I am excited to offer this flex class version of my Multi-Day Piano Class for ages 5-10.  In this flex version, students will use the same piano resource method book (Faber Piano Adventures Primer Level Lesson Book) and will learn the same skills taught in the live version.  This class is a beginning piano class for learners with no (or very little) prior musical experience.  

Each week, three videos (approximately 8- 13 minutes each  in length) will be uploaded for the student to watch.  In these videos, I will be teaching the skills that they will be learning for that week. All three videos will be uploaded each week on Monday. Each video (after the first video) will include a short review of the skills taught in the previous video.  Basic music skills, such as posture, finger numbers, correct hand form, white keys and black keys, and music alphabet will be taught.  Students will learn the notes Middle C, D, E, F, and G to be played with the right hand. They will also learn the notes Middle C, B, A, G, and F to be played with the left hand. In this course, learners will be exposed to the skills in the Faber Piano Adventures Primer Level Lesson book through page 41.  

Additional activities, such as piano melodies to play, coloring activities, and drawing activities will be sent home to encourage their learning and review skills they have been taught each week. Students will be expected  to record and upload videos of themselves playing songs they have learned.  They are encouraged to share these with me, as well as the other students.  They will also have opportunities to share their drawings of notes, rests, and musical symbols in the classroom. Students will be asked to comment on other students' posts.  Students will be directed to only post positive comments, as we all understand that no one is perfect and mistakes in playing (and drawing) are expected.  

The videos that will be uploaded each week will be of me teaching the students each particular skill and how to perform that skill.  I will include plenty of repetition while performing that skill so that students can learn as they go.  The class videos include two camera views.  One of the views is from the end of the piano so that students can see from that angle.  The more important camera view will be from above the keyboard. Students will be able to see my hands on the keyboard so that it is clear which notes and which fingers they should be using.  Each week students will be given an assignment including pages in the book to practice.  It will also include a drawing activity (such as drawing notes or musical symbols) and/or a performing activity, such as uploading a video showing what they have learned on the pages that week.  Students are encouraged to watch and  respond to other students posts at least once throughout each week.  Additional songs may be sent home as supplementary songs that will reinforce the skills that they have learned in that particular lesson.


COMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES: 
Activities will be used throughout this course that require communication between students and the teacher.  Each week, the videos will be uploaded on Monday.  Along with these videos, an assignment will be listed as well.  Part of the assignment will be a question for the students to answer such as telling me what they think is the most challenging skill in their lesson this week. Students can answer the teacher question, as well as respond to other student responses.  It will be useful for students to know that sometimes, other students may also be having problems (or successes) with the same skills. One week, I  will be uploading a selection of music.  I will send a scavenger hunt list of items for each student to find on this piece of music.  They can use the classroom to ask other students about any items that they might not be able to find.  Students will create easy rhythm and melody composing activities that  are to be uploaded and shared with other students in their class. Students will be expected to upload a short video each week playing one of the songs from their lesson that week.  These assignments are due by Saturday morning of each week. Teacher feedback and discussion will follow up each assignment. 

The basic weekly schedule will look something like this:
Week 1-  A video will include an introduction and basic music skills, such as posture, correct hand form, finger numbers, black keys on the piano, and high/low sounds.  Students will cover through page 13 in the lesson book.  They will learn 4 songs (pages 10-13) using the black keys).  They will  be asked to upload a short video showing them playing one of the 4 songs on pages 10-13.

Week 2- Students will receive three short videos for this week.    These will include a short review of the black notes and the songs on pages 10-13.  Students will be introduced to the "quarter note on page 14 and   practice clapping quarter notes.  In this week's videos, the students will learn the skills on pages 15-19.  On these pages, they will review the quarter note and learn how to play several songs using these. They will learn about half notes and practice drawing them on page 18. They will learn a song using both quarter notes and half notes.  They will be asked to upload a short video showing them playing one of the songs on pages 15, 16, 17, or 19.

Week 3- Students will receive three short videos for this week.  They  will include a short review of the skills taught on pages 14-19. They will review clapping rhythms using quarter notes and half notes.  In this week's video, they students will learn the skills on pages 20-23 in their book. This includes learning about the whole note.  They will practice clapping rhythms using quarter, half, and whole notes.  They will also have fun learning the song "Old MacDonald Had A Song" on pages 22 and 23.  Additional songs will also be sent home that  use the notes that they have learned.  They will learn the Italian terms "forte" and "piano" as well as how they are used in music. Students will also be introduced to quarter, half, and whole rests.   For their assignment, students will  upload a video showing themselves playing pages 22-23 or one of the additional songs that have been sent home.  For an additional assignment, they can also have fun creating their own rhythm using these notes or create a picture using quarter notes, half notes, and whole notes.  They will receive a coloring assignment using quarter, half, and whole notes and rests. A coloring activity will be sent home so that they can practice note names.  Rests will be introduced. 

