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Piano Summer Camp: Blues Improvisation (Ages 12+)

Class
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Paul McFarland
Star Educator
Average rating:5.0Number of reviews:(220)
Does your child love blues music? They can learn to jam on the piano with a bluesy style! This 4-lesson summer camp allows them to explore key piano skills in a fun, improvisational style.

Class experience

Beginner - Intermediate Level
4 lessons//2 Weeks
 Week 1
Lesson 1
Bb Minor Pentatonic Scale (Black Keys)
Students will learn how to improvise with 2, 3, & 5 note groupings using the Eb Minor Pentatonic Scale (the black keys). Students will learn the basics of improvisation and will experience improvising with a backing track.
Lesson 2
C (Major or minor) Blues Scale
Students will learn the notes of their preferred scale. Students will learn how to improvise with these notes using backing tracks and improvisation techniques. Students will experiment with swing rhythms.
 Week 2
Lesson 3
Chords
Students will learn how to play the blues in their left hand using either chord roots, chords, or a 12 bar blues progression (depending on ability and choice). Advanced students may work on combining hands.
Lesson 4
Advanced Skills
Students will learn how to combine hands if they didn't do so in the previous lesson. Students will work on leveling up their improvisation through the use of extra guided practice on previous concepts, licks & riffs, slides, or note groupings.
Students will be able to improvise in the right hand using the major or minor blues scales.
Students will be able to play a left hand pattern.
I'm a certified music teacher with over a decade of experience teaching music in the public schools. My Bachelor's Degree (from SUNY Fredonia) is in music education, and my Master's Degree (from Loyola University Maryland) specializes in Kodály Music Education. 

My mom was a piano teacher and my dad was a public school music teacher, so in one sense you could say I've always grown up around music and the piano. I had traditional piano lessons growing up and in college. However, around Middle School I discovered that my real love for piano is Boogie Woogie music, the blues, and improvisation. I would have given anything at the time for improvisation instruction; that's one of the reasons why I'm so passionate about passing on my love of piano improvisation with young students today! 
Homework Offered
1-2 hours of practice is recommended per week. A practice guide will be provided.
1 - 2 hours per week outside of class
Assessments Offered
An informal assessment of the student's playing level will be given during the first class. This will help guide instruction for the remaining classes. No prior experience? No problem--the assessment will look at what the student is able to do by the end of the lesson. While assessments aren't "required" as such, they will be conducted informally by the teacher--the student will most likely not know they are being assessed.
Grades Offered
Students will need a keyboard or a piano. Please select original sound on Zoom to ensure I can hear both the learner and their piano. See directions here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QomLaSTpR-U
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Star Educator
Average rating:5.0Number of reviews:(220)
Profile
Hi there and welcome to my Outschool page! 

I'm currently offering a coupon for $15 off of any of my classes labeled "Private Piano Lessons" (1-1 format) or Flexible Schedule Lessons. Valid for one use per family. Simply apply the following... 
Group Class

$30

weekly or $60 for 4 classes
2x per week, 2 weeks
25 min

Completed by 4 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 12-17
3-4 learners per class

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