MUSICAL CONCEPTS | PRE-INSTRUMENTAL

© The Curious Piano Teachers | The Piano Framework 2015

MUSICAL CONCEPTS | PRE-INSTRUMENTAL

RHYTHM 1 Pulse feeling the pulse making the pulse conscious recognising the beat moving faster | slower

2 Rhythm values | simple distinguishing between pulse and rhythm aurally identifying two sounds to one pulse labelling quarter note and eighth note rhythms using rhythm language (ta and teh-teh, or rhythm words) using notation to represent rhythm

6 Time signatures feeling and labelling the strong beat identifying aurally different metres: 2 | 3 | 4 labelling bars and barlines

MELODY 7 Singing | pitch | inner hearing finding and using the singing voice showing higher and lower pitches using gestures recognising pitch as moving higher | lower singing songs with two pitches: soh | mi singing songs with three pitches: lah | soh | mi singing songs with three pitches: mi | ray | doh singing songs with five pitches: lan | soh | mi | ray | doh

STRUCTURE 10 Phrases recognising the start and end of phrases counting the number of phrases in a song


MUSICAL CONCEPTS | BEGINNERS

RHYTHM 1 Pulse

2 Rhythm values | simple crotchets and quavers minims semibreves

3 Rhythm values | compound

4 Triplets | duplets

5 Dots | ties

6 Time signatures 2/4 3/4 4/4

MELODY 7 Pitch notation fixed pitch Alphabet strings on C | G | F mini staff notes on lines and in spaces grand staff G clef F clef Landmark notes | treble G | bass F | middle C

8 Intervals moving by step moving by skip

9 Keys | key signatures

STRUCTURE 10 Phrases start and end

11 Devices

12 Structural repeat sign


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TECHNICAL SKILLS | BEGINNERS

TECHNIQUE 13 Posture | body awareness balanced and comfortable sitting position moving across the keyboard with freedom and ease relaxed and comfortable hand shape

14 Fingering using finger numbers developing finger independence playing in a basic hand position (5 finger) hands separately

15 Co-ordination rhythmical playing when passing from hand to hand playing two notes (a 5th) in one hand

16 Tone quality | sound production playing with a clear and focussed sound using simple dynamic contrasts

17 Articulation non-legato

18 Scales

19 Arpeggio | broken chords

20 Other scales

KEYBOARD GEOGRAPHY

21 Keyboard orientation | referential keyboard layout repeated patterns names of white notes

22 Keyboard orientation | absolute


PIANISTIC SKILLS | MUSICAL CONCEPTS | BEGINNERS

EXPRESSIVE 23 terms and signs forte [f] | piano [p]

24 phrases the start and end of phrases

25 tempo faster | slower

26 pedal exploring the effects of both pedals

27 ornaments

28 textures exploring piano sounds

29 timbres exploring piano sounds

HARMONY 30 triads

31 chords

32 cadences

33 chord progression


STYLISTIC | BEGINNERS

STYLISTIC 34 Baroque

35 Classical

36 Romantic

37 20th century

38 21st century


MUSICAL CONCEPTS | EARLY ELEMENTARY

RHYTHM 1 Pulse

2 Rhythm values | simple rests crotchet | minim | semibreve



5 Dots | ties dotted minims | ties

6 Time signatures

MELODY 7 Pitch notation Alphabet strings starting on C | G | F sharps | flats

8 Intervals half steps whole steps melodic and harmonic intervals up to 5th

9 Keys | key signatures sense of tonic | home note | doh on C | G | F

STRUCTURE 10 Phrases same and different

11 Devices drones ostinato

12 Structural simple repeated patterns labelling phrases Q & A


TECHNICAL SKILLS | EARLY ELEMENTARY

TECHNIQUE 13 Posture | body awareness freedom in the arms and shoulders relaxed wrist drop-roll arm weight

