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Bridgeport Academy of Piano Arts

 
 
 
 

Our Teaching Philosophy
Program for Beginning (Primer-Level) Piano Students
Effective Practice Habits
Recitals


 
     
 

Program for Beginning
(Primer-Level)
Piano Students

  • Up and down on the keyboard
  • The musical alphabet; the musical alphabet backwards
  • Exploration of the keyboard; black-note groups
  • Location of C and F using black-note groups as guide
  • Location of middle C on the keyboard
  • Five-finger scales
    • hand position #1 (all white notes)
    • hand position #2 (wh, wh, bl, wh, wh) 
      • Introduced after the student has mastered hand position #1

At this point, the concepts of half step/whole step and sharp/flat can be introduced.

  • Stepping vs. skipping on the keyboard
  • Exploration of the staff
  • Stepping vs. skipping on the staff
    • 10 Possibilities of Simple Pitch-Reading (chart)
  • Introduction of treble clef
    • G above middle C
  • Right-hand pitch-reading exercises
  • Introduction of bass clef
    • 2nd G below middle C
  • Left-hand pitch-reading exercises
  • Introduction to counting
    • quarter note
  • “The Golden Rule of Counting” (i.e., subdivision)
  • Concept of tie
  • Half note (i.e., two quarter notes tied together)
  • Dotted half note (i.e., three quarter notes tied together)

NOTE: For older students, the theory behind dotted notes can be introduced

  • Whole note (i.e., four quarter notes tied together)
  • Arithmetical relationship between whole notes, half notes, and quarter notes (for older students)
  • Concept of time signature
    • measure as horizontal grouping of notes; bar line
    • common time (e.g., 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4.)
  • “Silver Rule of Counting” (i.e., each measure starts with “one”)
  • Concept of “next available number” (sequential number placement within measure)
  • Counting exercises (single pitch)
  • Concept of melody as combination of changing pitches and changing note-values
  • Treble clef melodies in various common time signatures
  • Bass clef melodies in various common time signatures
  • Two-handed counting exercises (one pitch per hand)
  • Two-handed songs
  • Concept of leger line
    • location of middle C in relation to the treble staff
  • Below-the-staff pitch-reading exercises in treble clef

NOTE: At this point, the student is ready for a level I book, such as John Schaum Book A or John Thompson First Grade.

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Copyright Doug Lalli