Group Piano Course--15 Week Plan

Group Piano Course--15 Week Plan

Note: Bold-faced items will indicate new material.
 

Week 1--Day 1

 * Introduction to Piano Music Notation
   --The Staff
   --The Measure
    --The Time Signature
    --The Staff Systems
[The introduction will also cover basic note types and its rhythms (e.g., the quarter note)]
* Reveal concept of "reading from left to right" on the staff
*  The 4 spaces on the staff  (The "F-A-C-E" concept)
* The 5 lines (The "Every Good Boy Does Fine" concept)

 Week 1--Day 2

REVIEW
* Introduction to Piano Music Notation
   --The Staff
   --The Measure
    --The Time Signature
    --The Staff Systems
* Reveal concept of "reading from left to right" on the staff
* The 4 spaces on the staff  (The "F-A-C-E" concept)
* The 5 lines (The "Every Good Boy Does Fine" concept)
 

Pentatonic Major Scales--Up and Down

*C major, C# major, D major,, Eb major, F major, F# major, G major, Ab major
 

Week 2--Day 1

REVIEW
* Pentatonic Major  Scales--Up and Down
* C major, C# major, D major,, Eb major, F major, F# major, G major, Ab major
Pentatonic Major Scales--Up and Down
A major, Bb major, B major, C major

 

Week  2--Day 2

REVIEW
* Pentatonic Major Scales--Up and Down
     C major, C# major, D major,, Eb major, F major, F# major, G major, Ab major,
     A major, Bb major, B major, C major
 

Introduction to Major Scales Going Up and Down an Octave

Examples: C major, G, major
     * Fingering for the major scale involving the octave

     * Introduction to the half-step and whole step

Week 3--Day 1

Major Scales Going Up and Down an Octave
*  C major, C# major, D major,, Eb major, F major, F# major, G major, Ab major,
     A major, Bb major, B major, C major

 Week 3--Day 2

REVIEW
Major Scales Going Up and Down an Octave
*  C major, C# major, D major,, Eb major, F major, F# major, G major, Ab major,
     A major, Bb major, B major, C major

 * Several techniques to understand the notes in the scale

 Week 4--Day 1

Prepare for Quiz 1
* Students should prepare to play either a pentatonic major scale going up and down or a major  scale going up and down an octave.

 Week 4--Day 2
Quiz 1
* The student chooses whether or not to play a pentatonic up-and-down major scale or
   an octave up-and-down major scale.
 * The teacher selects at random several major keys, and the student should do the scale
    without unnecessary stopping.

* The quiz would be about 3-4 minutes for each student.

 Week 5--Day 1

Introduction to the Minor Scales Up and Down and Octave
   * The natural
   * The harmonic
    * The melodic 
Introduction to the flatted and sharpened scale degrees.

Concept:
* Think of natural minor scale as unchanged in the notes.
* Think of the harmonic minor scale with its altering of the 7th degree up  a      
   semitone.
* Think of the melodic minor scale as starting with the 6th and 7th degrees raised
   a semitone in ascending and the 6th and 7th degrees lowered back a semitone in
   descending.
 

Examples:

 A minor scales in natural, harmonic, and melodic.
C minor scales in natural, harmonic, and melodic
F# minor scales in natural, harmonic, and melodic.

Week  5--Day 2

Minor Scales Up and Down and Octave, First in Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic
 A minor, Bb minor, B minor, C minor, C# minor, D minor, Eb minor, E minor,
F minor, F# minor, G minor, G# minor, A minor.

Week 6--Day 1

REVIEW
Minor Scales Up and Down and Octave, First in Natural, Harmonic, and Melodic
A minor, Bb minor, B minor, C minor, C# minor, D minor, Eb minor, E minor,
F minor, F# minor, G minor, G# minor, A minor.
 

Introduction to the Church Modes:

Examples:
C major scale in Ionian Mode, D minor scale in Dorian Mode, E minor scale in Phrygian Mode, F major scale in Lydian Mode, G major scale in Mixolydian Mode, A minor scale in Aeolian Mode, B minor Scale in Locrian Mode

 Week 6--Day 2

REVIEW

Introduction to the Church Modes:

 Examples:

C major scale in Ionian Mode, D minor scale in Dorian Mode, E minor scale in Phrygian Mode, F major scale in Lydian Mode, G major scale in Mixolydian Mode, A minor scale in Aeolian Mode, B minor Scale in Locrian Mode
 

Reinforcement of Understanding of the Church Modes with transposed keys in either of the modes:

C minor in Dorian, F# major in Lydian, Bb minor in Phrygian, G minor in Locrian
E major in Ionian, A major in Mixolydian, G# minor in Aeolian

 Week 7--Day 1

 REVIEW FOR MIDTERM EXAM
* Focus on material covered from Weeks 1-6
* Place special emphasis on the church modes and the three types of natural minor
      scales

