Some piano students have difficulty grasping the theory concept of chord symbols. This can definitely tricky, especially if students are younger and not super familiar with Roman numbers. While learning chord symbols might feel like you are swimming in a math class full of mysterious numbers when you come to music lessons, understanding chord relationships can pave the way for students to later transpose and improvise music much more easily in multiple keys!
Scale Degrees
The first step is understanding that scale notes are numbered, similar to counting your steps as you walk up a ladder. These numbers are called scale degrees. They are often written using Roman numbers. You can build a triad (3 note chord) on top of every note of the scale. This example shows C Major because the bottom note of the #1 chord (aka I) is C.
For this month's composing theme, I'm introducing Leila Viss's "Cupcake Improv" improvisation activity to my intermediate piano students. The monthly challenge is to create an improvisation with their favorite "cake, frosting and sprinkles" combo or try a Create First improvisation pattern by Forrest Kinney. I love how the QR codes on the cupcake improv handouts have videos students can review at home if needed.
Creating Interesting Melodies (aka "Sprinkles")
We reviewed motif's and ways to vary them (sequence, inversion, etc) with a game of melodic motif bingo.
Cake Chord Progression Samples
Next we listened to a few excerpts from the song samples below to hear how the "cake" chord progression patterns are included in many familiar songs.
White Cake Sample - Zootopia (Key of D flat Major)
Ready for more patterns or prefer the left hand pattern written out? Forrest Kinney's Create First 2 Book includes several improvisation pieces that start with "cake "chord patterns that are not included in the Cupcake Improv but follow a similar concept. Start with a left hand chord progression "cake/frosting" pattern. Then improvise melodies above. Can you identify the number patterns of the chord progressions he uses in these pieces? It's definitely easier if you refer to the printed music!
Sometimes leaping your left hand around can be a bit tricky if you are trying to improvise a melody over the top with your right hand. Inverting or swapping the order of chord notes can make it easier. Or you could leave out some of the chord tones. Listen to the samples below to see this in action.
I love to start out every lesson with a quick game. To review tempo terms we play the game "The Need for Speed" from Colourful Keys to introduce or review tempo terms. Since students encounter these in a different order in their lesson books, I like to pair some songs with the game to speed up the learning.
What is Tempo?
Define tempo as students clap or choose various motions to follow along with as you sing and watch this video.
Then as you play the game, instead of just saying "Largo is slow" make the learning more memorable with a song. The first time students choose a particular tempo card that pairs with the songs below, sing and move to the video below
Largo (Start at 1:15 seconds)
PR Presto Largo- animated video illustrating tempo terms Presto and Largo
Today at lessons I asked a few students if they had any requests for pieces they'd love to learn. One teen mentioned they love the classical-sounding Barbie music... not from the new movie but from her childhood favorite animated videos.
I love it when my students introduce me to new music that I enjoy as well. 😎 The link to the free sheet music is beneath her post on YouTube.
When a student is eager to learn a piece, their practice tends to increase dramatically and I love how this particular piece has a classical/pop sound and includes some unusual rhythmic patterns and key shifts based on familiar chords that will stretch her skills to new levels. 💪💓
The style of the music reminds me of a music book I purchased years ago for my own playing enjoyment called "Jane Austen's World."
Click the image to purchase Jane Austen's World on amazon or preview some of my favorite pieces from this intermediate level book that are played by various pianists.
The simplest piece is End Titles from Emma. It includes repetitive broken chords and gives students practice playing cantabile in the easy key of G Major.
Frank Churchhill Arrives is the opening piece in the key of G Major, 6/8 Time. It includes a lot of repetitive, broken arpeggios in the left hand (what I call 1-5-8-5-8-5 based on scale degrees). The rallentandos and temporary swap to 9/8 time may be new for some students.
Excellent Notion is in 6/8 time, G Major with mostly harmonic 3rds and 2nds in the left hand giving good practice with legato 3rds and syncopated pedaling
My Father's Favourite is a bit trickier, written in the key of A flat major with a few dotted eighth + sixteenths. I love the slow, expressive style of this piece! It's my favorite to play in this book.
For more Intermediate Piano Music that students love, check out these reviews!
I have subscribed to a lot of piano teaching related emails for the past 20 years, but one that brings me the most value and joy is Teach Piano Today blog by Trevor and Andrea Dow. They have so many free games and song samplers that my students love to learn with. Clicking this free song sampler for the Stolen Roses led me to dive in and buy the book.
But their teen piano library is what has recently captured my interest. I previously shared thoughts about their Performance Pop 2 Book that my intermediate students are enjoying more than their method books.
Being able to quickly identify and play chords is a fundamental skill that is used over and over in piano playing.
I shared this Crazy Chord Challenge a few years ago. It is one of the options for the Keyboard Skills Challenge. This updated post includes some video samples. Students can choose the pace they want to play as long as they complete each challenge in less than a minute.
To prep them for the challenge, I demonstrate while chanting the chord categories as I play. "Va-ni-lla (C), "Or-e-o" (Db), "Ham-bur-ger" (D), etc.). Being able to see the color patterns on the keyboard and feel them under their fingers quickly really boosts the ease of playing chords from written notation later on.
Can you play all of the Major chords Block Style Hands Together (Left than Right), Moving Chromatically Down the Keyboard in Less than 1 Minute?
Challenge 7
Can you play one of the above challenges but using Minor Chords instead?
Hint: move your 3rd finger one note to the left (flat)
Challenge 8
Can you play one of the above challenges with Eyes Closed?
For a more difficult challenge, students who have already mastered root chords could play inversions or I-IV-I-V-I chord progressions with a longer time limit!
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 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.
But why are there no sharps when it appears to be based around the key of G?
The Mixolydian Mode
Watch this Mixolydian in Irish Music to learn about why Irish music uses this unique pattern of notes.
This month at piano, the focus is on mastering keyboard skills, and there are TEN options for students to choose from to complete the keyboard skills challenge. Be sure to choose one that is challenging for you!
Keyboard skills, including learning to play scales, arpeggios, and chord progressions with speed and accuracy, are much like the "warm-ups" that athletes use in practice to prepare for a big game.
Typically my students start out lessons with a quick game like music term memory match. Instead of playing this typical memory style with cards face down, to introduce relatively new terms and signs I first play a face up version. I like how this variation combines both skill and an element of chance so that any player can win. If the teacher is playing with the student, I even the playing field a bit by saying the teacher doesn't get to "steal on sixes" because they have an unfair advantage of already knowing all the answers.
Divide the cards into 2 piles, one pile for the term or symbol and one pile for the matching answer.
Shuffle the cards and place them face up.
Students then roll a die to determine how many cards they get to collect by guessing the sets of cards that are a match.
If they roll an odd number (1,3, or 5) they guess just one match.
If they roll an even number (2 or 4) they guess two matches.
If they roll a 6 they get to steal a match from the opponent of their choice.
The winner is the player with the most card matches at the end.
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