hands, and helps her see when her left hand finishes a phrase her left hand started. She is not to practice with this sheet. This worksheet was a visual exercise only. When playing the song, Clara is to continue practicing Criss Cross from the RCM book to ensure she plays each note with the correct hand. Clara also learned how to draw a treble clef! Finally, we tried more sight-reading this week with Bumper Cars. Clara was given 5 minutes to look at the whole piece before being asked to play it as best as she could given what she saw. We will continue this sight-reading exercise when starting new pieces. Clara can start to practice Bumper Cars at home. We will review this next week.

Thank you everyone!

Looking forward to seeing everyone’s progress in October!

Hello Everyone!

Thank you for all your hard work this past week! We’re making some great progress!

Georgia

Today we looked at page 26 of the Alfred’s piano method book. We reviewed note values and time signatures and discussed how many beats can fit in each bar as dictated by the time signature given for the specific song. We also learned what D.C al Fine and Fine mean in music. These are Italian terms that will help guide Georgia through the “map” of the song.  D.C al fine (Da Capo al fine) is used to indicate that the pianist should return to the beginning of the song and play until the bar marked “fine”, this is the “end” of the song. When practicing the song on page 26, please remind Georgia of these markings! Georgia has also been given a new worksheet to fill out this week. The worksheet reviews notes written in the bass clef. Using the mnemonic phrases “Green Bugs Don’t Fly Away” and “All Cows Eat Grass” Georgia should fill in the letter name for each note in her worksheet. We will correct this next week in class. Please also remind Georgia to practice “The Clown”. She can use her new mnemonic sayings to read the notes in the left hand. Remember, please do not write the letters in the book to help challenge Georgia’s sight-reading skills!

Noreet:

Today we reviewed the Elf’s Silver Hammer and talked more about how to tell a story with music based on certain musical choices like which octave to play in and how soft or loud to play a song. We also reviewed the left hand of Ode to Joy and sight-read the left hand. Noreet’s focus this week should be the left hand as it varied between to patterns of notes. When she has played the whole song start to finish with the left hand, encourage challenge her by isolating one phrase in the left hand and asking her to play it for you! Please help Noreet by reminding her that the left hand starts with descending notes before jumping back up. Noreet can start to play the first 3 lines of Ode to Joy hands together! Review the left and right hands separately before practicing these lines hands together. When practicing hands together, encourage Noreet to play slowly so that she can take note of when her left and right hand move in contrary motion (opposite directions) and when they play in parallel motion (same direction).

Benji:

We used Benji’s new Piano Adventures Lesson book in class today! Thank you for picking this up! In the book, we reviewed Little River. When practicing this song at home this week, try using a metronome! You can find this for free via google. The metronome taps the beat of the song to help reinforce a steady tempo (speed). Set the metronome to 85BPM (beats per minute) and encourage Benji to play the notes in time with the metronome. Each quarter note should be the same length as 1 click of the metronome, while each half note is worth 2 clicks. Use the metronome to ensure each quarter note is played for an equal amount of time (1 beat, no more no less). Please help Benji practice Little River by reminding him that the entire first phrase should be played with his right hand as dictated by the treble clef (the tall curly symbol) written at the start of the line, and the entire second phrase is played in his left hand as dictated by the bass clef (the backwards C symbol) written at the start of the second phrase. We will review this next week.

Eva:

Today we learned the first phrase of “Classic Dance”. When practicing Classic Dance, remind Eva that her hands should be in C-Position with the thumb of her right hand, and the 5th finger of her left hand both on a C (they should be one octave apart C-C). Her other 4 fingers should line up with the 4 notes above C (D,E,F,G) with the thumb of her left hand, and 5th finger of her right hand both on a G. When practicing, encourage Eva to not move her fingers from their designated note! She can play the opening two chords in her left and right hands with her 1st, 3rd, and 5th fingers, then step down the scale at the end of the phrase with her 4th finger, 3rd finger, 2nd finger, and 1st finger (thumb). We will review these fingerings next week in class. Please note, the first and last lines of this song are identical!  Encourage by reminding her that she already know two thirds of the song! Have Eva read both lines this week. We can learn the middle line in class together.

Clara:

Today we played The Giraffe! We recorded both The Giraffe and Ladybug today so that Clara could hear her performance for herself. Continue to encourage this listening activity at home so that Clara can decide what she likes about playing a song and where she might want to improve. When reviewing Ladybug, Clara pointed out that her favourie part of the song is the phrase with the F# in it. She likes that this part sounds a little odd compared to the rest of the song. We then learned why it sounds odd by reviewing some scales and key signatures. Clara has a worksheet with the scales C-B Major, she knows these scales up to A, E Major and B Major are new. On the back of this sheet is a Circle of 5ths. We learned that the circle works like a clock to tell us how many sharps or flats a specific key signature has. Clara knows that if you move one space to the right, you add one sharp to the key signature. Using the circle, please have Clara fill in the missing sharps in the E Major and B Major scale of the worksheet. Finally, we started the Haunted Mouse! This is review for Clara as this song appears in the Piano Adventures Level 1 book. Encourage her to practice this song hands together at home and let her record herself when she feels ready.

Christian:

I’ve uploaded a copy of the Scientist for you! You can find that here. For this week, practice forming the chords hands separately. Once you can confidently identify and play the notes used in each chord, you can then practice switching from chord to chord with both hands together – play each chord only once. Pay attention to which inversion of the chord you play and where your fingers have to move to from chord to chord. When you fee confident in building the chords and the chord progression, you can refer back to the sheet music and practice alternating hands – remember, you always start the new chord with your right hand!