Week 7--Day 2
 MIDTERM EXAM
*Should be about 8 hours.
* 30-40 minutes for each student.
Format for exam would be in three phases
* Basic music notation rudiments
* Scales
* Church modes
 

Week 8--Day 1

Introduction to the triads
The C major triad
*Root, First Inversion (6-3) and Second Inversion (6-4)
The C major scale going up, all in triads
*Root, First Inversion (6-3) and Second Inversion (6-4)
The C minor scale, going up, all in triads (natural minor only)

 Introduction to the technical terms for the major scale, using the triads

*Tonic, supertonic, mediant, sub-dominant, dominant, sub-mediant, leading tone

Week 8--Day 2

REVIEW
Introduction to the triads
The C major triad
* Root, First Inversion (6-3) and Second Inversion (6-4)
The C major scale going up, all in triads
* Root, First Inversion (6-3) and Second Inversion (6-4)
The C minor scale, going up, all in triads (natural minor only)
Introduction to the technical terms for the major scale, using the triads
     *Tonic, supertonic, mediant, sub-dominant, dominant, sub-mediant, leading tone

Major Scales Going Up in Triads

* F major, D major, G major, Bb major
Minor Scales Going Up in Triads
* A minor, Eb minor, C minor,  E minor

Week 9--Day 1

REVIEW
 Major Scales Going Up in Triads
* F major, D major, G major, Bb major
Minor Scales Going Up in Triads
* A minor, Eb minor, C minor,  E minor

Sight Reading Exercise

"Mary Had A Little Lamb"
"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"

Week 9--Day 2
REVIEW
 "Mary Had A Little Lamb"
"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"
 
Sight Reading Exercise
"The Irish Washerwoman Jig"
"The Dominant Seventh
* Root
* The 7-6-5 (first inversion)
* The 5-4-3 (second inversion)
* The 5-4-2 (third inversion)

 The Diminished Chord

* Root
* First Inversion
* Second Inversion
* Third Inversion
 
Week 10--Day 1
 REVIEW

 "Mary Had A Little Lamb"

"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"
"The Irish Washerwoman Jig"
The Dominant Seventh
* The 7-6-5 (first inversion)
* The 5-4-3 (second inversion)
* The 5-4-2 (third inversion)
 The Diminished Chord
* Root
* First Inversion
* Second Inversion
* Third Inversion
 
Basic Chord Progressions
(Keys: C major, F major, G major)
I-IV-V-I
I-IV-I
I-V-I
I-IV-III6-V6-I

Basic Chord Progressions With Primary Dominant Seventh
(Keys: C major, F major, G major)
I-IV-V7-I
I-V7-I
I-V6-I
      5
 

Week 10--Day 2

REVIEW:
Basic Chord Progressions
(Keys: C major, F major, G major)
I-IV-V-I
I-IV-I
I-V-I
I-IV-III6-V6-I

Basic Chord Progressions With Primary Dominant Seventh

(Keys: C major, F major, G major)
I-IV-V7-I
I-V7-I
I-V6-I
      5

Introduction to Secondary Dominants  and Secondary Domiant Sevenths

Basic Chord Progressions With Secondary Dominant Sevenths
(Keys: C major, F major, G major)

C: I-V7-V

        -------
     V

 

F: I-IV-V7-I
        ----

        bvii

 G:I-V4-V

           3

          -------

           V

Week 11--Day 1

Prepare for Quiz 2
* Review of material covered in Weeks 6-10.

Week 11--Day 2

Quiz 2

* Concepts covered from Weeks 6-10

* Should be about 30-40 minutes each student
* Focus on the three songs covered in sight-reading, the dominants and the
   dominant-sevenths, and the triads.
 

Week 12--Day 1

* The Blues scale using C Major as an example

   (notes C-Eb-F-F#-G-Bb)

* 12-Bar-Blues Patterns

    (using chord progressions C-F-C-G-F-C and C-F-C-Dm-G7-C)

* Introduction to Walking Bass in Jazz Music

Sight Reading Exercise

First 16 measures of "C Jam Blues" (of Duke Ellington)

Week 12--Day 1

 REVIEW
* The Blues scale using C Major as an example
   (notes C-Eb-F-F#-G-Bb)
* Introduction to 12-Bar-Blues Patterns
    (using chord progressions C-F-C-G-F-C and C-F-C-Dm-G7-C)
*Introduction to Walking Bass in Jazz Music
Sight Reading Exercise
First 16 measures of "C Jam Blues" (of Duke Ellington)

Rhythmic Exercise

Pentatonic C Major Scales Going Up and Down, in 4/4 time
* Start with Half Notes, then Quarter Notes, then Eighth Notes, and then Sixteenth  
   Notes.
* Start with Sixteenth Notes, then Eighth Notes, then Quarter Notes, then Half
   Notes. 