Week 4-  The first video will include a short review of the skills taught on pages 20-23.  They will review use of quarter, half, and whole notes, as well as "forte" and "piano". In this week's videos, the students will learn the skills on pages 24-26.  On these pages, they will begin learning the music alphabet and where the notes "C", "D", and "E" are located on the piano.  At this point in the course, finger numbers are not used as much and students are learning to use note names rather than finger numbers.  They will also practice the "cross hands" technique to help them learn how to gain more hand independence as they play.  They will have fun learning the song "Merrily We Roll Along" on page 26.  Additional songs will be sent home using the notes "C", "D", and "E" so that they can have additional practice learning the location of these notes on the piano.  For their assignment, they will  upload a video of themselves  performing one of the songs they have learned that use the notes "C", "D", and "E".  They will also be sent a picture of a piano keyboard with instructions to write the musical alphabet letters on the keyboard. They will also be sent puzzles that they can cut out and match the musical alphabet letter to the position on the keyboard. 

Week 5-  The skills  they have learned so far in this course will be reviewed. They will review black notes (groups of 2 and 3), quarter notes, half notes,  whole notes, forte, piano, and the notes "C", D", and "E". They will be taught the skills on pages 27-30 through three videos.   On these pages, they will learn the final 4 notes of the music alphabet ("F", "G", "A", and "B") and their placement on the piano. They will again practice the "cross hands" technique playing the song  on page 27. On page 28, they  will learn the "C 5-finger" hand position in both hands and will use this position to  learn the "C-D-E-F-G March", "Men From Mars" and "Ode to Joy" on pages 28-30. They will learn about "bar lines" and "measures" in music. They will also learn about the composer Beethoven.  Their assignment this week will be to upload a video performing one of the songs on pages 27-30  (or one of the additional songs sent home).  

Week 6-  Songs and skills from pages 27-30 will be reviewed as well.  This week, the skills on pages 31-36 will be taught.  Even though we skip pages 31-33, I will teach about the dotted half note as they learn the song on page 33 ("Alouette").  They will also learn several very important musical terms that will be used in all of their future musical education. They will learn  about the "staff", "grand staff", "line notes", "space notes", "treble clef", and "bass clef.  They will also begin learning that each letter of the musical alphabet has a particular place on the staff.  In today's video, they will learn how to recognize and play the note "Middle C" using the right hand and also using the left hand.  From this point on, they will be playing notes that are written on the music staff.  For their assignment, students will upload a video of themselves playing any song that they have learned so far.  They will also complete and submit a worksheet that allow them to practice drawing the treble clef, line notes, and space notes.  

Week 7-  A video will include a short review of the musical alphabet, basic music terminology that they have learned so far, and the position of "Middle C" on the treble staff and the bass staff.  They will continue by learning the note "Treble G" and where it is located on the staff.  They will learn songs on pages 37-39 in their book. All of these songs give them practice playing the notes "Middle C" and "Treble G" using one hand (or both hands).  They will also be taught about "rests" in music, what they look and like and their importance.  For their assignment this week, students will   upload a video of themselves playing one of the songs on pages 37-39 (or one of the additional songs sent home) practicing the use of notes on the staff.  They will also  complete a coloring activity using the notes and rests they have learned. 

Week 8-  A video will include a short review of the notes they have learned so far and their placement on the staff and the piano.  Today, they will complete the session by learning several notes on the piano.  They will learn the note "Bass F" (to be played with the left hand) and where it is located on the staff. They will also be introduced to the notes "D", "E", and "F" to be played with the right hand.  They will be introduced to the songs on pages 40, 41, and 43.    Students will upload  a video of themselves playing their favorite songs (2 or 3) that they have learned in this class.  At the end of the week, students will be sent a certificate showing completion of this beginning piano class.  At the end of this class, students have the opportunity to sign up for the "Multi-Day Beginning Piano Class #2 for Ages 5-9" (live class) or "Piano Class #2 for Ages 5-10" (FLEX class) to continue their musical education.