Parent Guide. Carly Seifert. Welcome to Busy Kids Do Piano!

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Avis Malone
5 years ago
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1 Parent Guide Welcome to Busy Kids Do Piano! I'm so glad you're here, and that you are interested in finding a good fit for your child as he learns to play the piano. This Snackable Mini-Course consists of "bite-sized" pieces from my Level 1 Course. It allows you the chance to really get a good look inside of my course, seeing how easy it is to navigate the site, view the lessons and oversee your child's musical learning. What makes this course unique from other piano lesson methods is that I will be teaching you how to make observations that will be helpful in your role as your child's music companion. Even though I have put together all the materials and will be teaching them to your child during our lesson videos, I rely on you to administer the course at a pace that allows your child to be successful, nurture and encourage your child along the way, make corrections and assist in practicing so that he improves. You are about to begin a musical journey with your child as his companion, cheerleader and coach. Together you will learn new things, celebrate achievements and share music. How cool is that? In my paid Level 1 course, I go into greater detail about deciding how and when your child is ready to move on. For these mini-lessons, use the PARENT CHECKLIST at the end of each lesson as your guide. The pages that follow have specific tips that correspond to each lesson. Even though I may not be next to your child on the bench, please don't hesitate to contact me If you have questions or feedback. I love to hear from you! And if you're really proud of a piece your child is working on, I would love for you to share a video on my Facebook page! (facebook.com/busymomsdopiano) I look forward to sharing this musical journey with your family! Carly Seifert carly@busymomsdopiano.com

2 Practice Tips Practicing is so important to your child's progression and success. It is not uncommon for your child to be excited to practice at first, and then -- as things become more difficult - to resist practicing. This is typical, and your child needs you to help him through this with encouragement and structure! Here are some of my helpful hints for practicing: 1. DO make practicing a regular part of your day. If your child knows to expect that it is part of your regular schedule, he'll be less likely to attempt to negotiate his way out of it. 2. DON'T set a timer or require a certain amount of minutes per practice. 3. DO set goals. Rather than aiming for a 20 minute practice - aim for learning a certain line of a song. Practice is over when the line is learned. 4. DON'T require that your child sit at the piano for the entire practice if you have a child who is younger or has difficulty concentrating. You can practice rhythm by marching or playing on the drums, do theory sheets using crayons (fine motor activities build finger strength for budding pianists!), or have your child move to the music while YOU play the songs. Be creative! 5. DO provide opportunities for your child to perform his pieces! Invite the neighbors over for a living room recital, make a video to send to Grandma, work on a piece for the school talent show -- all these things motivate your child to work diligently on his playing! 6. DON'T limit your child to only playing the music in this course. In Module 4, I make suggestions for supplementary music to keep your child challenged and excited.

3 Lesson 1.1 For our first lesson we will be working on rhythm - how music is organized. In the video I will be explaining quarter note and half note rhythms. You will want to have the downloadable music printed prior to watching the lesson video so that your child can follow along more easily. SUGGESTIONS FOR PRACTICING: POINT to the music for your child -- especially if you have a little one who is still learning left to right reading. Pointing to the music helps his brain to focus and organize. This lesson is the only lesson where your child won't HAVE to play at the keyboard. You can use drums, tambourines, triangles or other rhythm instruments to play the rhythm patterns Kids love this! WATCH FOR: even tempo (speed) - careful your child isn't rushing or becoming uneven. Lesson 1.2 We're working on locating the white keys on the piano now. Because this is a mini-lesson, I'll only be explaining how to find the white keys C and D by using the two black keys as a guide. You can be SUPER HELPFUL in helping your child make sense of these keys by spending time each day at the keyboard. Keep it fun and playful, perhaps starting by having him play the sets of 2 black keys up and down the piano. Then have him find all the Ds; then all the Cs, etc.. This really helps his brain recognize what these keys look like on the keyboard! SUGGESTIONS FOR PRACTICING: Your child now has to integrate two concepts -rhythm and note names. This can be tricky! If necessary, first play the rhythms on a rhythm instrument (such as the drums) and when she is comfortable with the rhythm, take it to the keyboard and work on note names. WATCH FOR: Your child watching the keys instead of the music. This is so easy to do but VERY BAD for both accuracy and teaching our ears to recognize wrong notes instead of relying on our eyes.

4 Lesson 2.1 I explain which finger number is which in the video, but if you forget, remember that the thumb is finger 1 and go from there! If your child has difficulty distinguishing between Right Hand & Left Hand, that's okay! Continue to offer direction and correction as needed. SUGGESTIONS FOR PRACTICING: Combining multiple rhythms can be tricky -- especially when trying to figure out where the keys are on the piano! Break it down - have your child clap rhythms before taking the music to the piano. WATCH FOR: Make sure your child finds the correct hand position before beginning the piece by matching the finger number to the key and then MAINTAINS that position for the entire piece. Sometimes little ones want to slide their hands all around and use whatever feels comfortable. Pay attention to which which hand is playing (right hand or left hand). Lesson 2.2 In this module we begin staff note reading! Help your child remember that the treble clef indicates the note middle C and the notes that are higher than middle C. SUGGESTIONS FOR PRACTICING: Analyze the music before playing it. Ask your child to point to the treble clef and then name the notes before playing them. Also review how many beats each note receives. WATCH FOR: Make sure your child is using the correct fingering as indicated by the numbers in the music! Having your child name notes out loud as she plays the music helps her brain "connect the dots".

5 Congratulations! YOU DID IT! I hope that both YOU and YOUR CHILD are feeling a great sense of accomplishment in completing this mini-course. Even though we worked through just a few basics, I hope your child is enjoying learning something new and that you are feeling confident in overseeing his musical learning. I also hope you're ready to take his learning to the next level! My Level 1 Course is filled with TONS more information in the same, easy-tonavigate layout as this Snackable Course For just $49.95, here's what you'll get: -20 video lessons -50+ pages of theory, exercises and music -3 bonus modules that include listening activities, composer biographies and a rhythm ensemble -Unlimited Support -Access to a Private Facebook Group -Detailed Parent Guide Thanks for joining me on this musical journey! I hope to see you soon!

How to Read Music. 1. What is a beat? a. When thinking about a beat, think about your i. What three words describe a beat?

How to Read Music. 1. What is a beat? a. When thinking about a beat, think about your i. What three words describe a beat? First Name: Last Name: Class: How to Read Music 1. What is a beat? a. When thinking about a beat, think about your i. What three words describe a beat? 1. 2. 3. b. Let s play a beat on the piano. i. We