Learning to Play Piano: Beginner Level

Teacher: Jackson
Customers Who Have Viewed This Course: 683
$249.00
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Course Introduction

0 Course Introduction 02:25

Section 1: Introduction to the Piano and Playing on the Black Keys

1 Lesson 1: Piano Posture, Hand Shape, High/Low Sounds, Black Keys 06:58

This lesson demonstrates how to correctly sit at the piano and create a proper hand shape for playing. Piano finger numbers are taught, as well as the concept of high and low sounds. An introduction to the groups of 2 and 3 black keys is given and exercises on these keys are demonstrated. A worksheet is assigned after completion of the lesson, as well as a practice assignment.

2 Lesson 2: High/Low Sounds Listening Activity, Review Black Keys 04:54

This lesson reviews the black key exercises assigned in the previous lesson and reinforces high and low sounds with a listening activity on Worksheet #2.

3 Lesson 3: 5 Black Key Songs Emphasizing High and Low Sounds 08:45

Worksheets #3, 4, 5, and 6 (songs: "Two Big Bears," "Two Blue Birds," "Big Bear Cave," "Sweet Birds Tweet," "Hot Cross Buns") are needed for this lesson. Songs on groups of 2 and 3 black keys for both left and right hand emphasizing high and low sounds and building finger strength.

4 Lesson 4: Rhythm/Notation - Quarter, Half Notes, Bar Lines, Measures 10:50

Rhythms; introduction of quarter and half notes; introduction to musical notation (bar lines, double bar lines, measures, noteheads, stems); songs: "Two Small Cats" and "Walking" (Worksheets #7 and #8); assignment: Worksheet #9 (answer key provided)

5 Lesson 5: Whole Note, Review Lesson 4, Strength Exercises 15:54

Review quarter and half notes; introduce whole note; Worksheets #10, 11, 12, and 13 needed; songs: "Mary Had a Little Lamb," "Old MacDonald," "Strengthening My Fingers (right hand)", "Strengthening My Fingers (left hand)"

Section 2: White Keys and the Musical Alphabet, Middle C Position, Time Signatures, the Dotted Half Note, and the Repeat Sign

6 Lesson 6: White Keys (Middle C, D, and E) and the Musical Alphabet 10:52

Learning the white keys and musical alphabet; find middle C, D, E notes; songs: "Rain, Rain, Go Away" and "Merrily We Roll Along;" worksheet #16 assigned (answer key included)

7 Lesson 7: White Keys (F, G, A, and B) 11:04

Worksheets #17 and 18 needed; learning notes F, G, A, B; songs: "Stars," "Exercises for Left and Right Hand" (songs use left hand notes A, B, C and right hand notes C, D, E)

8 Lesson 8: Right Hand Middle C Position 08:38

Introduction to right hand middle C position; learn new right hand notes F and G; worksheets #19 and 20 needed; songs: "Lightly Row," "Mary Had a Little Lamb;" homework: Worksheet #21

9 Lesson 9: Review Worksheet #21, Left Hand Middle C Position 10:54

Review Worksheet #21; left hand middle C position; intro to notes C, B, A, G, F; worksheets #22 and 23 needed; songs: "Bells" and "Left Hand Exercises"

10 Lesson 10: Middle C Position (Both Hands) and the Repeat Sign 09:50

Middle C position with both hands; worksheets #24 and 25 needed; repeat sign introduced; songs: "Old MacDonald" and "Yankee Doodle"

11 Lesson 11: Dotted Half Notes and Rhythm Review 09:38

Review rhythms and introduce dotted half note; worksheets #26 and 27 needed; songs: "Three Silly Clowns" and "Alouette;" Worksheet #28 assigned (answer key provided)

12 Lesson 12: Intro to Time Signatures - 2/4 Time 09:38

Worksheets #29 and 30 needed; introduction to time signatures (focus on 2/4 time); songs: "Two Giraffes" and "Turtles"

13 Lesson 13: Time Signatures - 3/4 Time; Counting With Beat Numbers 14:18

Worksheets #31 and 32 needed; continue discussion of time signatures (focus on 3/4 time); begin counting based on which beat of the measure is being played; songs: "Church Bells" (*playing hands together at the same time) and "Beautiful Brown Eyes"

14 Lesson 14: Time Signatures - 4/4 Time 10:25

Continue discussion of time signatures (focus on 4/4 time); worksheets #33 and 34 needed; songs: "See the Blue Bird Fly" and "London Bridge;" worksheet #35 assigned

Section 3: Treble Clef, Bass Clef, Grand Staff, Playing and Note-Reading in Middle C Position

15 Lesson 15: Review W.S. #35; Staff (Notes, Treble Clef); Read C, D, E 12:03

Worksheets #36 and 37 needed; go over answers for worksheet #35; introduce the musical staff and beginning to read music (notes C, D, E); focus on treble clef; line and space notes; songs: "Step Up and Step Down" and "Run and Play" (songs focus on notes stepping up and down); demonstrate how to use the flashcard worksheet

