Piano teaching 1

New Student Assessment

Rhythm, pitch matching, coordination, reasoning, memory, sight reading

Transfer Student Assessment

Hear them play, length of study, sight reading, count & play, teach a new concept, theory, technique, repertoire

When should difficulty be evaluated?

Before assigning the piece, not after problems arise

What determines a piece
R

's difficulty level?

Technical, musical, and reading demands (not tempo or note count)

Why is proper leveling important?

Prevents frustration or boredom and supports progressive skill development

Creative activities in piano teaching

Ear training, composition, improvisation, harmonizing, transposing

Core fingering principles

Stay in position, minimize crossings, avoid thumbs/pinkies on black keys, use strong fingers, consistent fingering, apply early

Basic musical forms

Binary (AB), Ternary (ABA), Rondo (ABACA), 12-Bar Blues (CCCCFFCCGFCC)

Common counting methods

Syllable, note-naming, numerical, traditional, pie counting

Main piano reading approaches

Middle-C, Multiple Key, Line-Upon-Line, Landmark