Curriculum
Relevance of Accompaniment Variations
I’ve been evaluating the relevance and contribution of the accompaniment variations, and a few of the conclusions I’ve drawn are… The AV’s are vital in helping you get very familiar with: the keyboard itself, rhythmic (?) use of upbeats, on sight as well as improvisational…
List of Additional Accompaniment Projects
I thought Julie’s Simpedia post was spot on (“Keeping Accompaniments Alive”). It got me thinking that it might be useful to compile a list of popular accompaniment pieces from outside the program. Here’s a selection from me for starters: Imagine House of the Rising Sun…
More on Accompaniment Selections
I am looking for resources for the Accompaniment Program….Everything I found had a full on piano score and the chords – too much to work with. I really want just the melody with the chords. Any suggestions? I’m not sure how you might resolve the…
More Accompaniment Material
What favorite pieces do you use to inspire your students to continue learning chords and accompanying. When do you begin to incorporate inversions in a significant way or to jazz up the accompanying style a bit, and how do you learn to do that? Here…
Variations and Combinations
I’m planning my big Spring Fling and wanted to share some ideas for your students to try. I always appreciate your and your students’ ideas! I can’t tell you how much my students have enjoyed ‘Chinese’ Dreams. Several of my students have created new songs…
Level 8 – Food for Thought
I have taught Level 8 to dozens of students over the past six years or so. I recall that the first time I was surprised by some of the songs–thinking they were not as challenging (at first glance) as I expected them to be. I…
Teaching Level 8
I believe someone was mentioning Level 8 in some prior comments, so I thought I would add my 2 cents about teaching this level. Level 8 is always very interesting to teach! I had a student just this week tell me that she was going…
Level 8, D-Part
I was wondering if anybody else has had difficulty memorizing D-Part? I can play the hands separate from memory, but to put them together and do it from memory I can only do it using my ear rather than really knowing what I’m doing. I…
Shoo-Fly is it Blues?
I’ve just done Shoo-Fly, and in the video Neil says it’s a blues song. I can’t figure out how it is Blues. So far I’ve learnt that Blues fits the I IV V pattern sometimes with a few variances. I can’t see any 12-bar blues pattern with…
Level 5 Using the Music Book
I have been keeping students’ music books for each level so they don’t ‘read’ their music, as suggested. Now I am teaching level 5 to people who can read. In the TTM for level 5 it suggests to show the student the music book to…