Hello John W.
We had some technical difficulties today, but we still managed to get quite a bit of hands-on practice done. Thank you to all of you who worked independently, and helped your classmates know what to do. I think many of you are doing very well with the piano, even if we're still getting used to the software.
Your Old Grey Goose song was going much better today, and the performances we had from Victoria, Chloe, Luke and Hannah were quite impressive!
When you practice your songs, just remember to keep a steady beat. Listen for long notes and short notes - 1 beat or 2 beats. Also, try to keep a round-shape hand position and use the correct fingering.
After reviewing how to read notes in the Grand Staff, we did some left hand exercises and learned how to play a C major scale.
Starting on C, the fingering for the Right hand is: 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5
And for the Left hand it is: 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1
Jack gave us a superb demonstration of how to play a C major scale properly.
Walk your fingers up and down when you practice, connecting the notes.
Thanks for your patience and cooperation while I was solving technical problems everyone. I am there to answer your questions. Next time, I'll have some more tips and tricks for you on sightreading music, and I think we'll be able to make things run more smoothly and efficiently with a new seating plan/set-up.
Keep up the good practicing and I'll see you again next week.
Alice
Friday, November 2
Thursday, November 1
Kingswood School Thurs. Nov. 1 11.40-12.40pm
Hi Kingswood,
Lovely to see you again. After you helped me set up the table and chairs in the new room (#116), and after lunch, we got to work, performing the songs that I gave you last week for each other.
Lauren, Max, Aidan and Renee all played beautifully for us. Remember to think of the rhythm, when you practice. Some notes are short, and some are long. Try tapping a beat with your foot while you practice so you can see how the beat lines up with the notes.
We learned about the Grand Staff in our Theory Thinker lesson. You learned 4 rhymes to memorize the letter names of the notes on the staff.
For the treble clef (your right hand), the line notes can be found using: Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge. For the space notes: F-A-C-E
In the bass clef (your left hand), we use the rhyme Good Boys Deserve Fudge Always for the line notes, and All Cows Eat Grass, for the space notes.
These are some tricks to find the notes on the staff, but really, you can figure out letter names by counting up or down from middle C, if you can remember where to find it (it has it's own line, below the treble clef staff, or above the bass clef staff).
We played some games to really get a handle on Grand Staff notes names, and then we learned about different note values.
Whole notes are worth 4 beats, Half notes are worth 2 and Quarter notes are worth 1.
Finally, I gave all of you 3 new song sheets to take home and try out for practice.
Make sure you put them in a folder and bring them every Wednesday for Musiq Club class.
I'm going to ask for some new volunteers next time to perform Twinkle Twinkle and Ode to Joy!
Thanks everyone.
Alice
Lovely to see you again. After you helped me set up the table and chairs in the new room (#116), and after lunch, we got to work, performing the songs that I gave you last week for each other.
Lauren, Max, Aidan and Renee all played beautifully for us. Remember to think of the rhythm, when you practice. Some notes are short, and some are long. Try tapping a beat with your foot while you practice so you can see how the beat lines up with the notes.
We learned about the Grand Staff in our Theory Thinker lesson. You learned 4 rhymes to memorize the letter names of the notes on the staff.
For the treble clef (your right hand), the line notes can be found using: Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge. For the space notes: F-A-C-E
In the bass clef (your left hand), we use the rhyme Good Boys Deserve Fudge Always for the line notes, and All Cows Eat Grass, for the space notes.
These are some tricks to find the notes on the staff, but really, you can figure out letter names by counting up or down from middle C, if you can remember where to find it (it has it's own line, below the treble clef staff, or above the bass clef staff).
We played some games to really get a handle on Grand Staff notes names, and then we learned about different note values.
Whole notes are worth 4 beats, Half notes are worth 2 and Quarter notes are worth 1.
Finally, I gave all of you 3 new song sheets to take home and try out for practice.
Make sure you put them in a folder and bring them every Wednesday for Musiq Club class.
I'm going to ask for some new volunteers next time to perform Twinkle Twinkle and Ode to Joy!
Thanks everyone.
Alice
Wednesday, October 31
BLT Elementary School Wed. Oct 31 2.00-3.00pm
Welcome to our blog BLT!
We had a great first class. I was very happy to meet all of you.
After setting up our account and choosing partners, we got right to work and had our first lesson with Mr. Beethoven. We learned about high and low on the piano. Your right hand plays the high "bird" notes and your left hand plays low "whale" notes.
We learned that Beethoven is a composer that lived 200 years ago. He wrote some of the most beautiful music in history. He went deaf, but he still continued to compose all kinds of music for the piano, and other instruments too.
We practiced what we learned with Ms. Melody - our practice room teacher. Then we played some games to see if we could remember everything on the spot. You were all fantastic at the games, and everyone took turns with their partners to play them. Excellent work.
Finally, we learned about how to find middle C and about the musical alphabet: A, B, C, D, E, F and G.
Remember, there are only 7 letters in the musical alphabet.
Can you practice naming the keys on your piano at home, for practice?
Keep a steady beat and a round-shape hand position.
Practice playing some high notes with your right hand, and low notes with your left hand.
