Prep Level B (3 year old to 5 year old)
Music appreciation
We recommend starting introducing classical pieces through playing them for your preschoolers on piano/keyboard with Gentle Piano first. Parents have to learn it using Right, Left and/or Both hands with child present or participating in piece learning/singing Solfeggio/performing.
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 appreciated. You don’t have to push ‘just listening’ – a child has to do something happy and enjoyable while the music lasts.
The piece should be presented to a child 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.
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.
1st segment (September-October in SMA )
Music appreciation: Joseph Haydn ‘Surprise Symphony’. Gentle piano: Favorite Classics Primer.
The sample of the orchestra version of the piece could be found on You Tube as Symphony # 94 (1st part) – for instance
Ear Training
Playing piano keys with stickers and saying/singing their names.
Guess Key Game – playing the game for 30 seconds or 1 min and stop it by pressing F1. Always record the score! Ask your child to SING the names of the notes.
Piano
Exercises: learning how to place a thumb on Middle Do with weight.
Learning ‘names’ of each finger of the Right hand as Do Re Mi Fa So
Playing 5 fingers exercise from middle ‘Do’ up using Right hand
Gentle Piano: Introductory Songs -‘Hot Cross Buns’: S, R1
‘French Song’: S, R or L *optional*
Sight-reading with the Gentle Piano Favorite Classic Primer Hayden 'Surprise Symphony': play R2, L2 or P2. Sing the notes with Solfeggio.
Theory theater
Interactive theory
Asking a child to pick a card (Flash cards Level 1 pages 1-2 with only pictures of notes) from the pile of them as Door, Rain, and Mirror etc.
Segment 2 (October - November in SMA)
Music appreciation
E. Humperdinck ‘Slumber Song’ (to play, find in Favorite Classics Primer)
Look for E. Humperdinck Hansel and Gretel Overture.
Original sample -
Ear Training
Keep practicing the ‘Guess Key Game’ for 1 min and sing each note.
Listen to a 1st track of ‘Note Alphabet Song – Chant’. Get familiar with cards’ names.
Piano
Keep playing 5 fingers exercise from middle ‘Do’ up with the right hand. Place both thumbs on the Middle Do and play the same exercise using both hands in diverging motion.
Keep learning, how to press Middle Door with Weight.
Start learning about index of the right and left hand as ‘stretch’ fingers. Learn to make ‘stretch gesture’ stretching thumb and index and calling it ‘stretch’. Appointing each finger after index (from the 3rd finger to pinky and back to thumb)as 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 pattern – saying it and touching corresponding fingers.
Gentle piano – Introductory songs – ‘Hot Cross Buns’ – learning how to find the notes on yellow line and on the piano.
If necessary, cover half of the screen (green or brown) or ¾ of the screen to focus only on the notes on yellow line. Always try to sing the notes names!
Sight-reading with the Gentle Piano E. Humperdinck ‘Slumber Song’ (to play, find in Favorite Classics Primer) Play on R2, L2 and P2
Interactive theory
Pick from the pile of notes’ cards the picture by their short names ‘Do’, ‘Re’, ‘Mi’
etc.
Assemble cards from Do to Do forward and backwards
THEORY THEATER: Watch the video about mistakes:
Music appreciation
Tchaikovsky ‘Nutcracker’ – March (from Gentle piano). For parents – beginners to play at least 8 bars using Right or Left hand.
Original sample -
Ear Training
Singing of Note Alphabet Song from ‘Re’ to ‘Re’
Place the cards as you hear the melody from Do and from Re
Music Dictation Preparation:
Place the cards as you hear the melody 1:
Piano
Exercises:
- Playing 5 fingers exercise in diverging motion
- Learning to play Do with thumb and Mi with index and while playing Mi to say ‘skip’
- Try to follow with the rest of sequence by placing 3rd, 4th, 5th, 4th again etc and say 1,2,3,4,5,6,7
Gentle Piano:
- Practice playing R or/and L hands of the ‘Hot Cross Buns’ or ‘French Song’
- Practice playing R or/and L hands of the ‘Jingle Bells’
- Brows the piano pieces from ‘Introductory Songs’ or ‘First Steps’ Albums
Sight-reading with the Gentle Piano Nutcracker 'March' - select bars 1-4 and play R 1 or L 1.
