Level 1A
Level 1A is intended for students who have completed the Primer piano lessons. One piece will be assigned each week. If you need a bigger challenge, add next week’s piece too. If you didn’t quite master your piece in one week, work on it for another week.
Tick Tock introduces you to the musical term "staccato."
Staccato is the Italian word for "short." To play a staccato note your finger should strike the piano key and then "pop" off quickly - like popcorn popping.
Print your new piano book and drill your treble clef note names and rhythms this week by the completing worksheets, "Color That Note! Treble Clef Note Name Worksheet" (p5) and "It All Adds Up Rhythm Worksheet" (p11).
Meet the Teacher - Andy Fling, Teacher of Award-Winning Students and Founder of MakingMusicFun.net
Drill your bass clef note names this week with the "Color That Note | Bass Clef Note Name Worksheet Lesson." You'll need the "Color That Note! Bass Clef Note Name Worksheet" from the MMF All-in-One Piano Lesson Book, Level 1A. It's on page 9.
Let Us Sing introduces students to dynamics terms, Forte (f) - Loud and Piano (p) - Soft. Composers add dynamics to their music to tell you when to play the music loud or soft.
Watch the Dynamics for Kids lesson to learn more about dynamics.
The dynamics terms that you'll learn about in this lesson include:
Piano (p) - Soft
Mezzo Piano (mp) - - Medium Soft
Mezzo Forte (mf) - Medium Loud
Forte (f) - Loud
Cobbler Cobbler has the same rhythm every two measures. If you take the time to learn the rhyme and clap the repeated rhythm, you'll have a much better understanding of the piece and play it with greater confidence.
Are you remembering to keep your eyes on the music? Learning music is easier when you play the piano with your eyes on the music, rather than on your fingers.
I Like Bananas offers a challenge in the last two measures that is difficult for most piano students. That's because it's the first time you're playing the melody in the left hand and harmony notes in the right hand. If it takes you two weeks to get the hang of this, it's okay. Just start the next lesson, and keep practicing this one.
Let's work on your note names this week with a Star Wars Color-by-Note Worksheet. Pick a space to color, match the alphabet letter to a note, and start coloring!
Mr. Botter's Cat gives you your first chance to practice hand-over-hand technique. In this piece you'll cross your left hand over your right hand to play an "A" near the end of the piece, rather than repositioning your right hand. It's easier and it looks cool!
The biggest challenge with Mr. Botter's Cat is remembering to keep a steady beat. This tutorial has helpful ideas on how to practice this piece so that you're keeping a steady beat from beginning to end. Watch it a few times this week as you work to master this piece.
Pop! Goes the Weasel gives you another chance to practice hand-over-hand technique. In this piece you will cross your left hand over your right hand to play "POP!" near the end of the song.
Are you remembering to round your fingers? Most beginning piano students play the piano with "Mummy Fingers" (super flat) or "Flamingo Fingers" (bending the opposite way like flamingo legs). Learning to play with "Ballerina Fingers" (round fingers with the finger tips on the keys) will help you to play faster and more musically.
Recording yourself playing the piano helps you see and hear things that you're doing great, and not so great. Let's do that again this week. Ask your parent to record you playing Higglety, Pigglety, Pop after you've had a few days to practice. Watch the recording to figure out what you could improve on, and head back to the piano to make your performance perfect.
Things to watch and listen for:
Are you sitting up straight?
Are your fingers rounded?
Did you play all the notes correctly?
Are you keeping a steady beat?
Are you playing the rhythms and rests the perfect length?
Are you keeping an eye on your music, rather than your fingers?
Little Boy Blue places your hands in a whole new position on the piano, and gives you seven new notes to play. Pull the "Color That Note!" G position worksheets from the MMF All-in-One Piano Lesson Book, Level 1A and complete them this week. They're on pages 20 and 21.
Are you remembering to keep your eyes on your music, rather than your fingers?
Miss O'Leary's Cow is a partner piece to Little Boy Blue because they drill many of the same skills, including your new notes.
Let's drill your new notes this week by completing the following worksheets. Print two copies of "Ready, Set, Go! Note Name Speed Test III" and two copies of "Ready, Set, Go! Note Name Speed Test IV." Challenge yourself to beat your time every time you test your note naming skills.
How well do you know the names of the keys on the piano keyboard? Test your skills by labeling the piano keyboard at the top of Daffydowndilly, on page 25 of the MMF All-in-One Piano Lesson Book, Level 1A. Next, head to the piano to name the keys for your parent.
Let's learn about German composer, Johann Sebastian Bach this week. Print the Bach Video Lesson Study Guide so you get the most out of the lesson and then watch the Meet Bach | Popsicle Stick Theater Production.
Let's drill your note names and rhythms this week with one of two options: 1) Color the worksheets from the "Princess Color-by-Note/Color-by-Rhythm Worksheet Pack" or 2) Play a memory game with "Flash Frog™ Flash Cards."
Princess Worksheets: Print the worksheet pack and color one page each day, with the exception of Princess Ava. You'll learn the notes on that worksheet later.
Memory Game: Pull the flash cards for treble clef notes G A B C D, bass clef notes G A B C D, whole note, half note, and quarter note, and the matching lily pads. Play a memory game by placing the cards face down on a table and lay them in rows. Player 1 begins by turning over two cards. If they're a match, Player I wins the pair and plays again. If the cards aren't a match, Player 2 begins their turn.
Let's drill your treble clef note names this week with the, "I Thought That I Was Crazy Note Worksheet" (Treble Clef). It's a funny poem with some of the words spelled in music notes. Figure out what they are, and then read the poem to your parent. It will make him laugh!
Pretty Princess jumps around a little more than most of your pieces, but you can do it. Just remember to practice very slowly.
Let's review you're left hand finger numbers this week. Pull "Bumblebee, Bumblebee" from Piano Games for Kids | 10 Skill Building Games and test your skills. Buzz like a bumblebee, spinning your finger clockwise as you dive to touch the notes with the correct fingers. Play the song with the same fingering.
Parents: Add to the fun by buzzing like a bumblebee and spinning your fingers too! Check for correct answers.
Jingle Bells is a favorite with most piano students and it's easy to learn. The biggest challenge is in measures 5-8, because the notes don't change when you think they should. Following the practice tips in the lesson will make overcoming this challenge easy.
Are you remembering to round your fingers? Doing so will help you play faster and with greater sensitivity.
How Far I'll Go from Disney's Moana is one of the most popular Disney songs ever and this arrangement is easy to learn. The biggest challenge is in measures 15-16. Start with these two measures every day and spend at least 3 minutes practicing them very slowly. This kind of focused practice will help you advance quickly.
Are you remembering to keep your eyes on your music instead of your hands? Doing so will help you learn to play your music far more quickly.
This lesson is created through a collaboration with MusicNotes.com, the leading digital sheet music publisher.
Congratulations! This week you'll complete the MMF All-in-One Piano Lesson Book, Level 1A and be ready to start Level 1B next week.
Print a music award certificate when you can successfully perform, Snake Dance, for your parent with a steady beat and no mistakes.