Weekly Piano for Older Beginners Group B - 4 Weeks
In this 4-week course, students will continue working through the "Fired Up Level 1" piano book by Piano Pronto. They will learn how to play actual songs!
Julie Schmidt
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(141)
What's included
4 live meetings
3 in-class hoursClass Experience
This course is perfect for older students who want to learn at a slightly faster pace without songs geared toward little kids. You can take this class with no experience at all in music, or if you know the basics. We will use the "Fired Up Level 1" piano book by Piano Pronto. (Links are provided under Supplies to purchase the book). The songs in "Fired Up" are unique and often sound impressive! I'm a friendly, laid-back teacher who likes to get to know her students and make sure they're learning about different styles of music. There are really 5 main parts to learning the piano and I will cover them all: 1. finger numbers 2. notes on the keys 3. how notes move on the staff 4. note values 5. reading notes on the staff I go slowly to make sure that everyone understands each step before moving on. I also provide music at various levels to make sure that no one is bored or overwhelmed. I also love teaching about chords and lead sheets as I have found that older students want to be able to play more popular songs. If you are brand new to music, there is absolutely no experience or knowledge needed. I will cover exactly what you need to know. Week 1 - review the notes on the keys, a few notes in the treble clef, note values, and perform a previous song if desired. Introduce "Good to Go" from Fired Up Level 1. Introduce the quarter rest. Week 2 - perform "Good to Go" if desired, review notes on the staff, introduce "Weekend Waltz". Talk about dynamics and ties; review slurs. Week 3 - peform previous song if desired, introduce eighth notes! Review bass clef notes and introduce "Let's Cha-cha-cha". Week 4 - perform previous songs if desired, review ties/slurs. Introduce lower bass clef notes. Introduce the pedal and phrasing. Practice "Forget Me Not". Along with proceeding through the piano book, we will also look at songs that students are interested in learning. By the end of this class, students should be able to play several songs from "Fired Up Level 1". They should also be able to label beginning notes, highlight repeated notes, circle skips, etc. The pace of the class will depend on the students' abilities in playing, my goal is for everyone to be challenged but not overwhelmed!
Learning Goals
By the end of this class students should be confident with reading music in both the treble and bass clefs! They should also understand the difference between slurs and ties, label dynamics, and figure out the time signature for each song. They should be more independent with learning a new song on their own and with adding the pedal.
Other Details
Supply List
Each student needs a piano or keyboard and I need to be able to see their fingers on the keys. Usually if a laptop/iPad is set up at a side angle it works very well! A keyboard with at least 61 keys is preferred, but a smaller one can be used. Colored pencils and/or highlighters will be used to mark music. Students will need a copy of the piano book, "Fired Up Level 1" by Piano Pronto. A hard copy or digital copy can be purchased here: https://pianopronto.com/method-books/fired-up-series-older-beginners/fired-up-level-one/
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined June, 2020
4.9
141reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
Hello! My name is Julie Schmidt and I have 16 years of experience teaching individual and group piano lessons. Also, I have been playing and studying the piano for 35 years while earning a MS in Education. Music is definitely my passion. My favorite part of teaching the piano is finding out what kind of music motivates my students. Some of my students like reading the notes on the staff, playing classical music, and not straying far from the printed notes. Other students play more by ear and love to improvise! I always have a few students who want to be able to play songs quickly - I teach them chords and leadsheets so they can progress faster. I like to tailor my lessons to get a student excited about playing the piano. I use a variety of books, digital music, and resources to keep my lessons new and motivate my students to practice.
I have a laid-back teaching style and love to have fun during lessons. We will play games, improvise, compose, learn chords, and study different musical periods and composers. I really enjoy it when students bring their own music to lessons because I know that they are motivated to learn it!
Along with piano I have also earned a degree in Dietetics, owned a baking business, homeschooled my 3 children for a few years, taught in the public school, and taught Sunday School to middle schoolers. Luckily I did not do all of these things at the same time! I love reading, baking, line dancing, and attending concerts. Reviews
Live Group Class
$80
for 4 classes1x per week, 4 weeks
45 min
Completed by 15 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 9-14
2-5 learners per class
