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Piano Tutor

Teaches children musical concepts, technical skills and musicianship in a pedagogically sound sequence

USD 6.00 (available now)

Book 1 introduces the child to the keyboard, staves, clefs, simple time signatures, note values and rests. Reading encompasses notes to a 5th above and a 5th below Middle C. The notes A and E are introduced first, played by a braced 3rd finger of each hand. This encourages free movement of the whole arm from the shoulder, and develops a natural, balanced hand position, before the 5-finger position is gradually mastered. The first line of the treble stave and the fifth line of the bass stave are highlighted, and further lines are similarly treated as the child learns more notes. Staccato, slurs, ties, upbeats and repeat signs are all experienced in Book 1. Tempo and dynamic markings encourage musical playing, and are in English, in order to avoid “knowledge overload”.

USD 6.00 (available now)

In Book 2 three new notes in each hand are mastered (up to Treble High C and down to Bass Low C) and the child experiences changes of hand position within a tune. Quavers are introduced in all the time signatures covered in Book 1. Sharps and flats are included, but no mention is made yet of keys, key signatures, scales or triads. Dynamic markings are now in Italian, while tempo indications are still in English.

USD 6.00 (available now)

Book 3 introduces the concepts of key, key signature, scales, triads, tones and semitones in a novel and exciting way: each key is a group of characters or objects with note-names (i.e. a band, a birthday party, a clothes-line with garments). Certain notes belong, while all other notes (accidentals) are outsiders. Transposition is a natural outcome of this concept, with a tune moving from one group to another. The child masters eight new notes (up to Treble High G and down to Bass Low F), which facilitates the playing of more adventurous repertoire. The semiquaver, semiquaver rest, dotted crotchet and dotted quaver are introduced, and tempo markings are now in Italian. As in the previous two books, ensemble-playing is encouraged.

USD 6.00 (available soon)

Book 4 reinforces and revises all concepts learned in Books 1-3. It contains attractive repertoire in various styles and from different periods. Each piece has a comprehensive preparation section covering the musical, technical and structural matters which will be encountered. The aim is to cultivate critical thinking and musical awareness in the student. As in previous books, the child is actively involved through the use of writing, colouring, tracing and pasting, thereby making the preparation an enjoyable activity. The standard of the repertoire approaches that of Grade 1.

Music Theory

Uses a fun and novel way to teach children the fundamentals of music theory

USD 4.00

Book 1: The musical alphabet (7 letter names); treble clef; time names and time values (semibreve, dotted minim, minim, crotchet); line notes and space notes; treble clef notes (middle C to treble G); bass clef notes (middle C to bass G)

USD 4.00

Book 2: Treble clef notes (middle C to treble C); bass clef notes (middle C to bass C); notes on the stave and stems; bar lines and time signatures (2/4, 3/4, 4/4); rests (semibreve rest, minim rest, crotchet rest); time names and time values (quaver note, quaver rest); accidentals (sharp, natural, flat)

USD 4.00

Book 3: Treble clef notes (middle C to treble high G); bass clef notes (middle C to bass low F); time names and time values (semiquaver note, semiquaver rest); dots (dotted minim, dotted crotchet, dotted quaver); ties and slurs; semitones and tones; scales and key signatures (the major scales of C, G, D and F)

USD 4.00

Book 4: Treble clef notes and bass clef notes (middle C to high G, middle C to low F); degrees of the scale; intervals (2nd to 8ve); tonic triads (the major scales of C, G, D and F); accidentals; grouping of notes (2/4, 3/4, 4/4 time); upbeats; answering rhythms (2 bar rhythm); performance directions (Grade 1); general exercises (Grade 1)

Sight-Reading

Uses a well-sequenced and systematic approach for teaching sight-reading

USD 4.00

The basics of sight-reading; counting; playing intervals: 2nds; playing intervals: 3rds; playing intervals: 4ths; playing intervals: 5ths; playing with both hands; rests; accidentals; key signatures; quavers; tied notes; dotted crotchets; ledger notes (B, C and D); treble notes (treble middle C to high G); bass notes (bass middle C to low F); performance directions

Music Thoery

Covers all aspects of the Associated Board's theory syllabus for Grades 1-5

USD 4.00

Grade 1: Time names and time values (semibreve, minim, crotchet, quaver); bar lines; time signatures of 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4, and the grouping of notes within these times; notes on the stave; letter names; semiquavers; rests (semibreve rest, minim rest, crotchet rest, quaver rest, semiquaver rest); ties and slurs; dotted notes (dotted minim, dotted crotchet, dotted quaver); accidentals (sharp, natural, flat); semitones and tones; the major scales of C, G, D and F, with their tonic triads, degrees of the scale (1st to 7th), and intervals (2nd to 8ve); cancelling an accidental; composing an answering rhythm (2 bar rhythm); upbeats; performance directions (Grade 1); general exercises (Grade 1)

USD 4.00

Grade 2: Ledger lines (treble and bass ledger notes); time names and time values (semibreve, dotted minim, minim, crotchet, quaver, semiquaver); time signatures of 2/2, 3/2, 4/2 and 3/8, and the grouping of notes and rests within these times; triplets; the major scales of A, Bb and Eb, and the minor scales of A, E and D, with their tonic triads, degrees of the scale, and intervals; composing four-bar rhythm; performance directions (Grade 2); general exercises (Grade 2)

USD 4.00

Grade 3: Time names and time values; ledger lines; transposition; simple and compound time; the grouping of notes and rests (6/8, 9/8, 12/8); major and minor scales (up to 4 sharps and flats), with their tonic triads, degrees, and intervals; four-bar rhythms; simple phrase structure; performance directions (Grade 3); general exercises (Grade 3)

USD 5.00

Grade 4: Alto clef; time signatures (6/4, 9/4, 12/4, 6/16, 9/16, 12/16); breves, double dots and duplets; four-bar rhythms; double sharps and double flats; major and minor scales (up to 5 sharps and flats); technical names of scale degrees; triads and chords on l, lV and V; intervals (major, perfect, minor, augmented, diminished); the chromatic scale; ornaments; writing a rhythm to words; instruments with illustrations; performance directions (Grade 4); general exercises (Grade 4)

USD 5.00

Grade 5: Tenor clef; irregular time signatures (5/4, 7/4, 5/8, 7/8); major and minor scales (up to 6 sharps and flats); transposition; SATB in short and open score; irregular time divisions (quintuplet, sextuplet, septuplet, nontuplet); intervals (simple, compound); identifying chords (I, II, IV and V in root position, 1st inversion and 2nd inversion); chords at cadence points; composing a melody; ornaments and repetitions; instruments with illustrations; performance directions (Grade 5); general exercises (Grade 5)

Dimmie Drum & the Beanstalk DVD Storybook

Introduces the wonderful, wide world of music to children without making it seem ‘educational’

USD 10.00 (DVD included)

Edutaining. Concepts are integrated into the musical environment of Hello Music Land and children ‘absorb’ these concepts naturally, through the use of a host of fun-loving characters and sing-along songs.