Piano Lesson Book 1A

Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

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MISS RHONDA’S PIANO COURSE

Piano Lesson Book Level 1A By Rhonda Bradley

MYFBK-0001

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

PIANO LESSON BOOK 1A TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: GETTING READY TO PLAY MUSIC HOW TO SIT AT THE PIANO LEARNING FINGER NUMBERS FINDING NOTES ON THE PIANO ILLUSTRATION OF KEYS STAFF, MEASURES, LINE AND SPACE NOTES CHAPTER REVIEW

5 6 7 8 9 10

CHAPTER 2: PLAYING NOTES ON THE BASS CLEF FLASHCARD LISTING LEARNING BASS CLEF NOTES A, B, C SONG: BASS CLEF NOTES SONG: STEPPING UP AND DOWN SONG: NEW NOTES ARE ALWAYS FUN CHAPTER REVIEW

11 12 13 14 15 16

CHAPTER 3: PLAYING AND COUNTING NOTES ON THE TREBLE CLEF FLASHCARD LISTING LEARNING TREBLE CLEF NOTES C, D, E SONG: TREBLE CLEF NOTES SONG: W ARM UP YOUR HANDS TO PLAY LEARNING TO COUNT QUARTER, HALF, DOTTED HALF AND WHOLE NOTES SONG: MIDDLE C MARCH SONG: THE 1-2-3 SONG SONG: THE MARCHING SONG CHAPTER REVIEW

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17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

CHAPTER 4: PLAYING ON THE GRAND STAFF FLASHCARD LISTING THE GRAND STAFF SONG: DANCING SONG: W HAT SHALL I BRING TWO NEW NOTES: BASS CLEF G AND TREBLE CLEF F SONG: BEACH CASTLE (OFFENBACH’S CAN-CAN) SONG: HERE COMES THE BRIDE SONG: YANKEE DOODLE SONG: TWINKLE, TWINKLE SONG: MOM WILL HELP (MOZART’S CONTRADANCE) TWO MORE NEW NOTES: BASS CLEF F AND TREBLE CLEF G SONG: SO MUCH FUN (GRIEG’S MORNING SONG) SONG: GRANDMA’S SECRET VISIT (HAYDN’S LONDON SYMPHONY) SONG: SATURDAY SONG: SPRING BREAK (SUR PONT D’AVIGNON) CHAPTER REVIEW

26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

CHAPTER 5: LEARNING SHARPS AND FLATS FLASHCARD LISTING LEARNING FLATS SONG: ALL FALL DOWN SONG: MY PET CHARLIE LEARNING SHARPS SONG: WHAT IF SONG: FOR ALICIA (BEETHOVEN’S FUR ELISE) CHAPTER REVIEW LEVEL 1A MEMORIES PAGE CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT LEVEL 1A SUGGESTED REPERTOIRE

42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52

. .

.

Miss Rhonda’s Piano Course written by Rhonda Bradley Published by DIY Piano copyright © Rhonda Bradley 2012

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

Piano Lesson Book 1A

Chapter 1 getting ready to play music

In this chapter... How to sit at the piano Finding keys on the piano Finger numbers Music staff Measures & bar lines Line & space notes

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

How to sit at the piano

It is important to sit tall at the piano. Young children will need a footstool. If your elbows are lower than the keyboard, you will also need a phone book or pillow to sit on.

It is easier to play the piano if you sit properly and hold your hands correctly!

You’ll play with your fingertips, which means that you'll need a little curve in your fingers, and your fingernails should always be trimmed or filed.

Play on your fingertips

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This will make it easier for you to play, and it will also make your music sound better!

Keep your fingers rested on the keys

When you are playing music in level 1A, all of your fingers should be touching the keys. Imagine that you have glue on your fingertips! (but never – ever use real glue or we will both get in trouble!)

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This “technique” might feel funny at first, but if you practice it every day, it will probably be easy within just one week!

Practice every day

Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

Practice recognizing finger numbers as fast as you can.

