Let's Play Music is a fun music theory course for children beginning between ages 4 and 7. This 3 year program solves the problem that a child is most ready to learn music at an early age, but his/her fingers and letter skills are not quite ready. We take full advantage of the brain's ability to absorb musical concepts and teach skills in an age appropriate way. Solfege hand signs, folk songs, games, puppet shows, imagination and creativity are important components of each lesson.
The Curriculum
The curriculum is organized into three sequential years, six semesters. In 1st Year, we use engaging games and songs and incorporate Tone Bells to teach staff awareness and rhythm reading skills. In 2nd Year, we transfer these skills to playing the piano where we also learn chord notation, intervals, and harmonic improvisation. By the end of 3rd Year, students are playing piano at level 1-2, transposing music, composing their own music, sight-reading music, and are prepared to excel in further private piano instruction.
1st Year
The Red Balloon: Preparation for Keyboard
Students are introduced to the 5 lines and spaces of the staff, sing the major scale on solfege syllables with hand signs, learn to keep a steady beat, match pitch using a minor 3rd, play melodies, and ostinati on tone bells, learn the three primary chords on the autoharp, and much more!Click here to watch Demo Video »
Blue Bugs: Preparation for Keyboard
Students learn to divide and subdivide beats, read rhythmic notation patterns, distinguish major and minor tonalities, play steps and skips from the staff onto tone bells, and much more!Click here to watch Demo Video »2nd Year
Green Turtle Shells: Introduction to Keyboard
Students are introduced to the keyboard, learn C position, middle C, identify and play intervals of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, play primary cadences on keyboard, accompany themselves on the keyboard, and much more!Click here to watch Demo Video »
Yellow Arrows: Introduction to Keyboard
Students play keyboard in contrary motion, learn the major scale, sing in harmony, learn more complex rhythmic notations, learn more names on the staff, learn the names of the white keys on the keyboard, and much more!Click here to watch Demo Video »Third Year
Purple Magic: Piano Skills
Students learn all note names on the staff, identify accidentals, are introduced to transposing, play level 1 piano repertoire, learn about key signatures, ABA song form and much more!Click here to watch Demo Video »
Orange Roots: Piano Skills
Students learn to build and identify a triad, find the root in a triad, and invert triads. They learn 3/4 and 4/4 time signatures, more rhythmnic notation and adding a chord to a melody, melodic dictation, compose their own piece to perform at a recital and much more!Click here to watch Demo Video »*Classes are held once a week throughout the school year. Each semester includes 15 lessons or 30 lessons per year.