Week 13--Day 1
REVIEW
Rhythmic Exercise
Pentatonic C Major Scales Going Up and Down, in 4/4 time
* Start with Half Notes, then Quarter Notes, then Eighth Notes, and then Sixteenth  
   Notes.
* Start with Sixteenth Notes, then Eighth Notes, then Quarter Notes, then Half
   Notes.

Introduction to the Arpeggio
Pentatonic Arpeggios in Major Triads  Going Up and Down
C major, C# major, D major, Eb major, E major, F major, F# major, G major,
G# major, A major, Bb major, B major
Pentatonic Arpeggios in Minor Triads Going Up and Down
C minor, C# minor, D minor, Eb minor, E minor, F minor, F# minor, G minor,
G# minor, A minor, Bb minor, B minor

Week 14--Day 1

REVIEW
Introduction to the Arpeggio
Pentatonic Arpeggios in Major Triads  Going Up and Down
C major, C# major, D major, Eb major, E major, F major, F# major, G major,
G# major, A major, Bb major, B major
Pentatonic Arpeggios in Minor Triads Going Up and Down
C minor, C# minor, D minor, Eb minor, E minor, F minor, F# minor, G minor,
G# minor, A minor, Bb minor, B minor

Sight Reading Exercise

J.S. Bach: Minuet in G (from the Anna Magdalena Notebook)

Week 14--Day 2

REVIEW:
Sight Reading Exercise
J.S. Bach: Minuet in G (from the Anna Magdalena Notebook)

Sight Reading Exercise

M. Clementi: Sonatina in C major, op. 36, First movement

Week 15--Day 1
Preparation for Final Exam
Review focusing on:
* Basic music notation rudiments
* All of the major scales, pentatonic and octave
* The minor scales
* The Church modes
* The sight-reading songs
* The pentatonic arpeggios

 Also, a review of all of the other concepts covered in the previous weeks.

Week 15--Day 2

 Final Exam
* 50 minutes per student
* Combination of sight-reading exercises, responding to dictations, and written
   questions.

Café Luna—Preliminary Set List for January 27, 2006—Piano Gig (at 1742 W. 99th St.)

It is not there anymore---it has a new name and it is now a pizza place, but it was once a watering hole to try to get my big break in piano gigging. The set list was quite versatile.........

 SET 1

Consolation no. 3 in D-flat Major (Liszt)

Impromptu in A-flat minor, op. 90 (Schubert)

Fantasy-Impromptu in C-sharp minor, op. 35 (Chopin)

Nocturne in Bb minor, op. 9, no. 1 (Chopin)

Nocturne in E-flat major, op. 9, no. 2 (Chopin)

Mazurka in C-sharp minor, op. 30, no. 4 (Chopin)

Sonnet no. 104 from Petrarch (Chopin)

Air on the G String (Bach)

Mozart, "Rondo alla Turca" from Sonata no. 11 (Mozart)

Mascarade Waltz  by Aram Khachaturian, arr. by Alexander Dolukhanian

Buciemeana, or "Dance of Butschum"--Romanian Folk Dance no. 4 (Bartok)

Gymnopedie no. 1 (Satie)

Il canzone, based on the transcription of "Nessun maggior dolore" from Rossini's

     opera, Otello (arr. by F. Liszt)

SET 2

Prelude no. 1 (Gershwin)

Prelude no. 2, "Blues" (Gershwin)

Prelude no. 3 (Gershwin)

Maple Leaf Rag (Joplin)

Intermezzo from "Faschingsswank aus Wien" (Schumann)

Romance from "Fashchingsswank aus Wien" (Schumann)

Polichinelle (Rachmaninov)

Prelude in C-sharp minor (Rachmaninov)

Sabre Dance (Khachaturian), arr. by Henry Levine

Nocturne in F minor, op. 55, no. 1 (Chopin)

Waltz in C-sharp minor, op. 39, no. 7 (Brahms)

Waltz in D minor, op. 39, no. 9 (Brahms)

Waltz in Ab major, op. 39, no. 15 (Brahms)

Waltz in B major, op. 39, no. 1 (Brahms)

SET 3

Composed-out improvisations

"So Happy Together" (The Turtles)

"Can't Get Around Much Anymore" (Duke Ellington)

"Summertime" from "Porgy and Bess" (Gershwin)

"Shall We Dance", from The King and I

"Children Won't Listen, from Into The Woods (

"Memory" from Cats (Andrew Lloyd Webber)

Fantasy on "I Got Rhythm", from Crazy For You (Gershwin)

"My Favorite Things," from The Sound of Music

"Luck Be A Lady Tonight" from Guys and Dolls