Happy Leap Day J. W.
Our class went by so fast today - we got a lot done, but not everything that I had planned for you. I'm glad we were working thoroughly though.
Everyone started off by practicing their scales. Level 2: You have 5 scales now to practice. C major, C Pentatonic, C contrary motion, G major, and G pentatonic. Here are a couple of homework exercises you should try in preparation for the assessment tests at the end of term. Brush up on your Roman Numerals I to VII. Major Scale and Scale Degrees and Pentatonic Scale.
Level 1 (Alyx and Peter): You are warming up with C major, hands separately with curved fingers and a steady beat.
Level 2 then went on to practice their songs Daydream Believer (by a band called the Monkees) and Clementine as well as a new song: Ode To Joy.
Practice holding down your left hand notes for their full values, and also watch out for sharps!
Level 1 worked on On top of Old Smokey and the song Get Up. Make sure to count - notice the time signature on the staff at the beginning of the piece. Does it say to count 3 beats or 4 beats in a bar?
Finally we played some concentration and some note naming games in the Theory and Games sections of the Piano Suite software.
Great work!
Friday, February 29
Thursday, February 28
Kingswood School Thurs. Feb. 28 11.40-12.40pm
Todays class was bit too noisy for me. I'd like to have more focussed and productive lunch hours with you - keep in mind that although MusIQ Club is meant to be a fun activity, you are still coming to learn, and I am still your teacher. Remember the three R's - the rules of the class. Respect ME. Respect each other and Respect the equipment and instruments. I hope that next week you will be listening to me more and talking less.
Level 2 reviewed the five scales we learned this term: C major, C contrary motion, C pentatonic, G major and G pentatonic.
Practice these at home. Here is are 2 exercises that you can work on in preparation for assessment test at the end of this term: Major Scale and Scale Degrees and Pentatonic Scale
Review your roman numerals everyone.
We went on to practice our songs: Daydream Believer, Clementine and Happy Birthday.
You can continue practicing Let it be, and if you would like an extra challenge try Ode to Joy with your Piano Suite software at home.
We tried some harder rhythm playbacks today. Remember: Half notes are worth 2 beats. Whole notes are worth 4 beats. Quarter notes are worth 1 beat. Eighth notes are worth 1/2 a beat. How much is a dotted half note worth? (3) and how much is a dotted quarter worth? (1.5)
We clapped a common 'swing' rhythm together: the dotted quarter/eighth.
Laura: You are practicing songs with 3 beats in a bar. We talked about time signatures and you showed me your C major scale with the right hand. Keep working on that left hand! You're sounding great with your three songs: Pop goes the Weasel, On top of Old Smokey and Get Up.
Thanks everyone. See you next time.
Level 2 reviewed the five scales we learned this term: C major, C contrary motion, C pentatonic, G major and G pentatonic.
Practice these at home. Here is are 2 exercises that you can work on in preparation for assessment test at the end of this term: Major Scale and Scale Degrees and Pentatonic Scale
Review your roman numerals everyone.
We went on to practice our songs: Daydream Believer, Clementine and Happy Birthday.
You can continue practicing Let it be, and if you would like an extra challenge try Ode to Joy with your Piano Suite software at home.
We tried some harder rhythm playbacks today. Remember: Half notes are worth 2 beats. Whole notes are worth 4 beats. Quarter notes are worth 1 beat. Eighth notes are worth 1/2 a beat. How much is a dotted half note worth? (3) and how much is a dotted quarter worth? (1.5)
We clapped a common 'swing' rhythm together: the dotted quarter/eighth.
Laura: You are practicing songs with 3 beats in a bar. We talked about time signatures and you showed me your C major scale with the right hand. Keep working on that left hand! You're sounding great with your three songs: Pop goes the Weasel, On top of Old Smokey and Get Up.
Thanks everyone. See you next time.
Wednesday, February 27
BLT Elementary School Wed. Feb. 27 2.00-3.00pm
Today we completed lesson 11 with the Level 1 students and lesson 20 with the Level 2 students.
Level 1: You were learning about 5 finger ant tunnels with your new computer teacher Scott Joplin. Can you remember a couple of things about Scott Joplin's life to tell me for next class? What country is he from? (the U.S.A.) What style of piano music did he write?
Remember that your thumbs are 1 and your little fingers are 5. What are the numbers for the rest of your fingers? (Index -2, Middle -3, Ring - 4).