THEORY THEATER: Watch 'Heartbeat of Music'
Interactive theory
Music Theory: Learning to place cards in order from Do to Do and Re to Re forward and backwards..
Music appreciation
Sight-reading: Gentle Piano - Songs Around the Globe - ‘Carol of the Bells’. There are 2 songs under the same name. Play 4 bars of any on R1, L1 or P1.
Original sample -
Ear Training
Singing with Note Alphabet Song 'Mi' to 'Mi':
Piano
- Playing 5 finger exercise using 2 hands
- Playing several sequences of Hanon #1 at least with 1 hand
Gentle Piano: Playing previous pieces with R, L and P. Getting ready for the recital.
THEORY THEATER: watch Heartbeat of music 2
Interactive theory
Place the cards from Do to Do, Re to Re and Mi to Mi forward and backwards
Music appreciation piano version Favorite Classics Primer - Liszt ‘Liebestraum’.
Sight-reading: Gentle Piano - Favorite Classic Primer - Liszt ‘Liebestraum’. Play by R2, L2 and P2
Ear Training
Singing with PP or video files the track from Fa to Fa
Video of the same material:
Piano
- Playing 5 finger exercise using 2 hands
- Playing several sequences of Hanon #1 with each hand separately
- Learning about thumb as ‘White Cat’, 3rd finger as ‘Black Cat’ and index as ‘Mouse’ as preparation to playing ‘Chromatic scale’
Gentle Piano:
- Trying to play old pieces using both hands.
- Starting new piano pieces from ‘First Steps’ Album *seek some advice from Soft Mozart teachers from the forum for selection*
Interactive theory
Placing music cards from Fa to Fa forward and backwards.
‘Note Alphabet Game’ – playing the game for 1-2 minutes. Writing the score down.
Music appreciation Beethoven 'Turkish March'
Original sample:
Sight-reading: Gentle Piano – Favorite Classics Primer – Beethoven ‘Turkish March’. Play R2, L2 and P2. Sing the notes!
Ear Training
Singing with PP files from So to So softmozart.com/forum/31-share-files/1047...-solfege-1.html#1047
Piano
- Learning to play ‘White Cat and Black Cat’ (Chromatic scale) excercise
- Start learning how to play ‘Hanon’ #1 using both hands *optional*
- Practicing the piano pieces for May recital using R and L hands
Interactive theory
Placing the cards from So to So forward and backward.
Note Alphabet Game: playing the game for 2-3 minutes. Writing the score down
Segment 7 (March - April in SMA)
Music appreciation
Original sample -
Sight-reading - Gentle Piano – Mozart for Children: ‘Spring time song’ – play at least with Right hand on R1 4-8 bars.
Ear Training
Singing with PP scale from La to La
Piano
- All the previous exercises with R, L and both hands (if possible)
- Keep working on Chromatic Scale
- 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)
Interactive theory
Placing the scales from La to La fprward and backwards
Note Duration Game 2-3 minutes
Music appreciation
Original sample -
Sight-reading: – Favorite Classics Primer – Rubinstein, Melody. Play R2, L2 and P2.
Ear Training
Singing with PP scale from Ti to Ti
Piano
- Learning to play ‘Chromatic scale’ with the Left hand
- Learning about the fingers as about ‘Three sisters’ and ‘Three brothers’
- Playing recital piano pieces with R, L or both hands and notes hidden.
- Playing recital pieces with no computer *optional*
Interactive theory Placing cards from Ti to Ti forward and backwards.
Practicing ‘Fruit Lines’ game for 3 minutes
Music appreciation
Original sample -
Sight-reading: Favorite Classics Primer – Rossini ‘William Tell Overture’. Play on R2, L2 and P2
Ear Training
Singing with the video the Song from Do to Do
Piano
Credit GRADUATION RECITAL AND EVALUATION OF SCHOOL YEAR CREDITS, ISSUE OF THE DIPLOMAS: playing piano pieces (2+) from ‘Introductory’ and ‘First Steps’ Albums using one or both hands with and without computer
PLEASE, USE THE TEACHING VIDEO SECTION (IF POSSIBLE) TO POLISH YOUR CHOSEN PIECES:
Video or photos of your child working with the assignments are welcome! Please, put Soft Mozart: Semester 2/13 in the title of your videos (s).
Interactive theory Learning to say entire Alphabet from all the notes.