Piano Pronto 5 Violin Concerto and 32nd Notes/

 This post includes activities that correlate with Violin Concerto in A Minor by Vivaldi Piano Pronto 5.

Music Sample

Listen to the first few minutes of Violin Concerto in A Minor by Vivaldi.

Listen for the phrase endings or melodic ideas and divide your music in to small practice sections.

Piano Pronto 5: Mexican Folk Medley and Latin Music

 This post includes activities that correlate with Mexican Folk Medley in Piano Pronto 5.

Music Sample

As you listen to the music for Mexican Stamping Dance, stamp on the accents and clap on the quarter rests in your music.

Piano Pronto 5: Waltz by Brahms and A Flat Major

 This post includes activities that correlate with Waltz in A Flat by Brahms in Piano Pronto 5.

Music Sample

Listen for the waves of tension and resolution and rubato in this performance of Brahms' Waltz in A Flat Major.

Piano Pronto 5: Battle Hymn of the Republic and LH Stride

 This post includes activities that correlate with The Battle Hymn of the Republic in Piano Pronto 5.

Music Sample

Choose a version of the Battle Hymn of the Republic below to listen to and tap the rhythm of the melody.

Battle Hymn of the Republic Tabernacle Choir 

Piano Pronto 5: Autumn Theme and Voicing Thirds

 This post includes activities that correlate with Autumn Theme by Vivaldi in Piano Pronto 5.

Music Sample

Vivaldi's Autumn Theme (Orchestra)

Piano Pronto 5: Victory Theme and E Flat Major

 This post includes activities that correlate with Victory Theme by Beethoven in Piano Pronto 5.

Music Sample

The Secret to Beethoven's Fifth

Piano Chords and Patterns Group Lesson

Can you spot the pattern?

Musical styles from around the world often have repeating chord and scale patterns that make them distinct. Most famous pieces include repeating musical ideas including repeating rhythms, chords and melodic sequences.

The Secret to Beethoven's Fifth

Bastian Lit 1 Waltz by Kabalevsky

 This post includes lesson plans and activities that correlate with Waltz by Kabalevsky in Bastian Lit Vol 1.

Music Samples and History

Waltz by Kabalevsky

Technique and Artistry

Watch (starting at 1:30) the piano tutorial for tips on shaping the melody with dynamics and wrist floats and a softer left hand accompaniment.

Bastian Lit 1: The Lonely Traveler

This post includes lesson plans and activities that correlate with The Lonely Traveler by Bartok in Bastian Lit Vol 1.

Music Samples and History

The Lonely Traveler by Bela Bartok

Read the Classics for Kids Bio About Bela Bartok to learn more about this Hungarian composer from the Modern Era.

Bastian Lit 1: A Winter Tale by Bartok

 This post includes lesson plans and activities that correlate with A Winter Tale by Bartok in Bastian Lit Vol 1.

Music Samples and History

A Winter Tale by Bartok

Bastian Lit 1: March by Shostakovich and Direct Modulation

 This post includes lesson plans and activities that correlate with March by Shostakovich in Bastian Lit Vol 1.

Music Samples

As you listen to March by Shostakovich mark the musical form in your music.

Bastian Lit 1: A Little Song and Cantabile

This post includes lesson plans and activities that correlate with A Little Song by Kabalevsky in Bastian Lit Vol 1.

Music Samples

Watch A Little Song by Kabalevsky and listen for the singing quality of the cantabile lines.

Bastian Lit 1: Quick March by Kabalevsky and Energico

This post includes lesson plans and activities that correlate with Quick March by Kabalevsky in Bastian Lit Vol 1.

Music Samples

Watch Quick March by Kabalevsky (practice speed). Notice how the small intervals in this piece are played with a closed hand with quick hand shifts to adjust alignment. Playing with a flexible wrist helps to control tone and eliminate tension.

Bastian Lit 1: Dance by Kabalevsky and Modern Era

 This post includes lesson plans and activities that correlate with Dance by Kabalevsky in Bastian Lit Vol 1.

Music Samples and History

Watch the video to learn about Characteristics of Modern (Contemporary) Era Music.

As you watch the performance of Dance by Kabalevsky listen for the measures that have unexpected harmony in this piece. Contemporary piano music tends to be have unusual or surprising chord changes when compared to earlier era pieces.

Bastian Lit 1: Minuet in F and Cadences

This post includes lesson plans and activities that correlate with Minuet in F K2 by Mozart in Bastian Lit Vol 1.

Music Samples and History

Watch out for the "raspberry" triplet and tap the rhythm as you listen to Minuet in F K2 by Mozart. Think "down and up, lift" for the repeating rhythmic motif as you practice this piece.

Listen to the podcast Classics for Kids about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart or About Minuets.

Watch this short film called Minuet. Can you tell which musical excerpt is a minuet?

Theory

Cadences in music are usually the two chords at the end of a phrase.
You can compare them to punctuation marks in sentences. 

Half Cadences

Some phrases leave you feeling like the song isn't finished. What comes next?

Perfect Cadence

Other cadences sound final like you are at the end of the song or musical sentence.

Watch the end of the video to learn about different types of cadences found in this Mozart minuet and mark the chord symbols and cadences in your music. (Start at 6:25).

Deceptive Cadence

Supplementary Music Minuets

Minuet in C William Duncombe- Discovering Piano Bumper

Minuet BWV114 Petzold/Bach - Discovering Piano Bumper