Piano! Piano! Piano!

Starting in close position on middle C with notation on the great staff; learning to count semibreve, dotted minim, minim and crotchet notes and rests; understanding a final bar line and a repeat bar line; covering 4/4 time and 3/4 time; with occasional hands together and related theory. 11 teacher/pupil duets.

Starting with a review of book 1; understanding the distance between next door notes and next but one notes; building up hands together playing; learning the names of the semibreve, dotted minim, minim, crotchet and introducing quavers and quaver rests; use of the tie, pause, and enclosed repeat; 2/4 time; three black notes – Bb, Eb and F# and reaching the C an octave each side of middle C and related theory. 12 teacher/pupil duets.

Starting with a review of book 2; hands together playing; fingering changes as we explore the two octaves around middle C; learning our first scale; more black notes; accidentals including the natural sign; legato and staccato; accent signs; pp mp p and ff mf f; crescendo/diminuendo; related theory and introducing a little bit of jazz. 11 teacher/pupil duets.

Review of book 3; expanding to 4 octaves around middle C; recognising major/minor tonality; use of block chords and open fifths; 1st time/2nd time bars; dotted crotchet; anacrusis; phrase marks; D.C. al fine; D.C. al coda; learning key signatures and key chords of C major/A minor, G major/E minor, F major/D minor and scales; reading 2 bass clefs/2 treble clefs and related theory reaching a comfortable grade 1 standard. 16 duets.

Learning common Italian terms; working in 2 sharps/2 flats; learning the octave above sign; introducing compound time – 6/8, 9/8, 12/8; basic intervals; styles of music through the ages from medieval through renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic, impressionist, modern, tintinnabulation, folk tunes, cowboy music and a little more jazz; and introducing the sustain pedal; taking the pupil up to grade 2 standard. 9 duets.

We explore more notes on the keyboard; we use sustain and una corda pedals; crossing hands playing; metronome marks; 3/8 and 4/8 time; semiquavers; keys up to 3 flats/sharps both major and minor with their scales and tonic triads; sharps and flats on white notes; changing time and key signatures mid piece; triplets and much more bringing the pupil to grade 3 standard. 9 duets.