16 Lesson 16: Repeated Notes; Continue Reading C, D, E 07:26

Continue reading notes C, D, E (focus on repeated notes); worksheets #38 and 39 needed; songs: "Pat-a-Cake" and "Flying Away;" worksheets with or without helper notes are now available

17 Lesson 17: Bass Clef (Reading A, B, C - Stepping Notes) 07:02

Worksheets #40 and 41 needed; introduction to bass clef (reading notes A, B, C; stepping notes in left hand); songs: "Running with My Dog" and "On My Bike;" make second set of flashcards

18 Lesson 18: Reading Notes, Determining Step Up, Down, or Repeat 17:13

Worksheet #42 needed; exercises for reading stepping notes and repeating notes; complete worksheet #42 together during the lesson

19 Lesson 19: Grand Staff/Middle C Position; Read A, B, C, D, E; Tempo 11:55

Worksheets #43 and 44 needed; introduction to the grand staff and middle C position; reading middle C position notes A, B, C, D, E; songs: "Russian Sailor Dance" and "Basketball"

20 Lesson 20: Skipping Notes and Note-Reading F (Right Hand) and G (Left Hand) 25:13

Worksheets #45 and 46 needed; learning to recognize skipping notes; introduction to middle C position new notes F in the right hand and G in the left hand; songs: "Jack Be Nimble" and exercises for practicing skipping notes

21 Lesson 21: 2 Songs Practicing Stepping, Skipping, and Repeated Notes 12:36

Worksheets #47 and 48 needed; practice skipping, repeated, and stepping notes in Middle C position; songs: "Bingo" and "Autumn Leaves"

22 Lesson 22: Read F (Left Hand) and G (Right Hand) in Middle C Position 10:02

Worksheets #49 and 50 needed; introduction to new notes in middle C position F (left hand) and G (right hand); songs: "Our Snowman" and middle C position exercises; worksheet #51 assigned

Section 4: Folk Songs, Hymns, and Holiday Songs in Middle C Position; Introduction to Eighth Notes

23 Lesson 23: Review Worksheet #51, Folk Songs in Middle C Position 14:40

Go over answers to Worksheet #51; Worksheets #52 and 53 needed; more middle C note-reading; songs: "Go Tell Aunt Rhody" and "Skip to My Lou;" worksheet #54 assigned

24 Lesson 24: Review Worksheet #54, More Songs in Middle C Position 10:30

Go over answers to Worksheet #54; Worksheets #55 and 56 needed; more practice in middle C position; songs: "Hush, Little Baby" and "Allegro;" worksheet #57 assigned (answer key provided)

25 Lesson 25: Holiday Songs in Middle C Position (Part 1) 12:27

Worksheets #58 and 59 needed; holiday songs in middle C position (session 1); songs: "Jingle Bells" and "Jolly Old St. Nicholas"

26 Lesson 26: Holiday Songs in Middle C Position (Part 2) 13:05

Worksheets #60 and 61 needed; holiday songs in middle C position (session 2); songs: "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and "We Three Kings"

27 Lesson 27: 2 Songs in Middle C Position with Tempo and Character Markings 09:21

Worksheets #62 and 63 needed; more practice on playing and reading in middle C position; songs: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and "Hide and Seek;" worksheet #64 assigned

28 Lesson 28: Review Worksheet #64; Eighth Notes; Review Note Values 16:06

Worksheets #65 and 66 needed; introduction to eighth notes; review note values; songs: "Two Little Blackbirds" and "Birds;" worksheet #67 assigned

29 Lesson 29: Review W.S. #67; Eighth Notes in Middle C Position 11:29

Go over answers from Worksheet #67; worksheets #68 and 69 needed; more practice with eighth notes; songs: "Kitty's in the Well" and eighth note exercises

30 Lesson 30: Fun Songs in Middle C Position 09:10

Worksheets #70 and 71 needed; fun songs in middle C position; songs: "Au Clair de la Lune" and "Fuzzy Wuzzy"

31 Lesson 31: Middle C Position Hymns; Pick-Up Notes and Ties 13:39

Worksheets #72 and 73 needed; learning to play hymns in middle C position; songs: "Ode to Joy" and "Amazing Grace;" learning about pick-up notes and ties

Section 5: Playing and Note-Reading in C Position; Dynamics

32 Lesson 32: Intro to C Position and New Notes C, D, E (Left Hand) 13:10

Worksheets #74 and 75 needed; introduction to C position; learn new notes C, D, E (left hand); songs: "On the Beach" and exercises for C position; worksheet #76 assigned; make 3rd set of flashcards

33 Lesson 33: Review W.S. #76; Dynamics; Listening Activity 16:12

Go over answers for Worksheet #76; worksheets #77, 78, and listening sheet needed; learn about dynamic markings (forte and piano); songs: "Echo" and "Harp Song;" listening exercise to recognize dynamic differences

34 Lesson 34: F-P Dynamic Symbol in C Position 08:21

Worksheets #79 and 80 needed; more practice with dynamics in C position; songs: "Ringing Bells" and "The Dog and the Cat"

35 Lesson 35: 2 Songs in C Position with Dynamic Markings 06:50

Worksheets #81 and 82 needed; more practice with dynamics in C position; songs: "Humpty Dumpty" and "Hear the Wind Blow!"


