Katie Houston Beginning Piano

Katie Houston Beginning Piano katie.houston@slcschools.org Course Objectives: Beginning piano students will do the following: Learn how to read, write, and play treble and bass clef notes. Learn to read, write, and play rhythms in simple time signatures. Strengthen fingers and musical understanding through learning the following scales and chord s: C Major G Major, F Major, a minor, and d minor. Memorize and perform piano s. Learn about the composition process and write a 12-measure piano. Learn about the evolution music and study famous pianists through history. Course Materials: All students need a piano or keyboard for practice at home. Students may rent a keyboard from Highland for $30 a semester. If the keyboard is damaged or lost, the student will be charged $150 to replace the keyboard. Students will receive a piano training book, Alfred s Basic Adult Piano Book, at the beginning of the year. This must be brought to class every single day and will be theirs to write in and use throughout the entire year. They will keep it when the class is over. If they lose it at any point, they will be responsible to purchase a new book ($9.00) so as not to fall behind in class. Students will be graded on s from their piano book. Students are welcome to bring music from home to practice during class when their other work is done; however, they are responsible to be prepared with the s assigned for their playing tests on the day they are due. Grading Scale by Assignment: Participation: 10 pts. per class period At-home Practice: 10 pts. per week Playing Tests: 20 pts. Written Quizzes: 10-20 pts. Term Finals: 50 pts. Term Performance: 100 pts Composition Assignment (term 3 only): 100 pts Composer Presentation (term 4 only): 100 pts Description of Assignments: Participation: Students are given 10 pts. each class period for being on time and doing their work. Students lose 5 points if they are tardy. Disruptive behavior, like using cellphones without permission, will also result in a loss of participation points. To make up participation points if students are absent, they must do an extra hour of practice at home and log on the online practice log (see below), indicating the

date of the absence they are making up. If a student is gone for a school field trip or a HHS sports event, I excuse the participation points and they don t need to be made up. At-home Practice: Students will record their weekly practice on an online form. The link to the form can be found on the school choir website, www.highlandhighschoolchoir.blogspot.com (see quick link on the right-hand side). Students are expected to practice one hour a week, which can be divided up however they want. For example, a student can practice ten minutes a day for six days or sixty minutes a day for one day. Practice must be logged on the form the week it was completed. Students cannot make up practice on a different week. If a student forgets to log in their practice, I will not give them credit for that week. No exceptions. Playing Tests: Playing tests will be from the book. Pieces do not need to be memorized. Students will play the scale/chords in the key the is written. If a student moves through the s quickly, he/she can pass off multiple songs during the same playing test and advance ahead of the rest of the class. Written Quizzes: Written quizzes will be on theory concepts, famous pianists, and composition techniques we studied in class. Students may retake quizzes to get a better score. Term Finals: Term finals will be written and will review all the theory, composition, or music history concepts we ve studied over the term. Term Performances: Students will perform for their peers once a term. During terms 2 and 4, parents will be invited. The term 2 recital will be in the choir room during our regularly scheduled class time. The term 4 recital will be on Wednesday, May 15 th, in the choir room at 6:00 p.m. Composition: Students will write their own 12 measure piano composition during term 3. Composer Presentation: Students will prepare a multimedia presentation on a famous pianist of their choice during term 4. Hall Passes Students will be given 3 hall passes per term that may be used for the restroom, getting a drink, or a trip to a locker. Any unused hall passes at the end of the term can be turned in for 5 points extra credit each. Disclosure Document Grade Please copy and paste the link below and complete the form to get credit for doing this assignment (20 points). https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=ifl4w1nrvkkzxmr0oglve02hk42vijfhl17kv gkmsxpuodbnn1piotlvmjewmlrvuzhlwle2tezmwc4u

