This is a continuation of the first "Learn to Play for Beginners Class 3.5." Continue your learning from where you left off in class 3.5! Students must have completed class 3.5 or have prior approval from the teacher to join.

The focus in this class will be performance and refining chosen pieces of music. Please note a weekly breakdown of classes is a simple outline as each section is custom designed for the students enrolled.

Students will continue to learn:
-to recognize the keys on the piano and their names.
-finger numbers and how they relate to the position on the piano.
-melodic contour
-learn the value of practice and extension at home
-basic and complex rhythms and how to play and clap them
-proper piano position and posture
-how to set up a healthy practice routine at home
-record keeping for practice 

Students will work intensively through the lesson book and theory book from the 3B level. For those students who would like an additional challenge I recommend purchasing the performance book or one of the other supplementary books to play for fun. Students may be asked to volunteer to lead a piece from their assignment for the following week in class. This will provide the instructor with additional opportunity for specific feedback and for the students to share their skills. This is not required so students are welcome to decline to play for others but it is highly encouraged. 

In this level we meet for an extra 15 minutes for a total of 45 minutes. During our final 15 minutes of class students will work through their performance piece from the Piano Literature book. This piece is a more challenging piece that each student will choose on their own and present in the final class for a final class performance. Students are able to opt out of the final class performance should they choose but I highly recommend sharing their work with the class.


All students will require a keyboard or piano to practice at home, in this level it is highly important to have a keyboard with weighted key and pedal to start to refine their skills. Regular daily practice will be required in order to improve as with any instrument instruction. 

Week 1-2: Key of A minor, Primary chords i, iv, V7, Two Octave A minor scales, pieces in A minor, motive and sequence
Week 3-4: Key of E Minor, Primary chords, two octave scale, pieces in E minor, review theme and variations, ternary form and cut time,
Week 5-6: Key of D minor, Primary chords in D minor, two octave scale, pieces in D minor, grace note, cadenza.
Week 7-8: The Octave, Review intervals and learn the scale in octaves. D.S. al Coda, and ostinato review.
Week 9-10: Major and Minor Triads, Learning major and minor thirds and all 12 major and minor triads. learn 6/4 time, arpeggiated chord, practicing chord progression, termolo, and review swing rhythm.
Week 11-12: Chord Inversions, practice chord inversions with C major and G major chords. Learn Rounded Binary Form
Week 13-14: Sixteenth Notes, poco a poco, molto and complete the book with the famous Pachelbel's Canon
Week 15: Final Performance of pieces from the Performance book that we work on for the last 15 minutes in each class and a piece of your choosing from the lesson book.