36 End of Course Test 00:00

Course Overview

This course provides musical instruction for beginner piano and is geared to and paced for 5 to 7-year-olds, but can work for anyone who wants to learn to play piano and have fun along the way. The lessons ensure steady progression from pre-reading and finger-strengthening exercises on the black keys through note-reading in middle C and C positions. With lots of practice and repetition to build confidence and avoid frustration, the course is paced to ensure success for the beginning piano player.

This course includes:

5 sections

35 video lessons

66 pieces of music

7 exercises

13 worksheets

9 online quizzes

9 quiz answer keys

3 sets of flashcards

2 listening activities

1 end-of-course test

1 end-of-course test answer key

Answer keys for worksheets are provided in the Resources section when worksheets are not reviewed in the following lesson.

Course Goals

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to play and read music confidently in both Middle C and C positions. They will have an understanding of basic music theory and will have developed good counting methods, sight-reading skills, and musical expression.

Target Audience

This course is primarily intended for beginning piano players age 5 to 7 years old. However, this course will work for any age to build playing ability, note-reading, practice habits, and sight-reading. Older students would simply move through the lessons more quickly, still getting lots of practice and a solid foundation in piano performance and music theory without being overwhelmed.

Course Requirements

Students taking this course will need to have access to a keyboard or piano.

COURSE TOPICS

Section 1: Introduction to the Piano and Playing on the Black Keys

Lessons

Piano Posture, Hand Shape, High/Low Sounds, Black Keys

High/Low Sounds Listening Activity

Black Key Songs Emphasizing High and Low Sounds

Rhythm/Notation – Quarter and Half Notes, Bar Lines, Measures

Whole Note, Finger Strengthening Exercises

Section 2: White Keys and the Musical Alphabet, Middle C Position, Time Signatures, the Dotted Half Note, and the Repeat Sign

Lessons

White Keys (Middle C, D, and E) and the Musical Alphabet

White Keys (F, G, A, and B)

Right Hand Middle C Position

Left Hand Middle C Position

Middle C Position (Both Hands) and the Repeat Sign

Dotted Half Notes

Intro to Time Signatures – 2/4 Time

Time Signatures – 3/4 Time; Counting with Beat Numbers

Time Signatures – 4/4 Time

Section 3: Treble Clef, Bass Clef, Grand Staff, Playing and Note-Reading in Middle C Position

Lessons

Staff (Line/Space Notes, Treble Clef); Reading C, D, E

Repeated Notes

Bass Clef (Reading A, B, C – Stepping Notes)

Reading Notes and Determining Step Up, Down, or Repeat

Grand Staff/Middle C Position; Reading A, B, C, D, E; Character/Tempo Markings

Skipping Notes and Note-Reading F (Right Hand) and G (Left Hand)

Note-Reading F (Left Hand) and G (Right Hand) in Middle C Position

Section 4: Folk Songs, Hymns, and Holiday Songs in Middle C Position; Introduction to Eighth Notes

Lessons

Folk Songs in Middle C Position

Holiday Songs in Middle C Position

Eighth Notes in Middle C Position

Fun Songs in Middle C Position

Hymns in Middle C Position; Intro to Pick-Up Notes and Ties

Section 5: Playing and Note-Reading in C Position; Dynamics

Lessons

Intro to C Position and New Notes C, D, E (Left Hand)

Dynamics; Listening Activity (Forte/Piano)

  • Teacher: Jackson
  • Areas of expertise: Piano, violin, music theory, and music composition
  • Education: Master of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre Writing (New York University Tisch School of the Arts), Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance and Bachelor of Music in Music Composition (Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music)
  • Interests: Running, musical theatre
  • Skills: Accompanying musical theatre performers; preparing students for piano, violin, and music theory competitions
  • Associations: Mu Phi Epsilon Music Fraternity; Suzuki Association of the Americas
  • Issues I care about: I believe that everyone can benefit from the joys of learning music. I recently completed the Every Child Can course for my Suzuki certification at the School for Strings and strongly believe that technology is a wonderful way to bring music to all children.

Test Preparation Document

Test Preparation Document

Digital Quizzes and Tests Answer Keys Document

Digital Quizzes and Tests Answer Keys Document

Letter to Parents

Flash Cards

Flash cards to help reinforce music theory topics introduced in the lessons

Piano Checklist

Worksheet Answer Keys

Quiz Answer Keys

End of Course Test Answer Key

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