Level 2

Segment 1 (September - October in SMA)


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.


Edward Grieg ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ Gentle piano: Favorite Classics 2. 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 Edward Grieg – for instance

Ear Training

Guess Key Game – playing the game for 5 min and stop it by pressing F1. Always record the score! SING the names of the notes while playing.

Music Dictation (Rhythm): Solfeggio and Chords. Level 1 C Major ‘Train’. Play Right Hand and sing the song with Solfeggio names.
- R (Hide) and make perfect score
- Write the melody down (only ‘skinny’ notes)

Piano

Exercises: Hanon # 2










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

Christmas Carols. Play all the pieces that have no key signature (Key signatures are generally written immediately after the clef) on R2, L2 and P2.

Theory theatre

- Accidentals *will be announced*

Interactive theory

Saying Second Circle of Note Alphabet from Do to Do




Note Alphabet game – play for 10-15 minutes and write the score down.

If necessary, repeat the work with prescriptions of 2 octaves and start working with prescriptions of the Small Octave.

Segment 2 (October - November in SMA)

Music appreciation

Favorite Classics 2 – G.F.Handel ‘Hallelujah Chorus’
One of the originals:


Ear Training

Music Dictation (Rhythm): Solfeggio and Chords. Level 1 F Major.
- Play Right Hand and sing ‘Train’ with Solfeggio names.
- Memorize the Right Hand in F (Fa) Major
- Place as many vertical ‘sticks’ as many notes in the song while voice rehearsing it
- Place dots under longer notes
- Connect shorter notes together.
- Check results on P6


Piano

Hanon #2. Playing backwards the exercise and saying the names of the keys.



Gentle piano – Practice your recital pieces on R, L and P. Try to make less mistakes in less time.

Piano sight-reading

Christmas Classics. Play all the pieces that have no key signature on R4, L4 and P4

Interactive theory

Circle 2 – learn to say fast from Mi to Mi, Sol to Sol, Ti to Ti, Re to Re, Fa to Fa and La to La.






Note Alphabet game – play for 10-15 minutes and write the score down.

Segment 3 (November-December in SMA)

Music appreciation

Tchaikovsky ‘Nutcracker’ – ‘Chinese Dance’ – play at least several bars on R3, L3 (P3*optional*)

Original sample -


Ear Training

- Solfeggio and Chords. Level 1. Listening all the pieces and determining whether this is 2 or 3 times.
- Solfeggio and Chords Level 1 G – major ‘The Spring has come’ – learn the Right Hand on R3, memorize, write the notes by memory, place dots and stems. Organize rhythmically. Divide the melody by bars.


Piano

Exercises:
- Playing ‘Hanon #2’ up and down with R, L and both hands.



- Learning to play Do-Major with 2 hands in parallel motion up and down

Piano Pieces:
- Practice playing R (H), L (H) and P(H) of all the pieces that you had been selected for recital and try to make perfect score

Piano sight-reading

Christmas Carols and Christmas Classics – play all the pieces with no key signature on R5, L5 and P5

Interactive theory

‘Fruit Lines’ game. Play for 10 – 15 minutes.


Note Alphabet game – play for 10-15 minutes and write the score down.

Segment 4 (December - January in SMA)

Music appreciation

Piano experience – Nutcracker ‘Overture’.

Original sample -


Ear Training

Solfeggio and Chords Level 1 G-major – ‘My Hall’ – learn the Right Hand on R3, memorize, write the notes by memory, place dots and stems, organize rhythmically, divide the melody by bars.

Piano

- Playing triad inversions in Do Major



- Playing Arpeggios in Do Major
- Practicing piano pieces with TEACHING VIDEOS and getting ready for the recital.


Piano sight-reading

Christmas Carols and Christmas Classics – play all the pieces with 1 key signature (# or b) on R2, L2 and P2; R4, L4 and P4

Interactive theory

Note Duration game. Playing for 10 minutes at a time and writing the results down.

Note Alphabet game – play for 10-15 minutes and write the score down.

Segment 5 (January- February in SMA)

Music appreciation

Piano version Favorite Classics 2 – L.V.Beethoven ‘Fur Elise’

Original sample:


Ear Training

Solfeggio and Chords. Level 1, G Major. Playing the first piece on S, L and L(H)
Playing the rest of the pieces from the list on S and L (H)

Piano

- Repeating Hanon #2, Do Major, Triad inversions and Arpeggio
- Learning Sol Major scale
- Starting new piano pieces *Ask Soft Mozart teacher for suggestions*


Piano sight-reading

Christmas Carols and Christmas Classics with 1 key signature (# or b) on R5, L5, P5 and R6, L6 and P6

Interactive theory

Playing Treble Staff Puzzle for 10 minutes.

Segment 6 (February - March in SMA)

Music Appreciation

Piano Experience – Favorite Classics 2 – Felix Mendelssohn ‘Wedding March’

Original Sample:


Ear training

Solfeggio and Chords. Level 1, F Major. Play the first piece on S, L and L (H)

Play the rest of the pieces on the list on S and L (H).

Piano

- Learn triads, inversions and arpeggios in G Major.
-Practicing all the piano pieces for May recital using R and L hands.


Piano Sight-reading

Favorite Classics 1 – Play all the pieces on R2, L2 and P2.

Interactive Theory

Bass Staff Puzzle: Play for 10 minutes.