Practice playing different 3 or 4 note finger patterns on your keyboards at home. Also keep practicing your 4-beat rhythms.
Level 2: You are becoming more and more familiar with musical alphabet. You should know it very well, both backwards and forwards on your piano keyboard without having to look at the letters. When you practice, try to think of what the letter names of the notes are. Set up your hands in middle C position, both thumbs on C. Practice the song 'Love Somebody' and Folk Tunes for Both Hands Together in the library if you have the CMJ software at home.
Good work today.
See you next week.
Level 1: You were learning about 5 finger ant tunnels with your new computer teacher Scott Joplin. Can you remember a couple of things about Scott Joplin's life to tell me for next class? What country is he from? (the U.S.A.) What style of piano music did he write?
Remember that your thumbs are 1 and your little fingers are 5. What are the numbers for the rest of your fingers? (Index -2, Middle -3, Ring - 4).
Practice playing different 3 or 4 note finger patterns on your keyboards at home. Also keep practicing your 4-beat rhythms.
Level 2: You are becoming more and more familiar with musical alphabet. You should know it very well, both backwards and forwards on your piano keyboard without having to look at the letters. When you practice, try to think of what the letter names of the notes are. Set up your hands in middle C position, both thumbs on C. Practice the song 'Love Somebody' and Folk Tunes for Both Hands Together in the library if you have the CMJ software at home.
Good work today.
See you next week.
Tuesday, February 26
Westmount Elementary School Tues. Feb. 26 12.15-1.15pm
Well done today everyone.
Level 1:
You worked on lessons 11 and 12 Mr. Joplin today. Remember Scott Joplin's story? He is a famous African-American composer who lived about a hundred years ago. His piano music was one of the first types of Jazz, and some of the 'ragtime' songs he wrote, like 'the Entertainer' are still very popular today.
You learned about five-finger ant tunnels with Mr. Joplin. Keep your fingers curved and on their tips so the tunnel of ants can go under your hand. Remember that each finger has a number: thumbs are 1, index fingers are 2, middle fingers are 3, ring fingers are 4 and pinky fingers are five!
Practice doing finger number playbacks with your Mom or Dad at home the same way we did in class. Place both thumbs on middle C.
If you have the CMJ software at home, review lesson 12 and practice Folk tunes for the right hand on the computer in the library. Also, play the Cliffhanger game to practice notes getting higher and higher, and notes getting lower and lower.
Level 2:
You completed lessons 18 and 19 today. You're now learning about grown-up notes with Miss Mendelssohn. Remember to set your hands in Middle C position when you play your songs. Notice where your fingers are stepping up or stepping down. Do you see how the notes get higher or lower, based on the line where Middle C is?
When the stems (or 'tails') of the grown-up notes are going up, you should play high notes with your right hand. When they are going down, play low notes with the left hand.
You should also notice that the notes step up or down by line and space. Do you see how there are some notes on lines, and some notes on spaces?
What kind of note is middle C? A line note or a space note?
Practice 'Mary had a big fat sheep' at home on your piano this week. Here are the finger numbers for the left hand in Middle C position:
L.H. 3-4-5-4-3-3-3--
4-4-4--
3-1-1--
3-4-5-4-3-3-3--
4-4-3-4-5----
If you have the CMJ software at home, please practice Folk tunes for hands together on the computer in the library, and also Love Somebody (click on the lessons and practice book in the library).
At the end of class I gave everyone a rhythm to play back to me on the hand drum. All of you did an AMAZING job at clapping 4 beat rhythms to me. I was extremely impressed.
We have some talented young pianists in this bunch.
See you next time!
Level 1:
You worked on lessons 11 and 12 Mr. Joplin today. Remember Scott Joplin's story? He is a famous African-American composer who lived about a hundred years ago. His piano music was one of the first types of Jazz, and some of the 'ragtime' songs he wrote, like 'the Entertainer' are still very popular today.
You learned about five-finger ant tunnels with Mr. Joplin. Keep your fingers curved and on their tips so the tunnel of ants can go under your hand. Remember that each finger has a number: thumbs are 1, index fingers are 2, middle fingers are 3, ring fingers are 4 and pinky fingers are five!
Practice doing finger number playbacks with your Mom or Dad at home the same way we did in class. Place both thumbs on middle C.
