Studio Teaching 1

(By Anna Cal)

September 11

Elements of Pedagogy

Motivation: No student will learn with motivation; some bring it already, some dont. We
must instill in them a desire to learn. We can do it by tempting them; we must know what
it is that they like.

Exposition of the music: This will guide them to learn to love music

Guiding: We need to teach them a gradual sequence of actions; they must learn to
prioritize activities.

Criticism: We must find our own way of criticizing in a friendly manner; being
passionate about music when criticizing creates a non-threatening environment.

Inviting imitation: Find a balance how much and how.

What to teach kids and adults will be the same

Right from the very beginning, it is essential to set the proper habits that will enable the
learner to acquire and develop a solid technique and musicianship.

The first class should involve:

Activities away from the Piano

Exercises of relaxation
Posture of body
Repetition of short melodic and rhythmic patterns
Introduce the piano (strings)

Activities on the piano

Differentiate the five fingers
Discover registers
Teach the name of keys
Play with one note in an ugly way and in a beautiful way, what is the difference?

Homework
1.
Internalize 2 slurred notes (legato)
Write a couple of pieces that would incorporate non-legato and slurred two notes
(short and comprehensible). One in major and one in minor, write words, draw a picture.

2.
Research and choose one method, why you chose it, why it is useful, why not.

3.
Research a short history of the piano, how did it start, why it became popular.
Piano Schools: Viennese schools , French School.(what did they do?) Organic School.
History of Teaching Keyboard
Parts of the piano

Ideally
Grade 10 before 14

Indicators
When the piece is too easy
When pieces can be sightread easily
when rhythmical pattern
 September 18

Methods:

EXPLORING

A Comprehensive Piano Method by

Cathy Albergo J. Mitzi Kolar Mark Mrozinski

Integrated Approach: Rhythm Integrated Approach: Technique

Rhythm activities develop a sense of steady beat and reinforce rhythmic concepts.

DownUp Dance introduces the student to the

two-note slur.

Right from the start of

Celebrate Piano!, students are
taught to recognize the
importance of the concept of
steady beat.

Lesson and Musicianship 1A, page 3

Night in the Jungle is a fun,

rhythmic piece that may be
performed as an ensemble by
the teacher and student, parent
and student, or with a group
divided into gorillas and Lesson and Musicianship 3, page 53
monkeys. This activity and
others using clapping,
marching, and other off-bench
actions encourage students to
feel a steady beat.

Exercises like Triple Cross are fun and

challenging to play. They help prepare the
student for a variety of finger crossings and
Lesson and Musicianship 1B, page 32
scales.

The most secure foundation in technique

September 25

Counting beats should be introduced from the very beginning.

Singing is another important medium through which students train their ears and develop
their musicianship

An instructor must be really selective in using pictures to describe music or concepts; it

could be distracting and even be an obstacle if excessively presented.

Leading learners to appreciate rest: they are as important as music

This can be achieved by dramatizing spontaneous pieces where rests create suspense,
surprise,
Polishing a piece, studying it for a long time is not a good idea. Learning should be
gradual, one must be confident that the piece will grow while working in new pieces.

Homework
1) Make a handout with notes on the following:
What to look for in methods
how to teach non-legato, two-note slurs; what do you look for in these articulations?
difference between elementary, preparatory, grade 1 levels
Concise summary of what has been taught so far

Find a book that will be used in Elementary and Grade 1 Level

1 book for Etudes
1 book for Technique
1 book for Repertoire
1 book for Preparatory A
1 book for Preparatory B

Also get the RCM Syllabus for piano

History of Piano Technique
The history of piano playing and piano teaching properly starts during the last quarter of
the 18th century.
The pianoforte was created by the Italian Bartolomeo Cristofori in 1709 and it took a
long time to develop and perfect.
J.S.Bach apparently did not show interest in the new instrument; CEP Bach did.
The first sonata (Sonata Op.2) specifically intended for the pianoforte was composed in
1773 by Muzzio Clementi (1752-1832: Italian-British composer, pianist, pedagogue,
conductor, publisher, piano manufacturer). He was considered "the Father of the Piano";
he composed 110 piano sonatas: Beethoven, Czerny, Chopin, Horowitz had the highest
regard for Clementis sonatas (Czerny used them to teach Liszt)
He can be considered the founder of the piano technique of the 19th century: He enriched
his compositions with:
tremolos
octaves
double-thirds
repeated-notes
cross-hand passages

During the end of the 18th century a period of Empfindsamkeit ("Sensitivity", a tendency
that propagated impulsive and dynamic art) reached its peak. A new listener emerged, one
that demanded emotional expression from the compositions.

Harpsichords and clavichords could not satisfy these demands; the pianoforte, on the
other hand, enabled composers, as manufacturers kept on perfecting it, to explore not
only a wide range of dynamics, which lead to its characteristic legato effect, but also new
ranges of volume, enough to be heard in larger halls.

Technique during the end of the Classical Period

Early piano technique was based on the agility of the fingers. Its principles were based on
the utmost economy of movement and active work of isolated fingers (hands and arm
motion were seen as obstacles).

Composers started writing piano pieces that "called for greater physical endurance as
well as technique brilliance from the performer" (Kotchevitsky, 1967).

http://www.stanwatkinspiano.com/blog/how-to-learn-to-read-music
(About Middle-C, Intervalic, Multi-Key Approach)
October 2

Pieces: fingering; avoid Middle-C position

Tone production: rigid, harsh sound doesnt happen when the player knows what sound
he wants to produce.

Homework
Exchange info
Compose two pieces (1 sad, 1 happy)
They should include two-note slurs, three-note slurs, melodies by step and skips (thirds)
How they hand will move regardless steps or skips
Legato is an illusion (physically speaking). What is legato?
It is how we connect the sound. What do pedagogues say about legato? (Ahrens,
Robert.)
Two sets of programs
2 from Prep
2 from level 1

One program for weak students

One program for strong students

Include etudes in Level 1

what pedagogical goal do you pursue in each piece

What to work in a class

1) Notes (Tonality, Harmony)

2) Dynamics - Musical Messages
3) Rhythm - Musical Message
4) Tone Production
5) Coordination of different levels (right hand, left hand; ear coordination)
6) Agogics

Art of Piano Playing - See Documentary