Term 1: The Basics Week Pieces to Study Scales/Chords Music Theory 1 Pages 8-16- RH and LH practice Jingle Bells 2 Jingle Bells 3 Mary Anne OR What Can I Share? When the Saints Go Marching In 4 Mary Anne OR What Can I Share? When the Saints Go Marching In 5 The Donkey OR the Cuckoo Money Can t Buy Everything 6 The Donkey OR the Cuckoo Money Can t Buy Everything 7 Beautiful Brown Eyes Alpine Melody C Major Scale, one octave, hands separate C Major Scale, one octave, hands together C Major scale, one octave, hands together, C Major chord C Major scale, one octave, hands together, C Major chord Major chord Major chord Major chord Keyboard, treble/bass clef note names Review note names, simple time signatures, note values Simple time-signatures, note values Review note values and time- signatures, half steps/whole steps, accidentals Half steps/whole steps, accidentals Intervals Intervals 8 Beautiful Brown Eyes Alpine Melody 9 Standing in the Need of Prayer Allouette OR Lavendar s Blue 10 Standing in the Need of Prayer Allouette OR Lavendar s Blue Major chord 11 Memorize any song from term 1 Scale/chord in the key of chosen, 1-2 octaves 12 Any song from term 1 RECITAL Scale/chord in the key of chosen, 1-2 octaves Rhythm review, syncopated rhythms (dots and ties), sight reading rhythms Rhythm review, syncopated rhythms (dots and ties), sight reading rhythms Theory review Theory review WRITTEN TERM FINAL Performance Etiquette

Term 2: Music Vocabulary Week Pieces to Study Scales/Chords Music Theory 1 Kumbaya London Bridge is Falling Down Dynamics 2 Kumbaya London Bridge is Falling Down Review Dynamics, tempo 3 Michael, Row the Boat Ashore Blow the Man Down 4 Michael, Row the Boat Ashore Blow the Man Down 5 Lonestar Waltz 6 Lonestar Waltz 7 Café Vienna 8 Café Vienna 9 Joy to the World 10 Joy to the World 11 Memorize any song from term 2 12 RECITAL Tempo Review tempo, articulation Articulation Major/minor modes and scales; key signatures Major/minor modes and scales; key signatures Rhythmic and melodic music dictation Rhythmic and melodic music dictation Theory Review Theory review WRITTEN TERM FINAL

Term 3: Composition Week Pieces to Study Scales/Chords Music Theory 1 Rock it Away Cockles and Muscles G Scale/Chords C Scale/Chords Choosing a key and creating a melody Composition checkmelody 2 Rock it Away Cockles and Muscles G Scale/Chords C Scale/Chords 3 Got Those Blues On Top of Old Smoky 4 Got Those Blues On Top of Old Smoky 5 The Can-Can The Marine s Hymn C Major scale/chords C Major scale/chords G Major Scale/Chords Creating a left-hand accompaniment Composition check- mm 1-4 Adding musical expression Composition check- mm 5-8 6 The Can-Can G Major Scale/Chords The Marine s Hymn 7 Why Am I Blue? G Major Scale/Chords Varying rhythm for interest Composition check- mm- 9-12 8 Why Am I Blue? 9 Little Brown Jug or Chiapanecas F Major Scale/Chords Composition peer review 10 Little Brown Jug or Chipanecas F Major Scale/Chords 11 Memorize 1 from term 3 Scale/chords in key of 12 Memorize 1 from term 3 Scale/chords in key of RECITAL Composition due

Term 4: Music History Week Pieces to Study Scales/Chords Music History 1 Jericho A Minor scale/chords Renaissance Period 2 Jericho A Minor scale/chords Medieval Period 3 Greensleeves OR Go Down Moses A Minor scale/chords Baroque Period 4 Greensleeves OR Go Down Moses A Minor scale/chords Classical Period 5 Scarborough Fair OR Raisins and Almonds D Minor scale/chords Romantic Period 6 Scarborough Fair OR Raisins and Almonds D Minor scale/chords 20 th Century Music 7 He s Got the Whole World OR The Entertainer C Major scale/chords 21 st Century Music 8 He s Got the Whole World OR The Entertainer C Major scale/chords 9 Choose any song after The Entertainer Scale/Chords in key of 10 Choose any song after The Entertainer Scale/Chords in key of 11 Memorize 1 song from term 4 Scale/Chords in the key of 12 Memorize 1 song from term 4 Scale/Chords in the key of RECITAL Piece Music History Review Music History Final