If you have the CMJ software at home, review lesson 12 and practice Folk tunes for the right hand on the computer in the library. Also, play the Cliffhanger game to practice notes getting higher and higher, and notes getting lower and lower.
Level 2:
You completed lessons 18 and 19 today. You're now learning about grown-up notes with Miss Mendelssohn. Remember to set your hands in Middle C position when you play your songs. Notice where your fingers are stepping up or stepping down. Do you see how the notes get higher or lower, based on the line where Middle C is?
When the stems (or 'tails') of the grown-up notes are going up, you should play high notes with your right hand. When they are going down, play low notes with the left hand.
You should also notice that the notes step up or down by line and space. Do you see how there are some notes on lines, and some notes on spaces?
What kind of note is middle C? A line note or a space note?
Practice 'Mary had a big fat sheep' at home on your piano this week. Here are the finger numbers for the left hand in Middle C position:
L.H. 3-4-5-4-3-3-3--
4-4-4--
3-1-1--
3-4-5-4-3-3-3--
4-4-3-4-5----
If you have the CMJ software at home, please practice Folk tunes for hands together on the computer in the library, and also Love Somebody (click on the lessons and practice book in the library).
At the end of class I gave everyone a rhythm to play back to me on the hand drum. All of you did an AMAZING job at clapping 4 beat rhythms to me. I was extremely impressed.
We have some talented young pianists in this bunch.
See you next time!
Monday, February 25
Fleming Tower Elementary School Mon. Feb. 25 2.15-3.15pm
Class went very well today.
Lauren and Breagh:
You completed lessons 7 and 8 with Mr. Bach today. You're learning about Double Notes - playing a high note with your right hand and a low note with your left hand, at the same time. Great work taking turns with the lesson and practice. You also learned about notes getting higher and higher and lower and lower. This means you have to start at Middle C, and then play a medium high/low note, then a very high/low note. Review lesson 8 if you have the CMJ software at home. Your rhythms are coming along nicely - make sure to keep your wrists up and fingers curved when you play your songs.
Aly, Jansyn, Reese, Brianna, Noah, Sergio, Vinny, Christopher, Jared and Fernando:
You completed lesson 17 today with Miss Mendelssohn. Some of you finished early and started working on lesson 18. For homework, I would like everyone who has the CMJ software at home to select a Hands Together song from the computer in the Library to practice. Try to play it 'legato' (smoothly) and with different 'dynamics' (loud and soft). Let me know next time if you have a song to perform for me and the class! When you play, try to think of the letter name for each key. Also, keep track of which finger number you are using.
All of you are doing a wonderful job of playing with both thumbs in Middle C position.
I'm very impressed with how far you've come along with your piano lessons.
At the end of class, I played 4-beat rhythms on my hand drum for you. Rhythms are a specialty in this class. Some of you can clap back some pretty complicated rhythms to me.
Good work everyone. Here is a game for you to try out for fun - it is to test your ears, and your memory, at the keyboard: Piano Memory Game
Lauren and Breagh:
You completed lessons 7 and 8 with Mr. Bach today. You're learning about Double Notes - playing a high note with your right hand and a low note with your left hand, at the same time. Great work taking turns with the lesson and practice. You also learned about notes getting higher and higher and lower and lower. This means you have to start at Middle C, and then play a medium high/low note, then a very high/low note. Review lesson 8 if you have the CMJ software at home. Your rhythms are coming along nicely - make sure to keep your wrists up and fingers curved when you play your songs.
Aly, Jansyn, Reese, Brianna, Noah, Sergio, Vinny, Christopher, Jared and Fernando:
You completed lesson 17 today with Miss Mendelssohn. Some of you finished early and started working on lesson 18. For homework, I would like everyone who has the CMJ software at home to select a Hands Together song from the computer in the Library to practice. Try to play it 'legato' (smoothly) and with different 'dynamics' (loud and soft). Let me know next time if you have a song to perform for me and the class! When you play, try to think of the letter name for each key. Also, keep track of which finger number you are using.
All of you are doing a wonderful job of playing with both thumbs in Middle C position.
I'm very impressed with how far you've come along with your piano lessons.
At the end of class, I played 4-beat rhythms on my hand drum for you. Rhythms are a specialty in this class. Some of you can clap back some pretty complicated rhythms to me.
Good work everyone. Here is a game for you to try out for fun - it is to test your ears, and your memory, at the keyboard: Piano Memory Game
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