If you become more comfortable moving around on the keyboard, you'll be able to make more interesting improvisations!
We'll try out the improvisation room again next time. We were so busy learning, we didn't get very much time at the end to play and record our own songs. But we will!
See you next week :)
We had a great first class. I was very happy to meet all of you.
After setting up our account and choosing partners, we got right to work and had our first lesson with Mr. Beethoven. We learned about high and low on the piano. Your right hand plays the high "bird" notes and your left hand plays low "whale" notes.
We learned that Beethoven is a composer that lived 200 years ago. He wrote some of the most beautiful music in history. He went deaf, but he still continued to compose all kinds of music for the piano, and other instruments too.
We practiced what we learned with Ms. Melody - our practice room teacher. Then we played some games to see if we could remember everything on the spot. You were all fantastic at the games, and everyone took turns with their partners to play them. Excellent work.
Finally, we learned about how to find middle C and about the musical alphabet: A, B, C, D, E, F and G.
Remember, there are only 7 letters in the musical alphabet.
Can you practice naming the keys on your piano at home, for practice?
Keep a steady beat and a round-shape hand position.
Practice playing some high notes with your right hand, and low notes with your left hand.
If you become more comfortable moving around on the keyboard, you'll be able to make more interesting improvisations!
We'll try out the improvisation room again next time. We were so busy learning, we didn't get very much time at the end to play and record our own songs. But we will!
See you next week :)
Tuesday, October 30
Westmount Elementary School Tues. Oct 30 12.15-1.15pm
Nice work girls.
We did 2 levels with Mr. Beethoven and Ms. Melody today. We learned about rhythms - long sounds and short sounds that can be played over a steady beat.
You were excellent rhythm-makers in the bongo boy game. When we did our word phrase exercises, you could all clap together - listening and repeating the patterns that I called out ("Aoiffe is a prin-cess", "Madd-ie is a witch", "Give me some-thing good to eat!")
Practice having a good hand position over the keys (thumbs and wrists nice and high - fingers curved). Your right hand plays the high notes and left hand plays the low notes.
Find groups of 2 and 3 black keys, and practice naming the musical alphabet keeping a steady beat forwards and backwards.
Morgan, you went ahead and tried out the Princess game. At first it was a little tricky, but you kept practicing your rhythm playbacks and by the end of class you solved the puzzle - great work!
Next week, we're all going to try the Princess game.
Try making up some word phrase rhythms for practice at home.
See you then, and have a Happy Halloween!
We did 2 levels with Mr. Beethoven and Ms. Melody today. We learned about rhythms - long sounds and short sounds that can be played over a steady beat.
You were excellent rhythm-makers in the bongo boy game. When we did our word phrase exercises, you could all clap together - listening and repeating the patterns that I called out ("Aoiffe is a prin-cess", "Madd-ie is a witch", "Give me some-thing good to eat!")
Practice having a good hand position over the keys (thumbs and wrists nice and high - fingers curved). Your right hand plays the high notes and left hand plays the low notes.
Find groups of 2 and 3 black keys, and practice naming the musical alphabet keeping a steady beat forwards and backwards.
Morgan, you went ahead and tried out the Princess game. At first it was a little tricky, but you kept practicing your rhythm playbacks and by the end of class you solved the puzzle - great work!
Next week, we're all going to try the Princess game.
Try making up some word phrase rhythms for practice at home.
See you then, and have a Happy Halloween!
Monday, October 29
Fleming Tower Elementary School Mon. Oct 29 2.15-3.15pm
Hey Guys,
This was a super productive class for us. Everyone finished at least 2 levels with Mr. Beethoven and Ms. Melody, and some of you even got through 3 complete levels (Congratulations Noah and Sarah, Reese and Aly!)
We were getting so much better at clapping rhythms. We did some more word phrase exercises together, and also played a real life version of the game 'Bongo Boy'.
Everyone loved this game, and you learned so fast!
Keep practicing your rhythms. Make up sentences like we did: "Scary ghosts say boo!" and "trick or treat smell my feet" clapping along with long sounds and short sounds.
Make sure when you practice high notes and low notes, finding middle C and naming the letters of the musical alphabet on your keyboard, that you keep a steady beat and a round hand position.
Thanks everyone for such a fun class - you were brilliant today!
Next week all of us will get to meet our new lesson teacher Mr. Bach.
See you then!
Alice
This was a super productive class for us. Everyone finished at least 2 levels with Mr. Beethoven and Ms. Melody, and some of you even got through 3 complete levels (Congratulations Noah and Sarah, Reese and Aly!)
We were getting so much better at clapping rhythms. We did some more word phrase exercises together, and also played a real life version of the game 'Bongo Boy'.
Everyone loved this game, and you learned so fast!
Keep practicing your rhythms. Make up sentences like we did: "Scary ghosts say boo!" and "trick or treat smell my feet" clapping along with long sounds and short sounds.
Make sure when you practice high notes and low notes, finding middle C and naming the letters of the musical alphabet on your keyboard, that you keep a steady beat and a round hand position.
Thanks everyone for such a fun class - you were brilliant today!
Next week all of us will get to meet our new lesson teacher Mr. Bach.
See you then!
Alice
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