Curriculum

Introduction:

The following curriculum is designed to simultaneously accomplish the following:
   1) Teach technical ability and musical theory
   2)  Train the pupil’s musical ear. 

 Each student is different and will progress differently.  It is crucial to their learning that the teacher and parents encourage learning in a fun, low stress environment.  It is the role of the teacher to show what a student must do.  It is the role of the parent to help the pupil along the process.

Notebook Format: (use neat handwriting and spacing as shown)

Exercises - keys

 Book (by author)– page numbers

               (optional) page number – note/reminder

Additional pieces of music

Music theory and ear training notes

Addition notes

            Example    
                                                    9/1/2010

           Robins CDEFGAB

          Arpeggios CDEFGAB

         Thompson- 8, 9

            8 – count out loud and watch measure 3

        Schaum – 10, 11

        Fur Elise

        Whole note = 4 beats

        Half note = 2 beats

       Quarter note = 1 beat

       Good Job!

Order of Phases:

Primer Level

First Grade

Second Grade

(optional) Third Grade

Bach Inventions and Baroque

Sontinas and/or Intro to Jazz

Classical Studies and/or Advanced Jazz

Book Test

At the end of each book the teacher will give an examination consisting of all the songs in the book.  The student must play through all of the pieces flawlessly.  3 strikes will be given.

Level Test

At the end of the level, the teacher will give a test to ensure that all standards in the curriculum were taught thoroughly.  After passing, the student moves on to the next level.

Primer Level Curriculum and Requirements:

I.                   Mandatory Books

·        Completed all pieces learned in Thompson’s Easiest Piano Course and passed test

·        Completed all pieces learned in John W. Schaum’s Pre-A Green Book and passed test

·        Completed all pieces learned in Thompson’s Teaching Little Fingers How to Play and passed test

II.                 Supplementary Material and Optional Instructional

·        Schaum’s Making Music Primer Level

·        Schaum Note speller

·        Bastien Primer Level

·        Sight reading on a primer level

·        Carrol Matz

·        Any primer supplement/songbook

III.              Mandatory Pieces

·        This Land Is Your Land

·        Boogie Woogie

IV.              Musical Theory

·        Number of keys on the piano

·        How a piano works

·        Piano key names

·        Piano posture (bent fingers, wrists up, sit in center of chair, back straight)

·        Middle C

·        Whole step vs half step (chromatic)

·        Sharp and flat

·        Octave Interval

·        Labeling a piece of music (staves, measures, measure lines, etc.)

·        Number of each finger

·        Counting out loud

·        Clef identification (treble and bass)

·        Proper fingering

·        Time signatures (4/4, 2/4, 3/4 )

·        Rhythm (whole notes, dotted half, half, quarter, eighth and equivalent rests)

·        Function of a dotted note

·        Pneumonic devices for note identification (bass and treble)

·        Note names on staff and to middle C

·        Tempo

·        Articulation

·        Major and Minor triad

V.                Piano Exercises

·        Robins in all keys and variations (criss-crossed hands, with a major chord in either hand)

·        Arpeggios in all keys (crossing over with 2^nd finger)

·        Up and Down in a keys (optional- only for young students who lack motor skills)

·        Major triads

VI.              Ear Training

·        Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do

·        Identify major vs minor chords

·        Play back variations of basic melodies

·        Identify and sing octave, third, and fifth

First Grade Curriculum and Requirements:

I.                   Mandatory Books

·        Completed all Pieces in John W. Schaum Part A and passed test

·        Completed all Pieces in John W. Schaum Part B and passed test

·        Completed all Pieces in Thompson’s First Grade and passed test

II.                 Supplementary Material and Optional Instructional

·        Schaum’s Making Music First Grade

·        60 Progressive Piano Pieces

·        Fingerpower

·        Jazz/Rock Course

·        Hannon Virtuoso

·        Classical Etudes, Minuets, and Pieces

·        Other supplemental/songbook

III.              Mandatory Pieces

·        All Right Okay You Win

·        Bach Minuet in G

·        Woodland Waltz

·        Spinning Song

·        Fur Elise

IV.              Musical Theory

·        All Previous

·        Chromatic solfegge tones

·        Major and Minor Triads

·        Tetrads (major7, dominant7, minor7)

·        Major Scale (whole step, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half)

·        Minor Scale (Aeolian Mode of the Major Scale)

·        Minor, Major, Diminished, Augmented, Intervals

·        Sixteenth notes and on

·        Syncopation

·        Time signatures

·        V – I chord progression

·        I, IV, V chord progression

·        I, IV, IV, V chord progressions

V.                Piano Exercise

·        All previous

·        Major and Minor Scales (Parallel and Contrary)

·        Major and Minor Triad Inversions (root, 1^st, 2^nd inversion)

·        Hannon Exercises (at your own discrimination)

VI.              Ear Training

·        All previous

·        Singing and identifying all major intervals, the minor third and seventh, and the tritone

·        Playing back melodies, bass lines,

·        Chord resolution (V –I)

·        Chromatic solfegge tones

Second Grade Curriculum and Requirements:

            I. Mandatory Books

·        Completed all Pieces in John W. Schaum Part C and passed test

·        Completed all Pieces in John W. Schaum Part D and passed test

·        Completed all Pieces in Thompson’s Second Grade and passed test

·        Completed exercises part 1 of Hannon Virtuoso

II. Supplementary

·        60 Progressive Pieces

·        Piano Favorites

·        Any other supplemental songbook

III. Mandatory Pieces

·        Clementi Sonatina in C

·        Beethoven Sontina in F

·        The Merry Farmer

·        Bach Prelude NO. 1

·        Blue Danube     

IV. Musical Theory

·        All Previous

·        Modes of the Major Scale and Function

·        II V I

·        All Tetrads

·        Secondary Dominants

·        Suspended Chords

·        Parallel vs Relative

·        Harmonic and Melodic Minor

·        Basic Harmonic and Melodic Analysis

V. Piano Exercise

·        All previous

VI. Ear Training

·        All previous

·        Identifying Chord Changes in a Progression (diatonic and secondary dominant)

(Optonal)Third Grade Curriculum and Requirements:

            I. Mandatory Books

·        Thompson part 3

II.  Supplementary

·        60 Progressive Pieces

III. Musical Theory

·        all previous

IV. Ear Training

·        all previous

V. Piano Exercise

·        All previous

·        2 octave scales

Bach Inventions and Baroque Era

            I. Mandatory Books

·        Student must own Bach Two Part Inventions and complete at least 3 inventions

II. Mandatory Pieces

·        3 inventions

III. Supplementary

·        at student and teacher’s discretion

IV. Musical Theory

·        all previous

V. Ear Training

·        all previous

VI. Piano Exercise

·        All previous

Intro To Jazz

            I.  Mandatory Books

·        Real Book Sixth Edition

II. Mandatory  Pieces

·        12 Bar Blues

·        In The Mood

·        Fever

·        All Of Me

III. Musical Theory

·        Pentatonic

·        Blues scale

·        Chromatic approach

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