Thank you everyone!

Have a great week!

Hello Everyone!

Excellent start to the school year so far!

Georgia:

The last two weeks we have been reviewing Georgia’s progress in the  Alfred’s Method Book so far. Georgia has been explaining and demonstrating concepts she is familiar and comfortable with, and together we have reviewed any unfamiliar notes, symbols, and concepts we’ve come across. Today we reviewed Time Signatures – including 4/4, 3/4, and 2/4 time, the difference between Legato and Staccato markings and playing technique, and the symbols for sharp and flat notes. We have started “The Clown” in the Alfred Piano Method book. We learned the first phrase together in class. Georgia’s challenge this week is to not write the note names in the book. This will take more time, but when given the starting note Georgia can assess the distance between each note and find the answer without having to read the letter names. Should she get stuck when sight-reading, ask her if the next note is higher or lower than the previous note and by how many steps on the staff/piano. Encourage Georgia to review the first phrase we learned in class (her starting notes are D in the left hand and G in the right hand) and to try reading the second phrase on her own at home. Remember; this song has a B flat! We will review and learn more of “The Clown” next class.

Noreet:

Noreet is starting Unit 3 of her Piano Adventures 2A method book! She can continue to warm up with “My Daydream” from Unit 2. Unit 3 starts with “Ode to Joy”! In class we learned both the right and left hand for the first two lines. Encourage Noreet to review these hands separate before practicing hands together. For the rest of the song Noreet can practice hands separate. We read the right hand in class together. Challenge her to sight-read the left hand at home on her own! We also reviewed the concept of “The Phrase” as indicated by the legato markings in “Ode to Joy”. When practicing the first two phrases hands together, Noreet should pay attention to where each Phrase starts and ends in the song, making sure all notes are fluid and connected from start to end of the Phrase. We will continue more of “Ode to Joy” next class.

Eva:

I’m sorry we missed you today! Continue to encourage Eva to practice “The Haunted Mouse” at home. You can remind her that this would be an awesome song to play around Halloween!

Benji:

Today we reviewed the notes on the staff and corrected Benji’s Notes on the Staff worksheet! We also learned more about Time Signatures, Note Values, and Rhythms. Benji has been given a new fill in the blank worksheet this week that covers these concepts. Paying close attention to the Time Signature (4/4, 3/4, or 2/4) Benji needs to fill in the missing note, or notes, in each bar using either a quarter note (1 beat), a half note (2 beats), a dotted half note (3 beats), or a whole note (4 beats). Remember, the top number of the time signature tells you how many beats belong in each bar (4, 3, or 2). We also reviewed “Little River” from the Piano Adventures Song book. I’ve uploaded “Little River” to the google drive, here! When practicing “Little River” this week, encourage Benji to use all 5 of his fingers as the notes walk up and down the staff/piano. “Little River” is in C Position on the piano. Please help Benji find C Position by asking him to put his thumb on Middle C and line up the rest of his fingers with the next 5 notes on the piano (D, E, F, G). Each finger should have its own note to play! The first note of “Little River” is Middle C! Benji should play this note with his thumb and use his index, middle, ring, and pinky fingers (his 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th fingers) as the notes get higher on the staff/piano. Use the same technique for the second phrase in the left hand; start on G with the thumb and walk down the keys to C, which should be played with Benji’s 5th finger. Focus on pressing one note down at a time with each finger! We will review playing in C position and “Little River” next class.

Please also note; the piano method book Benji currently has is a theory book. We can still use this in class as it is a companion book for all the songs, but it would be helpful if Benji also had the lesson book. Here is link to the Piano Adventures 1 Lesson book.

Clara:

Today we reviewed “The Ladybug Waltz”. Clara demonstrated that she can play this song hands together at a manageable tempo with accurate notes and consistent rhythms! We then recorded this song so that Clara could focus on listening to her own performance. She was encouraged to listen for one thing she liked about how she plays “The Ladybug Waltz” and one thing that may benefit from more practice. When practicing songs at home, encourage Clara to record herself so that she can appreciate her efforts and maybe identify areas where she wishes to improve. We also reviewed “The Giraffe” together. As this song has large leaps, we examined the Intervals in the piece to help make it more clear how big each jump is from note to note. Using the C Major scale as an example, Clara learned all Major and Perfect intervals including a Perfect 1st, Major 2nd, Major 3rd, Perfect 4th, Perfect 5th, Major 6th, Major 7th, and a Perfect Octave. We then compared these Intervals to their Solfege syllables (Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do). For this week, Clara is encouraged to not play this song with the pedal for now and to continue identifying the intervals between each note. We will review the use of the pedal in “The Giraffe” next week when Clara is feeling more confident with the notes in the song.

Thank you everyone for a great start to the school season!

I look forward to seeing how everyone improves in the next coming weeks!

Hi Eva and Christian, it was lovely to meet you and work with you today! Here is your homework:

Eva

Sailing in the Sun

How long to practice- 10-15 min per day

What to practice- Slurred phrases and line 4

How to practice:

-Pay attention to notes that are connected by slurs and play them legato- meaning they are played straight through with no space between them

-Remember that line 4 is almost the same as line 2- except for the second bar.

How parents can support practice- Listen to her play and encourage her with positive feedback.

Great work :)

Christian

How Long Will I Love You

How long to practice: 10-15 min per day

What to practice- Opening chords of the song

How to practice:

-Start with just the right hand, and when that’s solid, add left hand.

-Repeat positions of fingers for the chord progressions until it becomes muscle memory.

-Count in your head while playing.

Great work :)