Teach kids to play the piano
Intro
Teach kids to play the piano playfully to ignite a lifelong passion for music.
These deceptively simple exercises are infinitely expandable. By gradually building confidence through these familiar exercises, children begin to develop their own initiative and intuition, and naturally begin to explore and expand upon these exercises on their own, ultimately becoming self-directed learners.
Here are some suggestions to enhance the difficulty of any exercise:
- Incorporate a metronome to improve rhythm and timing.
- Playing with your eyes closed to develop a greater sense of touch and reliance on muscle memory.
- Sing along while playing to improve coordination between your voice and hands.
- Integrate the left hand by mirroring the right hand’s pattern, incorporating bass lines, chords, and other complementary elements.
Most important strive to practice everyday even if just for a few minutes!
Chords
Level: 0
Age: 3+
Guide your kid’s index finger to play each note of all C major chords while singing “MI-A-U” on each chord for added fun and engagement.
Level: 1
Age: 3+
Play all C major chords, ascending and descending, using three fingers of the left hand.
Level: 2
Age: 3+
Play all C major chords, ascending and descending, using three fingers of the left hand plus the base note with the left hand.
Level: 3
Age: 4+
Play all C major chords, ascending and descending, using three fingers of the left hand plus the base note and the fifth with the left hand.
Level: 4
Age: 4+
Play C major triad chord inversion arpeggio style. C-E-G => E-G-C => G-C-E => C-E-G
Level: 5
Age: 5+
Play D major triad chord inversion arpeggio style. D-F#-A => F#-A-D => A-D-F# => D-F#-A
To get familiar with playing black keys and long stretches of the fingers.
Level: 6
Age: 5+
Play major triad chord inversion arpeggio style with the 4 most common chords of Pop music C – F – G – Am
Level: 7
Age: 5+
Play simple songs using triad chords with inversion: Right here waiting C – G – Am – F – G – C => C – G – Am – F – G – Am
Level: 7.5
Age: 5+
Play a simple arpeggiated chord progression Am-F-C-G
Level: 8
Age: 5+
Play all 12 major triad chords with inversions arpeggiated.
Level: 8.5
Age: 5+
Play all 12 major triad chords with inversions arpeggiated with half-step increments.
Scales
Level: 0
Age: 3+
Guide your kid’s index finger to play each note of C major scale while singing for added fun and engagement.
Level: 1
Age: 3+
Let your kid play with the index finger each note of C major scale while singing for added fun and engagement.
Level: 2
Age: 3+
Let your kid play with the index finger each note of C major scale with both hands while singing for added fun and engagement.
Level: 3
Age: 3+
Teach your kid to play the first 5 notes of C major scale using all 5 fingers of both hands. First one hand at the time then both hands together.
Level: 4
Age: 4+
Teach your kid to play the entire C major scale, one hand at the time.
Level: 5
Age: 4+
Teach your kid to play the entire C major scale, with both hands together.
Level: 6
Age: 5+
Teach your kid to play the entire C major scale across 2 octaves, with both hands together.
Level: 7
Age: 5+
Teach your kid to play the entire C major scale across 2 octaves, with both hands together and eyes covered.
Level: 8
Age: 5+
Teach your kid to play the easiest major pentascales (C,D,E,F,G,A,B), playing only the first 5 notes of each scale, to prepare for mastering all major scales in full. Kids can also sing along MI-MI-MI-MI-MI-MI-MI-MI-MI.
Level: 9
Age: 5+
Teach your kid to play the easiest major scales (C,D,E,F,G,A,B), across two octaves with both hands.
Melodies
Level: 0
Age: 3+
Play a simple melody using the index finger. Practice each hand separately then together.
Level: 3
Age: 5+
Play a simple melody using the five fingers of the left hand and learn to transpose it in all keys by ear.
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