14 Fingering hand crossing beyond a single hand position

15 Co-ordination playing hands together in 5 finger position co-ordinating when playing hands together

16 Tone quality | sound production passing melodies between hands with tonal control

17 Articulation legato | staccato accents >

18 Scales

19 Arpeggio | broken chords

20 Other scales

KEYBOARD GEOGRAPHY

21 Keyboard orientation | referential finding all the white notes with reference to Alphabet strings on C | G | F

22 Keyboard orientation | absolute finding all notes by touch only in Alphabet strings on C | G | F


PIANISTIC SKILLS | MUSICAL CONCEPTS | EARLY ELEMENTARY

EXPRESSIVE 23 terms and signs mf | mp

24 phrases melodic journeys slurs

25 tempo ritenuto the pause

26 pedal

27 ornaments

28 textures

29 timbres

HARMONY 30 triads triad of C | G

31 chords home and away | tonic and dominant I in C (easy position) V7 in C (easy position)

32 cadences

33 chord progression


STYLISTIC | EARLY ELEMENTARY

STYLISTIC 34 Baroque

35 Classical

36 Romantic Developing an awareness of famous composers | Chopin

37 20th century Developing an awareness of famous composers | Debussy

38 21st century


MUSICAL CONCEPTS | ELEMENTARY

RHYTHM 1 Pulse

2 Rhythm values | simple single quaver and rest | syncopation | upbeats



5 Dots | ties dotted minims | ties

6 Time signatures 3/8 2/2

MELODY 7 Pitch notation Alphabet strings starting on all other notes naturals Ledger lines | 1 above and below the staff

8 Intervals melodic and harmonic intervals up to octave

9 Keys | key signatures round the keys in tetrachords major | minor

STRUCTURE 10 Phrases same and different

11 Devices riffs

12 Structural AB ABA


TECHNICAL SKILLS | ELEMENTARY

TECHNIQUE 13 Posture | body awareness balanced body and forearm wrist rotation moderately free and rapid movement across the piano

14 Fingering thumb passing extended hand position including stretching between fingers fingering patterns for C and G scales fingering patterns for F scale

15 Co-ordination increased rhythmical playing when passing from hand to hand hand crossing

16 Tone quality | sound production developing greater control over changes in dynamics shaping short melodic phrases

17 Articulation using different articulation between the hands tenuto

18 Scales major and minor scales | hands separately | 1 octaves | up to and including 2 sharps and 1 flat contrary motion on C

19 Arpeggio | broken chords broken chords pattern 1 | hands separately | major C G F | minor A D

20 Other scales

KEYBOARD GEOGRAPHY

21 Keyboard orientation | referential finding all notes with reference to Alphabet strings on D A

22 Keyboard orientation | absolute finding all notes by touch only in Alphabet strings on D A


PIANISTIC SKILLS | MUSICAL CONCEPTS | ELEMENTARY

EXPRESSIVE 23 terms and signs crescendo | diminuendo

24 phrases

25 tempo andante | moderato | allegro accelerando | allegretto | a tempo

26 pedal direct pedalling

27 ornaments

28 textures changing textures

29 timbres

HARMONY 30 triads primary triads [I, IV, V7] C | G | F

31 chords IV in C | G | F

32 cadences

33 chord progression I, IV, V7 in C | G | F


STYLISTIC | ELEMENTARY

STYLISTIC 34 Baroque Developing an awareness of famous composers | Vivaldi

35 Classical Developing an awareness of famous composers | Beethoven

36 Romantic

37 20th century

38 21st century


MUSICAL CONCEPTS | LATE ELEMENTARY | EARLY INTERMEDIATE

RHYTHM 1 Pulse

2 Rhythm values | simple semiquavers

semiquaver and quaver patterns

3 Rhythm values | compound dotted crotchets crotchet and quaver compound rests

4 Triplets | duplets triplet quavers

5 Dots | ties dotted crotchets

6 Time signatures 6/8

MELODY 7 Pitch notation up to and including 2 ledger lines above and below the staff alphabet strings for new keys

8 Intervals major and minor 2 | 3 | 6 | 7

perfect 4 | 5 | 8

9 Keys | key signatures up to and including: major | D, B flat minor | E, B. G

STRUCTURE 10 Phrases labelling phrases

11 Devices repetition | imitation

12 Structural 1st and 2nd time bars


TECHNICAL SKILLS | LATE ELEMENTARY | EARLY INTERMEDIATE

TECHNIQUE 13 Posture | body awareness balanced and comfortable sitting position that ensures flexibility when playing hands together

