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Small Group Developing Piano and Keyboard Lessons (Level 4)

New class
Ages 9-14
Live Group Course
In Level 4 piano, learners advance their skills by exploring upbeats, eighth notes, dotted quarters, octaves, and simplified classical and rock songs.
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:
(28 reviews)

Live video meetings
1x per week, 10 weeks
3-7 learners per class
30 min

What's included

10 live meetings
5 in-class hours
Assignments
1-2 hours per week. Each week learners will receive 2-4 piano songs, theory exercises and/or technique exercises to practice during the week. In order to stay on track with the class, learners are encouraged to practice consistently at least 15 minutes a day.
Assessment
Assessments throughout this course are informal and learners will be periodically asked to play measures or songs by themselves for purposes of assessing and providing meaningful feedback to the learner. Any feedback or concerns about a learner's progress in the class will be communicated to the learner as well as the parent.

Class Experience

US Grade 3 - 6
Beginner - Intermediate Level
Piano is often referred to as a the foundational musical instrument for many reasons. Learning the piano from a young age has many benefits to children including enhancing cognitive abilities, sharpening memory, building fine motor skills and boosting analytical thinking. In this small group foundational piano or keyboard class, learners will continue developing upon the skills and musical knowledge acquired during level 3.

🍎 Topics Covered:
-Understanding Upbeats
-Group 1 Keys (C, G, F)
-New Note Values: Single Eighth Notes + The Dotted Quarter Note
-Expressive Symbols: 8va, ♮ (natural sign), ♭ (flat sign)
-Repertoire Exploration: Classical & Rock Genres

🎶 Class Structure:
Each class session is 30 minutes in length with 1-3 assigned songs to practice between each class session. A typical class will start with a review of the prior week's homework assignments, a mini-lesson on the weekly syllabus topic. After the mini lesson, children are typically given a few minutes of "personal practice time". This is an opportunity to develop and refine practicing techniques during classes. After the personal practice time, we will either play together or take turns playing for each other for constructive feedback. During the final five minutes, I will introduce the homework assignments and suggest strategies for practicing throughout the week.

🍏 How I Will Teach:
Each class will have a mini lesson based on the topic within the syllabus. Learners will frequently be offered opportunities to perform during class for feedback. I encourage learners to take advantage of the opportunity to play in class as it will help them refine and improve their practicing strategies at home.

👩🏼‍🏫 Teaching Style:
My dedication to my private students is unwavering and I enjoy building lasting bonds with them! As a teacher, I have often been described as "passionate", "caring" and "tech-savvy" by parents, students and administrators. While I enjoy creating structured lesson plans, I tend to embrace organic learning moments as they arise.

🙋🏽 Learner Interaction:
During class, learners are asked to raise their hand (or use the hand raising button) before speaking and should avoid interrupting a song being played unless there is an emergency. After a song is finished, learners are encouraged to discuss and provide constructive and respectful feedback to themselves and others so that the learning process remains an open dialogue where everyone learns together!

🧠 Required Experience or Knowledge:
Learners are strongly encouraged to complete the 'Small Group Foundational Piano and Keyboard Lessons (Level 3)' course or equivalent before enrolling in this course.

Learning Goals

Learners will review foundational piano concepts and techniques from foundational (level 3) piano.
Learners will accurately count and perform melodies containing upbeats (also known as 'anacrusis').

Syllabus

10 Lessons
over 10 Weeks
Lesson 1:
Foundations Review
 Lesson one will be a review of the foundations of accompaniment patterns and hand positions for C, F and G as well as dynamics and the function of the damper pedal by playing a fun Kahoot game! We'll also review old songs and exercises in the piano and technic books.

Homework: Continue to review old songs and exercises in the piano and technic books. 
30 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Understanding Upbeats
 Upbeats (also known as 'anacrusis') are notes that come before the first full measure of the piece. In this lesson we'll learn how to identify, count and perform songs that are preceded by an upbeat. 

Homework: practice 'The Bullfrog's Guide' and 'Leap Frog' on page 23 of the Technic book and and 'The New Day' on page 37 of the Piano book. 
30 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Group 1 Keys (C, G, F)
 In this lesson we'll explore changing hand positions between C, F and G and the concept of Group 1 keys - which have the same look and feel when changing positions on the piano.

Homework: practice 'Rockin' Song' on page 39 of the piano book. 
30 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Single Eighth Notes
 Single eighth notes are shorter notes expressed with a flag that help create a more rhythmic and lively feel in piano music. Steady beats in music are counted as a steady "1, 2, 3, 4," while single eighth notes splits that beat in half. So instead of playing just one note per beat, we'll learn to count two quicker notes within the same time frame, like "1-and, 2-and, 3-and, 4-and."

Homework: practice 'March' on page 40 of the piano book. 
30 mins online live lesson

Other Details

Learning Needs
Learners with special needs are warmly welcomed in my classroom. As a former public school teacher, I have experience adapting learning plans for learners with IEPs, behavior plans, and those on the autism spectrum.
Parental Guidance
During the first class session we will be playing a review game on Kahoot to quickly recap and refresh our memory on the level 3 curriculum. This review will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete depending on the pace of the learners. Kahoot is a COPPA-compliant and Outschool approved 3rd party tool though parental consent is required for participation for learners under 13. Learners do not need to create an account to participate in the Kahoot review.
Pre-Requisites
Learners are strongly encouraged to complete the 'Small Group Foundational Piano and Keyboard Lessons (Level 3)' course or equivalent before enrolling in this course.
Supply List
Learners will need to purchase the following books and supplies...

Title: Bastien Piano Basics: Piano Level 1
Author: James Bastien
Publisher Number: WP201
ISBN #: 0849752663

Title: Bastien Piano Basics: Technic Level 1
Author: James Bastien
Publisher Number: WP216
ISBN #: 0849752817

Learners will also need access to a piano or keyboard with weighted keys, a stand available to prop up the book, and a damper pedal. Many affordable keyboards can be purchased with weighted keys and a damper pedal. Please feel free to message me directly if you need guidance on purchasing a quality instrument for your child.

Suggested OPTIONAL Supplies
1. Metronome (Suggested: Tonal Energy App)

In addition to the items mentioned above, Miss Suzanne will provide two supplemental pieces 'Spring (from The Four Seasons)' and  'The Locomotion' for weeks 9 and 10. Learners can either print these pages out ahead of the class or view them directly on their device! 🎹

*Learners are also expected to bring a pencil for every class session ✏️
 4 files available upon enrollment
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
The Bastien Piano Basics: Piano Level 1 WP201 and Technic Level 1 WP216 books by James Bastien will be utilized for instruction and curriculum in this class. These are different than the books used for level 1 + 2. These books should have a darker pink/purple cover!

Meet the teacher

Joined July, 2023
5.0
28reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree in Music or Theatre or Arts from Kean University
As a certified K-12 music educator, I bring over a decade of experience teaching music in public schools and to private students. I have experience teaching children as young as 4 years old to adults. I am also experienced with providing accommodations for learners with behavioral challenges and/or special needs and maintaining open lines of communication with families to ensure each learners' continued progress in lessons and at home during their practice sessions.

Reviews



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