Lesson 7

I am so happy with the progress of class! Watch out for the winter blues! Here is a blog post with motivation and a focus on your child's learning style to make practice time more cooperative and enjoyable.

Celebrate Connection
Successful 3rd year students spent consistent practice time daily on the Alphabet Pieces Game — even just 3 minutes a day! We will be doing races in class to help them get faster at naming the notes and I want everyone to feel successful. Here are a few ideas to make the alphabet pieces game more playful!
1. Take a Second:
Have your child choose two alphabet pieces and place them on the keyboard. Identify what interval they make, and play the interval. If it's anything other than a 2nd, play again! The game ends when you take a second to make a 2nd.
2. Go Fish:
Each player starts with 3 alphabet tiles hidden in his hand. Try to make matches by asking the other player: "Do you have a.." then PLAY the note on the piano to make your request. If you end up with an empty hand, draw 3 more tiles. Keep playing until the tiles are all gone, and see who got more matches.

Homework pp. 16–17: in the Homework Booklet AND coloring p. 21 in the Songbook (broken chords for Lullaby and Goodnight).

Melodic Patterns
When learning to play melodic patterns:
1. Play all 5 in Middle C Position.
2. Play hands separately. The RH plays in the Treble Clef and these patterns go DOWN. The LH plays in the Bass Clef and these patterns go UP.
3. Notice the steps, skips, or leaps, but ALL the patterns end on Middle C.

I am Robin Hood
This is the first song we play hands together with each hand playing independently! In class we learned to play the melody with the right hand. Place your RH thumb (1) on Middle C, 2nd finger on Middle D, and the 3rd finger on the black note above Middle D (Eb). Then play in the rhythm of BUG-BUG-BEETLE-BUG, BEETLE-BEETLE-SLUG. Practice hands separately this week. We will put it all together soon!

Lullaby and Goodnight
Did you know that we can make a song sound different by changing a block chord to a broken chord. This changes the mood of this song into a calm, peaceful lullaby, as long as it's played piano (softly)!

Making Musicians
Are you ready for spring to come? Let It (Winter) Go is a cool piece to play now that our students are warmed up with all of the chords in right and left hand.