14 Fingering extended hand positions | no larger than 1 octave

connecting different hand positions by passing the thumb

appropriate fingering for scales, arpeggios and chords

15 Co-ordination rhythmical playing when passing from hand to hand at a variety of tempi

playing with some independence of the hands, including different articulation between the hands

major and minor chords, hands separately and together

16 Tone quality | sound production playing with a clear, focussed sound using a larger range of dynamics

17 Articulation two note slurs

18 Scales major and minor scales | hands separately and together | 2 octaves | up to and including 2 sharps and flats

contrary motion scales | C E major

19 Arpeggio | broken chords major and minor arpeggios | hands separately and together | 2 octaves | up to and including 2 sharps and flats

broken chords | hands separately | C F G major| D E A minor

20 Other scales chromatic | hands separately | starting on D 1 octave

KEYBOARD GEOGRAPHY

21 Keyboard orientation | referential playing triads in root position

22 Keyboard orientation | absolute playing triads in root position


PIANISTIC SKILLS | MUSICAL CONCEPTS | LATE ELEMENTARY | EARLY INTERMEDIATE

EXPRESSIVE 23 terms and signs ff | pp | fp | sf

dolce | tenuto | poco a poco | cantabile | espressivo

24 phrases shaping and defining phrases

25 tempo metronome marks Andantino Lento Vivace

26 pedal direct pedalling | legato pedalling

27 ornaments

28 textures Alberti bass | imitation

29 timbres piano sounds and colours

HARMONY 30 triads the triad vocal in root position primary triads with inversions

31 chords chord symbols (C | G7 etc)

32 cadences finished | unfinished | perfect | imperfect

33 chord progression 12 bar blues


STYLISTIC LATE ELEMENTARY | EARLY INTERMEDIATE

STYLISTIC 34 Baroque the Minuet | Bach | Handel |

35 Classical Sonatina | Clementi | Attwood |

36 Romantic Telling stories

37 20th century Kabalevsky

Bartok

38 21st century graphic notation

new sounds


MUSICAL CONCEPTS | INTERMEDIATE

RHYTHM 1 Pulse

2 Rhythm values | simple demisemiquavers breves

3 Rhythm values | compound dotted minim beat dotted quaver beat

4 Triplets | duplets other triplets

5 Dots | ties dotted semiquavers

6 Time signatures 9|8 12|8 12|4 6|16

MELODY 7 Pitch notation double sharps | double flats graphic notation C clef

8 Intervals

9 Keys | key signatures up to and including: major | E, A flat minor | C sharp, F

STRUCTURE 10 Phrases building phrases

11 Devices motifs

12 Structural binary | ternary


TECHNICAL SKILLS | INTERMEDIATE

TECHNIQUE 13 Posture | body awareness economy of movement when tackling fast passages, scales, arpeggios, chords

14 Fingering connecting different hand positions by passing the thumb with greater fluency use of consistent fingering in tricky passages

15 Co-ordination rhythmic playing when passing from hand to hand at a variety of tempi including hand crossing more independence of articulations between hands and within one hand

16 Tone quality | sound production voicing the top note of a chord

17 Articulation different articulation between the hands and within one hand

18 Scales up to and including major | E, A flat minor | C sharp, F

19 Arpeggio | broken chords up to and including major | E, A flat minor | C sharp, F

20 Other scales Grand (Russian) scale

KEYBOARD GEOGRAPHY

21 Keyboard orientation | referential

22 Keyboard orientation | absolute


PIANISTIC SKILLS | MUSICAL CONCEPTS | INTERMEDIATE

EXPRESSIVE 23 terms and signs sfz

24 phrases building phrases

25 tempo Presto | Adagio

26 pedal legato pedalling

27 ornaments mordent trill

28 textures 2 parts | melody and accompaniment

29 timbres

HARMONY 30 triads triad vocab with 7th secondary triads | ii | iii | vi | vii

31 chords chord ii chord VI

32 cadences All 4 cadences

33 chord progression circle of 5th I VI IV V


STYLISTIC | INTERMEDIATE

STYLISTIC 34 Baroque 2 part playing | Bach

35 Classical balance and symmetry | Mozart

36 Romantic pictures and miniatures | Schumann

37 20th century folksong | Russian

38 21st century texture and timbre

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MUSICAL CONCEPTS | PRE-INSTRUMENTAL