Piano Resources – Level Prep

A comprehensive resource to building foundational piano skills, this resource helps students develop technique, note recognition, sight-reading, and musical understanding at a steady pace.

Resources

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IMPORTANT NOTE TO TEACHERS: This is possibly the most difficult assessment to pass. It can easily take 2 years to cover the material on this page. Older, more musically experienced students could pass the preparatory level in less time. Please take your time and reward every victory along the way. Thank you!!

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The materials on this page will help your student to be able to:

Play piano with good posture and technique
Identify and play all notes on the keyboard
Identify most notes on the grand staff
Sight read easy melodies on the grand staff
Identify understand a wide variety of musical signs and symbols
Play in some common 5-Finger positions
Improvise in various keys
Choose and play repertoire that reinforces your learning

End Goal: To pass the preparatory level of piano proficiency. Review and download the Requirements Here.

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Students should have the following available:

Piano or electric keyboard with full size keys
Flash cards and a note learning app (if allowed by parents)
Julie McIntosh Johnson’s Basics of Keyboard Theory – Level Prep

Feel free to follow this syllabus if you find it helpful. The timing on this is for an credited class, so the pace might be too fast for a once-a-week lesson, unless the student practices a lot!

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Chapter 1: Getting to Know the Instrument

Sheet Music: Intro to Rhythmic Reading 1

Audio Track: Improvise on CDE

Audio Track: Improvise on FGAB

Chapter 2: Knowing the Staff/Starting to Read

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Elements of the Staff Labeled

Quiz: Staff Elements

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Sheet Music: Reading on CDE

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Sheet Music: Open Reading on CDE

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Sheet Music: Reading on CDEFG

Worksheet: Note Identification

Sheet Music: Open Reading on CDEFG

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Sheet Music: Intro to Rhythmic Reading 2

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Chapter 3: Reading on the Bass Clef Staff

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Additional Reinforcing Activities

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Audio Track: Improvise on ABC

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Sheet Music: Reading on ABC (Bass Clef)

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Sheet Music: Reading on FGABC (Bass Clef)

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Audio Track: Improvise on GABCD

Sheet Music: Reading on GABCD (Bass Clef)

Sheet Music: Open Reading on FGABCD (Bass Clef)

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Chapter 4: Combining Treble and Bass Clef Staves

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Sheet Music: Alternating Treble and Bass Clef Staves

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Sheet Music: Grand Staff in Middle C Position, C 5-Finger Postion and High C Position

Sheet Music: Note Durations (with beats written in)

Sheet Music: Note Durations (no beats written in)

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Chapter 5: Hands Together on the Grand Staff

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Sheet Music: C and G 5-Finger Scales

Sheet Music: Reading on Grand Staff in C and G 5-Finger Positions

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Worksheet: Note Identification on Grand Staff

Work Sheet: Write in Beats and Read Rhythms 1

Worksheet: Write in Beats and Read Rhythms 2

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Chapter 6: Scales, Chords and Fluency on the Grand Staff

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Sheet Music: C, G and F 5-Finger Scales

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Sheet Music: Open Reading on Grand Staff

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Extra Credit:

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Sheet Music: Introductory 5-Finger Scales

Sheet Music: Harmonizing with Chord Symbols

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