Level 1

Music appreciation

We recommend starting introducing classical pieces through playing them for on piano/keyboard with Gentle Piano first. They have to learn the pieces using Right, Left and/or Both hands. Singing the Solfeggio notes of each piece will contribute to voice, ear and music memory training of students.

After ‘hand on’ experience the same piece should be presented as original with the help of CD, You Tube, iTunes and other listening devices. We will provide you with the sample links here, in our curriculum for your convenience, but feel free to brows different interpretations of the same piece.

Movements, dancing, ‘conducting’, loosing attention during the listening to original version is normal. A beginner has to do something happy and enjoyable while the music lasts. Just avoid background noise or ultimate destructions during the music appreciation process.

The piece should be presented during the entire 4 – 4,5 weeks segment of curriculum on different occasions. The structure (playing a piece 1-2 times a day) and spontaneity should be combined.

Every time before or after the piece is being played the name of it and name of composer should be announced. *Finding the information about composer and the piece is a big +*

For parents of young beginners: If the piece is stimulating and exciting we recommend listening to it 1-2 hours before nap or night sleep. If the piece is soft and smoothing, it may be presented to a child, when he/she starts resting and about to sleep.

Every piece of this list after initial introduction during 4-4.5 week segment should be played occasionally with new pieces of the curriculum. It is important to keep all the music in mind and be able to differentiate one piece from another. 

Ludwig van Beethoven ‘Ode to Joy’’. Gentle piano: Favorite Classics 1. Get acquaintance with the piece on the most comfortable presentation, play it using R, L or both hands.
After playing the piece on piano proceed to listening to it. The sample of the orchestra version of the piece could be found on You Tube as Ludwig van Beethoven ‘Ode to Joy’– for instance

Ear Training

Guess Key Game – playing the game for 3-4 min and stop it by pressing F1. Always record the score! SING the names of the notes while playing.

Music Dictation 1 :

Piano

Exercises: Hanon # 1. Playing forward the exercise and saying/singing the names of the keys
Piano pieces:

Ask Soft Mozart teachers for recommending you piano pieces for this semester. Suggestions:
Choose 3-4 pieces from recommended Albums with different characters and speed.

Piano sight-reading

Gentle Piano:
'First steps'. Play pieces on R2 and L2

Interactive theory

Saying Note Alphabet from Do to Do, Re to Re and Mi to Mi forward and backwards

Flash Cards Level 1: playing ‘girls’ and ‘boys’ game with pages 3-4

Music appreciation

Favorite Classics 1 – Antonin Dvorjak ‘Largo’

One of the originals:

Music appreciation

Piano experience – Nutcracker ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’.

Original sample -

Ear Training

Singing and playing on piano 2 previous piano pieces on R2, R3, L2 and L3 and P2 and P3 with Solfeggio. Trying to hide notes and memorize them.

Piano

- Hanon #1 – playing using 2 hands up and down
- Chromatic Scale – playing with both hands up and down
- Practicing piano pieces with TEACHING VIDEOS and getting ready for the recital.

Piano sight-reading

Gentle Piano:
Nursery Primer on R4, L4 and P4

Interactive theory

Note Duration game. Playing for 5 minutes at a time and writing the results down.

Music appreciation

Piano version Favorite Classics 1 – Alexander Borodin ‘Polovetzian Dance’

Original sample:

Modern version:

Ear Training

Solfeggio and Chords. Level 1, C Major. Playing Zhuchka by R3, singing it with Solfeggio. Try to make perfect score on R (H) and write the melody down.

Music Dictation 4 -

Piano

- Repeating Hanon #1 and Chromatic Scale
- Learning triads ‘Three Sisters’ exercise:

- Starting new piano pieces *Ask Soft Mozart teacher for suggestions*


Piano sight-reading

Gentle Piano: Nursery Primer on R5, L5 and P5

Interactive theory

Playing Treble Staff Puzzle for 5 minutes.

Music appreciation

Piano experience – Favorite Classics 1 – Edvard Grieg ‘Morning Mood’

Original sample:

Ear Training

Solfeggio and Chords. Level 1, G Major. ‘Zhuchka’. Playing the piece with Right hand and singing Solfeggio. Making perfect score on R (H). Writing the melody down.
Music Dictation 5 -

Piano

- Learning to play triads with both hands
- Practicing the piano pieces for May recital using R and L hands

Piano sight-reading

Gentle Piano: Nursery Primer’ on R6, L6 and P6

Interactive theory

Bass Staff Puzzle. Playing for 3 minutes.

Transposing I II III in Major and Minor

Music appreciation

Piano experience – Johann Strauss ‘Radetsky March’

Original sample -

Ear Training

Solfeggio and Chords. Level 1. Level 1, F Major. ‘Zhuchka’. Playing the piece with Right hand and singing Solfeggio. Making perfect score on R (H). Writing the melody down.

Music Dictation 6 -

Piano

- Learning to play Do-Major in contrary motion:

- Gentle Piano: working on learning pieces for the May recital playing with R, L or even both hands. Try to play pieces on H mode (to hide the notes)

Piano sight-reading

Gentle Piano: Favorite Classics Primer on R2, L2 and P2

Interactive theory

Learning to count lines and spaces to the note’s name
(Flash cards, Level 1 page 3)

Music appreciation

Piano experience – Favorite Classics 1 – J.S.Bach ‘Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring’

Original sample -

Music appreciation

Piano experience – Favorite Classics 1 -Ludwig van Beethoven ‘Sonata Pathetiqua’

Original sample: