*** Back-to-School Special ***
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Level 1 of Learn Piano Now provides a technical foundation for continued musical growth while helping learners make music right away. No previous piano instruction is necessary. The classes listed below are sequenced to maximize musical development and enjoyment. Each class includes a familiar tune or folk song that reinforces the topic. Students will be engaged with rhythm games, slides, ear training, music history, and even composition. By the end of level 1, learners will play songs on both the white and black keys, know the musical alphabet, finger numbers, and basic rhythmic notation, and will begin a technical foundation for posture and playing. 

Week 1: Black Keys 
After an engaging introduction that details class procedures and expectations, students will identify patterns of black keys, copy patterns by ear and with a visual prompt, and create new patterns, which will lead to the folk song "Mary had a Little Lamb"

Week 2: Finger Numbers
Class will begin with a review of black-key patterns. Students will have a chance to share a new pattern that they created. The Finger-Number Game will be used to introduced the numbering system. Learners will copy patterns from the teacher and then get to "be the teacher" for the class. Finger-number patterns will be used to learn another folk song, "Old MacDonald had a Farm."

Week 3: Musical Alphabet (CDE)
After reviewing finger numbers and the "Mary had a Little Lamb," Dr. Nathan will transpose that tune to the white keys. After discussing the change in sound, students will experiment with transposition to see if they can find other groups of keys that sound similar. 

Week 4: Musical Alphabet (FGAB)
At the beginning of Week 4, students will have the opportunity to perform pieces learned in previous weeks and/or pieces that they have composed with patterns we have learned. To complete the musical alphabet, students will learn a new song by Dr. Nathan.

Week 5: Dynamics (Forte & Piano)
Dr. Nathan will lead a historical discussion concerning the name of the piano and what it implies concerning dynamics. Learners will use this knowledge to play a "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" at two different dynamic levels.

Week 6: Quarter Note
In Week 6, we will begin assigning standard rhythmic notation for the quarter note to previously learned patterns and songs. Students will practice drawing quarter notes on the white board.

Week 7: Half Note
After reviewing the musical alphabet, learners will transpose the "Old MacDonald had a Farm" to the white keys. We will examine the different lengths of notes and assign the musical symbol for both quarter notes and half notes. A mystery note at the end will not be revealed until Week 8. Learners will discuss how this note sounds and what the musical symbol for it may be.

Week 8: Whole Note
After revealing the mystery note from Week 7 and playing a review game, students will learn a graduation song to perform for each other, friends, and family.