This is also a good time to practice recognizing right and left hand.

Have your teacher or a parent call out finger numbers to you, and see how quickly you can point out the correct fingers.

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The Piano is made up of groups of 2 black keys and groups of 3 black keys

1. Find and play all the groups of 2 black keys with your right hand finger numbers 2 & 3. 2. Find and play all the groups of 3 black keys with your left hand finger numbers 2, 3, & 4.

Musical notes are named after letters of the alphabet.

A new note each day

Musical notes are named: A, B, C, D, E, F or G.

Practice finding the C note tomorrow. Every time you walk past the piano, play all of the C notes going up and down the keyboard, as fast as you can!

There is a picture on the next page of this book that shows you how to find all of the notes on the piano.

Practice finding the C note on your Piano Find and play all of the C notes on the piano using your right or left hand thumb (finger # 1).

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Pick a different note to practice each day this week.

Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

Music is written on 5 lines with 4 spaces in between them. This is called the

MUSIC STAFF

Bar Lines are the vertical

(up and down) lines that separate the music into little boxes called Measures.

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

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What are the seven letters of the musical alphabet?

_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

1. Which hand is shown in this picture? (circle one):

LEFT

RIGHT

2. Put the correct finger numbers into each circle.

What is your favorite color? Find the C note on the keyboard below, and color it with your favorite color.

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

Piano Lesson Book 1A

Chapter 2 playing notes on the Bass Clef

Flashcards for this chapter: measure bass clef bass clef C bass clef B bass clef A

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

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The Bass Clef Symbol

You will use your left hand to play notes written on the

The “Bass Clef” is a symbol that is put on a music staff. All of the notes below Middle C are written on the

Bass Clef staff.

Bass Clef Staff

Use left-hand finger numbers 3, 2, 1 to play notes A, B,C

Final Bar Line The final bar line is like a stop sign; it means you are at the end of the song.

A B C

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Miss Rhonda'sPPiano Lesson Book 1A

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las

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Bass (“base”) Clef Notes

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Po Piano Lesson Book 1A Miss Rhonda's int

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Stepping Up and Down

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efo r

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

New Notes are Always Fun!

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Find the A, B and C notes on the keyboard below, and color them with three different colors of your choice.

Circle the hand that plays the bass clef notes, and then write in the finger numbers on the hand that you circled.

TEACHER’S EVALUATION: Pass

Needs Work

All flashcards so far

_____

_____

Recognizing notes A, B & C

_____

_____

Practices every day

_____

_____

Recognizes left & right hand

_____

_____

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

Piano Lesson Book 1A

Chapter 3 playing and counting notes on the Treble Clef

New flashcards for this chapter: treble clef symbol C note (C4) D note (D4) E note (E4) repeat sign quarter note half note whole note dotted half note

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The Treble Clef Symbol

You will use your

The Treble Clef is a symbol that is put on a music staff. All of the notes above Middle C are written on the Treble Clef Staff

right hand

to play notes written on the

Treble Clef staff.

Use right-hand finger numbers 1, 2 , 3 to play notes C, D and E .

Repeat Sign The repeat sign asks you to go back to the beginning and play the song one more time.

C

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E

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

Pl

ay

Treble Clef Notes

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&

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ote

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na me

so

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lou

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

Warm Up Your Hands to Play

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

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Time Signature

Always look at the top number of the

time signature

to find out how many beats are in a measure. This will be the number that you count up to in the song!

Counting while practicing will give your music good rhythm. This will make your music sound great!

Quarter Note

Half Note

Dotted Half Note

Whole Note

1

2

3

4

beat

beats

beats

beats

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

Page 22

Count out loud as you play this song. It will help you to have good rhythm, and your music will sound great!

Middle C March

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

Practice slowly and count our loud as you are learning new songs

The 1-2-3 Song

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

The Marching Song

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Find the C, D and E notes on the keyboard below, and color them with three different colors of your choice.

Circle the hand that plays the treble clef notes, and then write in the finger numbers on the hand that you circled.

