Class Activities Include:

Playing on an electronic keyboard; Children can create all three elements of music (melody, harmony, and rhythm) on one instrument. From the first steps of the program, students learn to use the ENTIRE keyboard and play on both white and black keys. Proper posture at the piano, hand position, and finger independence are developed throughout the method.

Fingers warm-ups and exercises; Technique, scale and full chord studies, ensemble playing and harmonization are emphasized. Finger exercises (and games) from numbers start the small motor coordination. Scales, progressions, arpeggios and other exercises provide the necessary basic tools needed for proficiency and fluency in playing the piano.

The keyboard geography begins with a D-centered approach. “Keys for Kids” presents the elements of music to children in such a colorful way so that they wouldn’t forget them, yet the terminology used is “real”.

Playing in a keyboard “band” is not only fun for students, but accelerates the learning, skill development and fluency in the playing. Rhythm and keyboard ensembles are a natural part of musical exploration and are used throughout the course to build sight-reading, rhythm and musicianship.

Listening: We are beginning with listening because the things kids learn with their ears actively involved will always be with them. Each level includes listening activities ranging from by-ear playback to melodic dictation, rhythm pattern identification to dictation, listening for dynamics, chord quality identification

Ear-training activities:  Development of ear training and sight- singing through the use of solfege (Movable “Do”) is an integral part of the program. We use curved hand signs that have been adopted by Kodaly. Patterns formed in the music have a specific relationship to the keyboard. The development of the ear not only assists in this pattern recognition, but aids the development of sight-reading and other skills as well.

Sight-reading: to provide a way to translate written sounds into spoken sound. The movable “Do” system is used to ensure reading and hearing THE PATTERNS of notes rather than “spelling” each note independently. The recognition, facilitation and playing of basic musical patterns greatly enhances the fluency of the reading. Keyboard reading skills are also developed through a careful, incremental introduction of note reading by intervals with constant review. Quick short-cut techniques are NOT used. The interval approach is utilized with the incorporation of “guide notes” to allow students to become accustomed to the notes and key patterns of different key signatures. Intensive drills of the Grand Staff starts the reading process (animals, interval – lying within the normal hand position, FEEL of the intervals in relation to the reading is stressed, and direction reading before it). Each student learns to read music and to count accurately. This, along with singing solfege while playing keyboard repertoire pieces, builds the habit of reading BEFORE playing.

Rhythm training is done through expressive movement (walking, dancing) and hand clapping exercises at first.   Students learn new rhythmic patterns best by copy-clapping the rhythm and writing it down. A syllabic approach is used along with the introduction of the real note durations names. Proficiency is achieved through rhythm and keyboard ensembles and rhythm dictations.

Music theory and games include basic theory recognition and chord progression. It is important that students recognize and understand the theory as it relates to the keyboard. Seeing the patterns formed by the notes and acquiring those patterns into the muscle memory is essential to success. A variety of chord qualities and accompaniment patterns are learned. The teaching of new material consists of scanning the entire piece for identical, similar, and contrary phrases, along with the analysis of rhythm and intervals. An ability to analyze musical elements enables students to progress fast, strengthen their memorizing and transposing skills, and develops students’ deeper understanding of the music they learn. The concept of using both the brain and ear before fingers encourages students to THINK, COMPARE, AND ANALYZE, and creates thinking students. Every activity in the class has the purpose to increase the knowledge and skills, along with fun. Behind the child-like exposition of the method there lies a deep fundamental concept of the rudiments of the music.   

Improvisation/ transposition is practiced through regular execution. Creativity and expression are nourished. Improvisation in a Q-A style encourages students to experiment with the elements of music. Altering the key, mode, dynamics, articulation, tempo, structure, making arpeggios into chords, creating variations, etc., make students think about how music is made and encourages them to be creative on their own.

Home assignment sections are provided for each level as a review of skills and theory. It may range from the coloring assignments for the “Mini Keys” students to note and rhythm notation, harmonization, transposition, vocabulary, chord study, simple analysis, etc. for older students.