Thursday, March 28, 2024

Piano Adventures 4: Caspian Sea and Balance

This lesson plan includes activities and tips for playing Caspian Sea in Piano Adventures 4 TECHNIQUE Book. 

   This lesson plan includes activities for "Prelude in C" in Piano Adventures 4.

Piano Adventures 4 Lesson Book Cover

Music Samples

Add the chord names in your music as you listen to the samples below.

Piano Adventures 4: Excalibur and Two Hand Phrases

This lesson plan includes activities and tips for playing Excalibur in Piano Adventures 4 TECHNIQUE Book. 

  Piano Adventures 4 Lesson Book Cover

Music Sample and History

Listen to the 2 performance videos of Excalibur below. Do you notice any differences in expression, technique, tempo?

Piano Adventures 4: Chasing Butterflies by Streabbog

This lesson plan includes activities and tips for playing Silver Rain Etude in Piano Adventures 4 TECHNIQUE Book.

   Piano Adventures 4 Lesson Book Cover

Music Sample and History

Watch the  Chasing Butterflies  video tips and imitate the empty fingers sound as you play the piano sections.

Piano Adventures 4: Silver Rain Etude

This lesson plan includes activities and tips for playing Silver Rain Etude in Piano Adventures 4 TECHNIQUE Book. 
Piano Adventures 4 Lesson Book Cover

Listen to  Silver Rain Etude paying attention to how the varying arm weight and tempo changes add expression to the piece.

Monday, March 25, 2024

Piano Adventures 4: Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven

This lesson plan includes activities and tips for playing Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata in Piano Adventures 4 Technique Book. 

Music Samples

Choose a version of Moonlight Sonata to listen to below.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Bastian Lit 1: Ecossaise in G and Staccatissimo Wedges

This post includes lesson plans and activities that correlate with Ecossaise in G by Beethoven WoO23 in Bastian Lit Vol 1.

Bastian Piano Lit 1 Lesson Plans

Music Samples and History

 An ecossaise is an energetic country dance in 2/2. Listen for the "Jump-Drops" in the Ecossaise in G by Beethoven WoO23. What do you imagine the dancers doing during this part of the music?

Bastian Lit 1: March in D 122 Bach CPE and Musical Interpretation

 This post includes lesson plans and activities that correlate with March in D by CPE Bach (Schirmer JS Bach AMBBastian Piano Lit 1Easy Classics to Moderns).

Bastian Piano Lit 1 Lesson Plans

Music Samples and History

Because Baroque music had few expressive marks written in the original score, different performers may have varied dynamics, phrasing, articulation, tempo, and rubato as they choose how to add musicality to the piece.

Bastian Lit 1: Minuet in G Bach 114 and Practice Steps

This post includes lesson plans and activities that correlate with Minuet in G by Bach 114  in Bastian Lit 1Schirmer JS Bach, Succeeding with the Masters Bk 1Easy Classics to Moderns.

Bastian Piano Lit 1 Lesson Plans

Browse the Minuet in G tutorial video to learn specific tips for learning this piece and play along to guide your practice sessions.  Follow the bolded practice steps.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Bastian Lit 1: Minuet in Gm Bach 115 and Piano Fingering Choices

This post includes lesson plans and activities that correlate with  Minuet in G Minor BWV 115 (Schirmer JS Bach AMBBastian Piano Lit 1Easy C to M).

Bastian Piano Lit 1 Lesson Plans

Music Samples and History

The minuet is a light airy dance with small steps. Although there were no dynamic or articulation marks written in the original score, pay attention to how the performers add subtle dynamic changes and vary the articulation to add expression and musicality to this piece.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Bastian Lit 1: Minuet in G Bach 116 and Baroque Articulation

 This post includes lesson plans and activities that correlate with Minuet in G by Bach 116  in Bastian  Lit Vol 1.

Bastian Piano Lit 1 Lesson Plans

Baroque keyboard music was not actually played on the piano when it was composed, because the piano had not been invented yet. Listen to this performance of Minuet in G played on the clavichord. Can you hear the extra ornaments the performer added that are not in your music?

Friday, March 1, 2024

Composing and Improvising Free Resources for March

I find that most of my piano students prefer energetic pieces over calm flowing pieces, so creating a lively Irish Jig is a fun way to get them to create on the piano in March.

Irish Music History and Listening Activities

It's easier to compose Irish music after listening to some music in that style. 
The Classics for Kids Podcast The Gigue is Up (Telemann) includes a brief history of the Irish Jig with short excerpts of famous jigs.

Irish Composing

The free printable CR Irish Jig Composing by Chrissy Ricker provides the structure of a simple rhythm pattern in 3/4 time that elementary students can choose melody notes for to create their own jig.

Intermediate Students could use this same resource but add left-hand 5ths for harmony, create a contrasting B section, or convert their piece in  3/4 time into 6/8 by halving the value of each note and doubling the measure length.


Irish Improvisation

Irish Improv Activity #1

Teach Piano Today's Saint Patrick's Day Improvisation for beginners includes a fun teacher duet to provide the backdrop for the student's choice of rhythm patterns using St. Patrick's Day phrases.


Irish Improv Activity #2


Watch Forrest Kinney's Ireland Sample Improvisation. Then choose a simplified Irish Improvisation worksheet to create your own Irish Jig. 

3/4 Irish Improvisation 

6/8 Irish Improvisation 

Irish Improv Activity #3

Listen to one of the backing tracks and create melodies using the scale tones that match. Include some "raspberry-pie" triplet rhythms for a dance-like feeling.

Irish Backing Track- E minor (EF#GAB)

Irish Jig Backing Track - G major

Improvisation with 3rds

Improvisation with 3rds Activity #1

Watch Create First 2 Taking the Path I Love Solo and Duet.  Then create your own piece that uses intervals of a 3rd in the right hand.

Improvisation with 3rds Activity #2

Listen to the sample improv Create First 2 This Will Pass Solo and Duet. Then improvise your own melodies using 2nds and 3rds.

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