TEACHER’S EVALUATION: Pass

Needs Work

All flashcards so far

_____

_____

Recognizing notes C, D & E

_____

_____

Counting out loud

_____

_____

Practicing slowly

_____

_____

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

Piano Lesson Book 1A

Chapter 4 playing on the Grand Staff

New flashcards for this chapter: F note (F3) G note (G3) F note (F4) G note (G4)

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

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A Brace is used to connect the Treble and Bass Clef staves together to form the Grand Staff.

Piano music is written on the

Grand Staff

+ Bass Clef

+ Treble Clef

{= Brace

Grand Staff

From now on, you’ll place both hands on the keyboard at the same time, and use both hands to play your songs!

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

Both of your thumbs will share the middle C note. This is called Middle C position!

Dancing

LEFT hand

RIGHT hand

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

What Shall I Bring

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

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Two New Notes! Bass Clef G

Treble Clef F

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

Beach Castle

G

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

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Here Comes the Bride

(4)

F

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

Yankee Doodle

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

Twinkle, Twinkle

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

Mom Will Help ” ure eas p m 3, 4 e 2 h cku t: “pi coun find t ts? you bea can issing m Copyright 2012 R. Bradley

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

Bass Clef

F

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F

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Treble Clef

G

Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

So Much Fun

F

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(5)

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

Grandma’s Secret Visit

G

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

Saturday

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

Spring Break

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

1. Write in the note names below

2. Write in the counting below

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

Piano Lesson Book 1A

Chapter 5 musical symbols

New flashcards for this chapter: sharp sign flat sign natural sign

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

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Flat Sign

T

he flat sign applies to all of the following (same) notes for the rest of the measure.

So if you see an E flat sign, flat the E and flat all of the other E’s that come after it until the end of the measure.

Flat signs are placed to the left of a note

When you see the flat sign, you should play the note 1/2 step lower (left), which is usually a black key.

Flat = play the black key to the LEFT (down)

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Once you cross the bar line, all the E’s go back to normal white keys

Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

All Fall Down

o als

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fla

t

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

My Pet Charlie

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

atur and n

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als

Sharp Sign

F#

Natural Sign

Sharp signs are placed to the left of a note

When you see the sharp sign, you should play the note 1/2 step higher (right), which is usually a black key.

The natural sign tells you to *not* sharp or flat the note, but to play the original (white) key.

Sharp = play the black key to the RIGHT (up)

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

What If

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

For Alicia

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This symbol is called a:

This symbol is called a:

This symbol is called a:

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

Find and circle the F sharp key above

Find and circle the B flat key above

Find and circle the G natural key above

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

Page 50

(picture) Place a picture of you at your piano, or a picture of you and your piano teacher.

I started my piano lessons on ____________________. (date) My teacher’s name is __________________________.

I completed Piano Lesson Book Level 1A on:

My teacher says I am especially good at: ____________________________________________

_________________ (date)

My favorite song to play on the piano is: ____________________________________________ Someday, I would like to be able to play: ___________________________________________ (write the name of at least one of your favorite songs here)

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

Certificate of Achievement Level 1A Piano This certificate is awarded to

For the successful completion of Miss Rhonda’s Piano Course Level 1A

Date

Teacher’s Signature

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Miss Rhonda's Piano Lesson Book 1A

Piano Lesson Book 1A

Here are some of the songs you'll learn in this book: Yankee Doodle Here Comes the Bride Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Morning Song (Grieg) a.k.a. "So Much Fun The Can-Can (Offenbach) a.k.a. "Beach Castle" Contradance (Mozart) a.k.a. "Mom Will Help" Fur Elise (Beethoven) a.k.a. "For Alicia" London Symphony (Haydn) a.k.a. "Grandma's Secret Visit" ....AND MANY MORE!

When you complete this book, you will be able to: - Read and play all notes in "middle C" position - Play and count quarter notes, half notes, whole notes, & dotted quarter notes - Understand basic music theory

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