Lesson Grades
January 26th Lesson: 0.67 of 4 Points
February Lesson:
💚“The Pieces of Memory” by Finley Manice
Practice playing the melody a few times until you like what you hear, then record it into Newzik and let me know you did it!
Next, we’ll learn how to put it into a music notation software program.
❤️Andante in G Minor by Telemann (L. 1, A)
Learn measures 1-8 RH and LH alone.
Do this one chunk at a time using NFPER
Remember to go no faster than m.m. 60 per quarter note.
❤️Heavenly Blue by Tom Gerou (L. 1, Etude)
Play through entire piece to see where you need to do “spot” practice.
Then “spot” those sections three times correctly each.
Spot measures 7-8
Spot measures 14-16
Once you’re done spotting, zoom out again and play through the whole piece again
đź’šRCM Technical Requirements Level 1
Go to Newzik, page 5.
Review the patterns for major and minor scales on the first pages of the PDF.
BE ABLE TO TELL ME ABOUT SHARPS, FLATS, HALF STEPS, AND SCALE DEGREES NEXT WEEK
REMEMBER: In the Harmonic(A) minor form, the 7th scale degree is raised one-half step.
đź’›CORRECT FINGERS / NOTES STICKER FOR LEFT HAND A MINOR HARMONICA!
đź’šPOSITION IS OUR NEXT STICKER!
RH and LH scales for C Major and A Minor Natural, and A Minor Harmonic WITH A FOCUS IN POSITION.
Careful of fingering! Ask yourself, “where is finger 4?”
❤️Review Allegro, ONE time per day, LH, RH and HT. WITH MUSIC. Review Czerny, ONE time per day, LH, RH and HT. WITH MUSIC
ALL ASSIGNMENTS BELOW HERE ON PAUSE
⚫️Fight Song by Rachel Patterson
Practice with the “Dustin Chords” audio in Newzik.
Practice with the “Chasing Sleep” audio
⚫️Technique Prep A and B
Major Pentascale: Tonic, whole, whole, half, whole steps.
Minor Pentascale: Tonic, whole, half, whole, whole steps.
Triads: Both major and minor triads come from the major or minor pentascales.
Go to page 2 and practice the major and minor pentascales.
C, G, D Majors, and A Minor.
Keep a bubble hand.
Practice each of these every day in the RH and LH seperately.
⚫️Theory_00_05_Rhythm
Prepare page 7
🟪Melody in G Major, op, 101 no. 39 by Ferdinand Beyer (1803-1863) (Prep. A)
Please play this HANDS ALONE then hands together enough times to bring it back into your memory
🟪Ear Training
Major and Minor Triads. You’re doing really well with these!
🟪Baby Kangaroo by Anne Crosby Gaudet (Prep A)
Review once a week
🎨 Color-Focus Practice (NFPER)
At the top of your music, write NFPER using the following color system:
N – Notes – correct pitches and accidentals (🟦 Blue)
F – Fingering – consistent, effective finger choices (🟧 Orange)
P – Position – hand shape, posture, and keyboard geography (🟪 Purple)
E – Expression – dynamics, articulation (staccato, accents, slurs), etc. (🟩 Green)
R – Rhythm – steady pulse, accurate timing, and rests (🟥 Red)
âś… If you're only recording audio, just use NER.
Step-by-Step Practice Flow
Record your section once — video is best, but audio is fine too.
Listen back with one color/goal in mind.
As you listen, mark your music using that color anywhere it needs improvement.
Repeat for each remaining color, one at a time, until all five have been addressed.
Choose a small “spot” section from your markings — just a few measures or a tricky passage.
“Spot” until it’s solid and you can erase the markings! — meaning:
âś… 3 times in a row correctly, or
âś… 5 total correct repetitions, then move on.
Focus on one or two colors at a time while practicing the spot.
Use the troubleshooting checklist below if you're stuck.
🔧 Troubleshooting Tips
🎯 If you’ve tried to fix something three times in-a-row and it’s still not working, don’t just repeat it — troubleshoot:
Do you need to slow down?
Should you practice hands alone?
Could you make the spot even smaller?
Would technical exercises help (staccato, accents, etc.)?
Do you need to think ahead more clearly